The story revolves around an interesting cast of characters. It begins with.... MURDER.... but of course it does. If it didn't begin with murder then maybe people like me wouldn't keep reading. The murder this novel begins with is unsettling, and even Alex is unsure what to say about it. Through trials and tests Alex and Milo attempt to figure out what is going on, why these people were killed, and who the killers are. There is a lot going on in this book. One thing I did enjoy was we did get to see a little more of Robin in this novel, and she is the reason the case comes to a head.
I'd love to say more about this book, but I feel I would give too much away, so I'm just going to copy the synopsis here:
LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis has solved a lot of murder cases. On many of them--the ones he calls "different"--he taps the brain of brilliant psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware. But neither Alex nor Milo are prepared for what they find on an early morning call to a deserted mansion in Bel Air. This one's beyond different. This is predation, premeditation, and cruelty on a whole new level.
Four people have been slaughtered and left displayed bizarrely and horrifically in a stretch limousine. Confounding the investigation, none of the victims seems to have any connection to any other, and a variety of methods have been used to dispatch them. As Alex and Milo make their way through blind alleys and mazes baited with misdirection, they encounter a crime so vicious that it stretches the definitions of evil.
This is it, this is all I can say.
There were almost no likeable characters in this movie, and every person in this movie is very Los Angeles. What I read were posh people, privileged and spoiled teens, people who used to be someone and think they still are. The only real person, the only person I didn't dislike was a nun. I think that might be the point of this novel, that in certain circles people are just total jerks. This gives a look into parts of Los Angeles I saw when I lived in California. There are people who think that just because you aren't wearing the most recent designer you are less than the toilet paper stuck on the back of their shoe when they walk out of that high end bathroom.
As I said before one thing I enjoyed was that there was more Robin. I do wish that we could see Alex do more of his actual job and a little less policing, since he doesn't belong doing some of the things he is doing anyway. I'd like to see him work with some of the kids and go back to basics.
I am pleased that I have yet to get tired of this series. There have been quite a few series that I have gotten sick of and couldn't read anymore, but the Alex Delaware series is still pretty great. If you haven't read any of the books in this series you should, and if you have, don't miss this one.