Kyle Keyes

Discovering Florida author Kyle Keyes is a rare pleasure. Having read and enjoyed all of his books – the QUANTUM ROOTS triptych, MARTIN SWANS DIARY, THE PANDARUS FILE, and now UNDER THE BUS - the man’s gifts are a known treasure. His perfect blend of wry humor and vivid scene painting and character creating make his books addictive. Perhaps his experience as a journalist assists his reportage of events in such a credible and involving manner that his ‘novels’ seem real – very show more real.

Now he steps into the current conversation surrounding the pandemic and weaves a humorous tale that allows some breathing space and chuckles to what has been a gray period. Having been fascinated with Kyle’s craft in molding historically suffused science fiction/fantasy aligned with science and fact, it is equally impressive to read his mystery works.

Being a master storyteller, Kyle opens his new book with hints at the action to come; ‘Homicide detectives, Donde Clark and Juanito Lewis moved to Hobbs Creek just days before banker, Richard Ghetti was gunned down in the front room of his Lake Powhattan, water front cabin. Barbershop talk had it that divine providence played some part in transferring the two NYC lawmen from the Big Apple to this backwater town in South Jersey. Hobbs Creek Police Chief, Alvin Phillips believed it was his lucky silver dollar. The Six-O-Clock news refused comment because the incident did not relate to the Corona virus. Truth be, Donde’s wife was mugged on three separate occasions outside a Brooklyn super market. After which, the outraged Donde sold their city row home, and the two urbanites headed for the country. Juanito came along because where there’s a Clark, there’s a Lewis. Both men had attended a NYC police academy, where they studied police procedure, weaponry, defensive driving, first aid, etc. etc.’ And getting to know this pair of detectives proves to be a thoroughly entertaining pleasure,

This is polished, near-cinematic screenplay writing by the talented Kyle Keyes. The language fits the characters and the situations, and each character becomes visible because of the keen manner in which they are painted. The book has it all – entertainment, escapism, tension and rollicking laughter – a book that deserves a very wide audience. Very highly recommended show less

The characters in Matching Configurations are well-rounded and engaging, with protagonist Olan Chapman, in particular, a brilliant centre point for the unfolding plot. Even the secondary characters are well developed with engaging dialogue, and none of the predictability and cliche that you find in some sci-fi adventure novels. This is an excellent read, with heaps of adventure, excitement, and intrigue. The writing style is easy to follow, while also being clever and even comical at times. show more Fans of humorous sci-fi will find it hard not to love this book, which left me wanting to read more from the author in the future.

Although first reading Book 1 and 2 of the Quantum Roots series heightens the drama, I think the author’s ability to incorporate the concepts of those episodes well enough in this book means Matching Configurations works well as a stand alone novel. show less

I have read several of Kyle Keynes’s other books and enjoy his writing for his quirky character and unique and complex plots. Pandarus File did not disappoint. The story jumps between two timelines, one set in 1958 and the other post 9/11, and besides that, the story also changes between several different perspectives as you see those involved in a crime and those trying to solve it. The book is juggling a lot of pieces but does a wonderful job of pulling it all together in a satisfying show more conclusion. I found Helena to be a lot of fun to read about as she strives to play those around her both in the past and present of the story. This book is filled with murder, mystery, blackmail, dark secrets, and much more. I really enjoyed this suspenseful murder mystery and would recommend it. show less

Don’t judge this book by its cover - it’s a wild ride from start to finish that you’ll enjoy every moment of. Keyes does an amazing job of bringing the colorful characters to life. A murder mystery set in two distinct time periods, this book has enough suspense and twists to pull you through cover to cover. The world is so different between when the crime is committed and when the murderer resurfaces, decades later. It’s not so much a whodunit as a howdunit. It’s fairly obvious show more from the outset who committed the murder - the question is how, and what has happened in the intervening years. This was a brilliant mystery, and I’ll defniitely be reading more of this author’s works in the future! show less