A story of 2 Stories!
I hadn't read any of Jonathan Kellermans books for some time so was really interested to read this and especially as the story line seemed really interesting. A story of a dead baby found after many years and someone looking for a missing sister from the same timeframe. Both stories get interwoven and it made me keep reading intently to finally discover the conclusion.
Although this book is in a series I found no difficulty reading it as a standalone and would thoroughly recommend it - a great thrilling read.
#LostSouls - thanks to #NetGalley for preview of this book for an honest review.

There were so many diverse people in this novel that the plot became quite confusing. Were we trying to find the identity of the buried child or locate the kidnapped child? Toward the end it seemed as though everyone was related.

Having read many of Jonathan Kellerman's books I was eager to read this collaboration. however I found it a slow labouring read. I felt it did not live up to the "gripping new thriller" description. The story line was almost a ripple amongst other things and finished with a small twist but nothing momentous. Not sure if I would be so keen to read the next offering from these authors. My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and author for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lost Souls is something of an oddity, and no mistake. There’s nothing at all wrong with the novel itself apart from something of an identity crisis. Search for it on Amazon UK, and up it comes, but the page URL contains the title Half Moon Bay. Search for Half Moon Bay and up comes the same novel, but with a different cover. It looks as though Half Moon Bay is the Penguin Random House American title, while on this side of the Atlantic Century are going with Lost Souls.

Deputy US Coroner Clay Edison first appeared in Crime Scene (2017). That was followed by A Measure of Darkness in 2018, and now Edison returns but this time with baby Charlotte to look after when his wife is out on shift in her hospital. The Edisons live in that eternal bastion of West Coast sensibilities, Berkeley, and it is in the infamous People’s Park that the case begins.

Clay Edison is called to the park, scene of decades of hippy protest. Two bodies have been found during building excavation. The first is neither human nor animal. It is a stuffed blue teddy bear, missing an eye. The second is the skeleton of a baby, and the glare of the pathologist’s strip lights reveal that it was once a little boy. Edison is drawn into an investigation to see if the teddy bear and the boy are connected, and this means he has to visit a truly terrifying settlement of biker red-necks:

“I bounced along the tracks, wheels spitting gravel. Slowly the smudge began to resolve like a body surfacing in swamp water. Structures, then vehicles, then living things: gaunt dogs and children chasing one another, their roles as hunter or prey in constant flux. Bare feet raised a dusty haze. ….. Amid a weedy patch a woman slouched in a lawn chair. Pustulant acne ravaged her face; she could have been eighteen or forty. A slack-limbed toddler slept on her chest.”

As Edison tries to link the skeleton of the baby with the abandoned cuddly toy, he accepts an ‘off-the-books’ job. A wealthy businessman, Peter Franchette, asks him to try to find the truth about his missing sister. Possibly abducted, perhaps murdered, she has disappeared into a complexity of disfunctional family events – deaths, walkouts, divorces, remarriages and rejections.

The Kellermans clearly have an ambivalent view of Berkeley. A place perhaps, where a seventy-something former revolutionary might wake up and imagine, for a fleeting moment, before old age and reality kick in, that it is 1966, and everything is still possible. The reality is more sobering, however:

” … and the countless others, men and women alike, who’d found their way to the Pacific, only to find that it was not the golden bath they’d expected but a terrifying force of nature, immense and violent and indifferent.”

I’ll be blunt and say that I have never understood the concept of writing partnerships in fiction. Over many years I enjoyed Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware books. They are slick and formulaic, but never less than gripping, and it is obvious that Kellerman is a gifted writer. Why he should want to want to pair up with someone else – even if it is his son – is for him to know and me to be left wondering. Lost Souls reads as if it has been written by one person, so I suppose that is all that matters.

Lost Souls is cleverly written and has a plot which is, like Chandler’s immortal The Big Sleep, deeply complex. Rather like the anecdote which has Chandler being asked who killed the chauffeur, and him replying that he wasn’t sure, I couldn’t put my hand on my heart and say that Edison finds Peter Franchette’s missing sister. I think he does, but you must judge for yourselves.

