Today I am reviewing The Dead Key by D. M. Pulley for TLC Book Tours. As always, I am provided with a copy of the book in return for my honest review.

About the Book (from the publisher):  It’s 1998, and for years the old First Bank of Cleveland has sat abandoned, perfectly preserved, its secrets only speculated on by the outside world.

Twenty years before, amid strange staff disappearances and allegations of fraud, panicked investors sold Cleveland’s largest bank in the middle of the night, locking out customers and employees, and thwarting a looming federal investigation. In the confusion that followed, the keys to the vault’s safe-deposit boxes were lost.

In the years since, Cleveland’s wealthy businessmen kept the truth buried in the abandoned high- rise. The ransacked offices and forgotten safe-deposit boxes remain locked in time, until young engineer Iris Latch stumbles upon them in a renovation survey. What begins as a welcome break from her cubicle becomes an obsession as Iris unravels the bank’s sordid past. With each haunting revelation, Iris follows the looming shadow of the past deeper into the vault – and soon realizes the key to the mystery comes at an astonishing price.

My review: This is Pulley’s first novel and it was the Grand Prize Winner of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel award for 2014. The premise is an interesting one, based on Pulley’s own experience as a structural engineer, which brings a wealth of detail to the descriptions of the abandoned bank.

The device used here is the telling of two stories: the story of the bank in 1978 and the story of the abandoned bank in 1998. Pulley alternates between the two, telling us the story of Beatrice, a young and incredibly naive employee of the bank in 1978 and Iris, the hard-drinking, loose cannon structural engineer working in 1998.

I found it a bit slow going, especially at first, but I eventually got caught up in the story. Pulley plots out this mystery in great detail, carefully revealing clues in past and present, just enough to keep the reader wanting to know more. She does this quite skillfully; the alternating stories, though sometimes a bit confusing, kept me engaged.

At first I had trouble with the rather stereotyped heroines; Beatrice, naive and defenseless, Iris, only 23 and hardened beyond her years. They do embark on a journey, however, and – especially in the case of Beatrice – find strength and power that they didn’t know they had.

I have to confess that I don’t understand why so much time was devoted to Iris’s excessive drinking and smoking. At the age of 23, she is an alcoholic and I certainly understand that people that age can be alcoholics. What I didn’t understand was how it furthered the story or illuminated her character. It was such a full-on depiction that Iris became more than a bit unbelievable. There was no room for any subtlety, which frankly, I would have welcomed. As it was, it was hard to feel any sympathy for her.

And a tiny quibble: I worked in offices in the seventies and early eighties – a lot of them. Even though we routinely hear the term Human Resources today, that wasn’t at all the case in 1978. It was just good old Personnel. Pulley’s use of that term in the 1978 section of the novel just doesn’t ring true.

All that being said, this is a good first novel. The premise is refreshing, the mystery compelling. It’s a very original idea that is executed well. I was engrossed in the story and what better praise can there be?

About the author: D. M. Pulley’s first novel, The Dead Key, was inspired by her work as a structural engineer in Cleveland, Ohio. During a survey of an abandoned building, she discovered a basement vault full of unclaimed safe-deposit boxes. The mystery behind the vault haunted her for years, until she put down her calculator and started writing. The Dead Key was the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Grand Prize winner. Pulley continues to work as a private consultant and forensic engineer, investigating building failures and designing renovations. She lives in northeast Ohio with her husband and two children, and she is currently at work on her second novel.

One of you will be the winner of a copy of The Dead Key. To enter, just leave a comment on this post  and I’ll pick a winer on Saturday evening.

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Wednesday.

Today I am reviewing Hush Hush by Laura Lippman for TLC Book Tours. As always, I am provided with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

About the book (from the publisher): On a searing August day, Melisandre Harris Dawes committed the unthinkable: she left her two-month-old daughter locked in a car while she sat nearby on the shores of the Patapsco River. Melisandre was found not guilty by reason of criminal insanity, although there was much skepticism about her mental state. Freed, she left the country, her husband, and her two surviving children, determined to start over.

But now, Melisandre has returned to Baltimore to meet with her estranged teenage daughters and film the reunion for a documentary. The problem is, she relinquished custody and her ex isn’t sure he approves.

Now that she’s a mother herself – short on time and patience – Tess Monaghan wants nothing to do with a woman crazy enough to have killed her own child. But her mentor and close friend Tyner Gray, Melisandre’s lawyer, has asked Tess and her new partner, retired Baltimore PD homicide detective Sandy Sanchez, to assess Melisandre’s security needs.

Tess has always felt that her curiosity about others is her greatest strength. Yet the imperious Melisandre is someone she cannot begin to understand, much less empathize with. A decade ago, a judge ruled that Melisandre was beyond rational thought. But was she? Tess tries to keep her distance from her mercurial yet confident client. This strategy gets tricky after Melisandre becomes a prime suspect in a murder.

And as her doubts about Melisandre grow, Tess realizes that she’s under scrutiny as well, followed by a judgmental stalker with an ax to grind . . .

My review: If you ever glance at my sidebar, you’ve seen the widgets where I share what I’m currently reading and what I’ve just finished reading. Right now, and for the past week, both books have been by Lippman as I’ve gone back to read the entire Tess Monaghan series in order. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing two other mysteries by Lippman for this blog:  After I’m Gone, a stand-alone novel featuring Sandy Sanchez, who is now a part of the Tess Monaghan series, and Baltimore Blues, the first novel in the Tess Monaghan series.

I’m a fan.

Hush Hush, the newest novel in the Tess Monaghan series, does not disappoint. Lippman is a gifted writer who knows how to spin a plot that is complicated and layered. There are always, and I mean always, twists and turns that I as a reader did not expect. Can I tell you how much I love that? This time, we are introduced to Melisandre who has committed the unthinkable crime, one that is almost impossible to forgive. She is unpredictable, imperious, and quite possibly, untrustworthy. Her motives are questionable. At the same time, Tess herself is dealing with a stalker.

You know I won’t divulge more of the plot. As always, I want you to be completely surprised, just as I was.

Lippman is particularly gifted at creating complex characters (one of which is the city of Baltimore.) Over the course of the series she has created a cast of characters – some family, some  friends, some colleagues – who are richly detailed. All of them grow and change throughout the series. The result is the completely realized and multi-layered world in which Tess lives and works and plays. We get to know everyone over the course of the novels, so, like all the best mystery series, we feel as if we belong there, too. We want to hang out with everyone.

In this mystery, as in all Lippman’s books, there is a strong element of humor. Tess’s observations alone are funny in a wonderfully dry way, and the supporting cast of characters often include the quirky and off-beat.

Lippman is, quite simply, a wonderful writer. I’m hooked. After reading the first and most recent books in the series, I’m now on number 4. I can’t put them down. When I do, it’s only long enough to grab the next book in the series.

I recommend them highly.

On an entirely personal note, one of Lippman’s favorite singers is the late Nancy LaMott; she mentions her in her books. I’ve spoken of my love for LaMott, who died too young and had the voice of an angel, many times on this blog. I was surprised and delighted when I saw a reference to her in one of Lippman’s books.

I have a feeling Lippman is a kindred spirit.

About the author: Laura Lippman has been awarded every major prize in crime fiction. The recipient of the first Mayor’s prize, she lives in Baltimore, Maryland, and New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband, David Simon, and their family.

The publisher has created a special page called Tess is Back. It’s interactive and a lot of fun. You can learn more about the characters, as well as win prizes.

And, one of you will win a copy of Hush Hush. Just leave a comment on this post. Please remember: it has to be on this post. I’ll pick a winner on Thursday evening.

Happy Monday.