Publisher: Century (Trade Paperback – 13 February 2024)

Series: Alex Delaware – Book 39

Length: 293 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Legendary crime fiction author Jonathan Kellerman returns with another outstanding read in his long-running Alex Delaware series with The Ghost Orchid, which presents the reader with another gripping murder mystery.

Over the last few years, I have developed an awesome and highly enjoyable habit of starting the new year off by reading the new Jonathan Kellerman book as soon as I can.  An excellent and well-established crime fiction author, Kellerman has been producing amazing reads for decades, with his best-known works being the Alex Delaware novels, following that follow a plucky psychologist and his cop best friend as they solve the most unusual or mysterious murders in Los Angeles.  While I got into Kellerman’s work late, I have had an outstanding time with some of his more recent books, including The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead and Unnatural History.  All of these novels have been amazing and filled with great mysteries, and I am always very excited to check out a new Kellerman book.  That is why I made sure to grab a copy of the new Alex Delaware novel, The Ghost Orchid, as soon as I could, and boy did it prove to be another outstanding read.

Love, revenge and deceit are all in the air when two bodies are found beside the pool in an upscale Bel Air mansion.  The two victims have been mercilessly shot down in what appears to be a targeted hit.  But who was the intended victim?  Was it the rich playboy heir who lived in the mansion or was it his wealthier neighbour with whom he had been having an illicit affair?

Noting the apparent anger behind the case, LAPD homicide detective lieutenant Milo Sturgis calls in his old friend and colleague psychologist Alex Delaware to help unwind the twisted threads of both victims’ lives.  Only recently recovered from a dangerous encounter on their last investigation, Alex is keen to get back into the saddle, even for what appears to be a simple case of revenge from a spurned husband.  However, it soon becomes clear that this murder is anything but simple.

As Alex and Milo dig deeper into the case, they discover that both dead lovers had troubled pasts and dark secrets that they were running from.  To discover who was behind the deadly murders, the two friends will need to uncover everything about their victims’ lives, including any dark connections that could identify the killer or their motives.  But neither Alex nor Milo are prepared for just how convoluted the lives of these two Los Angeles elites truly were or just how far they went to escape their pasts.

This was another brilliant read from Jonathan Kellerman that I instantly fell in love with.  The 39^th entry in the Alex Delaware series, The Ghost Orchid featured Kellerman’s trademark investigative style and iconic character as they dive into another excellent mystery.

The Ghost Orchid’s story proved to be extremely interesting and addictive as it once again followed the protagonists as they embark on another fascinating investigation.  Mostly shown through the eyes of main character Alex Delaware, Kellerman paints a fantastic picture at the start of The Ghost Orchid, as he sets up the crime scene and then introduces the reader to the two murder victims.  From there, the plot advances at a steady pace, as the protagonists begin to dive into the lives of their victims and learn about their past, their secrets, and their deeper motivations.  Much of this investigation involves methodical interviews of the victim’s various friends, acquaintances, and relatives, and the running down of any leads that come their way.

Kellerman effectively moves this story along, and you are soon given some great clues regarding the case, as well as some potential additional crimes.  I loved how well the author kept up a level of suspense and uncertainty regarding which victim is the most likely intended target, and the expert blending of their backstories worked extremely well.  At the same time, Kellerman also adds in some more personal elements for the main character, including examining the fallout of the last book and his own work as a psychologist.  The entire mystery comes together extremely well at the end of the novel, and I loved the compelling story that resulted, especially as one character’s past holds the secrets for the solution of the case.  I did think that Kellerman wrapped everything up a little suddenly and with less involvement from the protagonists than you would expect, although there is a certain amount of realism in the final confrontation.  However, this proved to be an overall extremely epic story that you can’t help but get drawn into.

I really love how Kellerman structures his outstanding mysteries in the Alex Delaware series, and The Ghost Orchid is a great example of this.  Kellerman’s methodical and more realistic style of investigation always stands out to me, and I deeply appreciate how the protagonist’s attempts to solve the crime usually requires talking to multiple intriguing suspects or people with any sort of connection to the case.  While some of the dialogue between these witnesses and the protagonists occasionally feels a little off, for the most part Kellerman succeeds in building a powerful and massive picture of events that fills the reader’s mind’s eye and really draws them into the mystery.  The entire mystery in The Ghost Orchid was extremely well structured, and the slow move towards answers really drew me in and made for some great reading.  Like most of the books in the Alex Delaware series, The Ghost Orchid can be easily read as a standalone novel.  While parts of the main character arc do discuss events from the prior book and there are some callbacks to earlier novels in the series, you honestly don’t need any pre-knowledge of these books to completely appreciate The Ghost Orchid.  Due to how insular the main mystery is, as well as how well Kellerman effectively covers any relevant prior events, anyone can dive into the series here without any issue, and The Ghost Orchid proves to be an excellent addition to the Alex Delaware books.

Like all the Alex Delaware novels, the heart of The Ghost Orchid lies in the fantastic and heartfelt partnership and friendship of main characters Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis.  Due to their long association together, the two have become best friends whose insights into the way the other thinks result in them being quite an effective investigative team.  These two have a great patter as they investigate their cases, and it always so much fun to see them bounce ideas, suggestions and insights off each other.  This friendship is always a great part of the series, and it was interesting to see it changed to a degree in The Ghost Orchid.  Due to the closing events of the previous novel, Unnatural History, Alex was badly injured while investigating a case and has been out of action for a while.  This led to quite a bit of guilt from Milo, who blamed himself for Alex getting hurt.  This changed the dynamic between the two for much of the book, especially as Milo was reluctant to bring Alex into another investigation.  It was moving and a little heartbreaking to see this guilt induced damage in their relationship, especially as Milo was a lot more protective as a result.  As such, this was a great addition to the series, and I enjoyed seeing Kellerman try to stretch the bounds of this well-established partnership in some new ways.

Aside from Alex and Milo, the two character who impact the plot of The Ghost Orchid the most are the murder victims, Giovanni Aggiunta and Meagin Lea March.  While dead for the entirety of the plot, their lives and legacies cast a shadow over the whole book, and the protagonists, as well as the reader, need to dive into the past to find out who the killer is.  Kellerman does an excellent job of featuring these two dead characters in The Ghost Orchid, and the slow-burn examination of their lives becomes a key part of the story, as the protagonists talk to family, contacts and more, while also doing copious research.  As such, you really get to know both dead characters as the book continues, which proves to be quite intriguing and powerful.  Both victims are revealed to have complicated pasts, and the disentanglement of these secrets and the examination of all their interactions, relationships and motivations raises the tension of the plot while simultaneously increasing the reader’s attachment to solving the case.  Kellerman ensures that there is a balanced focus on both victim’s pasts for much of the narrative to disguise who the intended target was for.  This really enhances the mystery of the story, and you are constantly wondering what new secret or hidden truth will be uncovered to finally allow the reader to pinpoint why they were killed.  As such, these dead characters prove just as important to The Ghost Orchid as the protagonist, and I was once again impressed at Kellerman’s ability to make me care about character we never actually see alive.

Even after decades of writing, Jonathan Kellerman continues to produce fascinating and complex mysteries that readers can get so easily lost in.  The Ghost Orchid was an outstanding novel, that saw Kellerman’s fantastic protagonists dive into another elaborate mystery.  Powerful, loaded with great characters, and making full use of Kellerman’s distinctive style, The Ghost Orchid was an excellent novel from start to finish, and I cannot recommend this latest Alex Delaware novel enough.

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