Jonathan Kellerman
Jonathan Seth Kellerman (born August 9, 1949) is an American novelist, psychologist, and Edgar- and Anthony Award–winning author best known for his popular mystery and psychological thriller novels featuring the character Alex Delaware, a child psychologist who consults for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Jonathan Kellerman
- Name
- Jonathan Kellerman
- Birth Name
- Jonathan Seth Kellerman
- Born
- 9 August 1949
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- Author
- Spouse
- Faye Kellerman
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- literary activity · detective literature · clinical psychology · thriller
- Education
- University of California and Los Angeles · University of Southern California
- Honours
- Edgar Awards · APA Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology · Anthony Award for Best First Novel
- Languages
- English
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Jonathan Seth Kellerman (born August 9, 1949) is an American novelist, psychologist, and Edgar- and Anthony Award–winning author best known for his popular mystery and psychological thriller novels featuring the character Alex Delaware, a child psychologist who consults for the Los Angeles Police Department.
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Jonathan Kellerman (born 1949) is an American novelist, psychologist and writer. The novelist was born in New York City.
Jonathan Kellerman studied at University of California, Los Angeles and University of Southern California. The novelist worked for University of Southern California. Jonathan Kellerman is active in clinical psychology, detective literature and literary activity.
Languages used include English. The novelist received Anthony Award for Best First Novel, APA Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology and Edgar Awards.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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In this article
Biography
Biography
Jonathan Kellerman studied at University of California, Los Angeles and University of Southern California. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is literary activity, detective literature and clinical psychology. Employment is recorded with University of Southern California. Distinctions recorded are Edgar Awards, APA Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology and Anthony Award for Best First Novel.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jonathan Kellerman • Birth Name — Jonathan Seth Kellerman • Born — 9 August 1949 • Birthplace — New York City, New York, United States • Occupation — Author • Years Active — 1985–present • Genre — Mystery fiction, Thriller fiction • Notable Works — Alex Delaware series • Spouse — Faye Kellerman • Children — 4, including Jesse
Early life and education
Early life and education
Born on the Lower East Side of New York City, his family relocated to Los Angeles when Kellerman was nine years old. Kellerman stated in the New York Times that his parents kept "lots of books around the house, and their tastes were eclectic." It was through reading that he thought, "Maybe one day I can do this." One of those books, an American Art book also inspired his love of art. He was an illustrator during his college days and he still paints. He received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at UCLA in 1971. He worked his way through college as a cartoonist, editor, and guitar teacher. As a senior, he received a Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award. Kellerman graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) with a PhD degree in clinical psychology in 1974. His doctoral research was on attribution of blame for childhood psychopathology, and he published a scientific paper on that topic at the age of 22.
Career
Career
After receiving his PhD, he began working as a staff psychologist after at the USC Keck School of Medicine, where he eventually became a clinical professor of pediatrics. He opened a private practice in the early 1980s, while writing novels on the side. His first published novel, When the Bough Breaks, was published in 1985. He then wrote five best-selling novels while still a practicing psychologist. In 1990, he quit his private practice to write full-time. He has written more than 40 crime novels, as well as nonfiction works and children’s books.
Personal life
Personal life
Kellerman is married to fellow thriller novelist Faye Kellerman. They have four children, including writer Jesse Kellerman. Jonathan has collaborated with his wife and son on several works.
Alex Delaware
Alex Delaware
• When the Bough Breaks (1985) • Blood Test (1986) • Over the Edge (1987) • Silent Partner (1989) • Time Bomb (1990) • Private Eyes (1992) • Devil's Waltz (1993) • Bad Love (1994) • Self-Defense (1995) • The Web (1996) • The Clinic (1997) • Survival of the Fittest (1997) • Monster (1999) • Dr. Death (2000) • Flesh and Blood (2001) • The Murder Book (2002) • A Cold Heart (2003) • Therapy (2004) • Rage (2005) • Gone (2006) • Obsession (2007) • Compulsion (2008) • Bones (2008) • Evidence (2009) • Deception (2010) • Mystery (2011) • Victims (2012) • Guilt (2013) • Killer (2014) • Motive (2015) • Breakdown (2016) • Heartbreak Hotel (2017) • Night Moves (2018) • The Wedding Guest (2019) • The Museum of Desire (2020) • Serpentine (2021) • City of the Dead (2022) • Unnatural History (2023) • The Ghost Orchid (2024) • Open Season (2025) • Jigsaw (2026)
Petra Connor
Petra Connor
• Billy Straight (1998) • Twisted (2004)
Jacob Lev (with Jesse Kellerman)
Jacob Lev (with Jesse Kellerman)
• The Golem of Hollywood (2014) • The Golem of Paris (2015)
Clay Edison (with Jesse Kellerman)
Clay Edison (with Jesse Kellerman)
• Crime Scene (2017) • A Measure of Darkness (2018) • Half Moon Bay (alternatively published as Lost Souls) (2020) • The Burning (2021) • The Lost Coast (2024) • Coyote Hills (2025)
Standalone novels
Standalone novels
• The Conspiracy Club (2003) • Double Homicide (2005) (with Faye Kellerman) • Capital Crimes (2007) (with Faye Kellerman) • The Murderer's Daughter (2015)
Omnibus
Omnibus
• Blood Test / When the Bough Breaks / Over the Edge (1990) • Devil's Waltz / Bad Love (2003)
Nonfiction
Nonfiction
• Psychological Aspects of Childhood Cancer (1980) • Helping the Fearful Child (1981) • Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children (1999) • The Best American Crime Reporting 2008 (2008) (with Thomas H. Cook and Otto Penzler) • With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars (2008)
Related Novels
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Gale. Jonathan Kellerman. Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors. 2024.
- 2.H.W. Wilson. World authors, 2000-2005. 423–425. 2007. 978-0-8242-1077-9.
- 3.The New York Times. Jonathan Kellerman: By the Book. 2016-03-03.
- 4.Kellerman, Jonathan 1949–. Encyclopedia.com.
- 5.Rubenstein, Mark. Jonathan Kellerman and the Dark Side of Psychology. CrimeReads. March 21, 2018.
- 6.Kathleen Doheny. The Mystery of the Kellermans: Where Do They Find Ideas and Time to Pen His and Her Novels?. Los Angeles Times. 1985-12-02.
- 7.Cogdill, Oline H. Kellermans' 'Golem of Hollywood' disappoints. Delaware Online. September 20, 2014.
- 8.PenguinRandomHouse. Half Moon Bay by Jonathan Kellerman, Jesse Kellerman.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,988 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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