Headline/Hachette UK, London 2018

This is the 34th Alex Delaware thriller, and it shows the signs of wearing.

As befits Kellerman´s second profession as a psychologist, his alter ego Alex assists his long-term partner in crime solving, Milo Sturgis of the LAPD, when he has to find out about three cruel murders.

Contrary to the “thriller” label, the story unfolds at a leisurely pace, dialogues with suspects, colleagues and all kinds of witnesses taking centre stage and up to 90 percent of the book. Still, there is no sparkle in it.