By Faye Kellerman
Warner Books
Hardcover, Paperback, Audio CD (Abridged) and Large Print Editions

Of the seventeen offerings the only disappointment was “Bonding,” a radical departure from Kellerman’s usual portrayal of family relationships. The collaborative efforts with her daughters in “The Luck of the Draw” is a delightful story from three points of view on how a lottery win changes family values.

“Free Parking” becomes a study of the generation gap as four generations of women gather at the nursing home every week to play Monopoly so the 87 year old great-grandmother of the family can participate. (“It depends on what you want out of the game, Christy. For your grandma and her sisters, it’s the process. The game is just an excuse for them to get together and chat…..You’ll understand when you get older.”)

Author Faye Kellerman is a noted crime writer who gives readers an unusual offering of seventeen short stories full of suspense and mayhem in this book. A bit like a gift basket, this veritable sampler of stories is sure to please fans of the prolific Kellerman, and win new readers to her following.

The Garden of Eden Excerpt There is an arm—long and sinuous—stretching across gigabytes of electronic cables, fingers emitting charged impulses that touch, then seize, unsuspecting hearts. And so it was with Ophelia. What started out as a lark to alleviate boredom became a hobby, which gave way to an obsession. Private hours spent on the Net, trapping human discourse. In the end, it was the Net that trapped her. Because when she met Justice, she broke every cardinal rule of proper cyberbehavior—giving him the state where she lived, then the city, and ultimately, her real name. ©2006 Faye Kellerman Published with permission from Warner Books

An introduction by the author to each story provides the readers insight regarding not only characters and plot, but also often inspiration for the piece. Two of the stories are in collaboration with Kellerman’s children, and another two are autobiographical essays.

The title piece, “Garden of Eden” portrays a family’s greed as daughters fight over their mother’s will. Kellerman’s famous husband and wife team of Detective Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus appear in this new story that reveals that true treasures are found in unexpected places.

In “Bulls Eye,” Decker helps his daughter solve the mystery of the assassination of an unpopular police academy drill instructor. Another story, “Discards,” avid Kellerman readers will recognize another favorite character, Andrea Darling, Los Angeles Private Investigator. This complex story of murder and mayhem is set in modern California in the shadow of the “beautiful people.”

All told, there are seventeen original tales, full of suspense and sure to please anyone who likes a good thriller.

Bookworm's Briefing
The Garden of Eden is a pleasant surprise for fans of the crime and suspense genre. Kellerman has given readers a delightful compilation of her previously published and new short stories, proving that this author can not only construct the intricate plots of her full length novels but can also deliver silhouettes full of keen observations and humor in the form of short stories and essays.

Kellerman has applied her unique formula for producing best-selling crime novels to the short story and The Garden of Eden is the successful result.