From Product Description:

Homicide detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware probe the hallowed halls of Windsor Prep Academy, one of L.A.'s most prestigious prep schools, searching for the killers of a murdered woman.

Another disappointing book from the pen of an author who used to write in an intelligent, solid and engaging way. Alex Delaware offers little genuine insight, serving primarily as a chauffeur and straight man for Milo. The characters are flat, the conversation banal and the plot cluttered rather than complex. On the up side, we heard little about Robin or Rick with blessedly little of the relationship angst that sometimes overpowers the story. Every time Kellerman releases a new novel I hope for a return to the quality that marked his earlier books that I fear will never be seen again.

I kept thinking this book was going to live up to the other Alex Delaware novels and it certainly did not. I didn't even finish it. I thought it was boring, boring, boring.

I have to start by saying I enjoyed the book. I didn't love it but I enjoyed it. Even so, I didn't feel like I was reading an Alex Delaware novel -- at least not the kind Kellerman used to write. As I read this book, I felt that Delaware wasn't acting as a psychologist but more of a ridealong sidekick to Milo. Other than the periodic references to Robin and his French bulldog, I felt it could have any been another detective with Milo and the book would have been the same. Delaware even did internet searches that any rookie cop could have done. <br /> <br />As a basic detective mystery, I enjoyed it. The plot had plenty of twists and turns that kept me from guessing the killer. Just when you think it is one kind of murder mystery, things change and you start to think it is something else and then it changes again. That kept things interesting. <br /> <br />The book didn't have as strong a sense of place as previous novels in the series, but I did learn a new architectual term -- dingbat. When an apartment building was described as being a dingbat, I had to go online to see what kind of building that was -- and it must be a fairly California type because I've never seen anything like that in Minnesota. <br /> <br />I hope Kellerman brings back more psychological aspects to future books in the series, but at least it was an interesting and entertaining read.

Great who-dun-it, as usual. Jonathan Kellerman has been my absolute favorite mystery writer for many years. The relatively short chapters are also an appealing feature. Always a great read.

I get a little tongue-tied with uninitiated friends when I attempt to describe Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis novels. I'm not sure why that's so. It's impossible to exaggerate how quietly brilliant this series has been. No matter what I say (or even write), I don't feel like I'm doing Kellerman or his books true justice. Let me try once again. <br /> <br />Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis are an odd couple. For those not familiar with the series, Delaware is a psychologist in private practice who is occasionally called upon by Sturgis, an LAPD homicide detective, for insight and advice when confronted with an unusual case. Kellerman has chosen to eschew stereotypes as a shortcut to describing both men. Delaware bears none of the uneasy eccentricities that one occasionally finds in those who work in what are known as the "helping professions." Sturgis is a gay male in an occupation where such an orientation might not be viewed entirely favorably by the rank and file, but he is secure enough in who he is to the extent that he wears nothing on his sleeve. More than colleagues, the two of them (tactfully) exchange unvarnished truths, and Sturgis, an endearing foodie, can walk into Delaware's home and raid the refrigerator with nary an upturned eyebrow from Delaware or his wife. <br /> <br />DECEPTION, the latest installment in the series, begins with the discovery of a dead body that may or may not be the result of a murder, although the homicidal nature of the crime is determined quickly enough. The body in question belongs to Elise Freeman, a substitute teacher and tutor at an extremely exclusive and fashionable Los Angeles area prep school that caters to the children of the rich and famous. Freeman has left behind a DVD in which she speaks from beyond the grave, accusing three faculty members of sexual harassment. They immediately come under suspicion for the murder, as does Freeman's occasionally convenient boyfriend, who discovered her body. <br /> <br />Sturgis, with Delaware ever-present, begins interviewing the suspects, but there is an interesting wrinkle that hamstrings the investigation. The son of the Chief of Police is a senior at the prep school where Freeman taught, and any untoward publicity involving the school might impede the lad's chances of being accepted at the university that his father has picked out for him. Sturgis is used to going where the investigation takes him, and the "mother-may-I" limitations under which he is requested to function raise his hackles in short order. Delaware observes, speculates, advises, and most importantly for the reader, narrates the action, occasionally editorializing as Freeman's life outside the confines of the classroom is slowly and tantalizingly revealed. When another murder takes place, the identity of the killer seems to be an almost foregone conclusion --- until it isn't. There are many unexpected twists and turns toward the climax, which reveals that a number of people besides Sturgis and Delaware have the right stuff. <br /> <br />DECEPTION is peppered with lots of interesting characters, some of whom are old friends from previous installments in the series, others of whom will be gone but not forgotten by the next volume. And while the novel is heavy on entertaining dialogue, that imbalance makes the occasional jump-out moment more stark and surprising.