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Under the Bus
Homicide detectives, Donde Clark and Juanito Lewis moved to Hobbs Creek just days before banker, Richard Ghetti was gunned down in the front room of his Lake Powhattan, water front cabin.Barbershop talk had it that divine providence played some part in transferring the two NYC lawmen from the Big Apple to this backwater town in South Jersey. Hobbs Creek Police Chief, Alvin Phillips believed it was his lucky silver dollar. The Six-O-Clock news refused comment because the incident did not relate to the Corona virus.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 13, 2021
5 people are currently reading
12496 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Keyes
8 books3,301 followersBorn To Write:
Older Americans often come from whistle stop towns painted by Norman Rockwell. Kyle Keyes grew up in Clayton, a South Jersey borough first founded as Fislerville. Clayton had a small urban district with street lights, but no indoor plumbing. Farmland and outhouses were a sign of the times.
Clayton was so small, that Keye's aunt doubled as his Sixth Grade school teacher, who once said that Kyle lived with his nose between the bookends. She must have known something.
Keyes went to Temple Tech for concrete and steel design in 1956 and 1957. He never became an engineer, but still has a red, tinker toy motor and his World War II, Erector Set.
The early Sixties found Kyle in the U.S. Army where his top sergeant would daily bark, "You just say morning, trooper. I'll decide if it's good or not !"
Keyes wholesaled bakery products to food chains for thirty years,and wrote odd items for local newspapers. He is widowed and currently lives in Florida. He has two children, Kathleen and Daniel. Grand children are now grown and too old for tales about railroads and yesterday's America. This leaves Keyes no option but to write books.
Se la ve.
PS: Should you need a book autographed, Kyle can usually be found rooting through neighborhood trash cans, one block ahead of the recycle truck.
Older Americans often come from whistle stop towns painted by Norman Rockwell. Kyle Keyes grew up in Clayton, a South Jersey borough first founded as Fislerville. Clayton had a small urban district with street lights, but no indoor plumbing. Farmland and outhouses were a sign of the times.
Clayton was so small, that Keye's aunt doubled as his Sixth Grade school teacher, who once said that Kyle lived with his nose between the bookends. She must have known something.
Keyes went to Temple Tech for concrete and steel design in 1956 and 1957. He never became an engineer, but still has a red, tinker toy motor and his World War II, Erector Set.
The early Sixties found Kyle in the U.S. Army where his top sergeant would daily bark, "You just say morning, trooper. I'll decide if it's good or not !"
Keyes wholesaled bakery products to food chains for thirty years,and wrote odd items for local newspapers. He is widowed and currently lives in Florida. He has two children, Kathleen and Daniel. Grand children are now grown and too old for tales about railroads and yesterday's America. This leaves Keyes no option but to write books.
Se la ve.
PS: Should you need a book autographed, Kyle can usually be found rooting through neighborhood trash cans, one block ahead of the recycle truck.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 22, 2021
One Sergeant Dante Clark and Sergeant Juanito Lewis move to hop Creek they immediately get called to a murder. A banker Richard Getty was dead and his wife says she was in the the tub when it happened and although they have little to go on Detective Louis think she did it. This book was so funny they even go undercover which is a Larry us because Detective Clark is 7 foot tall and Detective Louis is 4 foot nine, but they put on mustaches and knock on the door holding a vacuum and tell her not to worry we’re not here on police business… I laugh so much reading this book it was a pure pleasure and I cannot wait to read more books by this author. If they’re all as funny as this one I’m going to have so much fun. If you like funny and I mean stupid funny you’re in for a treat! I highly recommend this book!
April 21, 2021
Florida author Kyle Keyes is one of my favourite writers, he has an amazing talent for creating credible and likeable characters which is evident in his novels and the most important part of a book for me as the as it creates a bond between the reader and the characters and gives a sense of realism.
Under The Bus is a very contemporary novel with a satirical slant around current events in the world, and a bit of a genre shift to his previous works that I’ve read, but equally as monumental and very entertaining. Highly recommended.
Under The Bus is a very contemporary novel with a satirical slant around current events in the world, and a bit of a genre shift to his previous works that I’ve read, but equally as monumental and very entertaining. Highly recommended.
