She Treads Softly: The Museum of Desire

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

The Museum of Desire

The Museum of Desire by Jonathan Kellerman
Penguin Random House: 2/4/20
eBook review copy; 368 pages
ISBN-13: 9780525618522
Alex Delaware Series #35

The Museum of Desire by Jonathan Kellerman is a very highly recommended police procedural featuring psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware.

LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis has a bizarre case and he calls in friend and psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware to assist him in the investigation. On the grounds of a deserted mansion in Bel Air four people are found murdered in a stretch limousine. But these four people have been arranged and displayed in a grotesque tableau that must mean something to the killer but is difficult for investigators to comprehend what it means. They are at a loss to explain the motive behind how the diverse group of people came to be found murdered together and arranged at the scene. Alex and Milo must use all their skills to uncover the truth, but the way to the answers is full of twisty turns and blind alleys.

The complex story grabbed me from the start and I enjoyed following all the trails and lines of questioning in the detailed investigation immensely. The writing is excellent. At this point in his writing career Kellerman is skilled enough to tell a complicated, interesting story while keeping the plot moving along swiftly. The denouement was unexpected and startling, but totally satisfying and fit right in with the case.

This is a wonderful police procedural. The characters are all well established at this point, but anyone new to the series could easily jump in and read The Museum of Desire without enjoying any of the previous Alex Delaware novels. Those who know the characters will appreciate this latest case. I've gleaned a new favorite quote:
"I've already got a mood disorder."
"What's that?"
"Personal variant of bipolar. Half the time I'm pissed off, the other I'm merely irritated."

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.