Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Bantam (2013), Edition: Reprint, 400 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:�??One of the most addictive new series heroines since Stephanie Plum.�?��??The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta private investigator and ex�??FBI profiler Keye Street wants nothing more than time alone with her boyfriend, Aaron�??but, as usual, murder gets in the way. A.P.D. Lieutenant Aaron Rauser is called to the disturbing scene of the strangling death of a thirteen-year-old boy. Meanwhile, Keye, a recovering alcoholic, must deal with her emotionally fragile cousin, who has her own history of drug abuse and is now convinced that she is being stalked. But all hell breaks loose when another murder�??the apparent hanging of an elderly man�??hits disturbingly close to home for Keye. Though the two victims have almost nothing in common, there are bizarre similarities between this case and that of Aaron�??s strangled teen. With the threat of more deaths to come, Keye works on pure instinct alone�??and soon realizes that a killer is circling ever closer to the people she loves the most. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Amanda Kyle Williams's Don't Talk to Strangers. Praise for Amanda Kyle Williams and Stranger in the Room �??Keye Street remains the most interesting, cynically funny and smart series detective today. . . . The tension buzzes like cicadas on a hot Georgia night and the pace is relentless.�?��??Seattle Post-Intelligencer �??The best fictional female P.I. since Sue Grafton�??s Kinsey Millhone.�?��??The Plain Dealer �??Keye Street immediately puts herself in the top echelon of suspense heroes. She�??s a mess of fascinating contradictions�??effortlessly brilliant on a case, totally inept in managing her own life. She is brutally funny and powerfully human�??one of the most realistic protagonists in crime fiction that I�??ve had the thrill to read.�?��??Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Last to Die �??There�??s a new voice in Atlanta, and her name is Amanda Kyle Williams�??captivating, powerful and compelling.�?��??Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of One Was a Soldier �??Readers of this fas… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member vcg610
Keye Street is an extraordinary crime analyst/detective, but her excellent skills did not prevent her unceremonious firing from the FBI several years ago. Now 7 years sober and back in her hometown of Atlanta, she is working as a private detective, making her mortgage payments rounding up suspects
Amanda Kyle Williams is an author with a knack for witty dialog and an ability to create characters who are smart, in some cases odd-balls, and always worth getting to know. Keye for one, is ethnically Chinese, still carrying the baggage associated with the trauma of watching her grandparents be killed by a grocery store robber when she was very young. Adopted by an older Southern white couple, she grew up loving all things Southern, including the food, the culture and the sporty fast cars of her youth. She loves her parents while simultaneously being exasperated, particularly with her mother, every time mom opens her mouth.
Keye's office assistant Neil is a nerdy techno-geek who never saw a password he couldn't get past when he needs to enter a website or database. He also enjoys the occasional recreational drug, and sometimes the occasions come a little too frequently. But he always comes through when Keye needs information that only Neil can succeed at getting.
It appears that Keye's high strung but successful photographer cousin has acquired a stalker and she calls on Keye for help. But Miki also has a drug problem and a flair for the dramatic, so maybe she is imagining some of the drama in her life. In the meantime, Keye's boyfriend, Homicide Lieutenant Aaron Rauser of the Atlanta PD, has a case involving a death by strangulation of a young teen that has some nagging irregularities to it.
All too soon Miki's home becomes a crime scene when a dead body of an old man is found hanging in her home. Keye begins to see possible relationships between the two seemingly disparate murders, and before much time at all has elapsed, even more murders are uncovered. Keye is off and running, analyzing clues and behavior patterns that has her believing they may have a serial killer on their hands. A sense of dread develops as one ominous event after another occurs; Keye begins to think more and more about the pleasure and courage she drew from alcohol, coming perilously close several times to retreating back into that life.
Keye narrates the book and we are thus treated to her thoughts on all things Southern, such as race relations, the weather and green living. In one hilarious thought progression, Williams entertains us through her protagonist Keye with this delightful prose:
Folks with real winters and heavy snows think it's funny that we complain about winter down here, but let me tell you, when the windchill hits you on a little scooter doing thirty-five in a business suit in January, your friggin' lips will freeze to your teeth. I lost five pounds just by shivering. My concern with America's dependency on foreign oil stopped there. (p. 233)
This is fast paced, with lots of twists, lots of great, richly drawn characters, and an ominous and scary villain that seems to stay one step ahead right up to the heart stopping conclusion. Keye Street is a top notch investigator that you will certainly want to see more of, and Amanda Kyle Williams is definitely an author to seek out over and over! Block out some reading time, get your copy of Stranger in the Room and get started now!
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who have skipped out on court dates, with occasional assignments from various lawyers trying to run down the facts on a variety of cases.Amanda Kyle Williams is an author with a knack for witty dialog and an ability to create characters who are smart, in some cases odd-balls, and always worth getting to know. Keye for one, is ethnically Chinese, still carrying the baggage associated with the trauma of watching her grandparents be killed by a grocery store robber when she was very young. Adopted by an older Southern white couple, she grew up loving all things Southern, including the food, the culture and the sporty fast cars of her youth. She loves her parents while simultaneously being exasperated, particularly with her mother, every time mom opens her mouth.
Keye's office assistant Neil is a nerdy techno-geek who never saw a password he couldn't get past when he needs to enter a website or database. He also enjoys the occasional recreational drug, and sometimes the occasions come a little too frequently. But he always comes through when Keye needs information that only Neil can succeed at getting.
It appears that Keye's high strung but successful photographer cousin has acquired a stalker and she calls on Keye for help. But Miki also has a drug problem and a flair for the dramatic, so maybe she is imagining some of the drama in her life. In the meantime, Keye's boyfriend, Homicide Lieutenant Aaron Rauser of the Atlanta PD, has a case involving a death by strangulation of a young teen that has some nagging irregularities to it.
All too soon Miki's home becomes a crime scene when a dead body of an old man is found hanging in her home. Keye begins to see possible relationships between the two seemingly disparate murders, and before much time at all has elapsed, even more murders are uncovered. Keye is off and running, analyzing clues and behavior patterns that has her believing they may have a serial killer on their hands. A sense of dread develops as one ominous event after another occurs; Keye begins to think more and more about the pleasure and courage she drew from alcohol, coming perilously close several times to retreating back into that life.
Keye narrates the book and we are thus treated to her thoughts on all things Southern, such as race relations, the weather and green living. In one hilarious thought progression, Williams entertains us through her protagonist Keye with this delightful prose:
Folks with real winters and heavy snows think it's funny that we complain about winter down here, but let me tell you, when the windchill hits you on a little scooter doing thirty-five in a business suit in January, your friggin' lips will freeze to your teeth. I lost five pounds just by shivering. My concern with America's dependency on foreign oil stopped there. (p. 233)
This is fast paced, with lots of twists, lots of great, richly drawn characters, and an ominous and scary villain that seems to stay one step ahead right up to the heart stopping conclusion. Keye Street is a top notch investigator that you will certainly want to see more of, and Amanda Kyle Williams is definitely an author to seek out over and over! Block out some reading time, get your copy of Stranger in the Room and get started now!
