Book review: Survival of the Fittest, by Jonathan Kellerman

Survival of the Fittest is a fast-paced, suspense-filled thriller. In this twelfth instalment of the Alex Delaware series, Jonathan Kellerman takes us on a chilling journey.

The story begins with a cold blooded murder in the Santa Monica Mountains. A young, slightly retarded school girl dies while attending a school field trip. There are no signs of a struggle or sexual assault. Her father is a diplomat, which leads the police to believe the death could be politically motivated but, the father doesn’t accept this.

Alex Delaware is a psychologist, as is the writer of his character. Dr Delaware is asked by his close friend Milo Sturgis, to assist him with the case. The unlikely pairing of Dr Delaware and the rather large, gay detective is once again rather amusing. One of the reasons I enjoy the Delaware series so much, is because of the close friendship and banter between these two characters. They remind me of an old married couple.

The victim’s father tries to control where the investigation is leading, which suggests to Alex and Milo that he may be trying to hide something. After another murder is discovered, Inspector Daniel Sharavi assists in the investigation. Daniel is an excellent Israeli police detective who was first introduced to us in an earlier book of Kellerman’s - The Butcher’s Theatre.

As the investigation progresses and the horrific reasons behind the killings begin to unfold, Alex must go undercover to expose a conspiracy and the people behind it. 

I found the title of this book interesting as it gave me an idea of what the content would be about. Survival of the Fittest is a natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms which can adapt best to their environment. However, as I dug deeper into the plot, I discovered how this idea could be misinterpreted to suit an individual’s beliefs.

Survival of the Fittest is a thrilling, thought-provoking, page-turner. I enjoyed the combination of humour, psychology, pure terror and fun. Quite an odd combination, but it works.  Most of all, this book made me consider and question belief systems. I have read several of Jonathan Kellerman’s books and I would say this is one of his better ones. The plot is well thought out and the characters believable. Although Survival of the Fittest is part of a series, it is not necessary to have read the previous instalments to enjoy this book. I believe Alex Delaware fans will not be disappointed.

Love KB
xxx

Keeping Up With KB

Hi all,

It's been quite a week. My Mammogram results came through as all clear, which was great news.

Mum and Dad returned from their holiday and it was lovely to have a catch up with them and hear about their trip.

There was a big quake in Wellington and I was worried about a friend of ours who lived there. Such a relief when I received a text message saying he'd just moved back to Auckland that very same day.

Loved watching the return of All Black Rugby season. They kicked some Aussie butt and hopefully will do so again next week.

Anyway, hope you are all well.

That's all folks.

Love KB
xxx

Book review: Break No Bones, by Kathy Reichs

Break No Bones is the ninth in the series of thrillers by Kathy Reichs, concerning the life and work of forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan. 

Dr Brennan (also known as Tempe), travels to Southern California as a replacement for a colleague. Tempe finds herself teaching at an archaeological field school in the ruins of a Native American burial ground, on the shores of Charleston. While she is working there, a decomposing body is found in a shallow grave. The body has been recently buried and is wrapped in rotted fabric.

The local coroner Emma Rousseau, who is an old friend of Tempe, asks her to stick around to help with the investigation. As Tempe follows the evidence, another body is discovered. The examination of the bones shows the victims died in similar ways. As yet another body is found, Tempe comes to a horrifying conclusion concerning the death of the victims.

During this time, Dr Brennan is juggling an extremely complicated personal life. Her boyfriend, Detective Ryan decides to pay her a visit to spend time with her. Her ex-husband is working on a case involving the disappearance of a local woman and is staying in the same house as Dr Brennan. She struggles with her feelings for both of these men.

Break No Bones contains the fascinating forensic details we have come to expect, an intricately wound plot and characters we have come to know and love. Our heroine becomes more relatable and down to earth as this series continues. At times, I found the forensic details difficult to follow and stomach, but I believe they are a necessary part of the story. Fans of Kathy Reichs will not be disappointed with this well written, page-turning thriller.

Kathy Reichs shares the same profession as her leading lady, Dr Brennan. She is a forensic anthropologist for the province of Quebec. Her first novel Deja Dead, was a New York Times bestseller and won the 1997 Ellis Award for Best First Novel.

The popular TV show ‘Bones’ is based on this bestselling series of books. Being a fan of both the show and the books, I’d say they share few similarities; the forensic aspects and the name of the leading character. If you are a fan of the show, prepare yourself for a much different tone in the books. Both the TV show and the books have their own merits, but I find their styles quite different.

Love KB
xxx

God made a dog

I love this clip.



Love KB
xxx

Keeping Up With KB

Hi all,

Enjoying beautiful weather this past week, maybe Spring is coming early.

In other news, I went for my first Mammogram earlier in the week and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I'd heard different stories ranging from 'a little comfortable' to 'quite painful' and I'm pleased to say, I was in the 'a little uncomfortable' range. The nurse made me feel at ease and it was over really quickly. The hardest part for me was waiting anxiously in the waiting room. Just have to wait for the results now.



Love KB
xxx

Peter Kay Misheard Song Lyrics

Hi all,

Hope you enjoy the video, it's hilarious.

Not much to report this week. Have booked myself in for a mammogram for next week. A little nervous as this is my first time. Wish me luck.

Love KB
xxx

Keeping Up With KB

Hi all,

Whitesnake and I have been suffering with a rather nasty virus for the past couple of weeks, but it looks like we're finally on the mend.

On Sunday, we enjoyed a delicious meal with my parents to celebrate my Dad's birthday. I was a little dubious about the meal as it was at an Indian restaurant and I wasn't sure how my sore tummy would react to a curry. I ordered a vegetable korma with garlic naan bread and rice and was surprised I managed to eat most of the meal. It was sooooo good. All that food and a glass of wine for $14, excellent! The setting was the beachfront and the company was great.

Some parts of New Zealand have experienced an earthquake and aftershocks this week. Luckily, there hasn't been too much damage and nobody has been killed. I remember when I moved to NZ fifteen years ago, earthquakes weren't a common occurrence, but since the huge quake in Christchurch a few years back, the frequency has increased. I've only experience a short volt a few months ago and that was scary enough. Here's hoping New Zealand settles down again and everyone stays safe.

I LOVE reality TV so I've been enjoying watching The X-Factor NZ style. Jackie Thomas won the X-factor title this week and I'm so happy for her. A talented young lady who appears to be a real sweetheart. Let's hope she stays that way and doesn't fall in with the wrong crowd.

Of course, this week will be remembered for the birth of the royal baby. I'm so pleased the baby is here and healthy. Wonderful news.

I haven't written any articles this week, but I'm looking forward to getting back into it in a couple of days.

Well, I think that's all from me folks. Time to chill out in front of the heater and enjoy the rest of the day with Whitesnake.  Hope you are all well.

Love KB
xxx