Blood Test a.

Warner, 1987. Paperback. Very Good. A crisp clean softcover, no markings throughout: One of Kellerman's novels combining detective fiction and psychological sus pense. Dr Alex Delaware, child psychologist, burned out in his mid-30s and in semi-retirement in Southern California, responds to a call for help and becomes enmeshed in a family tragedy. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Dr. Alexander Davenport, a child psychologist in Los Angeles, is called in to evaluate the case of a leukemia patient whose parents want to discontinu e chemotherapy. When the boy disappears from the hospital and his parents a re found dead, the only leads are the boy's sensual older sister and a holi stic-meditative cult called The Touch. Davenport's search for the child tak es him to a small town near the Mexican border where he finally unearths th e dark secrets kept by the boy's family and the townspeople. He also uncove rs drugs and group sex in the commune and survives a few harrowing attempts on his life. (Particularly well-drawn is a failed assassination at the tal e's end, which has intriguing mythic echoes.) As in his praised first novel , When the Bough Breaks, Kellerman draws on his experience as a clinical ps ychologist to enrich and broaden his considerable storytelling talents. Imb ued with a vivid sense of place and featuring a strong supporting cast, inc luding Milo Sturgis, Davenport's burly gay detective friend, this second ad venture points happily toward an Alex Davenport series. Paperback rights to NAL. Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review "A suspenseful thriller whose s.