April 21, 2021
Under the Bus by Kyle Keyes is another adventure for the good citizens of Hobbs Creek. This small town feels fortunate when two homicide detectives moved from New York City to work on their police force. Especially after the local banker was gunned down in his own home. Donde Clark is impressive with his Hollywood smile and height. His partner is just the opposite, not even five feet tall, but smart as a whip. The killer has at least three kills under their belt. Can these officers get the evidence that is needed to convict?
I love all of Kyle Keyes's novels. Under the Bus introduces two new characters while keeping us up-to-date with old and favorite characters. The plot and humor are exclusive to this author, the same as his writing style. The characters are well developed, with exceptional personalities. Overall, the more I read from this author, the more I enjoy the novel. I highly recommend it to anyone partial to silly humor and fun characters.
I love all of Kyle Keyes's novels. Under the Bus introduces two new characters while keeping us up-to-date with old and favorite characters. The plot and humor are exclusive to this author, the same as his writing style. The characters are well developed, with exceptional personalities. Overall, the more I read from this author, the more I enjoy the novel. I highly recommend it to anyone partial to silly humor and fun characters.
April 23, 2021
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve read a Keyes book. It feels good to crack open (or click open) a Keyes book again. In this book we see a couple of homicide detectives fall right into a mystery in the middle of the Covid crisis. Clark and Lewis are unlikely heroes in this story, not because of anything other than the fact they are homicide detectives. Lewis’ struggles with height, loud noises similar to firearms, and location (Queens) don’t lend themselves to making his dream easy. Both Clark and Lewis (I refuse to put Lewis and Clark, haha!), are clever and work hard. Their characters remain true to themselves throughout, Keyes makes sure to write them in realistic and honest ways, as is his style.
This book wraps up nicely and closes many of the small plots that pop up in the story. It starts with Elizabeth Ghetti loading her small handgun. The action kicks off pretty quickly and remains visual and dramatic, keeping pace and momentum as Keyes builds up the world around these characters.
This book wraps up nicely and closes many of the small plots that pop up in the story. It starts with Elizabeth Ghetti loading her small handgun. The action kicks off pretty quickly and remains visual and dramatic, keeping pace and momentum as Keyes builds up the world around these characters.
May 17, 2021
Humor with a side of mystery is how I would describe this book. A much-needed laugh at a time when things are so very serious in our world. Clark and Lewis are an amazing pair, and I often found myself giggling as they worked hard to solve the murder of the town's banker. I applaud Keyes's ability to bring the story and characters to life. I genuinely enjoyed the mixing of whodunit with comedy, it was a refreshing twist on the mystery genre. No exactly cozy, but not a thriller either. Great for mystery and comedy lovers.
April 28, 2021
Under the Bus by Kyle Keyes
I received a copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
The detecting duo, Donde Clark and Juanito Lewis, two homcide detectives, the best of the best of Hobbs Creek Police force.
This is at times a tongue in cheek narrative. Comedy can be a tricky area at times for crime writers as not every author can successfully mix the two. But Kyle Keyes creates surreal absurdities surrounding the investigators and as the base of the story is a good one, it can handle both genres creatively.
Under the Bus contains the tragic element of murder and death but is surrounded by elements of farce which are cleverly inserted providing plenty of comical possibilities and Kyle Keyes ensures that the humour does not draw the reader away from the narrative. Clearly, there are rules about adding comedy to crime that must be followed. Bizarre situations need to arise for believable reasons. The tragedy of sudden death and its investigation must be taken seriously, and the humor confined to characters who ideally have no idea that they are amusing which is exactly how Kyle Keyes presents his book. People are funniest when they’re being absolutely serious.
On reading the synopsis, I have to admit that I wasn't sure what to expect so I began to read with no expectations. I was greatly surprised and deeply appreciate the dry wit the author displays. I couldn't help but attempt to imagine the combination of the detectives, consisting of one being 7ft tall and the other less than 5ft. Even a comment in the book compares them to “Mutt and Jeff “, and after searching the reference ( thank you Google ), it is a brilliant reference! I could also imagine the character of Juanito being brought to life by an actor such as Danny DeVito, although not sure how nimble Danny is when we get down to the backflip circus performing he would then have to carry out but it would definitely be a sight worth seeing!
