Blood Test (novel)

"Blood Test" is the second novel by Jonathan Kellerman, published in 1986. It is told from the first person point-of-view of Dr. Alex Delaware, a child psychologist who is Kellerman's main character in the majority of his novels. The novel also includes Delaware's best friend, LAPD Detective, Milo Sturgis.

The plot of the novel surrounds a five-year-old boy, Woody Swope, who is gravely ill, and his parents have refused to allow the one treatment that could save his life. Alex is asked by Dr. Raoul Melendez-Lynch to discuss the treatment with Woody's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Swope are convinced that non-chemical holistic medicine is the only way to treat their son. After Woody disappears from his bed in the hospital, Alex and Milo discover that the motel room that Mr. and Mrs. Swope were staying in is abandoned, the only evidence of their occupation is a large blood stain on the floor. Their search for the family leads them to a strange part of the Swopes' hometown where morality is non-existent, and everything is permissible--even at the price of a young boy's life.

A secondary plot of the novel also involves Dr. Delaware's involvement in child custody cases as a consultant to family court.