Barbara L. (Barbllm) reviewed on 5/7/2013 + 241 more book reviews

You dont need to be a southerner to appreciate the debut novel of Amanda Kyle Williams and her fictional profiler, Keye Street. Set in Atlanta (and various suburbs), the novel finds Keye honing her profiling and detective skills as a P.I. after the FBI fired her when she couldnt handle the workload and crawled into a bottle to escape.

A serial killer is hunting his victims during a sweltering summer. Atlanta PD lieutenant Aaron Rauser asks for Keyes help in profiling this monster. Notes are sent to the police (and to Keye personally) and she realizes that the killer is much, much closer than she ever imagined.

The author treats Atlanta much the way Dennis Lehane does in his novels: as a major character. Theres a few slow bits, such as when Keye takes a job in the boonies (Ellijay) and has to find a missing cow. Its distracting from the plot of the story, but its humorous.

Keye herself is a great character to root for: shes deeply flawed, for one thing. On the job, she is tough and intelligent; at home, she is a mess. The plot moves along rapidly, with the exception noted above. To say much more would spoil the book, and the twists and turns are part of the fun of reading it.

If youre a fan of Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, or Linda Castillo, then pick up this book. Im really looking forward to the next Keye Street novel.

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