Jonathan Kellerman Books in Order: The Complete Alex Delaware & Mystery Guide

Jonathan Kellerman is an Edgar and Anthony Award-winning author and a former clinical psychologist whose deep insight into human behavior shines through his dark, atmospheric crime fiction. With tens of millions of books sold globally, Kellerman is best known for creating Dr. Alex Delaware, one of the most enduring figures in modern psychological thrillers.

Below is the complete, updated guide to all of Jonathan Kellerman’s series, joint works, and standalone books with plot descriptions.

1. The Alex Delaware Series

Featuring forensic child psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and his brilliant, cigar-chomping LAPD Homicide Detective partner Milo Sturgis, this long-running psychological thriller series investigates Los Angeles’s darkest crimes.

1. When the Bough Breaks (1985) — Dr. Alex Delaware assists LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis when the only witness to a brutal murder-suicide is a traumatized seven-year-old girl.
2. Blood Test (1986) — Hired to evaluate a young boy undergoing cancer treatment, Alex is drawn into a cult and a violent kidnapping after the boy vanishes from the hospital.
3. Over the Edge (1987) — Alex gets a desperate middle-of-the-night call from a brilliant former patient who has become the prime suspect in a series of horrific murders.
4. Silent Partner (1989) — The suicide of Alex’s former lover leads him down a dark path involving high-society scandals and secret psychological experiments.
5. Time Bomb (1990) — When a sniper opens fire at an L.A. elementary school, Alex is brought in to profile the deceased gunman, uncovering political corruption.
6. Private Eyes (1991) — A former child patient asks Alex for help when her mother vanishes shortly after being released from an asylum, revealing family secrets.
7. Devil’s Waltz (1992) — Alex investigates a terrifying case at a children’s hospital where a toddler suffers from constant, unexplained life-threatening illnesses.
8. Bad Love (1993) — After receiving a mysterious cassette tape containing the screams of children, Alex races to uncover a deadly grudge tied to a medical conference.
9. Self-Defense (1994) — A woman plagued by night terrors seeks Alex’s help, realizing her dreams stem from witnessing an unsolved murder years earlier.
10. The Web (1996) — Alex and his partner Robin accept an invitation to a private Pacific island, only to become trapped in a web of murder and bizarre medical research.
11. The Clinic (1997) — When a prominent feminist professor and relationship expert is brutally slain, Alex and Milo search through her long list of hostile research subjects.
12. Survival of the Fittest (1997) — The mentally disabled daughter of a British diplomat is murdered in L.A., dragging Alex and Milo into a sinister eugenics plot.
13. Monster (1999) — A mentally ill man is dismembered in an alley, leading Alex to a maximum-security asylum where an inmate predicted the exact murder details.
14. Dr. Death (2000) — When a controversial physician famous for assisted suicide is savagely butchered in his mobile clinic, Alex and Milo are left with endless suspects.
15. Flesh and Blood (2001) — The disappearance of a former patient—a wealthy young woman with a troubled past—forces Alex to dig into a dangerous world of high-stakes gambling.
16. The Murder Book (2002) — Milo receives an anonymous package containing a photo album of unsolved murder scenes, including one case that hit close to Alex’s early career.
17. A Cold Heart (2003) — Alex and Milo investigate a series of murders targeting up-and-coming L.A. artists and musicians right before their major breakthroughs.
18. Therapy (2004) — A couple is executed in a vehicle parked in a secluded lovers’ lane, leading Alex to investigate a celebrity therapist’s dangerous practices.
