Key Man

by Allen Huffstutter

Being stymied by a murder investigation that’s going nowhere is bad enough. Now, Sam and Ski, L.A. Detectives, are being hounded by Kate Newberry, who wants the two investigators to get to the bottom of her grandfather’s seemingly unrelated murder. Reluctantly, this unlikely trio follows an expanding, bi-coastal trail that leads to dozens of potentially related murders with a common how. Eventually, the why becomes clear. Frantic, can they connect all of the dots in time to determine who’s next?

Genres: Fiction

382 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2021

About the author

Over years of involvement in finance and the launching of start-ups, Allen Huffstutter’s career has been one of doing “deals.” That background, combined with his MBA from USC and his BS in Finance from San Diego State University, provides Allen with the basis for weaving together a nuanced financial plot line involving a cast of memorable characters and murder.

Reviews

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first read by this author and there were things I liked and disliked about the book.
I thought the book was on pace. It kept my attention and had me guessing if the connections were there in the developing case. Well developed characters that kept me turning pages .
I liked the pacing of the story with the police detectives working the murders.
As they make headway on the case these L.A. detectives are working against the clock before their main suspect strikes again.
I thought the ending fell flat though, it felt rushed and incomplete. Maybe a second book will wrap up this story.
I liked the author’s writing style and would read more of this author’s works.

Published April 20th 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own

[Erin Dydek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved how this book pulled me in with the complex development of the suspects. I had fun making guesses about the motives and how everything connected but I was a bit dissatisfied with the ending. I felt like I had to make several assumptions and would have appreciated a less abrupt ending. I also wished there would have been more development in the main characters. In the early chapters when they were introduced, I was eager to follow the three exciting characters through solving the case. Unfortunately they remained pretty flat throughout the novel. I still enjoyed this author’s writing style and would read other books written by him in the future.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to author Allen Huffstutter for this FREE Kindle copy of Key Man. And thanks to Goodreads for hosting the opportunity.

Nice. I thought this a good story with a good [growing] set of characters. Kept me entertained and turning pages to see what was next on everyone's agendas. Awesome ending that keeps the door open for a next installment? Love the cover. Just a few editing issues. Well done.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this in a Giveaway. Overall, this was a good book. One character had multiple names which was confusing and read like a mistake. There were also some mistakes, but the story was good. Two police detectives are working on a string of murders. They have a suspect in mind and are trying to stop more murders but how. This book was very entertaining.

[Linda McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for this free copy of the book and also thanks to Goodreads for hosting the giveaways. This is a great crime/mystery that was hard for me to put down. Great characters and good plot. Ending leaves it open for a possible continuation of this story.

[Kathy Stibal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. The pace was fast and plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting. The ending was a surprise but the perfect way to end it!

[Lisa Bilodeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two detectives, with wildly different styles and experience, enlist the help of a victim’s family member and a financial whiz to review suspected serial murders. While the connection of these murders fly under the radar of different police districts, this team manages to tie them together and find the killer at the center of it all. But will justice be served? Weaving stories about characters backgrounds throughout the story, many suspects emerge during the investigation. An intriguing mystery with well-developed characters. And the ending provides a good, and satisfying, surprise.