Amanda Kyle Williams is living the dream. After several novels published with a small press, her mainstream thriller The Stranger You Seek, caught the attention of the folks at Random House. And caught it in a big way -- what they call a Major Deal. Amanda scored a three-book, seven figure contract for her Keye Street series.
I didn't know all of this when my editor (Herself) sent me an Advance Reading Copy of TSYS back in January. Herself asked if I'd read it and, if I liked it, provide a blurb -- one of those enthusiastic recommendations that appears somewhere on or in the book.
And it is!
Keye Street is a terrific protagonist -- a Chinese-American, adopted by white southern parents as a child, a former FBI profiler whose career was cut short by alcoholism (she's a Diet Pepsi drinker now) -- Keye's a salty, funny, risk-taker whose work as a private investigator chasing bail jumpers and serving processes, puts her in touch with some of Georgia's less savory individuals.
Keye Street is a terrific protagonist -- a Chinese-American, adopted by white southern parents as a child, a former FBI profiler whose career was cut short by alcoholism (she's a Diet Pepsi drinker now) -- Keye's a salty, funny, risk-taker whose work as a private investigator chasing bail jumpers and serving processes, puts her in touch with some of Georgia's less savory individuals.
But the serious trouble comes when Keye is unofficially hired by an Atlanta police lieutenant, her best friend and secret crush, to find a particularly awful serial killer who is leaving a bloody trail through Atlanta. Things get personal when the killer begins sending notes to Keye.
There's lots of wonderful description of summer in Atlanta; there are some terrific, funny scenes with Keye and her family; and there's a plot that will truly keep you guessing. I really enjoyed getting to know Keye Street and will be looking for the next in this series.
You can read a really interesting article about Amanda HERE. It sounds as if this success couldn't have happened to a nicer person.
The Stranger You Seek hits the shelves tomorrow, August 30. If you like fast compulsive reading and a gutsy, semi-flawed protagonist, along with a Southern noir atmosphere, you need to meet Keye Street.