Developers are demolishing a local park when the bones of a baby is found, this development is being targeted by protesters. A halt is put on the work, which does not please the developer. Clay Edison, deputy coroner is called in the inspect the site and the remains. Clay gets a phone call from a man who believes these remains could be his sister. She vanished a long time ago, which does not help the investigation. Clay is determined to find out the truth. Interesting look into how a county coroner works and how much they are involved in the investigation. Well written by the Kellerman's, father and son.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy either the characters or the way this book is written. I felt that the language was too colloquial and more aimed at an American audience. I felt that I had no interest in the characters at all.

Enjoyable read but I'm not sure I got the full meaning of the storyline, if I'm honest. Well written story but I just felt that there was something I was missing.

This was a struggle.
I went into this not knowing it was book three in a series, that can be read as a standalone. I wonder if I had read the first two books would I have had a different reading experience.
I ended up DNFing at 26%.
Between following multiple cases and the main character constantly moaning about his baby I couldn't get into this.
This felt too convoluted. Since I didn't finish the book I can't say if all the cases were needed or if it was a case of the authors doing too much.
I just knew I couldn't force myself to keep reading this. I was lost and couldn't differentiate the characters.

Having read MANY Of the authors books in the past I was really looking forward to losing myself in his newest effort, but found it to be a bit of a let down compared to his other books.
Still a decent read, and characters were well written, but didn’t hold my attention at all. Disappointed

Lost Souls by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman is a police procedural centred around Deputy Coroner Clay Edison.

Amidst protests against the redevelopment of Peoples’ Park in Berkley California the body of an infant is uncovered. At the same time Clay is approached by someone who thinks the baby may be his sister who disappeared 50 years ago.

This is a well executed novel with a few twists and turns and some good nostalgia for the San Francisco peace and love activists of the 60’s but ultimately it lacks something.

Clay Edison, a Deputy Coroner, essentially a police officer based in the Sheriff’s Office, is working permanent nightshifts. By day he is the primary carer for his new daughter, while his wife works as the primary earner. His job is to attend any situation where there is a suspicion of a human death. Called out to the discovery of a child’s remains, his initial investigations are somewhat hampered by the site being close to a protected Native American site. The massive protests around this are a continuing distraction. He is contacted by a man who thinks the body might be that of the sister he believes was born before him but for whom there are no records except a blurred photograph. The investigations into the actual body and the putative missing person weave together in a satisfactory way giving the reader’s brain a good work-out keeping tabs on who did what, when, to whom.

got this book but wasnt aware it was the third in a series so ive put it aside and intend to read the other two before i pick it back up. But i have read several jonathon kellerman books and they never disappoint.

This was the first book in this series that I read, and it was a stand alone story, I did not feel like I had missed anything by not reading the first two. That said, the characters were so enthralling, I feel I do need to read the previous two books to spend more time with them. Another fantastic read from this brilliant author.

I’m not really sure where to start with this book. I felt like when I got to the end I needed to re read it.

I got confused in a few places with the characters but that was probably more my lack of being able to read it in one sitting not the author.

I loved the character of Clay however wasn’t sure at first if he was police or a coroner but I certainly had empathy as he dealt with his baby daughter and the love for his wife came across extremely well.

Despite me not finding the story easy to follow the ending was just right and I would recommend this book.

This is the first book I’ve read by Jonathan Kellerman and I was so delighted to be given the opportunity to read an advance copy by Netgalley and Arrow Publishing in return for my honest review.

Absolutely brilliant book, I would highly recommend you read this book. I was hooked from beginning to end, great characters and story line.

