Book Blurb:
Smoke and Key
by Kelsey Sutton
Release Date: April 2019
Entangled Teen
A sound awakens her. There's darkness all around. And then she's falling...
She has no idea who or where she is. Or why she's dead. The only clue to her identity hangs around her neck: a single rusted key. This is how she and the others receive their names—from whatever belongings they had when they fell out of their graves. Under is a place of dirt and secrets, and Key is determined to discover the truth of her past in order to escape it.
She needs help, but who can she trust? Ribbon seems content in Under, uninterested in finding answers. Doll’s silence hints at deep sorrow, which could be why she doesn't utter a word. There's Smoke, the boy with a fierceness that rivals even the living. And Journal, who stays apart from everyone else. Key's instincts tell her there is something remarkable about each of them, even if she can't remember why.
Then the murders start; bodies that are burnt to a crisp. After being burned, the dead stay dead. Key is running out of time to discover who she was—and what secret someone is willing to kill to keep hidden—before she becomes the next victim…
Find out more about the book on Goodreads and pick up a copy from Entangled Publishing
My Review:
5 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Another-World, Historical, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense, Teen, Zombies--
I had no idea that Smoke and Key was the Zombie romance murder mystery I have always been missing from my life. Anyone who knows me knows of my undying (ha, couldn't resist) love for all things zombie and when I discovered that the setting for this book was a place called Under that was inhabited by decomposing reanimated corpses just doing trying to get by, I knew that this was a story for me. Add in the fact there was tons of intrigue and secrets, a forbidden love with a love triangle AND a suspenseful murder mystery to solve?? It was as if Kelsey wrote this book just for me.(But don't worry, I will share.)
Shocking to say, this review will be short and sweet (with less rambling) because I do not want to give anything away and ruin the journey to slow discovery of the truth Key takes. This is actually the third book I have read by Kelsey and she is the master of atmosphere and settings, with real life situations that have just a dash of surreal to make this an escape read- and feel like it could potentially happen. I felt like I was transported to Under, I could see the houses made of dirt, the roots running everywhere, the odd collections of treasures, and the holes that brought the citizens there to begin with. Everything was so detailed (and at times creepy), creating the perfect visual world that I could basically see and experience too, keeping me on the edge of my seat as I hoped for the safety of Key.
The mystery was uniquely delivered too, mixing past and present to help build the suspense and the questions. I had lots of suspects and each time I was sure I knew who and why, I was left stumped and I loved it. A good mystery is one you are not completely sure of and I think the way the pacing, as well as how the plot and characters were slowly unraveled really helped to set everything into motion.
Smoke and Key is a standalone story so you can pick this up and enjoy it by itself, which always makes me happy. Not to say I would not love to have more books set in this creepy magical place, but I am 100% happy with the outcome of the book. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes a little supernatural mixed in with their murder mysteries- as well as some swoony stolen romantic moments.
Author Bio:
Kelsey Sutton is a young adult and middle grade author. She lives in Minnesota, where she received a dual bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Bemidji State University. She will soon have a master's degree from Hamline University. Her work has received an Independent Publisher Book Award, an IndieFab Award, and was selected as a Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2013. When not writing, Kelsey can be found watching too much Netflix, ordering a mocha at the nearest coffee shop, or browsing a bookstore. You can visit her online at
www.kelseysuttonbooks.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter or Instagram.
**Check out Kelsey's top 10 list of favorite YA Books HERE **
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