Finally, I rate Under the Bus a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars.
I received a copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
The detecting duo, Donde Clark and Juanito Lewis, two homcide detectives, the best of the best of Hobbs Creek Police force.
This is at times a tongue in cheek narrative. Comedy can be a tricky area at times for crime writers as not every author can successfully mix the two. But Kyle Keyes creates surreal absurdities surrounding the investigators and as the base of the story is a good one, it can handle both genres creatively.
Under the Bus contains the tragic element of murder and death but is surrounded by elements of farce which are cleverly inserted providing plenty of comical possibilities and Kyle Keyes ensures that the humour does not draw the reader away from the narrative. Clearly, there are rules about adding comedy to crime that must be followed. Bizarre situations need to arise for believable reasons. The tragedy of sudden death and its investigation must be taken seriously, and the humor confined to characters who ideally have no idea that they are amusing which is exactly how Kyle Keyes presents his book. People are funniest when they’re being absolutely serious.
On reading the synopsis, I have to admit that I wasn't sure what to expect so I began to read with no expectations. I was greatly surprised and deeply appreciate the dry wit the author displays. I couldn't help but attempt to imagine the combination of the detectives, consisting of one being 7ft tall and the other less than 5ft. Even a comment in the book compares them to “Mutt and Jeff “, and after searching the reference ( thank you Google ), it is a brilliant reference! I could also imagine the character of Juanito being brought to life by an actor such as Danny DeVito, although not sure how nimble Danny is when we get down to the backflip circus performing he would then have to carry out but it would definitely be a sight worth seeing!
Finally, I rate Under the Bus a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars.
April 5, 2021
‘Sometimes, justice requires exact timing’ - A richly entertaining, humorous mystery!
Discovering Florida author Kyle Keyes is a rare pleasure. Having read and enjoyed all of his books – the QUANTUM ROOTS triptych, MARTIN SWANS DIARY, THE PANDARUS FILE, and now UNDER THE BUS - the man’s gifts are a known treasure. His perfect blend of wry humor and vivid scene painting and character creating make his books addictive. Perhaps his experience as a journalist assists his reportage of events in such a credible and involving manner that his ‘novels’ seem real – very real.
Now he steps into the current conversation surrounding the pandemic and weaves a humorous tale that allows some breathing space and chuckles to what has been a gray period. Having been fascinated with Kyle’s craft in molding historically suffused science fiction/fantasy aligned with science and fact, it is equally impressive to read his mystery works.
Being a master storyteller, Kyle opens his new book with hints at the action to come; ‘Homicide detectives, Donde Clark and Juanito Lewis moved to Hobbs Creek just days before banker, Richard Ghetti was gunned down in the front room of his Lake Powhattan, water front cabin. Barbershop talk had it that divine providence played some part in transferring the two NYC lawmen from the Big Apple to this backwater town in South Jersey. Hobbs Creek Police Chief, Alvin Phillips believed it was his lucky silver dollar. The Six-O-Clock news refused comment because the incident did not relate to the Corona virus. Truth be, Donde’s wife was mugged on three separate occasions outside a Brooklyn super market. After which, the outraged Donde sold their city row home, and the two urbanites headed for the country. Juanito came along because where there’s a Clark, there’s a Lewis. Both men had attended a NYC police academy, where they studied police procedure, weaponry, defensive driving, first aid, etc. etc.’ And getting to know this pair of detectives proves to be a thoroughly entertaining pleasure,
This is polished, near-cinematic screenplay writing by the talented Kyle Keyes. The language fits the characters and the situations, and each character becomes visible because of the keen manner in which they are painted. The book has it all – entertainment, escapism, tension and rollicking laughter – a book that deserves a very wide audience. Very highly recommended.
Discovering Florida author Kyle Keyes is a rare pleasure. Having read and enjoyed all of his books – the QUANTUM ROOTS triptych, MARTIN SWANS DIARY, THE PANDARUS FILE, and now UNDER THE BUS - the man’s gifts are a known treasure. His perfect blend of wry humor and vivid scene painting and character creating make his books addictive. Perhaps his experience as a journalist assists his reportage of events in such a credible and involving manner that his ‘novels’ seem real – very real.