19. Rage (2005) — Recently released from juvenile prison after a horrific childhood crime, a young man contacts Alex for help—only to be found dead hours later.
20. Gone (2006) — Two acting students stage a fake kidnapping as a publicity stunt, but when one ends up genuinely murdered, Alex uncovers dark Hollywood exploitation.
21. Obsession (2007) — On her deathbed, a woman confesses to her adopted daughter that she helped hide a murder, prompting Alex to investigate a decades-old crime.
22. Compulsion (2008) — A high-fashion victim and a routine street murder seem completely unrelated until Alex identifies a shared, methodical stalker.
23. Bones (2008) — An anonymous caller directs police to a marsh where four female bodies are unearthed, pointing to a serial killer hunting in L.A.’s shadows.
24. Evidence (2009) — The double murder of an architecture executive and a mysterious woman at an eco-friendly construction site exposes global criminal networks.
25. Deception (2010) — When a beloved high school teacher is found stuffed in a dumpster, Alex and Milo interview troubled teenagers and uncover school administration corruption.
26. Mystery (2011) — A wealthy young woman Alex briefly met at an upscale hotel is found murdered, pulling him into the hidden, decadent nightlife of L.A.’s elite.
27. Victims (2012) — A sadistic killer leaves behind mutilated bodies staged in elaborate crime scenes, challenging Alex and Milo to find the psychological thread connecting them.
28. Guilt (2013) — The remains of an infant are found buried in a backyard garden, triggering a complex cold-case investigation involving historical family fortunes.
29. Killer (2014) — A ruthless custody attorney gets murdered in her own home, leaving Alex and Milo to sift through dozens of angry parents whose lives she ruined.
30. Motive (2015) — The drive-by shooting of a suburban teenager seems like a tragic case of wrong-place, wrong-time—until Alex discovers hidden ties to past homicides.
31. Breakdown (2016) — Alex tries to help a former client whose mother is experiencing a psychotic break, but the case escalates into murder and institutional corruption.
32. Heartbreak Hotel (2017) — Nearly a century after a grand hotel opened, an elderly woman living there is murdered, forcing Alex to uncover decades of Hollywood history.
33. Night Moves (2018) — A family returns home from vacation to find an unidentified, faceless corpse sitting on their couch, setting off a puzzling investigation.
34. The Wedding Guest (2019) — An uninvited guest is found murdered in a vacant office building during a wild wedding reception, pointing toward a hidden hit.
35. The Museum of Desire (2020) — Four bodies are found artistically arranged inside a limousine parked in a mansion driveway, forcing Alex and Milo to decipher the killer’s message.
36. Serpentine (2021) — Milo reopens a decades-old cold case involving a luxury vehicle found at the bottom of a ravine with a dead mother inside.
37. City of the Dead (2022) — A car crash uncovers a grisly scene involving a high-profile, self-proclaimed health guru and her eccentric companion murdered nearby.
38. Unnatural History (2023) — The son of a billionaire eco-philanthropist is shot dead in his art studio, leading Alex into the high-stakes world of fine art and family greed.
39. The Ghost Orchid (2024) — A double homicide at a secluded Bel Air estate leads Alex and Milo into a web of high-society extramarital affairs and greed.
40. Open Season (2025) — An aspiring actress is dumped outside an emergency room, and the prime suspect is sniped shortly after—uncovering a calculated assassin.
41. Jigsaw (2026) — Alex and Milo face a puzzling murder investigation where disjointed clues point to a fragmented past.

