Review: The Dead Key by D. M.Pulley

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.

Clare's Review 5 of 5 stars

This novel from D M Pulley follows the intense story of Iris, a junior engineer sent in to an old bank to draw up plans so the owners can sell it. However, this is no ordinary bank, this is a bank with a dark history and as Iris sets out to discover the truth she also finds her life may be in danger.

This thriller is set over several decades and follows not only Iris’s story but the story of several other important characters from the past and the present. The interaction between these different decades is well written and flows well throughout the story, really showcasing this authors storytelling talents.

Both Iris’s and Beatrice’s characters are well written and the throughout the story it is easy to connect with them emotionally. They work well together and also alone and it was interesting to get to know them from a personal point of view as well as their general involvement in the story. I also enjoyed the fact that they both grew as people and were able to become stronger women even when faced with horrific situations.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the story and found it to be captivating throughout. The story builds with a good amount of suspense and the pace of the story is constant and easy to keep up with.

The only potential negative for this story is the violence in certain parts, it is very well described which may be disturbing for some readers!