Blood Test was published by Atheneum in 1986. Woody Swope, a five-year-old boy with cancer, disappears from the hospital with his parents, who have refused chemotherapy in favor of alternative treatments offered by a charismatic cult leader. Alex is asked to find Woody before the cancer kills him — but the investigation reveals that the cult, the parents, and the hospital all have agendas that may not align with the child’s survival.
The novel draws directly on Kellerman’s professional experience with pediatric cancer patients and the ethical dilemmas surrounding parental refusal of treatment. The tension between medical authority and parental rights — especially when a child’s life is at stake — gives the book genuine moral complexity.
Collecting Blood Test
First edition (Atheneum, New York, 1986): Boards with dust jacket.
Market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $75–$200
- Very good: $30–$75
Projected values (2026–2036): Strong appreciation. Early Kellerman first editions are increasingly scarce.
The Medical Ethics
Kellerman’s background in pediatric oncology makes Blood Test the most autobiographically resonant Delaware novel. The dilemma — do you respect parental autonomy when the parents’ choice will kill the child? — is one Kellerman encountered professionally. The novel avoids easy answers: the medical establishment is shown as both life-saving and dehumanising, while the parents’ desperation is treated with genuine sympathy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alex Delaware married? No. Alex’s long-term partner throughout the series is Robin Castagna, a luthier (stringed-instrument maker). Their on-again, off-again relationship provides the series’ emotional through-line, though it never becomes the primary focus of any novel.