Jonathan Kellerman Books In Order – Complete List

New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman is an established psychologist, teacher, researcher, and book author. Throughout his many years of research at the USC School of Medicine, he helped pioneer the important field of forensic psychology. Here are all the Jonathan Kellerman books in order of publication.

Reading the Jonathan Kellerman books in order involves usually reading the Alex Delaware book series, however, the author has written several other shorter series and a few standalone novels as well. With over 60 books published to date, he has garnered a huge loyal following.

Latest Jonathan Kellerman Books

Open Season
Open Season (Alex Delaware #40), February 2025

Alex Delaware Books in Publication Order

  1. When The Bough Breaks, 1985
  2. Blood Test, 1986
  3. Over The Edge, 1987
  4. Silent Partner, 1989
  5. Time Bomb, 1990
  6. Private Eyes, 1992
  7. Devil’s Waltz, 1993
  8. Bad Love, 1994
  9. Self-Defense, 1995
  10. The Web, 1996
  11. The Clinic, 1997
  12. Survival of the Fittest, 1997
  13. Monster, 1999
  14. Doctor Death, 2000
  15. Flesh and Blood, 2001
  16. The Murder Book, 2002
  17. A Cold Heart, 2003
  18. Therapy, 2004
  19. Rage, 2005
  20. Gone, 2006
  21. Obsession, 2007
  22. Compulsion, 2008
  23. Bones, 2008
  24. Evidence, 2009
  25. Deception, 2010
  26. Mystery, 2011
  27. Victims, 2012
  28. Guilt, 2013
  29. Killer, 2014
  30. Motive, 2015
  31. Breakdown, 2016
  32. Heartbreak Hotel, 2017
  33. Night Moves, 2018
  34. The Wedding Guest, 2019
  35. The Museum of Desire, 2020
  36. Serpentine, 2021
  37. City of the Dead, 2022
  38. Unnatural History, 2023
  39. The Ghost Orchid, 2024
  40. Open Season, 2025

Other Alex Delaware Books

Alex Delaware Graphic Novels in Order of Publication

  1. The Web, 1996
  2. Silent Partner, 2012

Petra Connor Books in Publication Order

Jonathan Kellerman merged two series in his Petra Connor series, which evolved from his famous Alex Delaware books. Petra first appeared in Survival of the Fittest and starred in her own novels Billy Straight and Twisted. She also reappeared in several Delaware books. In the novels, Petra Connor is a police officer in Los Angeles, Hollywood division.

Alex Delaware also appears in these novels, although he is not the main character.

  1.  Billy Straight, 1998
  2.  Twisted, 2004

Detective Jacob Lev Books in Publication Order

The Detective Jacob Lev series is written in collaboration between father and son duo Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. As a mystery series, it combines elements of the supernatural and good old-fashioned case-solving. The series features Jacob Lev, an experienced detective who has to investigate challenging and complex cases.

  1. The Golem of Hollywood, 2014
  2. The Golem of Paris, 2015

Deputy Coroner Clay Edison Books in Publication Order

with Jesse Kellerman

The father-son duo, Jonathan and Jessee Kellerman have co-jointly written the series about former star basketball player, Clay Edison, who now works as a deputy coroner after he left his successful athletic career.

  1. Crime Scene, 2017
  2. A Measure of Darkness, 2018
  3. Half Moon Bay, 2020
  4. The Burning, 2021
  5. The Lost Coast, 2024

Standalone Novels in Order of Publication

Novellas and Short Stories in Order of Publication

Short Story Collections in Order of Publication

Anthologies in Order of Publication

Contributed To Mysterious Profile

All the Mysterious Profile Books:

Non-Fiction Books in Publication Order

Jonathan Kellerman Biography – About the Author

Jonathan Kellerman

Born in 1949, in New York City, Jonathan Kellerman was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home, attended Jewish day schools in New York and California, and spent a year studying at Ner Yisroel Yeshiva in Baltimore at age 15. He described his upbringing as “standard modern Orthodox.”

After moving to Los Angeles, California, he majored in psychology at the University of California Los Angeles. He received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 1971. Next, he earned his Ph.D. In Clinical Psychology in 1974 at the age of 24 at the University of Southern California.

During the time Jonathan Kellerman was attending UCLA, he had a few jobs as an editorial cartoonist, a freelance musician, as well as an editor. In his senior year, he won an award for his fiction writing.

During his work at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, he published several research papers on the effects of the ‘plastic bubbles’ – the sterile environments children with autoimmune disorders have to live in – have on those kids. The author is also a survivor of thyroid cancer, which made his research and published findings that much more important and valuable both to him and the medical establishment.

His research in these areas led to the forming of the Psychosocial Program, Division of Oncology in 1977, of which he became a founding director. He is currently no longer an active psychotherapist. His first book was non-fiction titled Psychological Aspects of Childhood Cancer, published in 1980.

As a former clinical psychologist, Jonathan Kellerman gave up his practice to write books.

