Survival of the Fittest

An Alex Delaware Novel

By: Jonathan Kellerman

Narrated by: John Rubinstein

The daughter of a diplomat disappears on a school field trip--lured into the Santa Monica mountains and killed in cold blood. Her father denies the possibility of a political motive. There are no signs of struggle, no evidence of sexual assault, leaving psychologist Alex Delaware and his friend LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis to pose the disturbing question: Why?



Working together with Daniel Sharavi, the brilliant Israeli police inspector introduced in Jonathan Kellerman's The Butcher's Theater, Delaware and Sturgis soon find themselves ensnared in one of the darkest, most menacing cases of their careers. And when death strikes again, it is Alex who must go undercover, alone, to expose an unthinkable conspiracy of self-righteous brutality and total contempt for human life.

Also available on BDD Audio Cassette.©1997 Jonathan Kellerman; (P)1997 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"Feverish in pace and rich in characters...This is a chilling and irresistible thriller."
--People

"An original and gripping tale that is one of his best."
--Chicago Tribune

"Why is it so hard to put down a Kellerman thriller...? It's simple: the nonstop action leaves you breathless; the plot twists keep you guessing; the themes...are provocative."
--Publishers Weekly

Gripping

Suspenseful, action-packed and fully developed characters. Awesome narration. Will definitely purchase another Kellerman with Rubinstein as narrator!

Abridged! Beware Delaware fans!

What about John Rubinstein’s performance did you like?

Rubinstein is a terrific reader, as Alex Delaware and in general. His characterizations are brilliant but never over the top (he does women especially well, with no hint of caricature) and his voice is soothing. I've listened to books simply on the strength of his performance.

Any additional comments?

I couldn't put my finger on what was missing in this book...I've listened to many Delaware books. The characterization was skimpy, descriptive detail (of L.A. geography, driving routes, buildings, neighborhoods, rooms, food, etc) was almost absent, Milo and Alex's badinage was drastically curtailed, and the deductive reasoning made huge, improbable, leaps and led laughably directly to the conclusion. The climax appeared startlingly suddenly, and the entire affair seemed ramshackle and schematic sans the usual Kellerman nuances. Only after the unsatisfactorily abrupt climax did I realize the book was abridged, Since I never knowingly buy abridged titles, I can't be entirely sure that it explains the problems I've cited, but I strongly suspect so. A real disappointment.