Keeper of the Keys

by Perri O'Shaughnessy

Book Overview

For ambitious, troubled architect Ray Jackson, the nightmare begins one sultry California night when his wife disappears. No phone call, no ransom note, no body, reveals whether Leigh is dead or... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440241839
• ISBN13: 9780440241836
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
• Length: 388 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Not sure why the critics hated this one

Architect Ray Jackson and his wife Leigh are having problems. The distance between them is growing, Leigh is having an affair with Ray's business partner, and Ray has developed an odd obsession with making models of every one of the numerous houses he and his mother lived in throughout his childhood. When Leigh disappears, he becomes even more obsessed, and begins questioning his mother about their nomadic past and visiting those old houses - sometimes even breaking in so he can roam their halls again. He's trying to understand something about his past that he knows is wrong, and his mother's escalating erratic behavior just confirms that he's on to something. What connection this has to his wife's disappearance he doesn't know, but he finds himself on a quest to both find her and unlock the dark secret of his childhood. This book was severely panned by every single review I read, but I actually liked it. It wasn't perfect by any stretch, and the connections between the events of the book are tenuous at best. Still, I enjoyed the pacing and the original concept. I've never read anything by O'Shaughnessy before, and actually the author is/are two people: sisters Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy, who are well-known and respected in the mystery genre for their Nina O'Reilly series, which I've not read. I got this book in hardcover format through my membership in the Mystery Guild book club.

Impluse buy led me to a great book!

I initially picked up this book mainly for the setting, as I've always been intrigued by Los Angeles. What I got was a great story that completely passed my expectations! It was a well-written, smart and challenging mystery. I loved the characters and basically everything about this book! For an equally thrilling mystery set on the east coast, head down to Miami in Don Bruns' SOUTH BEACH SHAKEDOWN. When a music legend goes missing, an amateur sleuth follows a twisting, turning trail of blackmail and murder, exposing the seedy side of glamorous South Beach. By chance, I read this right before KEEPER OF THE KEYS and enjoyed getting a taste of both coasts!

WHO'S GOT A SECRET? LISTEN AND FIND OUT !

Who's got a secret? According to author Perri O`Shaughnessy we all have secrets. And, at times, these are not just ordinary secrets such as, a black sheep in the family, credit card debt, or something like that. These secrets can be so dark and hidden so deeply that we are not even aware of them. Such is the case with architect Ray Jackson, protagonist in O'Shaughnessy's latest thriller Keeper of the Keys. Ray's wife, Leigh, has disappeared. He doesn't know where and he doesn't know why. Perhaps most importantly, he doesn't even know whether she is alive or dead. It's strange that he doesn't seem too upset about his missing spouse. Yet, Ray is an odd duck who obsesses about an unhappy childhood and the fact that he and his mother had to move frequently. As an adult and an architect he is now building houses like the ones he lived in as a child. He stays close to his mother, Esme, but she offers very little information about his father or his childhood. She will only say that his father was a difficult man and he deserted them when Ray was two . A dutiful son, Ray goes to her home to have dinner with her once a week, and she frets that he is so persistent about digging into his past. This issue is forced when Leigh disappears and he is confronted by her friend Kathleen, called Kat, who accuses Ray of having something to do with Leigh's disappearance. When the police enter the picture with probing questions he takes a set of keys that he has had since boyhood and revisits the houses he once lived in. What Ray eventually discovers is not at all what he hoped to find. Dick Hill, dubbed a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and actress Laural Merlington partner on this narration, which is a twofold treat for listeners. Both are gifted voice performers who did double duty as directors of this audio edition. Enjoy! - Gail Cooke

A haunting novel full of memorable characters and exciting plot twists

For Perri O'Shaughnessy fans who eagerly have been awaiting the next Nina Reilly court thriller, I am sorry to report that KEEPER OF THE KEYS is a stand-alone --- there isn't a lawyer in sight. However, I am happy to report that you will not be disappointed by this haunting new novel by the sister team known as "Perri O'Shaughnessy." The writing style, memorable characters, exciting plot twists and delightfully realistic dialogue are right where they should be. Though we would like to have our favorite authors keep writing the series that we enjoy, we really must give them room to stretch and flex when they feel the need. The story opens with a conflict between Leigh and Ray Jackson, an upwardly mobile young couple with a bright future. He is the creative partner in an architectural firm, and she designs unique pieces of furniture. Unfortunately, Leigh's easy, comfortable themes are totally out of place in the ultra-modernistic home Ray built for them. In the same way, Leigh begins to feel out of place in Ray's life as his obsession to learn about his past begins to absorb more and more of his time. On the other hand, Ray suspects that Leigh has been pulling away from him and fears the worst, but has no ability to confront her. The Prologue ends with him thinking about ways to kill her. The next morning, Leigh is gone and Ray shows little interest in trying to find her. Dumdadumdum! The word "haunting" can be key in deciding whether or not I am in the mood to read a certain book. It often indicates that the work in question contains an obsessed person failing to satisfy his need, often verging on insanity. That can be discomforting at times and not the kind of entertainment I am looking for. At other times, however, it may be exactly what I need. In either case, KEEPER OF THE KEYS is a haunting story that occasionally gets bogged down in Ray's fruitless search for the truth about why his mother moved them 10 times before he entered high school, why he was never allowed to talk about his father, and what all of this has to do with the current problems he's having in his marriage. Nevertheless, by employing a small, distinctive and enjoyable cast of characters, O'Shaughnessy deftly moves the story between past and present, revealing more and more until the puzzle is fully revealed in an astonishing conclusion. Leigh's childhood friend, Kat, provides the inspiration that Ray needs to realize that he loves Leigh and wants her back more than anything else. From Ray's mom, who mysteriously starts drinking again, to Leigh's concerned parents and Kat's happily pregnant sister, Jacki, each one contributes to the story and its ultimate resolution. While we look forward to the next book in the Nina Reilly series, fans will not be disappointed by KEEPER OF THE KEYS. --- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened. [...]

superb suspense though no Nina Reilly

Ray Jackson has withdrawn into himself, spending his nights in the basement reconstructing the places he lived in as a child. There were many of them and his mother never gave him an exploration why they moved so much or when his father left them. His obsession began when his beautiful beloved wife Leigh asked him about having a child. On the night she disappeared, they had a terrible fight and he doesn't know if she is ever coming back. He has the keys to all the places he lived as a child and he gets into some of them finding cassette recordings of a man threatening his mother who won't discuss the matter with him. As the days go by and Leigh doesn't contact anyone, her parents begin to wonder if he did something to her and they report it to the police. When they question him, he lies to them, not telling them about the affair she had with his partner. Kat; a former friend of Leigh's wants to make peace with her and helps Jackson look for Leigh even if Kat isn't sure her husband is telling her the truth. When Ray finally leans the truth, he has a terrible decision to make one that could either destroy him or be the making of him. This is the first stand alone book apart from the Nina Reilly legal thrillers that this author team wrote and it is a superb work of suspense. Readers don't know if Leigh is alive or dead, whether Ray killed her or caused her disappearance. Ray is an average man, content to coast along until Kat gives him the impetus to find out what happened to Leigh. KEEPER OF THE KEYS is a tour de force with a shocking climax that will take readers by surprise. Harriet Klausner