Bantam, ISBN 978-0553808087
August 21, 2012, 320 pages.
In the second book in the series, Keye Street is back, and we are in for a great time!
Did you read my review of The Stranger You Seek, the first book? Well, I don't mean to be pushy, but not only should you read the review, but you really should read the book, because it was very good. True, it is not necessary before you read this one, but still, do it!
And then come back for this very good sequel.
Keye Street is moving along, getting along well with her new boyfriend, Detective Aaron Rauser and increasing successful in her present career as a PI, bail enforcer and occasional consultant to the police. Because see, in her previous life, before she lost her job, Keye was a FBI agent with a PhD, a great reputation as a profiler...and a terrible drinking problem. Between the addiction and the psychological issues left over from watching her grandparents killed when she was a child and growing up the Chinese adopted daughter of two very white parents in the deep south..well, Keye has some things to deal with.
But don't get it wrong. These books are not all angst and breast beating. Yes, she is flawed but pretty much on top of it. Well, most of the time. Sure she still white knuckling that booze problem at times, but Keye is very smart, and very funny, with a "kick ass-take no prisoners" attitude and a very cool cat named White Trash. And things are rarely dull when she gets involved.
In this book, Keye has a few things on her plate. To pay the bills, she takes a job investigating the cremation of an elderly woman, which leads to a much creepier and much more dangerous set of circumstances than we or Keye could have foreseen. Yes, we know something is up but believe me, this is bad...in a good way for the reader.
But the main storyline revolves around her cousin Miki, a talented photographer, with even more self destructive tendencies than Keye. She thinks someone has been in her house, a masked man she glimpsed through the living room window. But there is no evidence and police dismiss her at first...but when that body, an elderly stranger is found hanging from her doorway, OK, then they believe her.
Then Keye, who have been helping the police with some profiling in the strangling death of a thirteen year old boy, finds proof that the crimes are tied together and it seems Atlanta may have a serial killer on it hands.
Take an excellent main character, add in a generous sprinkling of some great secondary characters, from her amusing parents, her flaky but so technically brilliant assistant Neil, her gay African American brother, her handsome and understanding boyfriend and a cast of evil, creepy bad guys, then wrap it all up in a well written, fast paced, surprising plot and you have one darn good book!
One I can strongly recommend.
And happily I have read that the author is hard at work at the third! I can not wait!
My thanks to Amazon Vine for providing me with a copy of this book.
I used to read books like this all the time. I really need to get back to them
ReplyDeletesounds like a good read .. but is her name Kaye or Keye .. confused readers want to know
ReplyDeletedid I do that again? Off to fix KEYE'S name.
DeleteWell aren't you a little pushy? HAHA!
ReplyDeleteI don't do subtle too well.
DeleteI read The Stranger You Seek back in January and I had to go back to my review to see if I enjoyed it. Looks like I did, but I sure don't remember much about the plot. Must've been great "brain candy" at the time, but quickly forgotten. Nonetheless, I'll give this one a try, too. Sounds like a winner!
ReplyDelete