Deception

by Jonathan Kellerman

Book Overview

Her name is Elise Freeman, and her chilling cry for help comes too late to save her. On a DVD found near her lifeless body, the emotionally and physically battered woman chronicles a long ordeal of abuse at the hands of three sadistic tormentors. But even more shocking is the revelation that the offenders, like their victim, are teachers at one of L.A.'s most prestigious prep schools. Homicide detective Milo Sturgis is assigned to probe the hallowed...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345505689
• ISBN13: 9780345505682
• Release Date: February 2011
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

Tidy Package

Alex Delaware fans will enjoy Deception. The plot is tight, the balance between Alex/Milo just about right, the cutesy-poo interchanges with Alex's luthier/love kept to a bare minimum. A substitute teacher/tutor at an elite Westwood prep school turns up dead, packed with dry ice. With a taste for Grey Goose and a roving eye that extends beyond her relationship with a pudgy, gambler/salesman, there are any number of possible suspects and motives for the icing. The problem is that the LAPD Chief's son is a student at the school and the Chief fears that any adverse publicity could jeopardize the school's reputation and, hence, the son's chances for admission to Yale. It's great to see the Chief again, a model of insight/cleverness yoked with snarky political incorrectness. In a world where coptalk and copspeak are the coin of the realm, you can see why he is the head honcho. He tries to keep Milo on a short leash (with predictable, negative results) as Milo and Alex investigate the pomps and works of prep schools and the politics of the SAT's/ACT's. Alex gets to use a bit of his psychological training; we get to see some of the dark side of L.A. and the even darker side of L.A.'s prep schools. This is a solid outing, not the best of the series necessarily, but one which is smooth, tight and to the point. The chief and his son are worlds apart in their takes on things; you'll like both.

Great Read!!!

I am huge fan of Jonathan Kellerman and have all of his books (hardback). I am a Kindle owner but will continue purchasing the actual books for all my favorite authors. Deception was a fast paced, exciting read. Kellerman did not let me down with his ability to create intriguing twists and turns. A previous review mentioned that they missed Robin and Rick. I have to admit that Robin was wearing very thin with me in previous books. I felt this was a "get the job done" investigation for Alex and Milo. Great detective work to solve the crime without all relationship issues that have come up in the past. Though, I also felt that there was something missing and that may have been it.

Loved it.

Jonathan Kellerman has developed a winner in the characters of Milo Sturgis and Alex Delaware. Each new novel promises the maximum amount of entertainment with a puzzling new case. Deception, the latest in a growing line of well written novels, promises to turn over a few well place rocks to reveal the creepy humans who hide there. In Deception, Elise Freeman, a faculty member from prestigious Winsor Prep Academy is found murdered and a DVD is found next to her body. When played, the DVD reveals a woman who has suffered abuse at the hands of multiple abusers for more than a year. As the story unfolds, it appears that the culprits are fellow faculty members and co-workers. As the details become more warped, Detective Milo Sturgis is assigned to the case. Both he and Dr. Alex Delaware must untangle the clues to get to the truth. However, that task is complicated by the resistance of both the school and the wealthy clientele that send their Ivy League bound children there. Deception is a hand wringer. Should the upper class be allowed to hide behind a curtain thus hiding their own sins and should those that cater to this class be allowed the same privilege? This is an interesting question, because it appears that the answer to this question is usually yes. Kellerman does a good job in keeping the story fresh and the characters interesting. After-all, after 25 of these books, keeping things moving isn't easy. All in all, I think you'll be glad you read Deception.

Deception by Jonathan Kellerman

Alex and Milo are back, trying to figure out who-dunnit in Kellerman's newest Alex Delaware novel. I am not a huge fan of the mystery genre- maybe I just haven't read enough to find the authors I would enjoy- but Kellerman has long been the exception. What I love about Kellerman is that he maintains a certain level of consistency in his writing while avoiding becoming boring and predictable. The trend continues in Deception which has some great twists and turns. Deception starts off at a steady clip and maintains a good pace throughout. Alex Delaware, psychologist and unofficial detective, is brought onto a homicide case by Lt. Milo Sturgis. Alex and Milo are a seemingly unlikely partnership. Alex provides illuminating insight, drawing on his talent as a psychologist while Milo is the gritty, street-smart cop(who often doubles as the comic relief). Right from the start, Alex and Milo find the murder of a teacher from an elite prep school raising puzzling questions. Why is there so much interest from above in keeping the case hush-hush? Why has protocol been breached in the handling of evidence? A strange DVD of the victim before her death adds further intrigue and could she have identified her murderer on the recording? And that's just the beginning!! People are not always what they seem ' Books by prolific authors such as Kellerman are often hit or miss in quality- not so with "Deception"! If you are a fan of Kellerman and his characters, you won't be disappointed. Kellerman does a fantastic job of deftly handling the plot, stringing the reader along as he builds to a riveting finish. "Deception" is well-written and fast paced as it builds to a big finish. Full of suspense, interesting characters and enough turns to keep even the most seasoned armchair investigator guessing, fans will be greeted by old, familiar friends and those who are new to Kellerman will likely be inspired to check out some of his earlier books after finishing this one. Great read, very entertaining- Kellerman delivers with "Deception".

Excellent! Psychologists rock!

Great addition to the series. Fresh, current and filled with entertaining banter and witty sophisticated insights that are also psychologically sound. I know, as I am also a psychologist and I pleased to see that Kellerman continues to depict the psychology field as able to shed light on underlying human behaviors. The story line in "Deception" also illuminates the difficulties in navigating the never ending bureaucratic dynamic that enables class privilege and that so often compromises ethics for furthering power agendas. A great read, and a great way to learn about real psychology and what it can do, and that a clinical interpretation can be initially discounted or even meet with a hostile reaction initially, which often means it is revealing something particularly significant. Truly inspiring for me, a writer/psychologist, and another hit for fans of the series, illustrating that a series can consistently show quality and care in the writing and execution of all the key components of an addictive yet satisfying page-turner.