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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Jonathon and Faye Kellerman's CAPITAL CRIMES.
Ann from West Henrietta, NY
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman? What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I just finished CAPITAL CRIMES and enjoyed it very much. Having it broken up into two stories was a nice treat. I especially enjoyed "Music City Breakdown." Both stories kept me guessing till the end. I've read many of the Alex Delaware books and enjoyed all of them. It was a treat to have Alex make an appearance in this story. I've always liked him. I've never read any of Faye Kellerman's books, but I will now.
Eileen from West Lawn, PA
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
I have read most of Jonathan Kellerman's books but have not read anything by Faye Kellerman before this.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Kay Hooper, Stephen White, Tami Hoag, Lisa Gardner and Patricia Cornwell.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I enjoyed my first Faye Kellerman experience and remain a fan of Jonathan Kellerman's work after reading CAPITAL CRIMES.
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
Yes.
Jamene from Huntington Beach, CA
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
I have read several of Jonathan Kellerman's books, but none of Faye's.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I read Michael Connelly, Andrew Vachss, T. Jefferson Parker, Stuart Woods, J. D. Robb, Lee Child, James Grippando, James Patterson and Laurell K. Hamilton, to name a few.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I liked the book as it was a quick read, yet each novella had its own draw for me. My daughter is thinking about attending Berkeley next fall, and I liked how descriptive the authors were about the area. I enjoyed the collaborative effort and how it seemed to blend well.
The second story had just enough of Alex Delaware in it to be mysterious from the detectives' point of view.
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
I would read a future book and probably will.
Sarah from Plano, TX
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
Yes, I have read books by both of them.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
William Bernhardt, James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I enjoyed it. Both novellas were good, but I especially liked "Music City Breakdown." In particular, I enjoyed the Alex Delaware tie-in because I always find his character to be interesting and intelligent. I also liked the way the story made you wonder about Baker Southerby's past until the end when everything is tied together and the story of his parents is revealed.
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
Yes, definitely. I appreciate the opportunity to read and comment on CAPITAL CRIMES.
Suzanne from Little Rock, AR
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
No.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Nelson DeMille, Nora Roberts and Nevada Barr.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I liked it very much. I'm not a big fan of the "novella" approach, but each was done very well. Each was suspenseful and well-written. It was unusual to get the background on the detective after the murder was solved. I liked it!
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
Yes.
Toni from Nashville, TN
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
Since I am a big mystery fan, I have read all of the novels by both Jonathan Kellerman and Faye Kellerman.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I particularly enjoy James Patterson, Michael Connelly, Clive Cussler, Dean Koontz and Stuart Woods. Of course, the Kellermans are also on the list. I love the Alex Delaware and Peter Decker series.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I was particularly happy with the first CAPITAL CRIMES novella.
What I found most intriguing about this book was the use of Nashville as one of the settings. "Music City Breakdown" explores the death of a music maker. As a Nashville resident, I see many characters like [those] depicted in the novellas. They are your waitress, your valet at the restaurant, and sometimes they are your dentist. The research must have been extensive, for it was quite believable. Anyone suggesting that those characters don't exist hasn't spent much time in Nashville. My only regret is that Alex Delaware wasn't featured more.
Although the setting for "My Sister's Keeper" was further away, it was an action-packed read. With plenty of suspects, it packed a lot of suspense in a very small place.
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
I think the novellas are a unique idea. I will certainly look forward to the next one.
William from Bethlehem, NH
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman? What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I've been an Alex Delaware fan since his introduction in 1985 with WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS. Not surprisingly, Mr. Kellerman delivers yet another great "whodunit," with a knockout ending. "Music City Breakdown" is an eye opening glimpse of stardom's darker side. The final chapter adds an even deeper dimension to the already great story, worthy of a second read.
This was the first [time I've read] Faye Kellerman, and was not disappointed. "My Sister's Keeper" is full of suspense with an abundant supply of colorful suspects. I absolutely loved the true-to-life dialogues, especially between the two main characters, Amanda and Barnes.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Faye Kellerman will definitely be put on my MUST READ list, along with Jonathan Kellerman, Nelson DeMille, Stephen White, Tess Gerritsen, John Sandford, Stuart Woods, Lisa Gardner, Jeffery Deaver, P. J. Tracy and many others.
Gwen from Denver, CO
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
I am a fan of both Kellermans and have read all of their books.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I truly enjoyed the first story,"My Sister's Keeper." It kept me interested up to the last sentence. I thought the writing style was fast paced and well written. I did not feel the same about "Music City Breakdown." To me, it was not the same quality as their past books, nor as exciting and interesting. I knew who the killer was halfway through the story. Even though I was happy to encounter Dr. Alex Delaware, in some aspects, I found the story trite. Thank you for this opportunity.
Karen from Scottsdale, AZ
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
I have read all of both Kellermans' suspense novels and am a HUGE fan of both of them.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I do read other suspense/thriller authors, most especially James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, John Grisham and P.D. James, among many others.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I believe each Kellerman is much better alone than jointly, and I felt this way about their previous collaboration, DOUBLE HOMICIDE. I don't believe either one excels at the novella form, which limits character and plot development by its very length. Each author on his/her own usually does a superb job of developing both in a full-length novel. After finishing one of their novels, I feel strongly about it, positive or negative. However, after finishing CAPITAL CRIMES, I didn't feel anything except glad that it was finally finished. This was probably due to the fact that I didn't care much about any of the characters because I hadn't learned much about most of them. Even Alex Delaware in the second story didn't seem like himself, almost as if Faye had written Jonathan's main character. And the ploy of using the back story of Baker Southerby's childhood at the very end of "Music City Breakdown" to explain his reactions came too late and didn't work for me. I'd advise both authors to forego any future collaborative efforts and concentrate on their own series.
