Self Defense

by Jonathan Kellerman

Book Overview

Dr. Alex Delaware doesn't see many private patients anymore, but the young woman called Lucy is an exception. So is her dream. Lucy Lowell is referred to Alex by Los Angeles police detective Milo... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 055308920X
• ISBN13: 9780553089202
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 390 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

I don't love Lucy

I've never rated a JK book less than 5 stars before. I'm halfway through this story, and I'll share with you everything that's happened: A dull, whiny, clinging 25-year-old woman is having bad dreams ... and Alex and Milo are spending all of their time coddling her. That's it. Over two hundred pages of "who cares." This is not just boring, it's annoying. Since I don't care what happens to Lucy, I'm through wasting my time on Self-defense. My recommendation: Although other reviewers loved this book, I suggest you try ANY other Kellerman. The many others I've read have all been superb mysteries.

One of the best Kellerman's and thrillers

What a treat! I love Kellerman books, and he's got a winner here! Lucy Lowell comes to psychologist Alex Kellerman after she is a juror in a serial killer case. The horror brought out by that case caused Lucy to have nightmares about a little girl watching what could be a rape, murder, or burial. She doesn't remember that the little 4-year-old girl is herself until she goes under hypnosis. Alex, in his clever way, grabs cop friend Milo Sturgis and goes behind the scenes and tracks down the details of this case -- which is very real. People start dying all around them, and Alex and Milo realize they are on to something -- and it's not a dream. This is a great Kellerman book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a spooky thriller. Going back into the past can be scary, and Kellerman makes it even more so in this case!

Self Defense-Another great novel by Jonathan Kellerman

Jonathan Kellerman again hits the mark with this thrilling tale of repressed memories regurgitating after a juror sits in on a murder trial. His use of logical deduction in bringing the reader to the final climax is reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyles best works in Sherlock Holmes mysteries.I enjoyed this book so much that every re-reading still has to be done in one sitting--the tale grips your attention.

NIGHTMARE SEQUENCE

Lucy Lowell is literally living a nightmare. Her mother died when she was a child, her brother became a drug addict and her father, a disgusting, vile recluse was an aging 1960s flower child. He is singularly foul in appearance, hygiene (he is incontinent and wheelchair bound) and speech. He lives a reclusive life with a private nurse, bitter about having to provide skilled nursing care.A serial killer invades Lucy's life. A disgusting creature, not too different in temperament from her father, the killer mutilates people and befouls their bodies. Lucy had to sit on the jury of this case.She has recurring nightmares about these issues and Dr. Delaware is called in to investigate. He unearths a series of murder, extortion and mistaken identity cases. Each mystery is a segue to the next and in this book, the conclusion is plausible and satisfactory. Another positive note is that Robin, Delaware's live in girlfriend has more or less receded to the background. I never cared for Robin and never felt she contributed to any of the Alex Delaware stories in any meaningful way.

Another wonderful character study, with suspense...

The best thing about Kellerman's novels is the experience as a psychologist he brings to his writing. He creates characters who have complex motivations and surprising, often unguessable behaviors -- just like real people. This may seem an absurdly obvious compliment, but when you consider how often other writers rely on 2-dimensional, stock characters, Kellerman's gift becomes more impressive. The character of Lucy in this novel -- the girl haunted by nightmares -- is so fascinating that I continued to read, as much to learn about her mind and feelings as I did to learn about "what happened" in the mystery. Both were eminently satisfying and thought-provoking. Also, in this book, Milo Sturgis gets to add another facet to his well-drawn, sympathetic character: the unwitting crush-object of a girl who doesn't know his orientation. Kellerman keeps finding new ways to explore his characters' rich lives. The intriguing plot of this book, with its central device of recurring dreams and repressed memories, is a particular treat.