Bad Love by Jonathan Kellerman is a book I picked up at a library sale sometime last year. Recently, I resolved to go and try to read through all the books that have been hanging around at least a year before moving on to the newer, more attractive pile. Heh. I also wanted to take a break from the heavy, emotionally draining (but very good) books I'd been reading recently, like Songs In Ordinary Time.
Okay, anyway...on to this book. I was attracted by the title and by the jacket description. "For Alex Delaware, the tape is the first intimation that he is about to enter a living nightmare. Others soon foolow: disquieting laughter echoing over a phone line that suddenly goes dead, a chilling act of trespass and vandalism. He has become the target of a carefully orchestrated campaign of vague threats and intimidation rapidly building to a crescendo as harassment turns to terror, mischief to madness." Wow, sounds like a great read!
It is...if you're into mystery thrillers. I thought it was just okay.
The story opens with Dr. Alex Delaware becoming involved in a complicated visitation case. He is a child psychologist and a consultant to the LAPD. In the beginning of the book, he receives a frightening tape: someone is screaming and then a child's emotionless voice recites: "bad love" over and over. I was hooked for maybe 2/3 of the book but then certain things didn't add up. When they don't add up and when they don't seem real, I become annoyed with the story. I felt Dr. Delaware was too intrusive into people's lives and toward the end he was downright whiny.
There was one teeny little clue as to the perpertrator. It didn't "feel" right to me. Maybe it's the mystery thriller genre thing...
About 30 years ago, there was a clever movie called Murder By Death. In it, five famous detectives and their sidekicks--or spouse-- are invited to the home of Lionel Twain to figure out a murder. The reason I bring this up is because of the reason Twain set the whole thing up, and I quote, "You've tricked and fooled your readers for years. You've tortured us all with surprise endings that made no sense. You've introduced characters in the last five pages that were never in the book before. You've withheld clues and information that made it impossible for us to guess who did it. But now, the tables are turned. Millions of angry mystery readers are now getting their revenge. When the world learns I've outsmarted you, they'll be selling your $1.95 books for twelve cents."
After reading this book, I kind of felt like Lionel Twain. Hopefully the next Dr. Delaware book I read won't leave me feeling the same way.