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LibraryThing member thehistorychic
Listened for Fun!
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 4.25
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First thought when finished: Keye is a leading character that has really grown on me. In this 2nd installment I have really grown to care what happens to her!
What I
What I Thought of the Case: Stranger in the Room was the type of thriller where you aren't really trying to guess who is doing it but more "why?". It really is a case of what goes with what and how do they all fall together. I really enjoyed how it played out and thought it was really well paced. The last 1/4 of the book really kicked it up a notch and the ending was really good. Amanda Kyle Williams did a good job of not forgetting that Keye had a job that wasn't helping Rauser track down his killer. The way she wove the two cases together worked really well!
What I Thought of the Audio: Narrated by Ann Marie Lee, Stranger in the Room runs 13 hrs and 2 mins. I grew to like the audio but I have to admit it took about half the book. I read the first one and I just didn't have Keye sounding quite the way that Ann Marie played her. I was also not a huge fan of how Rauser sounded. That being said the pacing was really well done. I also loved the emotion that Ann Marie brought to the story. Overall, I will probably stick to print in the future for this one (maybe) but I will try other audios with Ann Marie as the narrator.
Final Thought: I have read both The Stranger in the Room and The Stranger You Seek (book 1). This is a series that I am really enjoying and can't wait to see what Keye gets into next.
(Y'all her cat is named White Trash, there was a Mumu toesock wearing funeral home momma, AND poor Rauser's garden is being raided by the neighbor's cat. There is a nice little bit of humor in the book that will make you smile. It isn't a light thriller by any means but those moments are what I think makes Keye very human.)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 4.25
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First thought when finished: Keye is a leading character that has really grown on me. In this 2nd installment I have really grown to care what happens to her!
What I
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Thought of the Characters: Stranger in the Room continued the character development that I thought was so well done in The Stranger You Seek! Keye continues to grow, mess up, stumble, and struggle through while using her brilliant profiling skills. I said this when I reviewed The Stranger You Seek: "Character development was fantastically done and brilliantly executed." and it holds true for Stranger in the Room. Keye is a flawed character that you want to root for. There was a good bit of her family (mostly her cousin who is involved in this case) and Aaron Rauser (her lover and detective leading the main case)too. Keye's relationship with her adoptive parents is explored more too. What is brilliant is none of these elements take over the story. The case is still the main reason to be there!What I Thought of the Case: Stranger in the Room was the type of thriller where you aren't really trying to guess who is doing it but more "why?". It really is a case of what goes with what and how do they all fall together. I really enjoyed how it played out and thought it was really well paced. The last 1/4 of the book really kicked it up a notch and the ending was really good. Amanda Kyle Williams did a good job of not forgetting that Keye had a job that wasn't helping Rauser track down his killer. The way she wove the two cases together worked really well!
What I Thought of the Audio: Narrated by Ann Marie Lee, Stranger in the Room runs 13 hrs and 2 mins. I grew to like the audio but I have to admit it took about half the book. I read the first one and I just didn't have Keye sounding quite the way that Ann Marie played her. I was also not a huge fan of how Rauser sounded. That being said the pacing was really well done. I also loved the emotion that Ann Marie brought to the story. Overall, I will probably stick to print in the future for this one (maybe) but I will try other audios with Ann Marie as the narrator.
Final Thought: I have read both The Stranger in the Room and The Stranger You Seek (book 1). This is a series that I am really enjoying and can't wait to see what Keye gets into next.
(Y'all her cat is named White Trash, there was a Mumu toesock wearing funeral home momma, AND poor Rauser's garden is being raided by the neighbor's cat. There is a nice little bit of humor in the book that will make you smile. It isn't a light thriller by any means but those moments are what I think makes Keye very human.)
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LibraryThing member noranydrop2read
The second novel in a series is critical; after all, a good first novel could be a fluke. The more I like the first in a series, the more I hope the second lives up to its potential, and I am pleased to say that Amanda Kyle Williams more than delivers with her second Keye Street thriller, STRANGER
Atlanta is practically a character in STRANGER IN THE ROOM. Having made it through a scorching summer, lines like "Atlanta's smoldering summer had dropped down around us like a burning building" really resonate with me. Keye observes of her private investigation business, "Missing persons, surveillance, bond enforcement, and process serving keeps the cash flowing when business slows to a crawl over the winter holidays. But when Atlanta starts to heat up and the glaring southern sun sets our bloodstreams ablaze, when the clothes get skimpy and overworked servers stagger out with trays of frosty pitchers at packed pavement cafes, my phone gets busy." Details of locations and mouth-watering descriptions of restaurant offerings (more on this later) add to the authenticity. Keye struggles with sobriety, and Williams treats alcoholism with great sensitivity and understanding, even as Keye cracks jokes about it.
STRANGER IN THE ROOM starts out with Keye's troubled cousin, Miki, asking for help; she's being stalked. Keye isn't sure how much of Miki's account to believe, but when a body turns up in Miki's house, Keye is convinced. Miki is possibly more screwed-up than Keye. "'Are you all right?' she asked, then went on without giving me time to answer. 'Oh, right. The alcohol thing. What's the big deal, anyway? I won't let you get wasted. Just order a fucking drink.' 'That's the worst idea I've heard all day.' She reached into her bag and withdrew a tiny glass vial with a black cap. 'I've got some coke. Would a line help?' That's my Miki, always thinking of others." Meanwhile, APD Lieutenant Rauser has asked for Keye's insight in a serial killer case. These two mysteries make up the main plot, with Keye's private investigation business providing the subplots. One is a bail bonds case that provides quality comic relief (and by "comic relief," I mean, "uncontrollable laughter"), and the other takes Keye up to rural Big Knob, where she investigates odd happenings at a crematorium. The Big Knob case introduces one of my favorite characters in any book in any genre: the politely racist Mrs. Stargell. In a less nuanced novel, Mrs. Stargell would have been a one-dimensional character to hate, but Williams rounds her out nicely, and she steals every scene she's in. I kind of hope future cases take Keye back to Big Knob.
