Steven Belanger's Reviews > Victims

Victims by Jonathan Kellerman

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3985022
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Feb 12, 12

bookshelves: to-read

Read the Google preview, which was about half the book, maybe more. Mostly good stuff so far, though it was like watching an R-rated Law and Order episode. Very genre, overly episodical, with the minor characters and just-the-facts ma'am mixed with the unnecessary relationship stuff between Delaware and Robin that I'm guessing over 80% of the readers skip over, including me. Some of the writing, as usual, tries too hard to be brutal chic, but it's still effective, and I can see a little of the tone in my preview, which is a compliment to Kellerman and a bit disconcerting to me. His minor characters are, as always, stereotypes, yet effective and memorable. In other words, nothing brand new or groundbreaking here, but you're not going to find that in a series this long, anyhow. What he does, he does very well. I'd defy almost anyone to hear a summary of one of his books, without ending or character names, and be able to tell them apart so well that I'd get the actual title of the book from them. After the fourth or fifth in the series, they all kind of blend together. That's why I gave up buying every book about two books ago--that's a large series to box up and give away. They're well-done enough for me to read from the library, though; I might just go to Barnes and Noble or the library and read this one in a few hours while my better half's doing a double. (And then put it back on the shelf.) I'm more than a little bothered by the obvious, but still-understated, glee the author takes in his gore and depravity shots, but he knows that's why we read his books, so what choice does he have? Sometimes his stuff can be so brutal that you feel like taking a shower afterwards, but that doesn't stop us from reading it, does it? More to come after I read the whole thing...

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Comments (showing 1-2 of 2) (2 new)

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message 1: by Moira (new) - added it

Moira Russell There's actually a lot less Robin and relationship wahhngst in this book, which was refreshing, but it also felt a lot more impartial. Even Milo didn't really zing.


message 2: by Steven (new) - added it

Steven Belanger Sounds like Kellerman might be getting tired, though he handles the Law and Order, minor characters-as-suspects, scenes very well, and with verve. But even he may be growing tired of the main characters, who, unlike the always-new minor characters, never, ever change.

Thanks for commenting, Moira!


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