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
I will, absolutely, read any future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman!
Matt from Opelika, AL
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
Years ago, I read several books by both of the authors. I often find authors who are new to me and read many of their books in a row. Then, I will drop them from my reading list unless they touch me in some way. It seems as though most writers have only a few things to say and continue to say them over and over. Unless their work seems to have the “can’t put down” touch, I discard them from my list; in some cases, they remain because I relate to the author in some way.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
The list of other suspense/thriller authors I have read is endless. In my soon to be 70 years, I have tried most of the major and some lesser-known writers. There are a few whom I continue to read, as stated above. Two of them have blown me away in the last four years since I discovered them --- Stephen Hunter and Greg Iles. HOT SPRINGS was one of those can’t-put-down books.
My most recent discovery is Julia Spencer-Fleming. I picked up a paperback copy of her first novel last year when I was on the road and out of reading material. I gave it to my wife as soon as I finished it, and once she finished, she ordered the other four books in the series (one was still in prepublication). We found some of them better than others, but all were somewhat different. The fifth is almost as good as the first.
Some other authors I read are:
James Lee Burke - I lived in Lafayette LA for 30 years (I actually taught in college with Burke).
John Grisham - I’ve read them all, even the football and Christmas throwaways.
Nevada Barr - I’ve real all the National Park series mostly because I love the Parks.
Tony Hillerman - I've read them all because [he has a way of] making a region that I love come alive in words.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I am not impressed with this book. The first novella, “My Sister’s Keeper,” did not speak to me at all. No memorable characters, no action, no danger. Also, I was disturbed by what I think is total ignorance of firearms by two authors who should do some research about guns if they are going to write about them. Skeet does not involve rifles, and as far as I can determine, you cannot do ballistics on shotguns since the barrels are smooth (not rifled, and the many pellets would not show any characteristic markings). Perhaps I am wrong in all of this, but I think not. I suspect the first novella was written by Faye with very little help from Jonathan.
The second novella was of more interest to me because I [am familiar with] Nashville and found a lot of it agreed with my experiences. The two detectives were interesting. Again, one passage I found pointed to a lack of research by the authors. Opryland, as an amusement park, has been gone for many years. The park was torn down and replaced with a huge shopping mall. Since Dr. Delaware compares it to Disneyland, this must have taken place in the distant past (probably the only time the Kellermans visited the city). The last part of the novella when the detective was musing about his family seems weirdly placed (sort of an afterthought), but strangely compelling.
In general, I would not recommend this book to others.
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
I am not very excited about reading other Kellerman books.
Mike from Bellevue, WA
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
No.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Greg Iles, Lee Child, Lehane, G.M. Ford, James Patterson and numerous others in the mystery genre.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I preferred "Music City Breakdown" to "My Sister's Keeper."
"My Sister's Keeper" was a bit too preachy, in a suspense or thriller I am more interested in the plot than an underlying message. Too much of the authors' political leanings/tone came through.
"Music City Breakdown" was well done and an engaging novella.
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
Yes.
Myra from Yukon, OK
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
Yes.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I read Robert Crais, Dean Koontz, Lee Child, Joseph Finder, Daniel Silva, Jeffery Deaver, James Patterson, Greg Iles, Michael Connelly, James Grippando, Stuart Woods and David Kent --- and there are probably some others I've forgotten.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I really didn't care for it and wouldn't buy the book. "Music City Breakdown" was a little better than "My Sister's Keeper" (I thought it was a very poor novella and didn't like it at all).
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
Yes, because I've enjoyed a lot of their other books.
Ronna from Potomac, MD
Have you previously read a book by Jonathan Kellerman and/or Faye Kellerman?
No, but I have been interested in reading psychological thrillers lately, and have heard that Jonathan Kellerman is a good author.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Jeffery Deaver, Robert Liparulo, James Rollins, Ted Dekker, Steve Berry, Greg Iles, James Grippando, Dan Brown, David Baldacci, John Grisham, Daniel Silva, Mary Higgins Clark, Robert Ludlum, Arturo Perez-Reverte, John Sandford, Ridley Pearson, Donna Tartt and David Robbins.
What did you think of CAPITAL CRIMES?
I was sadly disappointed in this book. I would call it an easily written "knock-off mystery" for a team that is supposedly capable of much more. Unless I missed something, this was actually two novellas put together in one book with no greater connection than the marriage of the authors. I am not into short stories, and novellas need to really be terrific to live up to a good, involved thriller with lots of twists and turns. If they were mystery cozy writers, I might well have gotten into their work because cozies need not be so intricate to be page-turners, and enjoyable!
I also felt that the two main characters of the authors were thrown in to win the approval of their present fan base. Not having read any of their books before, I was completely NOT taken in by Faye's detective. I was a little intrigued by the doctor from Jonathan, and might actually still try a book by him --- maybe now, later than the sooner than I had expected to take on one of his books after this read though.
From publicity and word of mouth from some of their fans in some book groups, I was expecting so much more!
Would you ever read a future book by Jonathan Kellerman or Faye Kellerman?
I still hope that Jonathan is an author for me and the mystery book group --- only because of what folks have told me. Maybe borrowing a book would be best for a start, though, because if it is not much improved, I will probably not finish it.
If I was given another "free" book by Faye, and I found that it was much better than this one, then I would buy her books also. Interestingly enough, my mystery book group has never read a book by either of them. They were hoping that I might find us another good "thriller" with one or both of these people. We seem to do pretty well with the police mysteries and cozy authors, but thrillers have not been as easy to find that involve subjects that we all are interested in reading.
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