Review of "Deception: An Alex Delaware Novel" by Jonathan Kellerman

In this 25th book in the 'Alex Delaware' series, a female teacher at an exclusive prep school dies in odd circumstances. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Windsor Prep Academy is a pricey, exclusive high school that prides itself on sending many of its graduates to top universities like Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc. - schools that are notoriously hard to get accepted to. So when a Windsor Prep English teacher, Elise Freeman, is found murdered in a bathtub full of dry ice......



......having left behind a videotape accusing three male colleagues of sexual harassment - it's a seismic event to the school's administrators, teachers, parents, and students.







A scandal like this might derail Windsor Prep pupils' chances of going to their preferred colleges! 😨

Detective Milo Sturgis gets the case.....



......and investigates with the help of his friend Alex Delaware - a psychologist who consults for the Los Angeles Police Department.



Unfortunately the sleuths are immediately hamstringed by the Police Chief, whose son attends Windsor Prep. The boy is applying to Yale, and the Chief means for him to get in.



Thus, the top cop practically orders Milo to find a perp who's NOT associated with the school, like Elise's boyfriend.....or some other scumbag.

Of course, no investigation can proceed like this, and Milo largely ignores the Chief's instructions, no matter the blowback. Nevertheless, Milo and Alex make slow progress because the President of Windsor Prep - who's an entitled snob - stonewalls; the teachers are evasive, and the students - many of whom have a snarky, privileged attitude - lie. 👨‍



Little by little, it becomes clear that Elise Freeman was a sexually aggressive woman with a lot of secrets; her boyfriend is a gambler and grifter; the high school students aren't above reproach; and someone is desperately trying to hide wrongdoing. 😈

The investigation consists mostly of Milo and Alex going around questioning people, along with some data mining online. That's it. There's almost no reference to forensic evidence, fingerprints, DNA, hair - all that stuff you see on CSI. In addition, the author has a tic of describing every character in enormous detail, recounting all aspects of their physical appearance and clothing. (I think Kellerman must troll fashion sites.) This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it slows the story down.

In between police interviews/interrogations there are the obligatory scenes of Milo raiding Alex's refrigerator to make enormous sandwiches; Alex chatting with his longtime girlfriend Robin; people petting/playing with Alex's French bulldog Blanche; and conversations about Milo being gay.



Milo also gets chewed out and lectured by the Police Chief periodically. The unfortunate Chief is in a tough spot: he DOES want the real murderer nailed but he also wants to keep scandal away from Windsor Prep, for his son's sake. (I was hoping the son was the murderer, just for fun....but I can't say of course.)

In the end, the motive for the murder is realistic, but the perp's modus operandi is way out in left field. If all murderers had schemes like this, detectives would make an arrest every time.

Though this isn't among Jonathan's Kellerman's best books, the mystery is reasonably interesting.....and the high schoolers determination to pad their resumés and get good test scores rings true. I'd recommend the book to mystery fans who want a non-taxing read to pass the time.



Rating: 3 stars