Review of Key Man

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Key Man" by Allen Huffstutter.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Sam Siemen and Askeia "Ski" Johnson have reached a dead end while investigating the car bombing that killed Henry Watson. On the verge of filing the case in the "unsolved" folder, the pair of L.A. detectives receive an adamant demand from Kate Newberry. Kate insists that Sam and Ski take over her grandfather's case because Jonathan Newberry died in the same manner as Watson. Skeptical that the two murders are even related, Sam and Ski reluctantly rekindle their investigation into the two grisly events. But as they dig further, a clear pattern of connections develops among Watson's, Newberry's, and at least thirty other car bombings from the last ten years. What does the killer have to gain? How can the detectives find the evidence they need to convict the criminal? And how can they stop this cold-hearted fiend before the next victim goes up in flames?

Key Man was an exciting, page-turning thriller by Allen Huffstutter. The author created a fantastic cast of criminal suspects with well-developed backstories. It was fascinating to discover how these characters were connected to the intriguing case as the book progressed. As Huffstutter started to tie up some loose ends, I appreciated the complexity of the investigation process and the steps involved in collecting the necessary evidence.

However, Huffstutter presented a significant amount of information in the first half of this book that sometimes felt overwhelming. As the novel moved forward, he spent so much time depicting the criminal suspects that I noticed a lack of development among the three protagonists. Huffstutter built up the three dynamic personalities of Sam, Ski, and Kate in the early chapters, but they remained a bit flat throughout the rest of the novel. I was still satisfied with how the team worked together, but I wished there had been more depth to an alluded romantic relationship, and it would have been nice to see Sam open up a little more about his past as his friendships with Ski and Kate grew.

I also had mixed feelings about the story's conclusion, even though I enjoyed the author's writing style and pacing. On the one hand, I appreciated how the author gave a sense of closure at the end of the novel. Still, the final event left me a little short of satisfied because I had to make quite a few assumptions to resolve the case in my mind.

The minor editing issues I noticed didn't distract from my enjoyment of the novel, but the minimal development of the main characters and the questions I still had at the end reduced my rating by one star. Ultimately, when I discovered the motive for the car bombings and witnessed the efforts made to find the evidence, I was convinced that this was a well-thought-out book. Therefore, I give Key Man three out of four stars.

This book would be an excellent read for people who enjoy fast-paced thriller novels. It should also appeal to those who want to read finance-based crime stories with a well-developed list of suspicious characters. The book contains heavy swearing at various points throughout, but there is no erotic content.

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Key Man
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[Mfopat Olympik]

I like this book. Finance based crime stories fascinates me. This book, I will read it. I appreciate the review. Thank you!

[Aisha Yakub]

Crime thrillers are amazing to read. Curious to know the story buildup. Hopefully, the murderer was found. Great review.

[Kehinde Hussein]

I like the investigative dimension to this narration. Great review!

[NetMassimo]

Despite the flaws you pointed out, this seems like an intriguing thriller based on a complex, well-constructed investigation. Thank you for your great review!

[Ceeco2002]

Crime thrillers with detective books are some of the few books I find most intriguing. I'm so curious to know if the criminal was convicted at last. Great review!