Keye's supporting cast is fantastic. Williams is skilled at crafting complex characters, no matter how few words they have in the book. Keye's relationship with Rauser continues to develop in interesting and unexpected ways. He's a great cop: "'Listen to me, people,' Rauser snapped. 'All that DNA shit, it's gonna be great in court. But it's good old-fashioned police work that closes cases. Don't ever forget that.'" But he has a goofy side, too: "Rauser's hand went to his weapon, then slid away when we saw the gray tabby from next door pulling himself up and over the fence. He balanced on top for a couple of seconds, then jumped to the ground and sauntered over to the patch of neglected garden. He dug around, sniffed, turned a few circles, sniffed, dug, then laid back his ears and did his business. 'Little bastard,' Rauser growled, watching the cat with Wile E. Coyote eyes. 'Fucker's looking right at us.' I had to bite my lip and look away. Rauser had unintentionally built a giant cat box in his yard." Her coworker, stoner savant Neil, is hilarious and strangely competent. He and Keye exchange great childish banter that brings out Keye's silly side. "Neil had his electronic devices out, and he was balancing a hotel coffee mug. 'This is going to be one of those three-hour tour things, isn't it? Big Knob's the Minnow and you're Ginger and I'm the professor and we're never getting off the island.' 'You see me as Ginger? Really?' I glanced at myself in the rearview."
I'm tempted to quote all the passages I marked that made me laugh out loud (and, in one case, literally slap my knee), but I don't want to spoil the joy for new readers. I'm also tempted to quote all the passages about food (seriously, don't read Williams on an empty stomach!), but I'll just give one example: "She grew poblano peppers in her own garden and stuffed them with cheese and cubed acorn squash she'd sauteed in garlic. She skewered fresh peaches on cinnamon sticks and bathed them in bourbon and honey on the grill until their meat was sweet and smoky. She filled tiny pastry cups with goat cheese and homemade lime curd and glass pitchers with sweet iced tea and fresh thyme. Southern cooking gets a bad rap. But when it's done right, it's a beautiful thing." Besides their other attributes, I think Williams's books could be the foundation for a spectacular cookbook.
STRANGER IN THE ROOM stands well on its own, but I can't possibly recommend skipping THE STRANGER YOU SEEK. Do yourself a favor and read both. Quoting extensively in a review is the highest compliment for me: it means the writing is so good, it's best to let it speak for itself.
Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title courtesy of the publisher and purchased my own hardcover edition.
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IN THE ROOM. If you missed THE STRANGER YOU SEEK, Keye is a disgraced FBI profiler-turned-P.I., her brilliant career derailed by alcoholism, who gets pulled in as an APD consultant when a serial killer terrorizes Atlanta. Keye is funny but competent, deeply flawed, and self-aware. She's as funny as early Stephanie Plum, but in more intense thrillers (think Karin Slaughter, early Patricia Cornwell). It's an addictive combination. Thrillers are often relentless (which is the point, of course-- to keep the reader turning pages) in gore, action, and suspense, but in a twist on the usual thriller formula, Williams has used her heroine's abundant flaws to inject substantial humor into her books. The suspense is still intense; humor simply provides another layer of enjoyment.Atlanta is practically a character in STRANGER IN THE ROOM. Having made it through a scorching summer, lines like "Atlanta's smoldering summer had dropped down around us like a burning building" really resonate with me. Keye observes of her private investigation business, "Missing persons, surveillance, bond enforcement, and process serving keeps the cash flowing when business slows to a crawl over the winter holidays. But when Atlanta starts to heat up and the glaring southern sun sets our bloodstreams ablaze, when the clothes get skimpy and overworked servers stagger out with trays of frosty pitchers at packed pavement cafes, my phone gets busy." Details of locations and mouth-watering descriptions of restaurant offerings (more on this later) add to the authenticity. Keye struggles with sobriety, and Williams treats alcoholism with great sensitivity and understanding, even as Keye cracks jokes about it.
STRANGER IN THE ROOM starts out with Keye's troubled cousin, Miki, asking for help; she's being stalked. Keye isn't sure how much of Miki's account to believe, but when a body turns up in Miki's house, Keye is convinced. Miki is possibly more screwed-up than Keye. "'Are you all right?' she asked, then went on without giving me time to answer. 'Oh, right. The alcohol thing. What's the big deal, anyway? I won't let you get wasted. Just order a fucking drink.' 'That's the worst idea I've heard all day.' She reached into her bag and withdrew a tiny glass vial with a black cap. 'I've got some coke. Would a line help?' That's my Miki, always thinking of others." Meanwhile, APD Lieutenant Rauser has asked for Keye's insight in a serial killer case. These two mysteries make up the main plot, with Keye's private investigation business providing the subplots. One is a bail bonds case that provides quality comic relief (and by "comic relief," I mean, "uncontrollable laughter"), and the other takes Keye up to rural Big Knob, where she investigates odd happenings at a crematorium. The Big Knob case introduces one of my favorite characters in any book in any genre: the politely racist Mrs. Stargell. In a less nuanced novel, Mrs. Stargell would have been a one-dimensional character to hate, but Williams rounds her out nicely, and she steals every scene she's in. I kind of hope future cases take Keye back to Big Knob.
Keye's supporting cast is fantastic. Williams is skilled at crafting complex characters, no matter how few words they have in the book. Keye's relationship with Rauser continues to develop in interesting and unexpected ways. He's a great cop: "'Listen to me, people,' Rauser snapped. 'All that DNA shit, it's gonna be great in court. But it's good old-fashioned police work that closes cases. Don't ever forget that.'" But he has a goofy side, too: "Rauser's hand went to his weapon, then slid away when we saw the gray tabby from next door pulling himself up and over the fence. He balanced on top for a couple of seconds, then jumped to the ground and sauntered over to the patch of neglected garden. He dug around, sniffed, turned a few circles, sniffed, dug, then laid back his ears and did his business. 'Little bastard,' Rauser growled, watching the cat with Wile E. Coyote eyes. 'Fucker's looking right at us.' I had to bite my lip and look away. Rauser had unintentionally built a giant cat box in his yard." Her coworker, stoner savant Neil, is hilarious and strangely competent. He and Keye exchange great childish banter that brings out Keye's silly side. "Neil had his electronic devices out, and he was balancing a hotel coffee mug. 'This is going to be one of those three-hour tour things, isn't it? Big Knob's the Minnow and you're Ginger and I'm the professor and we're never getting off the island.' 'You see me as Ginger? Really?' I glanced at myself in the rearview."
I'm tempted to quote all the passages I marked that made me laugh out loud (and, in one case, literally slap my knee), but I don't want to spoil the joy for new readers. I'm also tempted to quote all the passages about food (seriously, don't read Williams on an empty stomach!), but I'll just give one example: "She grew poblano peppers in her own garden and stuffed them with cheese and cubed acorn squash she'd sauteed in garlic. She skewered fresh peaches on cinnamon sticks and bathed them in bourbon and honey on the grill until their meat was sweet and smoky. She filled tiny pastry cups with goat cheese and homemade lime curd and glass pitchers with sweet iced tea and fresh thyme. Southern cooking gets a bad rap. But when it's done right, it's a beautiful thing." Besides their other attributes, I think Williams's books could be the foundation for a spectacular cookbook.
