Article: A failed `Test' and some crisp mysteries // Kellerman lets tensions sag

The new Jonathan Kellerman mystery, Blood Test (Signet, $4.50), concerns the kidnapping of a critically ill child, the murder of his parents and an investigation by psychologist Alex Delaware. Kellerman, author of When the Bough Breaks (Signet, $4.50), can look forward to his second novel becoming a best seller.

But the tensions of the story flag under the frills, such as the clothes, homes and food fads of chic Los Angelenos and snatches of psychology, which the author knows as a practicing child psychologist.

For readers who'd rather have crisp tales that stick to the business of investigation, here are some recommendations:

Upon Some Midnights Clear, by K.C. Constantine (Penguin, ...

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