Lost Souls is an intriguing slow-burn investigative thriller featuring Deputy Coroner Clay Edison in the third instalment of the 'Clay Edison' series. As a new parent Clay and his wife Amy have structured their work-life balance to provide the best care they can to their new-born insomniac daughter while saving for a new home. Meaning that Clay is working the night shift and a call to investigate a discovered body of a child on a contentious building site in Berkley University Park, falls on his lap. I thought this was a little overplayed but it does provide a psychological link to the discovered child and a theme throughout the story. The child’s body is estimated to be about eighteen months old at the time of death and buried for over fifty years.

Clay Edison is a brilliantly drawn character who is very meticulous and persistent in his investigation. As the investigation explores missing infants within the specific age range fifty years ago, several possibilities arise. In addition, Clay has been asked to investigate a child’s disappearance by a man who suspects it is his missing sister. In a plot that places personal and professional concerns on high alert, Clay is driven to discover the truth for the sake of the children and their families. The plot provides a deep delve into material evidence, leads that become belligerent, relationships that portray violence, racism and betrayal, situations that are dangerous, and twists that furnish very compelling surprises.

Lost Souls was my first book from Jonathan Kellerman – an author that I’ve long waited to read, and I can say I’m not disappointed. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the flow through the first three books of the series but this novel didn’t make me feel like I’d missed something. I look forward to reading more of Kellerman's books and I would recommend reading this novel. I would like to thank Century Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

A complex novel written in the first person narrative. Our protagonist, a coroner, is called to a university park, currently under demolition where bones have been unearthed on the building site. His task to identify sex, age, cause of death as quickly as possible to allow construction work to continue. So begins an intricate investigation into two unsolved cases. One , that of young male child’s body; secondly the off the record search requested by a potential brother for a second child, female, who disappeared many years before his birth. Our protagonist, struggling with the changes brought by birth and shared responsibility for a young child, sleep deprived and unable to tackle any task superficially takes upon himself to resolve both mysteries. We the reader are slowly drawn into a convoluted set of circumstances involving numerous people from diverse social classes connected by tenuous links and distant events creating secrets and lies over many years. The outcome is a fascinating story which increasingly highlights more questions than answers. A series of conclusions demonstrates a finely written mystery with a brilliant story line. Many thanks to publisher and NetGalley for this ARC which was addictive on every level.

Lost Souls is the third book in the Clay Edison series by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman.

Alameda County Deputy Coroner Clay Edison investigates when a young child's corpse is found in People's Park, a vacant piece of land in Berkeley, California, Clay Edison's home town. The infant was buried there fifty years earlier, making matters difficult for Clay as he attempts to follow scant leads and figure out what happened.

Amidst all of this, Clay takes a call from a man who thinks the baby might be his sister. Clay's interest is buoyed and he continues the arduous journey of trying to uncover the the identity of both infants, encountering hatred, racism, ignorance, poverty and danger, directed towards himself and his family as he tries to bring about justice.

The characters were compelling and Clay was definitely someone I wanted to cheer for. His character felt genuine, though flawed and I liked him for his determination and relentlessness. The supporting characters were well-rounded, and believable. Lost Souls was a comfortably-paced, multi-layered, page turner and I loved that Clay's personal life had a bearing on his professional one.

Although Lost Souls is the third instalment in the series, it was easily read as a standalone. Full of little gems that refine a solid plot, the ending was neatly done. I have been inspired to read the series opener, Crime Scene, and book two, A Measure of Darkness, as well as excitedly anticipating book four.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Cornerstone/ Century via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this book pre-publication. Having read many of Jonathan Keller's books I was eager to give this collaboration a go. What a slow labouring read. I never felt it lived up to the "gripping new thriller" description. The story line was almost a ripple amongst other things and finished with a small twist but nothing momentous. Not sure I would give the next outing of this pair of authors the time.

#LostSouls #NetGalley I love Jonathan Kellerman books and this book had two strong storylines running parallel in the story. Part of a series but perfectly capable of being read as a stand alone. I enjoyed both story lines and I really like the character of Clay Edison. I did find the chapters regarding the protests at the park a bit longwinded and repetitive and distracted from the main stories without adding any real value. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the stories regarding the search for the baby's mother and the search for Peter's sister.