STRANGER IN THE ROOM stands well on its own, but I can't possibly recommend skipping THE STRANGER YOU SEEK. Do yourself a favor and read both. Quoting extensively in a review is the highest compliment for me: it means the writing is so good, it's best to let it speak for itself.
Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title courtesy of the publisher and purchased my own hardcover edition.
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LibraryThing member alohaboy
Last year I read and thoroughly enjoyed Amanda Kyle Williams’ debut novel, The Stranger You Seek. Williams’ private detective, Keye Street, is a Chinese American Type A female, recovering alcoholic fired from the job she loved with the FBI, and was raised by loving but quirky parents in
In this second installment Street is getting on with her life, after surviving near death incidents in the previous book. The publicity from her last case increased business for her PI firm, so much so that she and Neil, her pot smoking tech assistant, are working harder than ever before—mostly on mild cases like bond enforcement, serving subpoenas, and infidelity matters.
Early in the novel Keye receives a terrified call from her quasi-famous photographer cousin, Miki, about an intruder in her home, but Keye is skeptical as Miki is the drama queen of drama queens. The police find no evidence of an intrusion, and, given Miki's long history of drug abuse and acoholism, followed by numerous rehabs, Keye says she will look into the matter but has no real expectations of finding anything. Shortly thereafter one of Keye’s clients asks her to investigate a strange case for a young couple who received an urn of their dead mother's ashes that actually was composed of concrete mix and chicken feed.
The two cases make up the bulk of the novel, both cases with suprising twists and turns along the way that put Keye back in the public spotlight. Again, Keye is put in life threatening situations but this time also puts Neil and Miki in imminent danger.
Author Williams continues to deftly mix Keye’s investigative strengths and human weaknesses with a compelling plot that races to a final resolution that includes Mother Nature dropping a massive tornado on Atlanta that helps Keye barely escape with her life. A great read.
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Atlanta. A black, gay adopted brother is also part of the family and adds his own uniqueness to family gatherings.In this second installment Street is getting on with her life, after surviving near death incidents in the previous book. The publicity from her last case increased business for her PI firm, so much so that she and Neil, her pot smoking tech assistant, are working harder than ever before—mostly on mild cases like bond enforcement, serving subpoenas, and infidelity matters.
Early in the novel Keye receives a terrified call from her quasi-famous photographer cousin, Miki, about an intruder in her home, but Keye is skeptical as Miki is the drama queen of drama queens. The police find no evidence of an intrusion, and, given Miki's long history of drug abuse and acoholism, followed by numerous rehabs, Keye says she will look into the matter but has no real expectations of finding anything. Shortly thereafter one of Keye’s clients asks her to investigate a strange case for a young couple who received an urn of their dead mother's ashes that actually was composed of concrete mix and chicken feed.
The two cases make up the bulk of the novel, both cases with suprising twists and turns along the way that put Keye back in the public spotlight. Again, Keye is put in life threatening situations but this time also puts Neil and Miki in imminent danger.
Author Williams continues to deftly mix Keye’s investigative strengths and human weaknesses with a compelling plot that races to a final resolution that includes Mother Nature dropping a massive tornado on Atlanta that helps Keye barely escape with her life. A great read.
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LibraryThing member bayleaf
When I first learned I would be receiving the second book in the Keye Street series, I picked up the first, The Stranger You Seek, to read so I would have some familiarity with the characters. I'm quite happy that I did because I loved the characters and the book. For me, Stranger in the Room is
I agree with another reviewer. There's just enough lighthearted banter in the book to counter what otherwise is a very suspenseful novel. I kept thinking Keye Street is a more sophisticated and serious Stephanie Plum and Amanda Kyle Williams has written a series for readers who want a more literary offering than what Janet Evanovich has provided (Sorry, Janet. Your books do have their place and I love Grandma Mazur.). And speaking of love, Neil is a treasure. I hope to see more of him in the upcoming book. They are a perfect team.
I'm excited about this series, happy that LibraryThing introduced me to it, and looking forward to Don't Talk to Strangers.
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even better. I read it in one day, sitting up past my bedtime, so that I could find out "whodunit." Williams kept me guessing until Keye herself knew. I couldn't even guess who it might be. I think that's the mark of a good book.I agree with another reviewer. There's just enough lighthearted banter in the book to counter what otherwise is a very suspenseful novel. I kept thinking Keye Street is a more sophisticated and serious Stephanie Plum and Amanda Kyle Williams has written a series for readers who want a more literary offering than what Janet Evanovich has provided (Sorry, Janet. Your books do have their place and I love Grandma Mazur.). And speaking of love, Neil is a treasure. I hope to see more of him in the upcoming book. They are a perfect team.
I'm excited about this series, happy that LibraryThing introduced me to it, and looking forward to Don't Talk to Strangers.
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LibraryThing member maryintexas39
"The stranger in the room" by Amanda Kyle Williams dispels the theory of the sophomore slump. I think the second Keye Street novel was even better than the first. I love the rapport between Keye and Aaron Raiser. He a sturdy police detective and she a private investigator with her failure as an FBI
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profiler forever haunting her. Her constant battle with herself as a recovering alcoholic. The book is a page Turner. I can't wait for the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member mikedraper
Keye Street is a Chinese American P.I. with a PhD. She is a recovering alcoholic. Her boyfriend, Det. Aaron Rauser is a homicide detective in Atlanta. As the story opens, he tells her of finding a body of a murdered teenager with unusual fluid on the body.
In a side story, Keye is hired by an
Keye and her assistant travel to a rural community that feels as though they are back in time to the deep south. When they speak to the person about his mother's ashes, he tells them that he accidentally dropped the urn and knew it wasn't human ashes in the urn. He had it analyzed and it was chicken feed. He want to know what happened to his mother's body.
Meanwhile, Keye's cousin, Miki has been threatened and back in Atlanta there is another murder with the same kind of fluids as on the teenager's body.
This is an excellent novel of suspense. The writer writes with wit and with a literary flavor.
I was also impressed with the manner in which Keye and her boyfriend related to one another. In many stories with a female P.I. and a male boyfriend who is a cop, the cop becomes a dominant and macho figure. Here, there was equality in searching crime scenes or trying to arrive at logical motives for seemingly inconceivable crimes.
In a side story, Keye is hired by an
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Atlanta attorney to help with a person who found that after paying for his mother's cremation, it was not her ashes in the urn.Keye and her assistant travel to a rural community that feels as though they are back in time to the deep south. When they speak to the person about his mother's ashes, he tells them that he accidentally dropped the urn and knew it wasn't human ashes in the urn. He had it analyzed and it was chicken feed. He want to know what happened to his mother's body.
Meanwhile, Keye's cousin, Miki has been threatened and back in Atlanta there is another murder with the same kind of fluids as on the teenager's body.
