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Summary: A Refreshing Change!
Review: Taking a departure from the immensely popular Alex Delaware, this novel focuses on Billy Straight, a 12 year-old runaway who is witness to a murder of Lisa Ramsey who happens to be the ex-wife of Cart Ramsey, washed up actor of a TV detective series. Now, did Cart, who has accosted Lisa in the past, stab her or was it his old football sidekick, Greg Balch? Only Billy has the answers and time is running out for Petra. Kellerman does a bang up job bringing these characters to life and I hope that he will bring them back in another novel someday.
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Summary: An experiment gone awry.
Review: I have read every one of J. Kellerman's books that have been published. I generally recommend them heartily. In every prior book, Mr. Kellerman exhibited a finely tuned writing style, combining psychological depth and characterization. When I read this book, I was genuinely puzzled. It seemed to be written by someone else. The shifting perspectives (back and forth from first person, Billy, to third person, Petra)gave the book a disjointed feel rather than building tension. Shifting writing styles seemed to pay homage to other mystery writers. I even wondered if his wife, Faye Kellerman, had written this book. The plot seemed somewhat disjointed yet predictable. It lacked the usual tightly woven threads of suspense and tension and ended with a whimper not a bang. I was especially curious as to why a woman who was allegedly disinterested in clothing (Petra Conner) was constantly citing clothing labels. It was very irritating. Maybe it was meant as a joke.
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Summary: billy straight
Review: The noval Billy Straight is an excellent book. I am not a big fan of Jonathan Kellerman, but now I plan on reading more of his novals. A murder mystery with great characters. The book was hard to put down, Billy Straight, a smart street kid, runs away from home to become a better person. Petra, the detective, is the lady version of Harry Bosch, in the Micheal Connelly series. I only hope that Jonathan Kellerman decides to use her character again and again. Buy Billy Straight, I am sure you will enjoy it!
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Summary: Great book!
Review: I loved this book, it was Jonathan Kellerman back in his prime, with a cleverly-written story line and credible characters. The plot has delectable twists and turns, enough to keep you turning pages way into the wee hours of the morning. As well, Kellerman has done some back work to actually develop sub-plots that mesh seamlessly with the rest of his story -- details that only add to the intrigue of the book. The story revolves around a young runaway boy, who is basically just "getting by" in LA, and finds himself witness to a murder. Because he's a runaway, there's no way for police to find him, or know that he witnessed the murder, because he's too scared to come forward. The story takes off from there as police chase Hollywood celebrities and various assortments of evil characters. In the end, it's a great read. Check it out.
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Summary: First Kellerman Novel...
Review: ...and it will probably be my last. The story was interesting enough, but the dialogue was bogged down, and it made the story drag. I was only interested in what Billy Straight's take on the story was, and unfortunately, there wasn't as much of him as I would've liked, especially with a book that has his name for the title. I did like Detective Petra Connor as one of the main characters, she kept things interesting. The story did have its twists and turns, however, I found those predictable. Not the edge-of-your-seat read I was looking for.
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Summary: Made a fan out of me!
Review: My first Jonathon Kellerman book but will not be my last. I enjoyed every page & highly recommend it for easy, enjoyable reading.
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Summary: Slow Read but Ultimately Satisfying
Review: This is the first Jonathan Kellerman book I have read and it will probably be the last. Although the storyline was interesting, his writing style is slow, more complicated than necessary and akward. I really enjoyed the sections where Billy was narrating but the bulk of it dragged. I would still recommend it though (hard to believe) because of the overall storyline. When it nears completion, it keeps you reading.
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Summary: Excellent and gripping book again. . . .
Review: In Billy Straight, Kellerman again demonstrates his ability to draw the reader into the center of the action. From Griffith Park to Venice to the Hollywood night life, the tension in this case is palpable. Hard book to put down. Even has a relative surprising ending with a couple of new twists, but some questions still unanswered. Makes you look forward to a sequel? <g>
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Summary: High caliber characterizations
Review: Listening to this book as read by Alexander Adams was time well-spent. Mr. Adams has a very distinctive voice. When he first began reading I groaned aloud because it sounded very different from most of the male reader's voices I have heard before. But then he just amazed me by bringing each successive character to life. His rendition of the story was outstanding. Mr. Kellerman's characters have depth and were very believable-especially Billy! The resourceful little tyke and the tenacious Petra made me want to clap my hands and cheer out loud. Recommended !
Rating: 
Summary: Lame
Review: A real no-brainer from Jonathan Kellerman. The plot was weak, and just barely enough to hold my attention. Oh, Jonathan tries to throw you off as to "who dunnit" but it becomes painfully obvious long before the end. Poor character development and a few chapters that made no sense until the end are interspersed here and there. And those chapters could have been left out completely. If you are looking for something interesting to read, look elsewhere.
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