How Alex Delaware's Creator Dodged Detective Cliches, 41 Years Ago
In terms of long-running detective or thriller heroes, there's a very short list of reliable characters. Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch comes to mind, as does Lee Child's Jack Reacher. But, among these fictional men, one detective stands apart: Alex Delaware, the lead character in various beloved novels by Jonathan Kellerman, which began all the way back in 1985 with the book When the Bough Breaks. As of now, with the release of Jigsaw, there are 41 Alex Delaware adventures, representing a run of novels nearly unequaled in the thriller business.
On top of all of this, Alex Delaware is also, finally, getting an adaptation worthy of the book. As reported byDeadline earlier this year, Amazon MGM is developing a new, ongoing series with writer Jennifer Johnson, which will adapt the first novel and turn Delaware's cases into an ongoing series. On the heels of this news, and as the 41st novel,Jigsaw, is released, Men's Journal caught up with Kellerman to get a sense of how he created this character, his feelings on the forthcoming TV series, and how he avoided detective cliches four decades ago.
Men's Journal: What are your hopes for the Alex Delaware TV series?
My hope, of course, is that the series will be high-quality, feel authentic, and not disappoint my fan base or new viewers. We've got a superb show runner in Jennifer Johnson, and dealing with Amazon Prime has been encouraging. They're extremely quality-oriented and business-like. In contrast with some of the dim-bulb network executives I've dealt with in the past, who've offered wisdom such as, "Delaware's too perfect. Give him a limp." Really!
What makes Jigsaw different within the Delaware series? What makes it familiar?
I try to make every novel I write, whether a series book or a stand-alone, "different" in the sense of intensely engaging the reader. I don't start a new book unless I'm excited and fascinated by the story. The key, I believe, is to view each novel as a vehicle for fresh intrigue, surprise, and entertainment. My perfectionistic instincts don't allow me to cut corners or to phone it in.
Let's say this is someone's first Alex Delaware book. Will that reader be confused?
When I decided I was going to write a series, by the third Delaware novel, Over the Edge, I made a conscious decision to structure the books so that loyal repeat readers would experience what I call the comfort of the familiar and new readers wouldn't feel excluded by too many in-jokes. It's tricky and requires a certain degree of meticulousness. Occasionally, I need to go back to a Delaware novel written in the '80s or '90s to fact-check, and I find myself amused by Alex's use of pay phones, faxes, etc. To my knowledge, the Delaware books comprise the longest-running crime series in the USA and possibly the world. So I'm old enough to be anachronistic!
What's the secret to Alex Delaware's popularity? He's such a positive male hero, as is Milo.
When I created the first Delaware novel, I was obsessed with avoiding cliches. At the time, the dominant male protagonist was the anti-hero, so I decided to create a real hero. A decent human being who knew right from wrong and hadn't fallen prey to too many bad habits. Like any other human being, Alex had his issues. As did Milo. But moral ambiguity wasn't one of them. Thanks for calling them positive male heroes. That gives me a great sense of satisfaction.