This is an excellent novel of suspense. The writer writes with wit and with a literary flavor.
I was also impressed with the manner in which Keye and her boyfriend related to one another. In many stories with a female P.I. and a male boyfriend who is a cop, the cop becomes a dominant and macho figure. Here, there was equality in searching crime scenes or trying to arrive at logical motives for seemingly inconceivable crimes.
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LibraryThing member KarenHerndon
This is a great, quick read mystery. Liked the characters and plot. Only thing I did not like was that the main character was made a recovering alcoholic- I have read several other detective/police type mysteries where their main character also was a recovering alcoholic- just wondering why I am
This was an earlier reviewer book. Thanks guys :)
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seeing this so often? Can't there be great detectives that are not recovering from whatever? Otherwise it was a fun read and although this is the first book by this author I have read, I will plan to read more by her.This was an earlier reviewer book. Thanks guys :)
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LibraryThing member gincam
Author Amanda Kyle Williams gives readers another entertaining glimpse at razor-sharp investigator Keye Street in "Stranger in the Room". The prologue for this book sets the tone when Keye's issue-plagued cousin Miki comes home one night with a couple of drinks settling in and hears a noise from
Review Copy Gratis Library Thing
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inside her house as she is fumbling to open the front door. When she looks through her window from the outside, there is a man wearing a ski mask, dressed all in black, staring back at her from the inside. He makes a motion with his hand like he is firing a gun at her. How invasively creepy is that? Keye, struggling to recover from her own substance abuse issues with alcohol, provides refuge to her cousin, wondering all the while why she's adding to her own stress load. Keye's boyfriend, Police Lieutenant Aaron Rauser is deeply involved in the homicide case of a strangled teenager. Another murder case, the hanging of an elderly man, would at first appear unconnected, but there are similarities that former FBI profiler Keye cannot ignore. Then there's the weird case of the crematorium mixing up cement mix and chicken feed and serving up as human remains to grieving loved ones. Atmospheric, set in the July heat of Atlanta, and edgy--Keye shoots from the lip, and her thoughts fly just as fast--"Stranger in the Room" is a perfect all-night read for lovers of whip-smart, idiosyncratic female criminal investigators. Review Copy Gratis Library Thing
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LibraryThing member Teritree001971
STRANGER IN THE ROOM is one in a mystery series involving Keye Street, PI. The main character at one time worked for the FBI in their behavioral analysis department, but thanks to her drinking, lost the position and is now working as a PI/bounty hunter in the deep south. At this point, Street is a
Keye is an American of Chinese descent living in Atlanta, Ga with a cat named White Trash. She is far from perfect and at times I just wanted to shake her and tell her to stop her whining and feeling sorry for herself. That is how well written this story is. It manages to capture the readers attention and keep them focused on the pages around them.
Although the main focus begins with one serial killer, Keye ends up exposing two different serial murder cases. You never know what is happening until the end sneaks up on you. The author adequately describes the circumstances keeping the reader engaged and focused on where she wants him to be in the story. At one point, you are walking with Keye in the woods and you want to be anywhere except where you are at that
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recovering alcoholic with a big chip on her shoulder. If you like Jessie Stone, chances are you will enjoy this mystery series also.Keye is an American of Chinese descent living in Atlanta, Ga with a cat named White Trash. She is far from perfect and at times I just wanted to shake her and tell her to stop her whining and feeling sorry for herself. That is how well written this story is. It manages to capture the readers attention and keep them focused on the pages around them.
Although the main focus begins with one serial killer, Keye ends up exposing two different serial murder cases. You never know what is happening until the end sneaks up on you. The author adequately describes the circumstances keeping the reader engaged and focused on where she wants him to be in the story. At one point, you are walking with Keye in the woods and you want to be anywhere except where you are at that
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LibraryThing member arlenadean
Author: Amanda Kyle Williams
Published By: Bantam Books
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:
"Stranger In the Room: a Novel" (Keye Street #2) was a wonderful mystery suspense-thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat not putting it down until the end. This novel is a
All of the characters were simply wonderful in that they were so well developed into their particular character only making this read good....from Keye, Rauser,Neil, Miki, Tyrone, Emily, Harold, Cash Tilson, Billy and Brenda Wade, Larry Quinn, Bevins, Marko Pullip, Jimmy,Dan, Dr, Shetty, Joe Ray Kirkpatrick, Mr.Huckaby,'White Trash,' Mary Kate Stargell and the list goes on ...all simply good...some over the top....with even some were even humorous and had me laughing out loud at some of it. Now, I am sure at this point you are wondering what "Stranger In The Room" is all about and this is where I say you must pick up this read to find out about it. "Stranger In The Room" was a tastefully written with all of its darkness... that after all is said and done the job of getting it delivered to the reader was well done...as this author brings it to life a very believable story for the reader. The ending rather surprised me but after I thought about it...I guess this is the way life can go for a person. Only leaving me to say does one ever open their eyes and see what is not good for them. Oh well... to know just what I am referring to....you must pick up this read.
Would I recommend this mystery thriller..."Stranger In The Room"... YES. It is my understanding that there is a #1 in this series: The Stranger You Seek that I plan on checking it out soon.
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Published By: Bantam Books
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:
"Stranger In the Room: a Novel" (Keye Street #2) was a wonderful mystery suspense-thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat not putting it down until the end. This novel is a
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second in the 'Keye Street series' dealing with Keye Street's cousin,Miki being stalked...add to that many murders are being committed and the missing cremated ashes and you have a excellent well written script to be read.All of the characters were simply wonderful in that they were so well developed into their particular character only making this read good....from Keye, Rauser,Neil, Miki, Tyrone, Emily, Harold, Cash Tilson, Billy and Brenda Wade, Larry Quinn, Bevins, Marko Pullip, Jimmy,Dan, Dr, Shetty, Joe Ray Kirkpatrick, Mr.Huckaby,'White Trash,' Mary Kate Stargell and the list goes on ...all simply good...some over the top....with even some were even humorous and had me laughing out loud at some of it. Now, I am sure at this point you are wondering what "Stranger In The Room" is all about and this is where I say you must pick up this read to find out about it. "Stranger In The Room" was a tastefully written with all of its darkness... that after all is said and done the job of getting it delivered to the reader was well done...as this author brings it to life a very believable story for the reader. The ending rather surprised me but after I thought about it...I guess this is the way life can go for a person. Only leaving me to say does one ever open their eyes and see what is not good for them. Oh well... to know just what I am referring to....you must pick up this read.
Would I recommend this mystery thriller..."Stranger In The Room"... YES. It is my understanding that there is a #1 in this series: The Stranger You Seek that I plan on checking it out soon.
