Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman

Something strange happening here, you say. The writer is male. Yes, this is the third ever male writer appearing in my blog. I read very few books by men. And I avoid buying any books written by men. I read them, if they happen to find their way into my hands and if they look interesting enough. So how did it all come to this?

Years ago I was looking for a book by one of my favourite writers. Could I find one? No!!! It seemed to me that the whole bookshop was full of books written by men. I thought that the situation was really bad. This will not do. Urgent action was required. And so to my campaign to make more books by women available in all the shops by avoiding any books written by men. Clever campaign, ain't it! :)

Long before my boycott I read all kinds of books by all kinds of writers. I read quite a few books by Jonathan Kellerman. And I enjoyed them very much. So when this new novel by per found its way to my hands, I was quite pleased and started reading it eagerly putting aside my other books.

Jonathan Kellerman writes psychological murder mysteries. Pers books are said on the cover of this book to be "first-class". "Kellerman has shaped the psychological mystery novel into an art form". Well, I think this last one does not measure up. I was disappointed. The storyline seems contrived and the characters just do not mesh together. The reason for Alex Delaware's involvement in the case seems very spurious. Per is not rooted in pers own life in this novel, but just floats around always ready and willing to help pers police friend, another main character. Seems to me that Jonathan Kellerman has dried up. Looking at the list of novels per has written, more or less one a year since 1985, a thought that perhaps Jonathan needs a break from writing comes to mind. Don't force it just for the sake of getting out a book a year. It is not worth it.