Product Description

One night a young woman disappears . . . In broad daylight a retired teacher is stabbed to death . . . In a small-town beauty parlor two women are butchered . . . Three baffling cases, linked only by a lack of motive until psychologist Alex Delaware and LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis stumble upon a clue. A stolen luxury car is found undamaged and unblemished – except for a tiny, solitary bloodstain. Soon they uncover other expensive cars ‘borrowed’ before a killing. Soon the pair are hunting for a multiple killer, from LA high society to its desperate slums, even to New York and a forgotten cold case. However the killer proves to be a fleeting shape-shifter, defying identification. To unmask him, Alex and Milo will have to understand his murderous compulsion . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3943 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-27
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

About the Author
Jonathan Kellerman is the international bestselling thriller writer best known for his series featuring psychologist Alex Delaware. He has won many awards for his novels, including the prestigious Edgar. He is married to the novelist Faye Kellerman and lives in Los Angeles. Visit his website at www.jonathankellerman.com.

Customer Reviews

Another good old Delaware & Milo story
This is yet another offering by prolific writer Kellerman. It's a bit run of the mill (like the last 10 books or so) but provide 'comfort reading' when you feel like it.

The killer is a bit unusual, there a secondary plot to add a bit of interest and Milo is still my fav character.

Ideal for a rainy weekend or to take on the beach.

Very readable, very enjoyable
I thought Kellermann's last offerings had been a bit bland but he is back on form with compulsion. Again Milo and Alex are on the trace of a psychopath but there are some interesting variations in the killings. Yet again they jump at a conclusion that turns out to be true and then the book turns into a really well written police procedural with Alex Delaware as investigator. This makes very entertaining reading and shows Kellermann at the height oh his profession. Very readable, very enjoyable.

Interesting Villain Develops Slowly in a Disjointed Police Procedural
Why do we like to read about monsters? By bringing them out of the dark, they become merely menacing . . . rather than terrifically frightening. That allows us to relax and feel better. The problem with the police procedural and crime novel genres is that the monsters are pretty predictable. As such, they don't satisfy.

Jonathan Kellerman manages to twist the usual psycho model enough to make Compulsion more interesting reading than the plot that shelters the unique character. The story could have been trimmed down by about 100 pages and the book would have been more entertaining. The police procedural element mostly detracts from the interesting criminal.

If you don't like reading about weird criminals, you will probably think this is a two-star book.