Crime Scene: A Novel (Clay Edison Book 1)

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars | 6,066 ratings

Price: 1.99

Last update: 01-27-2025


About this item

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A former star athlete turned deputy coroner is drawn into a brutal, complicated murder in this psychological thriller from a father-son writing team that delivers “brilliant, page-turning fiction” (Stephen King).

Natural causes or foul play? That’s the question Clay Edison must answer each time he examines a body. Figuring out motives and chasing down suspects aren’t part of his beat—not until a seemingly open-and-shut case proves to be more than meets his highly trained eye.

Eccentric, reclusive Walter Rennert lies cold at the bottom of his stairs. At first glance the scene looks straightforward: a once-respected psychology professor, done in by booze and a bad heart. But his daughter Tatiana insists that her father has been murdered, and she persuades Clay to take a closer look at the grim facts of Rennert’s life.

What emerges is a history of scandal and violence, and an experiment gone horribly wrong that ended in the brutal murder of a coed. Walter Rennert, it appears, was a broken man—and maybe a marked one. And when Clay learns that a colleague of Rennert’s died in a nearly identical manner, he begins to question everything in the official record.

All the while, his relationship with Tatiana is evolving into something forbidden. The closer they grow, the more determined he becomes to catch her father’s killer—even if he has to overstep his bounds to do it.

The twisting trail Clay follows will lead him into the darkest corners of the human soul. It’s his job to listen to the tales the dead tell. But this time, he’s part of a story that makes his blood run cold.

Praise for Crime Scene

“You could drive yourself crazy trying to figure out who wrote what. . . . But whoever came up with the fine line, ‘When I meet new people, they’re usually dead,’ should pat himself on the back.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A terrific book . . . Put Crime Scene at the top of your reading pile.”—Bookreporter
 
“A character-driven, intricately plotted whodunit . . . Mystery readers will devour the book and look forward to the next father and son collaboration.”—Press Republican

From the Publisher

Press Republican says readers will devour the book and look forward to the next collaboration.

Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Kellerman character for what promises to be another great series.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2024
    An incredible sometimes convoluted story with a main character more complex than his better known Alex Delaware. Murders, conviction and imprisonment of a possibly wrong person. Characters to watch develop as the events move on.
  • Laurel-Rain Snow
    4.0 out of 5 stars A CONVOLUTED JOURNEY...
    Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2020
    Natural causes or foul play? That’s the question Clay Edison must answer each time he examines a body. Figuring out motives and chasing down suspects aren’t part of his beat—not until a seemingly open-and-shut case proves to be more than meets his highly trained eye.

    Eccentric, reclusive Walter Rennert lies cold at the bottom of his stairs. At first glance the scene looks straightforward: a once-respected psychology professor, done in by booze and a bad heart. But his daughter Tatiana insists that her father has been murdered, and she persuades Clay to take a closer look at the grim facts of Rennert’s life.

    What emerges is a history of scandal and violence, and an experiment gone horribly wrong that ended in the brutal murder of a coed. Walter Rennert, it appears, was a broken man—and maybe a marked one. And when Clay learns that a colleague of Rennert’s died in a nearly identical manner, he begins to question everything in the official record.

    All the while, his relationship with Tatiana is evolving into something forbidden. The closer they grow, the more determined he becomes to catch her father’s killer—even if he has to overstep his bounds to do it.

    The twisting trail Clay follows will lead him into the darkest corners of the human soul. It’s his job to listen to the tales the dead tell. But this time, he’s part of a story that makes his blood run cold.

    My Thoughts: It was supposed to be a simple case of accidental death; all the signs were leaning in that direction. But something about Tatiana’s plea for a closer look takes Clay Edison on a convoluted journey to places he would never have anticipated going.

    There is something so appealing about a detective that goes beyond the call of duty. Who knew that all the people who kept standing in his way had their own mistakes to protect?

    Of course, Clay showed himself to be an “outside the box” thinker, who sometimes came across as a rule breaker. His attitudes and behaviors made a more interesting story for me.

    I liked following the clues with Clay, in Crime Scene, this fascinating tale that takes us from California’s Bay Area to Lake Tahoe.

    In the end, justice is done. A 4.5 star read for me.
  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars A good start to this new series
    Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2017
    Crime Scene is the first book in the new Clay Edison series by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman. A police procedural story with a lot of mystery, secrets, lies, twists and turns, betrayal, some suspense, and a touch of romance. It had an interesting storyline, complex characters, a bit of humor, and was intriguing. A good start to this series.

    There were several things that I enjoyed about this book, but I had a difficult time getting into the story. Throughout the first part of the story, it was mostly being told he said this, he did that, he went there, etc., or Edison's inner dialogue. There was barely any type of emotion from the character at all, and it just seemed monotonous. About half way through the book it seemed to get somewhat better, there were more interactions between the characters, and the story was becoming more intriguing.

    The ending left a lot to be desired in my opinion. Unfortunately, I won't be able to get into details because I refuse to give away spoilers. I can say that there were questions left unanswered, about both the case and Edison's romantic involvements. It wasn't anything major, just things that I would have liked to had closure on. That may just be me though.

    Overall, this had a great plot which I enjoyed, and it was a good start to this series. I would have liked to seen more character development, been shown instead of told about the characters, more closure to the case, and any romantic involvements, as I believe that this would have made for a better read. Hopefully, these types of things will be incorporated into the stories as the series continues.

    I have heard a lot of wonderful things about this father and son writing duo. This is the first time I have read anything by either of these authors, and although it wasn't my favorite, I'm looking forward to trying a different book. I would recommend this book, and authors.

    I have voluntarily reviewed this arc provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
  • Doc
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very good read, entertaining.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2024
    I enjoy Johnathan Kellerman’s books so I decided to give Jesse’s books a try. So glad I did! Very good entertainment.
  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting case with a new lead character.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2017
    Detective Edison is introduced as working for the coroner. However, his only co tact with the bodies is to decipher their surroundings and transport them to the coroner's more. Henceforth it is his task to determine the cause of death according to five categories. However, some cases lead him to lengthy investigations. In this case it leads him to reinvestigating two other closed but related cases.

    His personal life includes a family that is no longer closely knit. He visits his parents occasionally and has less contact with his brothers. Fortunately a retired officer who worked in the coroners case treat him like family. He and his wife invite this handsome, former basketball player now a deputy investigating deaths to dinner on a regular basis. They enjoy their time together. They have a daughter away at college working on her dissertation, an "ABD" until she receives a PhD.

    Through his investigations of deaths he meets a variety of interesting people. Many cases are straight forward and close quick!y. Others take more investigation. Some he pursues on his hunches against his bosses directions.

    Thus, this is a well written book as one expects from the Kellermans. It has potential to lead into a series of interesting investigations.

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