2. Clay Edison Series (Co-Authored with Jesse Kellerman)

Co-written with his son, author Jesse Kellerman, this series centers on Clay Edison, a former collegiate athlete who works as a coroner’s investigator in Northern California.

1. Crime Scene (2017) — Clay investigates what appears to be a natural death of an elderly man, but the man’s daughter insists it was murder, drawing Clay into a dark family mystery.
2. A Measure of Darkness (2018) — A wild party in East Oakland ends in a shooting, and Clay uncovers connections to a cold-case abduction while examining the victim.
3. Half Moon Bay (2020) — While examining human remains at a construction site, Clay’s investigation forces him to confront a painful tragedy from his own past.
4. The Burning (2021) — Amid devastating California wildfires, Clay investigates a wealthy man murdered in his home before the flames could consume the evidence.
5. The Lost Coast (2024) — A strange request from an old friend sends Clay into the rugged coastal towns of Northern California to locate a missing person tied to an old fraud scheme.
6. Coyote Hills (2025) — Clay Edison tackles a complex death investigation in Alameda County where corporate greed meets environmental secrets.

3. Standalone Thrillers

If you are looking for self-contained crime novels outside his main series, Kellerman has written several standalone suspense stories:

• The Butcher’s Theatre (1988) — Set in Jerusalem, a veteran police inspector hunts a sadistic serial killer targeting young women in the ancient city.
• Billy Straight (1998) — A twelve-year-old runaway living in L.A.’s Griffith Park witnesses the brutal murder of a celebrity’s ex-wife and must run for his life.
• The Conspiracy Club (2003) — A young psychologist working at a senior care facility becomes the prime suspect when several women in his life are murdered.
• Twisted (2004) — LAPD Detective Petra Connor (who first appeared in Billy Straight) investigates a series of murders that appear completely random.
• True Detectives (2009) — Two estranged half-brothers—one a private investigator, the other an LAPD detective—are forced to work together on a high-profile missing persons case.

4. Collaborative Novels with Faye Kellerman

Jonathan Kellerman teamed up with his wife, bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman, to co-author two fast-paced crime novellas:

1. Double Homicide (2004) — Features two distinct murder cases set in Santa Fe and Boston.
2. Capital Crimes (2006) — A duo of high-stakes thrillers exploring political assassination and corporate corruption in Washington D.C. and Nashville.

Detailed Reading Guide: Navigating Kellerman’s Works

Pathway 1: The Iconic Alex Delaware Journey (Start with When the Bough Breaks)

• Best For: Readers who love psychological profiling, clinical analysis, LAPD procedural detail, and long-term character dynamics.
• Where to Begin: When the Bough Breaks (Alex Delaware #1).
• Why This Route Works: The core dynamic between Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis is one of the most celebrated double-acts in crime fiction. Watching Alex navigate his clinical practice while serving as an informal consultant to the LAPD offers a satisfying, decades-long experience.

Pathway 2: The Modern Forensic Coroner Route (Start with Crime Scene)

• Best For: Fans who prefer forensic evidence, coroner procedures, and Northern California settings over traditional police procedural work.
• Where to Begin: Crime Scene (Clay Edison #1).
• Why This Route Works: Written with his son Jesse Kellerman, the Clay Edison series brings a fresh, fast-paced perspective to crime-solving from the initial cause-of-death investigation.

About the Author

Jonathan Kellerman was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles. Before becoming a full-time novelist, he served as a clinical professor of pediatrics and psychology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC and was the founding director of the Psychosocial Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

His clinical expertise in child trauma and criminal pathology paved the way for his smash-hit debut, When the Bough Breaks (1985). Writing runs deep in his household: his wife, Faye Kellerman, and his son, Jesse Kellerman, are also bestselling crime authors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to read the Alex Delaware books in order?

While each novel features a standalone murder case that is completely resolved by the end, reading in publication order is recommended. Alex’s personal life, his long-term romantic relationship with Robin Castagna, and Milo’s career progression within the LAPD build continuously throughout the series.

Is Alex Delaware a police officer?

No. Alex Delaware is a licensed clinical child psychologist who works in private practice and serves as a consultant for the Los Angeles Police Department on cases requiring psychological profiling or psychiatric analysis.

Are Petra Connor and Billy Straight connected to the Alex Delaware universe?

Yes. Petra Connor appears in the standalone novels Billy Straight and Twisted, but she also makes occasional crossover appearances alongside Milo Sturgis in the main Alex Delaware series.

Final Verdict

Jonathan Kellerman remains a master of psychological thrillers. His ability to weave clinical psychology, L.A. street grit, and sharp dialogue makes his work a cornerstone of the mystery genre.

If you want the complete psychological thriller experience, start with When the Bough Breaks. If you want forensic investigations in the Bay Area, grab Crime Scene!

Written by

Emon Anam

Hi, I’m Emon. I’m the voice and heart behind Whimsy Read. After nine years in the world of banking, I followed my passion for storytelling into the world of SEO and content strategy. Now, I blend that analytical eye with a deep love for literature to bring you book reviews that are thoughtful, honest, and always focused on the stories that stay with you. When I’m not reading or writing, you’ll find me enjoying joyful chaos with my wife and three kids, getting lost in a new series, or revisiting my old loves: theater, music, and gaming. At the end of the day, I believe great books are meant to be shared, and I’m so glad you’re here to share them with me.