The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams
 Buy on Amazon | The Stranger You Seek: A NovelBy: Amanda Kyle Williams Published by: Bantam ISBN: 0553808079 Genre: Mystery, Thriller Author’s Website: Author’s Twitter: @AKyleWilliams Facebook: FANPAGE Recommendable for people who: |
Synopsis (from Amazon):
The papers have called me a monster. You’ve either concluded that I am a braggart as well as a sadist or that I have a deep and driving need to be caught and punished.
In the sweltering heat of an Atlanta summer, a killer is pushing the city to its breaking point, preying on the unsuspecting, writing taunting letters to the media, promising more death. Desperate to stop the Wishbone Killer before another victim meets a shattering end, A.P.D. lieutenant Aaron Rauser turns to the one person he knows can penetrate a deranged mind: ex–FBI profiler Keye Street.
And you must certainly be wondering if I am, in fact, the stranger you seek.
Keye was a rising young star at the Bureau until addiction derailed her career and her life. Now sober and fighting to stay so, Keye picks up jobs where she can get them: catching adulterers, serving subpoenas, chasing down bailjumpers, and dodging the occasional bullet. With multiple victims, little to go on, and an entire police force looking for direction, the last thing Keye wants is to be pulled into the firestorm of Atlanta’s worst nightmare.
Shall I convince you?
And then it suddenly becomes clear that the hunter has become the hunted—and the stranger she seeks is far closer than she ever dared imagine.
An electrifying thriller debut, The Stranger You Seek introduces a brash, flawed, and unforgettable heroine in a complex, twisting novel that takes readers deep into a sultry Southern summer, a city in the grips of chaos, and a harrowing cat-and-mouse game no reader will ever forget.
My Thoughts:
I received this book for review from the publisher and was so excited. My thinking was a grown up book would be a nice change from the YA rut I’ve been stuck in lately. Not that YA is bad, just sometimes it’s nice to read something different. If that makes any sense! Anyway, The Stranger You Seek: A Novel by Amanda Kyle Williams sure did not let me down! I loved it!
Like the synopsis above says: This is a murder mystery. There is a wicked serial killer on the loose in the south. In this book, we follow a PI (ex-FBI) and a PO-leese-Man as they track down the killer. Unfortunately for them, the killer takes just as much an interest in THEM. So this story becomes not only a hunt for the killer but a race against time – to find him before he gets them!
Keye, the main character is a recovering alcoholic. She’d been fired from the FBI, and is now a P.I. I loved her. She reminded me of a female Dr. House only with a gun instead of a stethoscope. She is a strong female, who doesn’t take any shit. She has a quick whit and a sharp tongue. She is very smart. It all makes for a realistic, likable, character.
As much as I liked Keye, she still wasn’t my favorite character in the story. I loved her assistant Neil. LOVED HIM. lol. He is this pot smoking surfy dude that some how ended up down in Georgia. So out of place, so smart, so funny. <3 <3 (yep that’s me doing my heart hands, lol) I totally saw Mark Pellegrino every time Neil would be in the story. You know, the guy from Being Human, Dexter, and Supernatural. Kind of hot and kind of creepy all at the same time.
Yep, THAT guy! haha. Him and his brownies made me happy! haha! {trust me, you just have to read it. lol}
As for the plot. AKW wasn’t playing around. The story, the story arc, the believability, the twists… all worked. I honestly can’t believe this is a debut novel. (edit: Not sure why I thought this was a debut novel. She has several books listed on Goodreads) The story kept me guessing from the get go. Every time I was sure I knew who the killer was – I was wrong. I usually get it within the first few chapters! In fact, for the first time in a LONG TIME, I was wrong ALL THE WAY UP TO THE BIG REVEAL!
Notice, I’m not saying too much about the plot. Well, that would be because I don’t want my diarrhea of the mouth to spoil the book for you!
The Stranger You Seek: A Novel by Amanda Kyle Williams is so worth the money if you enjoy the murder mysteries/crime drama/thriller genres. I say pick it up, because you wont want to put it down. =D
FUN STUFF:
Read an excerpt here.