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LibraryThing member jfe16
First and foremost, the author really needs to re-think those super-snarky comments related to real-life people. Every time I came to one of them, I had to restrain my impulse to throw the book across the room. Presumably they’re meant to be funny, but they’re not . . . and they make her seem
Keye Street is the central character in “Stranger in the Room.” She’s a flawed and occasionally-funny ex-FBI profiler, currently a private investigator who consults for the Atlanta police. The southern settings are exquisite, perfectly described and one of the highlights of the author’s writing. While I mostly liked the characters, they often had an unfortunate tendency to be one-dimensional and to behave in perfectly predictable ways. Miki wasn’t at all a sympathetic victim, making it difficult to care about the outcome of the story the author wanted to tell. It seemed to be a reasonable assumption that Keye would save the day in the end, but when she did just that, Miki’s response made her so unlikeable that I really didn’t care that she had been rescued. The recovering alcoholic descriptions got very old very fast, mostly because they seemed far too repetitive and just a bit too blatant.
The author’s decision to include two major mystery/crime elements is rather baffling. Either one of them alone would have been perfect and the book would have been tighter if the author had chosen just one as her focus and then really delved into it. The mere fact that Keye was involved in both investigations was far too slim a connecting thread to make the two divergent stories dovetail in any meaningful way.
The biggest problem I had with the book was that it was far too easy to set it aside in favor of reading something else; I simply didn’t care enough about any of the characters and the telling of the tale wasn’t compelling enough to keep me reading and involved in the story being told.
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just plain mean.Keye Street is the central character in “Stranger in the Room.” She’s a flawed and occasionally-funny ex-FBI profiler, currently a private investigator who consults for the Atlanta police. The southern settings are exquisite, perfectly described and one of the highlights of the author’s writing. While I mostly liked the characters, they often had an unfortunate tendency to be one-dimensional and to behave in perfectly predictable ways. Miki wasn’t at all a sympathetic victim, making it difficult to care about the outcome of the story the author wanted to tell. It seemed to be a reasonable assumption that Keye would save the day in the end, but when she did just that, Miki’s response made her so unlikeable that I really didn’t care that she had been rescued. The recovering alcoholic descriptions got very old very fast, mostly because they seemed far too repetitive and just a bit too blatant.
The author’s decision to include two major mystery/crime elements is rather baffling. Either one of them alone would have been perfect and the book would have been tighter if the author had chosen just one as her focus and then really delved into it. The mere fact that Keye was involved in both investigations was far too slim a connecting thread to make the two divergent stories dovetail in any meaningful way.
The biggest problem I had with the book was that it was far too easy to set it aside in favor of reading something else; I simply didn’t care enough about any of the characters and the telling of the tale wasn’t compelling enough to keep me reading and involved in the story being told.
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LibraryThing member Bookmarque
While overall I enjoyed this novel, I don't think it's as good as the debut. Some of the things that bugged me were small; like a character asking for an ink pen from a waitress. Well what other kind of pen are you expecting, a quill? Funny. Then, I caught a continuity error involving Miki being
It wasn't bad though and I highlighted a few passages that were really good such as Keye musing that she was "mentally addressing invitations to my pity party" and "we'll be about as hip as a forty-year-old tattoo". I like the way she describes her life with her cat, White Trash, and some of the things that only cat owners notice like when Keye notes that WT was "miffed I had dared to move my legs". Good stuff.
Again, Williams doesn't drown us in forensic or evidence-gathering minutiae, but what she does give us seems very accurate. Like when folks need to use luminol to find bodily fluids not apparent to the naked eye, the lights have to be turned off in order for the alternate light source to work. On TV now, no one ever turns off the lights. Silly.
In the last book I thought that the homosexual angle was overplayed and in this one it was southern-ness and alcoholism. After a whole bunch of internal monologues about how badly she wanted a drink it got to be distracting. I understand that the evil pull of booze never goes away for these people, but injected into a storyline so constantly didn't enhance things for me. Neither did the constant references to southern this and southern that. Yeah, we know that she's in Atlanta and despite being of Chinese descent, is southern to the core just like everyone else. Yeah, it's important to establish character and place, but it was a bit too thick.
Keye is still her flawed, sarcastic self though. Some people didn't like the sub-plot involving the crematorium, but I did. I thought it showed the life of a run-of-the-mill PI more accurately and it served to lighten the mood quite a bit despite the horrific cemetery. Usually the PI is focused on a single case, as if they go through life working one big one after the other. Not so and I like the piddling shit that Keye has to put up with. Like going to see the bond agent she depends on to keep cash flowing. Last time out, her profiling seemed reasonably applied and arrived at. This time though it's closer to the psychic hotline and clashed with the hard-core realism of the rest of the investigation. While accurate and ultimately correct, her prescience with regard to finding the one newspaper story that revealed the killer was way too much. It was based on a crime scene element that was ephemeral at best.
I think that Williams might be a Davenport fan because she puts words in Rauser's mouth that are almost direct quotes from the Sandford novels. Particularly about forensic evidence never actually solving cases, but instead is used to absolutely tie a suspect to the crime and that the suspect is found through normal police-work. It was kind of funny. Maybe Rauser gets up to the Twin Cities now and then.
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left asleep in the guest room and Rauser having admitted to seeing her in her underwear just minutes before. Well, which is it? And "the auto-winder on Jo Phillips's digital camera was singing". Ha! Two of my pet peeves in one, lack of author research and the stupid noises digital cameras make to mimic things they just don't have - like auto-winders. Nothing to wind.It wasn't bad though and I highlighted a few passages that were really good such as Keye musing that she was "mentally addressing invitations to my pity party" and "we'll be about as hip as a forty-year-old tattoo". I like the way she describes her life with her cat, White Trash, and some of the things that only cat owners notice like when Keye notes that WT was "miffed I had dared to move my legs". Good stuff.
Again, Williams doesn't drown us in forensic or evidence-gathering minutiae, but what she does give us seems very accurate. Like when folks need to use luminol to find bodily fluids not apparent to the naked eye, the lights have to be turned off in order for the alternate light source to work. On TV now, no one ever turns off the lights. Silly.
In the last book I thought that the homosexual angle was overplayed and in this one it was southern-ness and alcoholism. After a whole bunch of internal monologues about how badly she wanted a drink it got to be distracting. I understand that the evil pull of booze never goes away for these people, but injected into a storyline so constantly didn't enhance things for me. Neither did the constant references to southern this and southern that. Yeah, we know that she's in Atlanta and despite being of Chinese descent, is southern to the core just like everyone else. Yeah, it's important to establish character and place, but it was a bit too thick.
Keye is still her flawed, sarcastic self though. Some people didn't like the sub-plot involving the crematorium, but I did. I thought it showed the life of a run-of-the-mill PI more accurately and it served to lighten the mood quite a bit despite the horrific cemetery. Usually the PI is focused on a single case, as if they go through life working one big one after the other. Not so and I like the piddling shit that Keye has to put up with. Like going to see the bond agent she depends on to keep cash flowing. Last time out, her profiling seemed reasonably applied and arrived at. This time though it's closer to the psychic hotline and clashed with the hard-core realism of the rest of the investigation. While accurate and ultimately correct, her prescience with regard to finding the one newspaper story that revealed the killer was way too much. It was based on a crime scene element that was ephemeral at best.
