Bones (Alex Delaware) by Jonathan Kellerman

Psychologist Alex Delaware and gay cop Milo Sturgis return in this by the numbers thriller. When people end up dead in a swamp they set out to investigate, dealing with an environmental activist and a rich family. As always the duo follow several clues, talk to a lot of suspects and discuss their theories with each other.
There are a number of twists and surprises but no jaw-dropping ones. I did enjoy the characters of Moses Reed and Aaron Fox, two unlikely brothers who will be appearing again in True Detectives, the newest by Kellerman.
I always enjoy Kellerman’s books because of the banter between Alex and Milo. I’ve been reading about them for years they feel like old friends. It can not be denied however this series has turned into a standard police procedural instead of a psychological thriller. Just a bit too much like Law & Order to stand out. It seems Stephen White’s Alan Gregory offers the better plots these days.

The Final Days (Karen Wiley) by Alex Chance

Psychologist Karen Wiley gets some threatening letters in San Francisco. In Utah a child his abducted and people are killed by Jon Peterson, a strange serial killer with a very strange motive for killing. Coming into contact with ex-FBI agents who now run an independent crimesolving operation she sets out to track down Peterson and reveal the truth about him.
Although I enjoyed the plot of the book and the characters it seems to me it could have been told in less words. Sometimes too little seems to happen in too few pages as the writer loses himself in too lengthy descriptions. I am looking forward to the next book, eager to find out what happens to Karen Wiley.