Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman

Ellie is reclusive and a self made millionaire. She lost her mother as a toddler and after so long is wanting to reopen this cold case with the help of Detective Milo Sturgis. Working with Alex Delaware as in all his cases, the psychologist and the detective start uncovering a startling history totally unlooked for and in the process opening a can of worms that many wanted to remain untouched. There are too many slick endings, too many sudden deaths even amongst the people investigating the case. The characterization was good, the writing was smooth and polished and moved easily depicting the Los Angeles area nicely. The book was sent by Random House UK Cornerstone for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.