I think that Williams might be a Davenport fan because she puts words in Rauser's mouth that are almost direct quotes from the Sandford novels. Particularly about forensic evidence never actually solving cases, but instead is used to absolutely tie a suspect to the crime and that the suspect is found through normal police-work. It was kind of funny. Maybe Rauser gets up to the Twin Cities now and then.
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LibraryThing member Kaysee
Stranger in the Room is a fast paced who done it. The characters are realistic and fun.
Keye is a recovering alcoholic, ex FBI profiler, working as a PI and bail recovery agent that while trying to keep herself together, helps solve a string of murders and a bad crematory.
Thoroughly enjoyed the
Keye is a recovering alcoholic, ex FBI profiler, working as a PI and bail recovery agent that while trying to keep herself together, helps solve a string of murders and a bad crematory.
Thoroughly enjoyed the
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book. Will be looking for more books by author Amanda Kyle Williams. Show Less
LibraryThing member SugarCreekRanch
[Stranger in the Room] is the second novel in the Keye Street series. It's a good read, although I think I liked the first one even better.
Keye Street is a private investigator, former FBI criminalist, and sometimes-consultant to the local Atlanta police. In this novel, her PI work involves finding
I really liked a lot of things about this book. Keye is sarcastic and funny, but vulnerable, too. I like the juxtaposition of mundane or offbeat PI work with the more serious police investigations. But in this book, Keye's "criminal profiling" of the murder suspect seemed way too detailed, with nothing to back it up. And the criminal's background, and how it relates to his "signatures" left at the scene, was too much. I don't expect a suspense thriller to really be believable, but this was too far.
Disclosure: I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
Keye Street is a private investigator, former FBI criminalist, and sometimes-consultant to the local Atlanta police. In this novel, her PI work involves finding
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out why a crematorium gave someone an urn filled with fake ashes. This part of the story line has a lot of humor in it, but gets pretty creepy, too. Her police consultancy work involves helping to solve some possibly-related murders. And she is also helping her cousin Miki, who is being stalked by an unknown man.I really liked a lot of things about this book. Keye is sarcastic and funny, but vulnerable, too. I like the juxtaposition of mundane or offbeat PI work with the more serious police investigations. But in this book, Keye's "criminal profiling" of the murder suspect seemed way too detailed, with nothing to back it up. And the criminal's background, and how it relates to his "signatures" left at the scene, was too much. I don't expect a suspense thriller to really be believable, but this was too far.
Disclosure: I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
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LibraryThing member Katlvr3969
I won this book through the author and Goodreads giveaway. This is the second book from this author featuring the Private Investigator and ex FBI agent Keye Street. I have not read the first book but reading this second book i dont feel like i needed to ,to be able to " get " this book. I am now a
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new fan of Amanda Kyle Williams' story telling and will be reading more by her. This book is highly entertaining. I really liked the main character's personality, meaning her warmth ,sarcasm and humor. I found myself laughing out loud a few times. I couldnt put it down until i found out who the killer was. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good suspense murder mystery.I would actually give this book 4.5 stars if I was given that option. Show Less
LibraryThing member teresa1953
This is the second outing for Keye Street, ex FBI, recovering alcoholic and somewhat astute private investigator.
I enjoyed the first book of the series, this one, not quite so much. Keye has grown up a bit in this one and there is more emphasis on her friends and the role they play in her
There are two cases for Keye to deal with. One is the gruesome goings on at a crematory, highlighted when a couple of the bereaved receive cement and seed in their loved ones' urns instead of the expected ashes. There also appears to be no smoke coming from the chimney and the undertakers' fuel bill doesn't reflect the demand of burning bodies. So where are the bodies???
Case two involves Keye's cousin and a stalker who no one is convinced exists. Miki has been known to dabble in illegal substances and isn't the most stable of women. Then two bodies turn up. One a thirteen year old boy.....a budding baseball superstar.. and an elderly man who is found hanging from string in Miki's home. The killer is leaving birthday clues on the bodies..not the sort of favors you would want to receive! So now Keye and her detective boyfriend Rauser believe her...something is very wrong. What is the link to birthdays?
I love the character of Keye. She is very funny and some of her comments made me laugh out loud. I did find the book dragged and didn't hold my attention all the way through. It hotted up by the conclusion and I would recommend this as a fairly competant thriller and a good beach read.
I enjoyed the first book of the series, this one, not quite so much. Keye has grown up a bit in this one and there is more emphasis on her friends and the role they play in her
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life.There are two cases for Keye to deal with. One is the gruesome goings on at a crematory, highlighted when a couple of the bereaved receive cement and seed in their loved ones' urns instead of the expected ashes. There also appears to be no smoke coming from the chimney and the undertakers' fuel bill doesn't reflect the demand of burning bodies. So where are the bodies???
Case two involves Keye's cousin and a stalker who no one is convinced exists. Miki has been known to dabble in illegal substances and isn't the most stable of women. Then two bodies turn up. One a thirteen year old boy.....a budding baseball superstar.. and an elderly man who is found hanging from string in Miki's home. The killer is leaving birthday clues on the bodies..not the sort of favors you would want to receive! So now Keye and her detective boyfriend Rauser believe her...something is very wrong. What is the link to birthdays?
I love the character of Keye. She is very funny and some of her comments made me laugh out loud. I did find the book dragged and didn't hold my attention all the way through. It hotted up by the conclusion and I would recommend this as a fairly competant thriller and a good beach read.
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LibraryThing member karieh
I’ve mostly moved away from reading mysteries/thrillers…unless 1) they are of the Jo Nesbo/Stieg Larsson variety or 2) it’s summertime. “Stranger in the Room” ended up on my reading list because of reason #2 – and I ended up liking it.
The first third or so was sort of “more of the
“I’d been treated to this kind of suspicions from animals all my life, thanks to my mother’s attractions to wild things. But her love of nature and the desire to rescue the things it abandoned was, to her children, a glorious excursion into a heart she could not always freely share. My brother and I grew up with dew-covered grass slapping our ankles as we trailed behind our mother on early-morning treks through the rolling acreage behind the Methodist Children’s Home just a few blocks from our house. We followed her down the hill to the pond, where a pair of blue herons became so still at our arrival that we mistook them for driftwood at the water’s edge. But we always looked for them. Blue herons never fall out of love, Mother had told us. We tossed bread crumbs to the ducks and geese, and watched the fog light up out of the reeds, then burn off the lake in the early-morning sun. Jimmy and I know the songs of mockingbirds and the sudden stillness of a meadow at the shrill warning of a red-tailed hawk.”
