The Stranger You Seek

Title: The Stranger You Seek
Author: Amanda Kyle Williams
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Format: ARC, 304 pages
Genre: Mystery/Fiction/Thriller
Source: Amazon Vine Program
Series: I believe this is the first in a new series.

What is that old adage - when you hear hoofbeats don't look for zebras. Well, that is exactly what came to mind when I was reading this wonderfully addicting book by Amanda Kyle Williams. Just when you think you know the who and what, Ms Williams throws in a subtle side comment that has you rethinking your completely misguided beliefs.

Like Hitchcock, Amanda Kyle Williams lets you build upon you own misconceptions and lets you go along your own merry way before bringing you to a precipice that leaves you without a logical foot to stand on. At no time does she lie to you, she only let you believe what you wanted and leaves you wondering how you could be so wrong.

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. And you must certainly be wondering if I am, in fact, the stranger you seek. Shall I convince you?

How could you not pick up a book and continue reading with that kind of line.

As a killer begins to wreck havoc, Keye Street, an ex FBI profiler, is called in under the radar to help the Atlanta Police Department track down a killer. But there is something very different and taunting about this sociopath. Why are doors opened with no questions asked allowing cautious people to be victimized in such brutal fashion? What makes this killer and profile so different?

As Keye is trying to pay her bills and keep her private investigation enterprise going, she must also track down a calculating killer before it becomes too personal. As each play cat and mouse with the other, Keye battles her own demons, but most importantly, she must find all the pieces without becoming the next victim.

I love flawed characters; there is something much more human about them. Keye does not fit into your typical mold. She is a stronger woman then she will admit, she is more capable and competent then the male hierarchy will acknowledge, but at the crux of it all -- she is just a scared little girl battling the bottle. She is loved and she is needed, she just has to feel it before she can move on.