Part of Alex Delaware, book 14
First published 2001
Psychologist Alex Delaware faces his most disturbing case when someone kills Eldon Mate, the notorious physician known as Dr. Death. Mate had ended dozens of lives through assisted suicide before someone strapped him to his own killing device in a rented van in the Hollywood Hills. The body shows signs of brutal mutilation. Delaware partners with homicide detective Milo Sturgis to track down whoever executed the death doctor. The investigation grows complicated as they uncover the polarized reactions Mate inspired. Some viewed the former physician as pure evil while others considered him a merciful saint. Delaware carries his own secrets that could destroy his partnership with Sturgis and compromise their search for the killer. The case forces Delaware into Los Angeles's most violent corners as he navigates a world of extreme rage and psychological breakdown. The hunt for Mate's executioner becomes a journey into the darkest impulses that drive people to murder.
Genres: mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles
Period: Contemporary
436 pages · Paperback · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, medical-trauma, murder