A measure of darkness: a novel

It's nice to see Jonathan Kellerman, who's had a long career as a best-selling novelist, teaming up with his son, Jesse. Their novels are different from Jonathan's solo efforts: there's a different flavor, a different style of characterization. In their new collaboration, a follow-up to Crime Scene (2017), Deputy Coroner Clay Edison is determined to discover the identity of a woman whose body was found at a chaotic crime scene involving multiple shooting victims. The woman doesn't appear to have belonged at the party that led to the shootings, and she died by strangulation, not gunshot. Who is Jane Doe, and why was she killed? Edison is an interesting protagonist, a good man for whom finding the truth is more important than anything else, including his own safety. He's gentle and strong, compassionate and ruthless, methodical and impulsive. A strong sequel to Crime Scene that will leave readers wanting to see more of Edison.--David Pitt Copyright 2018 Booklist

In bestseller Kellerman and son Jesse's plodding sequel to 2017's Crime Scene, Oakland, Calif., coroner's deputy Clay Edison responds to a multiple shooting, apparently sparked by a dispute about noise from a large party. The victims include a six-year-old boy, who was struck by a stray bullet while sleeping in his bed, and a female pedestrian, seemingly accidentally dragged to her death by a car. Edison diligently reviews the evidence and interviews witnesses as he tries to reconstruct what led to the gunfire and the vehicular homicide, but the complexity of the case confuses more than it intrigues. The plot, unlike in the senior Kellerman's best Alex Delaware books, never gathers much steam, and the characterizations, including Clay's relationship with his troubled brother, fall short of the standard set in Edgar-finalist Jesse's better work. Staccato prose doesn't help ("A bicycle, I'd lose him. I walked faster. The phone shook"). Few readers will welcome a third outing from Clay. Agent: Barney Karpfinger, Karpfinger Agency. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

It's nice to see Jonathan Kellerman, who's had a long career as a best-selling novelist, teaming up with his son, Jesse. Their novels are different from Jonathan's solo efforts: there's a different flavor, a different style of characterization. In their new collaboration, a follow-up to Crime Scene (2017), Deputy Coroner Clay Edison is determined to discover the identity of a woman whose body was found at a chaotic crime scene involving multiple shooting victims. The woman doesn't appear to have belonged at the party that led to the shootings, and she died by strangulation, not gunshot. Who is Jane Doe, and why was she killed? Edison is an interesting protagonist, a good man for whom finding the truth is more important than anything else, including his own safety. He's gentle and strong, compassionate and ruthless, methodical and impulsive. A strong sequel to Crime Scene that will leave readers wanting to see more of Edison. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.

When a West Oakland party gets violent, Alameda County coroner's deputy Clay Edison gets a call. The bad news: several people are dead. The really bad news: there's a victim no one can identify, and she's been strangled instead of shot. From those redoubtable über-best-selling authors, father and son.

In bestseller Kellerman and son Jesse's plodding sequel to 2017's Crime Scene, Oakland, Calif., coroner's deputy Clay Edison responds to a multiple shooting, apparently sparked by a dispute about noise from a large party. The victims include a six-year-old boy, who was struck by a stray bullet while sleeping in his bed, and a female pedestrian, seemingly accidentally dragged to her death by a car. Edison diligently reviews the evidence and interviews witnesses as he tries to reconstruct what led to the gunfire and the vehicular homicide, but the complexity of the case confuses more than it intrigues. The plot, unlike in the senior Kellerman's best Alex Delaware books, never gathers much steam, and the characterizations, including Clay's relationship with his troubled brother, fall short of the standard set in Edgar-finalist Jesse's better work. Staccato prose doesn't help ("A bicycle, I'd lose him. I walked faster. The phone shook"). Few readers will welcome a third outing from Clay. Agent: Barney Karpfinger, Karpfinger Agency. (July)