Jonathan Kellerman’s debut novel was When The Bough Breaks, published in 1985, which became the first Alex Delaware novel, the main character in his series, a child psychologist, who was accompanied by gay detective Milo Sturgis, his friend and colleague. The novel became a New York Times bestseller and had a huge success with readers and critics. It was next turned into a successful TV movie with the same title, released in 1986 featuring Ted Danson as Alex Delaware and Richard Masur as his friend LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis.

Before starting his Alex Delaware series, the author Jonathan Kellerman has spent 14 years writing manuscripts that were constantly rejected by publishing houses. In 1981 he realized that if he wanted to become a published author, Jonathan needed to treat writing as a job and not as a diary.

Back in the day, he kept his profession as a hospital psychologist separate from that as a writer. After writing three books that were published, however, the author Jonathan Kellerman realized that he is too busy writing books for him to also work full-time as a psychologist, so one has to go, especially when being a writer put demands on him (like traveling for book tours around the country) that his job as a psychologist wouldn’t allow him to. And, thankfully for his readers, he became a full-time writer.

However, his vast knowledge about the medical profession, with a doctorate in psychology, he could easily transfer that knowledge to his favorite character in books. Thus, reading the Jonathan Kellerman books in order involves a lot of reading about psychology in the character’s daily works.

Besides on his work on the Alex Delaware series, Jonathan Kellerman’s books also include a few other shorter series, including his latest series, Clay Edison.

Crime Scene by Jonathan Kellerman

In the first book of his latest series, Clay Edison series, deputy sheriff working in the Alameda County Coroner’s office, is tasked to investigate the accidental death of Walter Rennert in Berkley, one which might not be accidental at all.

The victim died after tumbling down the stairs, and while such accidents happen all the time, his daughter, Tatiana, believe it’s murder. Not only that but she also mentions to our new crime scene investigator an old murder that occurred in 1993 which she believes has a direct relationship with her father’s death.

Clay Edison is a former basketball player for UC Berkeley, a rising star who ruined his knee in a game-related accident before his senior year. Now, he is working as a deputy sheriff and coroner in Alameda Country, where both jobs for one person is possible. The book was co-authored with Jesse Kellerman, the author’s son.

Jonathan Kellerman is married to the writer Faye Kellerman, and one of his four children, Jesse Kellerman is also an accomplished writer. Together, they co-authored several books, out of which the first two are Double Homicide, published in 2004, and Capital Crimes, published in 2006, as part of a series titled Clay Edison.

The way the father-son duo started working together was by chance. Jesse was visiting his dad with his family when he noticed the book Jonathan was writing and got curious. After talking about the novel, they started collaborating together, which only increased with more and more books.

The two continued to collaborate on each book, spending about a year on planning, outlining, and drafting. Despite living in different places, they have frequent discussions and visits to work on the books. Their collaborative process involves mutual respect, understanding, and a shared goal of creating the best book possible.

They approach writing as partners, setting aside any competitive or proprietary feelings. Their relationship as father and son transcends their collaboration, and they value each other as writers. Both Jonathan and Jesse appreciate the creative process and the joy of writing together, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and enjoying the collaboration.

The Jonathan Kellerman booklist also includes several non-fiction books. Helping the Fearful Child, published in 1981, is cited even today in works helping children fight mental instability and eliminate a sense of insecurity in kids.

Over the years the author has been universally called the master of psychological suspense.

Due to his job in psychiatry, Jonathan Kellerman has a unique perspective that helped him write some extraordinary novels (especially the Alex Delaware series), where he can pour his knowledge into some of the popular characters and cases they work through. His stories bring a sense of realism to the reader that, again, stems from the author’s background in his previous day’s job. Jonathan Kellerman has also contributed to the famous Mysterious Profile series of books which includes background information about many popular crime, mystery, and thriller characters.

The author lives with his family in the Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.

Jonathan Kellerman Awards and Nominations

Jonathan Kellerman, a prolific writer known for his gripping psychological thrillers, has been honored with several prestigious awards throughout his career, underscoring his significant contributions to the literary world. His debut novel, When the Bough Breaks, marked the beginning of an illustrious career and earned him two major awards:

  • The Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1986. This accolade is one of the most coveted in the mystery genre, presented annually by the Mystery Writers of America. It celebrates the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television, film, and theater.
  • The Anthony Award for Best First Novel in 1986. Named after the renowned mystery writer Anthony Boucher, this award is another prestigious recognition within the crime fiction community, presented at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.

He also received the following awards:

  • The Shamus Award for Monster in the Best PI Novel section in 2000
  • The Goldwyn Award, which recognizes excellence in writing and is awarded by the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. This award highlights Kellerman’s talent in storytelling beyond the confines of novel writing.
  • The Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association (APA). This award is particularly noteworthy as it acknowledges Kellerman’s contributions to psychology through his writing. He often incorporates psychological elements into his novels, providing readers with insights into human behavior and mental health.

These awards not only celebrate Kellerman’s mastery in crafting engaging and thought-provoking narratives but also his ability to intertwine his psychological expertise with compelling storytelling.

One Comment

  1. OMG I could not understand the Golem of Paris,,,I guess I need to read the Golem of Hollywood!

    Reply

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