Devil’s Waltz (#7 in the Alex Delaware series), Jonathan Kellerman, 2006
(MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
My favorite quote: The opening line: “It was a place of fear and myth, home of miracles and the worst kind of failure.” (I didn’t know what Jonathan Kellerman was describing right away, but soon realized it wasn’t my underwear drawer after all. Anyway, the moment I read that first line, I was like, here is a man who knows how to hook readers. And by readers, I mean me)
Most interesting characters: Alex Delaware, a forensic psychologist; Milo Sturgis, his sidekick; Cassie Jones, a child who keeps getting inexplicably ill
Opening scene: Devil’s Waltz begins with Alex Delaware being called to the hospital he used to work at. His friend and former colleague, Stephanie, has a young patient who’s suffering from continuous illnesses, and while she doesn’t like to think it, she’s beginning to suspect that the child’s mother is causing the sicknesses. She asks Alex Delaware to help her get to the bottom of things
The gist: Alex Delaware is called upon to prove that a mother is causing her twenty-one month old daughter’s mysterious illnesses — like I just said. Sometimes I feel like you’re not even listening to me
Greatest strengths: Few writers can spend as much time on descriptions as Jonathan Kellerman and get away with it. The difference, I think, between those who can pull it off and those who can’t depends on what information they’re giving and why. Personally, I appreciate being placed firmly in the scene I’m reading, and Devil’s Waltz accomplished that throughout. I felt like I was there — and since hospitals and sick children and nasty nurses aren’t the kinds of things I’m immediately familiar with, I liked being fully steeped in that world
Standout achievements: With little Cassie’s overly-devoted nurse, a stern-faced indignant woman who takes an instant dislike to Alex Delaware, Jonathan Kellerman creates a whole new kind of tension. On one hand, I felt bad for Nurse Nelly (or whatever her name was — I can’t for the life of me remember it), but on the other, I wanted push her down a flight of stairs and blame it on the mother who was probably heading to prison anyway
Fun Facts: I’ve never met Jonathan Kellerman, but I have had the pleasure of meeting his wife, Faye — a lovely woman and fine thriller writer herself
Other media: N/A — although films have been made from other Alex Delaware books
Additional thoughts: Unlike most books which I pick up on account of the attractive covers, I picked this one up for its name. Devil’s Waltz. It just sounds cool. I had no idea it was about Munchausen by proxy or that it was part of a series — I just liked the title. Come to find out, judging a book by its title is as effective as judging a book by its cover — Devil’s Waltz turned me into a Jonathan Kellerman fan
Hit or Miss: Hit
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
Alistair Cross 