Self-Defense

From Publishers Weekly Returning in top form, Kellerman's semi-retired psychotherapist, Dr. Alex Delaware, who was introduced in When the Bough Breaks (1985), traces a young woman's dreams back to crimes committed 20 years earlier. A few months after serving on an L.A. jury that finds a landscape laborer guilty of a series of grotesque mutilations and killings, Lucy Lowell is beset by a recurring nightmare in which she, as a youngster, watches three men bury a young woman in the woods. Referred to Alex by Milo Sturgis, the LAPD detective in charge of the serial killer case, Lucy proves a game and eager patient, leading the psychologist into a past that centers around her father, a monumentally egotistical literary lion who had sponsored the writing career of a notorious ex-con at a California art colony in the '70s. Still warmhearted and earnest, Alex, in his ninth appearance, has lightened up some as he has aged, showing a readier humor and more chutzpah (e.g., posing as a writer-named Sandy Del Ware-to infiltrate closed Hollywood circles) as he facilitates Lucy's exploration of the past. With its nicely orchestrated twists, Kellerman's plot will keep readers guessing right up to the well-prepared resolution. BOMC selection. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Psychologist and amateur sleuth Alex Delaware, who saved the day in last year's best-selling Bad Love (LJ 10/15/93), helps a woman whose repressed memories may solve a murder.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist It's a good bet that all of us would like to have Alex Delaware as our shrink. He's kind, compassionate, and gentle, yet firm when that's what's needed. He's ethical and principled, and he lives a nice, normal life with a nice, normal wife and a nice, normal dog. And nice, normal Dr. Delaware is exactly what Lucy Lowell needs. Delaware's friend, Detective Milo Sturgis, has referred Lucy for counseling after her experience as a juror in the trial of a serial killer leaves her with terrifying nightmares night after night. At first, Alex figures Lucy is just stressed out, but the more he hears, the more he wonders if her frightening dreams are rooted in reality. Ever the full-service psychologist, Delaware delves into Lucy's background to find clues about what's causing the nightmares. What he discovers is that Lucy was the victim of a bizarre childhood: a father who was into poetry, hippies, drugs, and love fests; a mother who died when Lucy was a baby; and a brother who's become a drug addict. A series of puzzling coincidences connected to Lucy's past leads Alex to a hippie commune in the California foothills where plenty of nasty secrets are buried. Kellerman's in his usual fine form, and his latest Alex Delaware adventure is sure to be every bit as popular as its predecessors. A must for all public libraries. Emily Melton Read more