Published 12th January 2023.
From the cover of the book:
When her US counterpart is involved in a serious car accident, London-based Steph Knight is sent to New York to provide cover at the company she works for.
After her recent traumatic divorce, it’s the perfect opportunity for a fresh start and for Steph to spend some time with her teenage daughter, Ellie, a gifted musician, before she leaves for university.
In New York, Steph meets corporate lawyer Edward, and Ellie meets bartender Jack. Both women become embroiled in whirlwind romances that intensify over a hot and sultry New York summer. But as Steph begins to uncover a web of corruption within her company that seemingly reaches right to the top, she feels increasingly threatened, with no idea who she can trust. Not even the men they've fallen for are beyond suspicion.
And just when it appears things can’t get any worse, Ellie disappears.
When Steph receives an ominous text message and a video, she knows her daughter has been kidnapped. To secure her safe return, Steph must stop her investigation at work. The clock is ticking. Ellie’s life is in danger.
Alone, terrified and far from home, Steph has to draw on all her inner strength and investigative skills to find Ellie before it’s too late. Because a mother’s love knows no bounds, Steph is going to save her daughter, even if it kills her…
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It has been a difficult time for auditor Steph Warren after the shock break-up of her marriage. She has been gradually piecing her personal life back together, but soon her talented musician daughter Ellie will be off to university to follow her dreams, and Steph is unsure what the future holds.
When Steph is needed in New York to stand-in for her American counterpart Melissa, who has been involved in a serious car accident, it seems the ideal opportunity for her and Ellie to spend some time together before their lives change for ever. Their summer adventure gets off to a great start too, when Steph meets corporate lawyer Edward, and Ellie meets bartending college student Jack, and they both fall into whirlwind romances.
However, the job that Steph was sent here to do is another matter. Having looked into Melissa's work, she is convinced that there is some kind of corruption going on around the high value trades that pass through the company. Veiled threats to leave things well alone, and the feeling that someone is following her, have Steph increasingly concerned, but she is determined to get to the truth. When Ellie goes missing and the threat of violence becomes real, she does not know who she can trust - including the men that she and Ellie have become close to.
With Steph under pressure to drop her investigation at the risk of losing her daughter, she must use all her wits to find Ellie before it is too late...
The Wrong Key immerses you in the world of corporate finance stateside in the Big Apple itself, New York. Auditor Steph is a fish out of water in this place, but she has been trying to take on new challenges since the break-up of her marriage, and the prospect of promotion on the horizon means she is prepared to give this opportunity her all. Being in this new city emboldens Steph to take the plunge into a new romance too, and despite her plan to use this trip spend more time with Ellie, it has turned into something that has taken them both in unexpected directions.
But... this being an A.J. Campbell, you know you are in for far more than a cosy little transatlantic romance. The sinister prologue from Ellie tells you from the beginning that danger lies ahead for her and Steph, and all the time you are on tenterhooks, eyeing everyone and everything with suspicion, while you wait for the shoe to drop.
Campbell creates a delicious atmosphere of menace, with characters you are never quite sure you can trust, despite appearances. Once things begin to go seriously awry, she mixes up the mystery by throwing a few well-crafted red-herrings your way to keep you guessing, right until the twists and turns work themselves out in a thrilling climax. The pages fly by as the narration between Steph and Ellie swaps back and forth, and the tension rises with perfect pacing. I loved the way the title hints at an integral part of the story too - in a way that proves to be really rather clever.
The story flows well, leads you on nicely, and is entertainingly cinematic. Although, for me, there is perhaps a little link in the chain missing between the full-on edge of your seat reckoning scene and the tying-up-of-threads epilogue, there is so much here to get your teeth into. I very much enjoyed the satisfying ending Campbell contrives - and I am sure you will too. This is a read in one gripping session thriller, which is exactly what I did as I could not put it down! I think it might be Campbell's best one yet!
The Wrong Key is available to buy now in paperback and ebook now.
Thank you to A.J. Campbell for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
AJ CAMPBELL is an Amazon bestselling author of psychological suspense and promises stories full of twists, turns and torment. Her fourth book The Phone Call was released in July 2022 and topped the Amazon charts for several months. She has just released her fifth novel The Wrong Key.
AJ draws inspiration for her stories from seemingly unbelievable situations in which ordinary people find themselves. She creates compelling characters that resonate with her readers. AJ lives in the UK on the Essex / Hertfordshire border with her husband, sons, and cocker spaniel, Max. A dog lover, Netflix junkie, wine and Asian food enthusiast, either reading or writing, AJ enjoys nothing more than getting stuck into a twisty book!
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