At moments like these, what could be an average mystery, raises up to the level of a well written novel.
The latter part of the book was more interesting, as I settled into the writing and realized that Keye was not the hard-boiled, train wreck of a detective that is the star of most mysteries. There was something compelling about her, and the fact that she was able to maintain a healthy relationship with another detective, that kept me reading and at the end, put the book down with a sense of some well-spent summer reading time.
The first third or so was sort of “more of the
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same” when it comes to mysteries featuring former cop/FBI/CIA – turned PI. Keye Street is a recovering alcoholic, working on keeping her life and business together. I wasn’t totally involved in the plot – but did admire some of the descriptions of the South/Southern living.“I’d been treated to this kind of suspicions from animals all my life, thanks to my mother’s attractions to wild things. But her love of nature and the desire to rescue the things it abandoned was, to her children, a glorious excursion into a heart she could not always freely share. My brother and I grew up with dew-covered grass slapping our ankles as we trailed behind our mother on early-morning treks through the rolling acreage behind the Methodist Children’s Home just a few blocks from our house. We followed her down the hill to the pond, where a pair of blue herons became so still at our arrival that we mistook them for driftwood at the water’s edge. But we always looked for them. Blue herons never fall out of love, Mother had told us. We tossed bread crumbs to the ducks and geese, and watched the fog light up out of the reeds, then burn off the lake in the early-morning sun. Jimmy and I know the songs of mockingbirds and the sudden stillness of a meadow at the shrill warning of a red-tailed hawk.”
At moments like these, what could be an average mystery, raises up to the level of a well written novel.
The latter part of the book was more interesting, as I settled into the writing and realized that Keye was not the hard-boiled, train wreck of a detective that is the star of most mysteries. There was something compelling about her, and the fact that she was able to maintain a healthy relationship with another detective, that kept me reading and at the end, put the book down with a sense of some well-spent summer reading time.
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LibraryThing member KellyReeder
This is an Early LibraryThing review. This is the second time I have reviewed a Keye Street novel, and the story did not fail. Keye is an easy character to love, and get wrapped up in her life events. The plot is fast paced, and well thought out, and I appreciate the honesty portrayed in Keye's
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relationship with her cousin Miki. I can't wait for the next Keye Street novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member FictionZeal
Keye Street has a rather annoying cousin. Don’t we all? Miki Ashton, a Photojournalist, who has a touch of drama queen in her, sees a stalker … in her home. She had her key in the lock to open her door when she saw him through her window. Keye only half believes her until she gets there and
About this same time, APD Lieutenant Aaron Rauser is investigating the death of a thirteen year old boy who’d been strangled. Within a few days, there are a couple of more seemingly unrelated deaths. But one thing Street does well is profile people. It doesn’t take long before it becomes clear to her that the deaths as well as the threat to her cousin are related. Now they know they have a serial killer on their hands.
Keye Street practically pops off the page. This is the second in the Keye Street series, continuing on with Ms. Williams intensely interesting character. With alcoholism in her background, she’s obviously a flawed character, but someone that readers can root for. Just to summarize Keye a bit, she’s Chinese American, orphaned when she was young, and adopted by a very southern Georgia couple. Her adoptive parents also adopted a black male child, so their nuclear family was quite distinctive. She’s been living on her own for quite some time, taking in a little white stray cat she calls White Trash. She and Aaron Rauser are now a couple, having gotten together in the first novel, The Stranger You Seek. There is a side story in this novel which was a fun addition to the story, but it never really connected to the serial killer aspect of the story. The third in the series, Don’t Talk to Strangers, has been out since July 2014. I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing it within the next month. Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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verifies for herself that Miki’s home was broken into. Keye used to be a police officer, but due to her alcohol abuse, was let go. Now she’s an Atlanta PI, as well as a few other odd jobs. She takes all the work she can get since she has quite a large mortgage payment to keep up with.About this same time, APD Lieutenant Aaron Rauser is investigating the death of a thirteen year old boy who’d been strangled. Within a few days, there are a couple of more seemingly unrelated deaths. But one thing Street does well is profile people. It doesn’t take long before it becomes clear to her that the deaths as well as the threat to her cousin are related. Now they know they have a serial killer on their hands.
Keye Street practically pops off the page. This is the second in the Keye Street series, continuing on with Ms. Williams intensely interesting character. With alcoholism in her background, she’s obviously a flawed character, but someone that readers can root for. Just to summarize Keye a bit, she’s Chinese American, orphaned when she was young, and adopted by a very southern Georgia couple. Her adoptive parents also adopted a black male child, so their nuclear family was quite distinctive. She’s been living on her own for quite some time, taking in a little white stray cat she calls White Trash. She and Aaron Rauser are now a couple, having gotten together in the first novel, The Stranger You Seek. There is a side story in this novel which was a fun addition to the story, but it never really connected to the serial killer aspect of the story. The third in the series, Don’t Talk to Strangers, has been out since July 2014. I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing it within the next month. Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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LibraryThing member BookWallah
Middling detective story about a former FBI profiler with serous personal issues. I spent first half of book thinking that if the characters in the story had read even a handful of mysteries in the last century they would have known what was going on a lot sooner. Nice scenes evoking a strong sense
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of place in the American South,. Only recommended for mystery buffs who must have a new female PI to follow. Show Less
LibraryThing member woodsathome
The blurb on the back compared this to Janet Evonovitch. Don't worry, it's not that bad. But it is also not that funny.
What it is is your standard boilerplate mystery. If your the type that reads one or two of these a week (I am) go ahead pick it up. You will like it just fine, probably enough to
What it is is your standard boilerplate mystery. If your the type that reads one or two of these a week (I am) go ahead pick it up. You will like it just fine, probably enough to
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get the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookladychris
If you are a fan of woman detective stories, this is one of the best. The main character is Keye Street, an Asian woman who is a recovering alcoholic (isn't this typical of private detectives?) She receives a call from her neurotic cousin who swears she saw someone staring in her window. Of course
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she takes the cousin in an begins to investigate. Several murders take place causing more distractions when all she wants to do is spend time with her boyfriend. She also goes after a bail jumper in one of the funniest scenes I've read in awhile. I totally enjoyed this book and have recommended it to several people. I would love to read more of these books about Keye Street and her fascinating family. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beecharmer
When I received this book I realized I had already read it. It was okay, not very impressive. It almost seemed like the pi was a little TOO quirky. Like the author was trying too hard to make her seem special.
LibraryThing member jlouise77
This book was really good! I was a little distracted by the 2 story lines, but over all, I really liked the characters. I would definitely be interested in seeing more from this author!
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-08-21
Physical description
400 p.; 4.1 inches
ISBN
0553593811 / 9780553593815
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