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When the Bough Breaks  By  cover art

When the Bough Breaks

By: Jonathan Kellerman
Narrated by: Alexander Adams
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Publisher's summary

In the first Alex Delaware novel, Dr. Morton Handler practiced a strange brand of psychiatry. Among his specialties were fraud, extortion, and sexual manipulation. Handler paid for his sins when he was brutally murdered in his luxurious Pacific Palisades apartment. The police have no leads, but they do have one possible witness: seven-year-old Melody Quinn.

It's psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware's job to try to unlock the terrible secret buried in Melody's memory. But as the sinister shadows in the girl's mind begin to take shape, Alex discovers that the mystery touches a shocking incident in his own past.

This connection is only the beginning, a single link in a 40-year-old conspiracy. And behind it lies an unspeakable evil that Alex Delaware must expose before it claims another innocent victim: Melody Quinn.

©2003 Jonathan Kellerman (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"An engrossing thriller.... this knockout of an entertainment is the kind of book which establishes a career in one stroke." ( New York Newsday)
"Suspenseful, neatly spun, fascinating." ( Philadelphia Daily News)
"Grab yourself a copy soon." ( Los Angeles Times)

What listeners say about When the Bough Breaks

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great read n

This was recommended by a friend and it was a very good read. kept my interest and was entertaining.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Needs John Rubinstein!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware books are terrific!

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Been John Rubinstein. He's so much better. It would be great if somehow these could be re-released with him doing the narration. He's just so much better.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent story excellent

this book was very well read, and the story quality was excellent. would recommend it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good read to the end

At times I was a so anxious to find out the true who done it’s. Thanks

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I stayed till the end.

Finally all these odd - horrible events tied together- took a while.
I wonder if these crazies really are out there. Really horrible horrible thought.
Hard to imagine someone thought this up. Some parts graphic.
Uncertain if I’ll go back to this author.
Voice was very odd for me, but guess after all the hours I got used to him.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable....

Where does When the Bough Breaks rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is above average and I'm an avid audiobook listener.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I was about 3/4 of the way through before I started to get a hint of what the plot may be about. That's pretty good suspense in my book!

What about Alexander Adams’s performance did you like?

Not too dramatic.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not particularly.

Any additional comments?

I am a mental health professional and thought the depiction/commentary of the mental health system in the book was pretty accurate.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Draws you in

Great page turner, intense and well-written suspense novel. I enjoyed it so much, I'm now involved in reading his subsequent books!

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Really liked this book

The main character is intelligent and tenacious. Great story. The narrator also did a good job.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Alexander Adams is not Alex Delaware!

The voice in the audible version bothered me from start to finish. I love books by Jonathan and Faye Kellerman but the voice got in the way.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

Very well written and the reader did a fantastic job. I would recommend this to others!!

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