The Dead Key

By: D. M. Pulley

Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith

2014 Winner - Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award - Grand Prize and Mystery & Thriller Fiction Winner

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 during 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 that the key to the mystery comes at an astonishing price.

©2015 D. M. Pulley (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Retired Banker says "Keep up with the keys!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

YES, especially to my banking friends of the 70's decade! Banking was different back then and even though this story is a bit far fetched, it is feasible in a crazy sort of way, well...not really, but what a ride. The author must have had some banker friends to help put this together. I recommend!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Dead Key?

Many moments are scary with lots of twist, but finding out which one is the DEAD key! The book moved back and forth between the 70's and 90's and transitioned each time change well. You never felt lost.

Have you listened to any of Emily Sutton-Smith’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not that I can recall, but she was the perfect choice for this book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Scary. I did not want to stop listening. I really liked the fact that it was not so short. The author did a great job at defining the characters and describing the scenes and places.

Another incompetent female

Storyline was good, but this story's 2 female protaganists were incompentent and fearful females. NOT good role models, and VERY annoying.

Depends on silly people doing stupid things

What did you like best about The Dead Key? What did you like least?

An interesting concept but I got tired of the two main female characters screaming whenever they were startled---which was a LOT. It is a book about weak women making bad decisions.

If you’ve listened to books by D. M. Pulley before, how does this one compare?

N/A

Which scene was your favorite?

Nothing stands out

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Not after hearing the book

Any additional comments?

It is tiresome to have a whole book depend on people doing the stupidest thing they could do. Beatrice and Iris seemed witless at best, stumbling through the book, constantly being surprised and then screaming, and passing up every opportunity to get help or solve their problems. The villain just showed up at the last minute, kind of out of nowhere, not one of the characters developed in the story.

Long and without end

Story is really intriguing with lots of twists and turns.; and unfortunately, they are the problem, there are too many!
The narration is also too even; hardly a change of intonation. I did struggle to finish. A disappointing ending...as there wasn't one, really.

Who was the clean-freak and why

Where does The Dead Key rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It was one of the best mysteries I have read in a very long time. I would have given it five stars expect for the flaws. The story was simple but at the same time very convoluted. I was impressed that she had hundreds of questions and she answered all but three. I won't identify all of them for fear of spoiling the story for others after me. The flaws did not distract from the mystery but tying up loose ends would have been helpful.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I was very interested in the story because the talent and skill of the writer. She was able to describe the scene and the people so well that it was difficult not to believe that they were real people who existed in the next city. I have never been to Cleveland but I feel that I know the city and would have no problem navigating the streets and neighborhoods.
If you are looking for a thriller, this is not it. It's a mystery that weaves and twist and it takes a certain amount of patience to enjoy the story. It's not to say that the reader will be bored. From the first sentence to the last word in the book your attention is drawn to every action and question.

What does Emily Sutton-Smith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I have never listened to any books by this narrator. This was my first but I will keep an eye out for anything else she does. She is very talented. I had not problems differentiating between the characters, be they male or female, old or young. Her voice is smooth and mellow. Easy on the ears.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but I didn't. I wanted to savor it. It's rare that a good book comes along that one can enjoy so thoroughly.

Any additional comments?

I will look for more books by this author. Many of my old favorites are getting tired, running out of good ideas or don't edit their work properly. I hope D M Pulley reads her reviews and takes note to cover all the flaws before publishing.

What Color Is Your Herring?

Multigenerational mystery in which a young woman in the 1970s and another in the 90s try to uncover the secrets hidden inside a Cleveland bank. Both women are just starting out in adult life, trying to establish themselves, but get sidetracked when their work at the bank takes unexpected detours.

Hard to review this book without spoilers, so my critique may be vague. A good mystery keeps you guessing but gives you a chance of guessing correctly. One technique of doing that is the red herring -- something that seems relevant but proves to be a dead end. In The Dead Key, the color of the herrings are never clear. Not good.

This is basically an old dark house story with an abandoned bank substituting for a decaying mansion. That means hidden passageways, everyone harboring dark secrets, maybe even ghosts! And a naive young woman left to figure it all out (in this case two women in different times). Actually, good work by the author updating the old dark house genre in this way.

But one has to question why the characters do the things they do -- in real life, that's not how people behave. One has to question whether the author knows how banks work. And there are gaping holes in the plot, never resolved. In other words, to enjoy this book, you have to seriously suspend your disbelief.

But it is enjoyable. Better reviewed as an audiobook than in print, suggesting that the narration adds much to it. My enjoyment of the book was enhanced by my affection for the protagonists as characterized by Emily Sutton-Smith. I don't think D.M. Pulley has done as good of a job in characterizing them in the writing.

One prior review got it exactly right: the book was very good through its first two acts but falls apart in trying to bring it all together in the third act. The herrings. The plot holes. The disbelief. It's a bit of a shame as this could have been a five-star find from an independent author. Still worth it, though -- your reaction to the denouement may differ.

Very exiting, eventful story.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I recommend this book, because it is a good story, with an excellent presenter.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I have more nice character, one of tehm the young Beatrice, because she is very clever and the other is Iris,who is curious, clever and determined, to find out what happened with the young secretery.

Have you listened to any of Emily Sutton-Smith’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She is perfect entertainer! I never had listened before, but I will find the next book with her.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It was at the very beginnig and the story lasted through.

Didn't Want to Stop Listening

Would you listen to The Dead Key again? Why?

Yes. This is a mystery that deserves a rerun, even after knowing the ending.

What other book might you compare The Dead Key to and why?

This is a one of a kind story. Mystery that grabbed me, wrapped me in its pages and wouldn't let go.

What does Emily Sutton-Smith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She has exactly the perfect voice for the characters: Gentle Beatriz, brassy Max, unstoppable Iris, mysterious Ramon, and even the quiet Italian bartender. Hearing the story was much more enjoyable than silent reading.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely.

Any additional comments?

I hope there will be other D.M. Pulley stories. What a tale she/he spins!

The ending was rather disappointing

Good story, but a disappointingly ambiguous ending. It's worth the listen, just be prepared for many unanswered questions.

Would make a great movie!

A well paced, gripping story that would make for a great movie! The narrator's performance was excellent. I took off one star because the ending could have been fleshed out a little better and ocerall, the whole story would have been just fine without as many "f" words.