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Unnatural History  By  cover art

Unnatural History

By: Jonathan Kellerman
Narrated by: John Rubinstein
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Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The most enduring detectives in American crime fiction are back in this electrifying thriller of art and brutality from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense.

Los Angeles is a city of stark contrast, the palaces of the affluent coexisting uneasily with the hellholes of the mad and the needy. That shadow world and the violence it breeds draw brilliant psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis into an unsettling case of altruism gone wrong.

On a superficially lovely morning, a woman shows up for work with her usual enthusiasm. She’s the newly hired personal assistant to a handsome, wealthy photographer and is ready to greet her boss with coffee and good cheer. Instead, she finds him slumped in bed, shot to death.

The victim had recently received rave media attention for his latest project: images of homeless people in their personal “dream” situations, elaborately costumed and enacting unfulfilled fantasies. There are some, however, who view the whole thing as nothing more than crass exploitation, citing token payments and the victim’s avoidance of any long-term relationships with his subjects.

Has disgruntlement blossomed into homicidal rage? Or do the roots of violence reach down to the victim’s family—a clan, sired by an elusive billionaire, that is bizarre in its own right?

Then new murders arise, and Alex and Milo begin peeling back layer after layer of intrigue and complexity, culminating in one of the deadliest threats they’ve ever faced.

©2023 Jonathan Kellerman (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This is Kellerman at his very best. Just the dialogue between Sturgis and Delaware is worth it. But also, the depiction of Los Angeles is always the star.”Mystery & Suspense magazine

“Still one of the most talented authors working today, Kellerman dials up yet another page-turning adventure starring Alex Delaware. Riveting and full of twists and turns that’ll keep you glued to the pages, I found this to be one of Kellerman’s best books to date . . . and that’s really saying something when you look at his extraordinary body of work.”The Real Book Spy

“Kellerman, a trained psychologist, brings authenticity to his thoughtful protagonist, as well as a genuine touch of humanity. . . . This long-running series is still going strong.”Publishers Weekly

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What listeners say about Unnatural History

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Another great classic book by Jonathan Kellerman

Always eagerly look forward to any of Jonathan Kellerman‘s books. This is another great and captivating one. Highly recommend and hope the series continues. Enjoyed the twists and turns and his continued descriptive writing style.

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Top read!

This is one of Kellerman’s best. Too bad it took so long to get the little boy’s potty mouth cleaned up. I truly enjoyed hearing Milo show his humanity. Keep up the good work

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Just OK

Took me two weeks to finish. Normally I finish good books in 2 to 3 days. This book didn't hold my attention. Also, I am not to fond of John Rubinstein's narration. I love Milo and Alex, however, I would enjoy the books more with a better narrator. Not sure if be buying future Delaware audio books with this narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

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Always terrific - story and narrator.

Love these novels - some of the best on Audible: believable, developing characters and superlative narration. Keep them coming.

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Best Kellerman Mystery in a Long Time

I enjoy Kellerman’s writing and I’ve done so since his first book (which was reviewed in the New York Times). This latest one is superior—one of Kellerman best ones.

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Wonderful

I love this series. It’s like visiting old friends. Great story and fantastic narrator as always

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Unnatural History

I don’t ordinarily leave a review. Once I start a book I commit to finishing it. This was not worth it. The story wasn’t great, in fact boring, and the narration was so painstaking to listen to. There were good reviews for this book. For me, a waste of time and waste of a credit.

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better to read

I could not pay attention to the story because of the narrator. He had a staccato way of narrating with little feeling. The story itself may have been good but I just couldn't continue.

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hate john Rubinstein narration

plodding plot made worse by a plodding narrator. I loved the first 14 nooks narrated by others. too bad they switched to this guy.

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  • Overall
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    2 out of 5 stars

just finished my last Kellerman novel

Endless boring and tedious speculation; what if this, what if that? Could better use their time actually detecting. Tour de force of weird characters. Plot seemed to wander, lacked cohesiveness. I finally moved it up to 1.7 X speed to get it over with. I have read all his books, but I don't look forward to any more.

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