Books like Bones by Jonathan Kellerman

When a young woman’s body is discovered in Los Angeles’ Bird Marsh, homicide detective Milo Sturgis is called to solve a string of murders that seem to center on the marsh’s bleak landscape. The case deepens as more bodies surface, and the pair enlist psychologist Alex Delaware to help parse the victims and suspects. The killings target prostitutes and, more recently, a promising musician hired by a wealthy family. The investigation pulls the detectives through the city’s shadowy corners, revealing troubling ties between the victims, their employers, and a mysterious caretaker. As the pattern breaks with a new murder, Milo and Delaware realize the killer may be more than a simple serial offender. Their pursuit forces them to confront sinister motives and hidden truths beneath the marsh’s tranquil veneer, keeping readers on edge until the explosive climax.

First publish date: 2008