Kellerman also provides Alex Delaware with a side-kick, LAPD detective Milo Sturgis, as is customary in the mystery genre. In Alex Delaware, Kellerman draws a hero who appears to be 'a levelheaded, appealingly thoughtful guy'. He doesn't inject a lot of himself in there.'Īlex Delaware (born in 1951) is empathetic and caring with particular emphasis on his concern for children. Basically you sit there and try to get that person to communicate to you. 'You keep yourself out of it as much as possible.

But then, I get to rewrite his dialogue . When you do therapy as a psychologist you focus on the patient,' says. The Post-Modern Detective 'I tried to create Alex as a good psychologist,' says Kellerman, 'Actually he's much more sensitive than I am. In some of the more recent books in the series, Detective Petra Connor, introduced in Kellerman's standalone novel Billy Straight, also makes an appearance. As the series progresses, Delaware's relationship with Robin Castagna evolves, despite two long separations, during which various other romantic interests are introduced. Delaware helps Sturgis in his investigations, and the detective, who eventually reaches the rank of lieutenant, appears in each book in the series. Delaware is a forensic psychologist, although Kellerman wrote a back story in which Delaware practiced as a child psychologist.ĭelaware has a friend, Milo Sturgis, who is a gay LAPD detective. Delaware appears in 32 of Kellerman's popular murder mysteries.

The Alex Delaware detective series begins with When the Bough Breaks, published in 1985. Alex Delaware is a literary character created by American writer Jonathan Kellerman.

Flesh and Blood by Jonathan Kellerman