Now he steps into the current conversation surrounding the pandemic and weaves a humorous tale that allows some breathing space and chuckles to what has been a gray period. Having been fascinated with Kyle’s craft in molding historically suffused science fiction/fantasy aligned with science and fact, it is equally impressive to read his mystery works.
Being a master storyteller, Kyle opens his new book with hints at the action to come; ‘Homicide detectives, Donde Clark and Juanito Lewis moved to Hobbs Creek just days before banker, Richard Ghetti was gunned down in the front room of his Lake Powhattan, water front cabin. Barbershop talk had it that divine providence played some part in transferring the two NYC lawmen from the Big Apple to this backwater town in South Jersey. Hobbs Creek Police Chief, Alvin Phillips believed it was his lucky silver dollar. The Six-O-Clock news refused comment because the incident did not relate to the Corona virus. Truth be, Donde’s wife was mugged on three separate occasions outside a Brooklyn super market. After which, the outraged Donde sold their city row home, and the two urbanites headed for the country. Juanito came along because where there’s a Clark, there’s a Lewis. Both men had attended a NYC police academy, where they studied police procedure, weaponry, defensive driving, first aid, etc. etc.’ And getting to know this pair of detectives proves to be a thoroughly entertaining pleasure,
This is polished, near-cinematic screenplay writing by the talented Kyle Keyes. The language fits the characters and the situations, and each character becomes visible because of the keen manner in which they are painted. The book has it all – entertainment, escapism, tension and rollicking laughter – a book that deserves a very wide audience. Very highly recommended.
June 16, 2021
A local banker was gunned down in his own home in Hobbs Creek and two new homicide detectives arrive just in time to investigate. Sergeant Donde Clark and Sergeant Juanito Lewis have just moved to small town Hobbs Creek from New York City, where they hoped to find a quieter life after Donde’s wife was mugged on three separate occasions outside a Brooklyn super market.
The humour and witty dialog made this such a fun and intriguing read. Non-stop action and suspects add to the mystery and the fun. I found it to be an excellent mystery, with an immersive and enjoyable storyline. I really enjoyed this from start to finish and I’m looking forward to reading more from Keyes. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good and enjoyable read.
The humour and witty dialog made this such a fun and intriguing read. Non-stop action and suspects add to the mystery and the fun. I found it to be an excellent mystery, with an immersive and enjoyable storyline. I really enjoyed this from start to finish and I’m looking forward to reading more from Keyes. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good and enjoyable read.
June 4, 2021
I jumped into Under the Bus having already read some of Kyles Keyes's books before. I was expected unique characters and dark humor and I was not disappointed. Keyes knows how to create vivid settings and the backwater town of this book has the intriguing quality of being strangely nostalgic and full of its own quirky people. The book is an exciting and mysterious tale of two detectives from New York who move to a small town just in time for a murder case to open. In this book, we also get to see a new age in fiction as Covid-19 becomes part of the real world in new fiction. Keyes offers an interesting perspective as he adds this layer to his story, and I found it helped solidify the real feel of the world he was building and added something everyone can relate to. I really enjoyed the bond that the two detectives, Donde Clark and Juanito Lewis, have throughout the story. Their banter and trust for one another were both fun and added emotional depth.
August 16, 2021
The writing is witty and easy to read. I found myself breezing through this interesting story and smirking at the turns of phrase the author often employs.
For those of you who enjoy reading mysteries and thrillers, this one is a little different. You know exactly who the killer is from the first chapter. The question is what happens next as the investigation starts?
The one thing I don’t care for in the book is the background narration. The author tells us all about the history of the characters upfront. In my mind, it would work better to slowly reveal details through flashbacks, reminiscences, hints dropped in conversation, etc. Still, if you like the crime drama genre, you’ll enjoy Under the Bus.
For those of you who enjoy reading mysteries and thrillers, this one is a little different. You know exactly who the killer is from the first chapter. The question is what happens next as the investigation starts?
The one thing I don’t care for in the book is the background narration. The author tells us all about the history of the characters upfront. In my mind, it would work better to slowly reveal details through flashbacks, reminiscences, hints dropped in conversation, etc. Still, if you like the crime drama genre, you’ll enjoy Under the Bus.
August 16, 2022
Dit was echt extreem belachelijk. Ik weet niet hoe ik erbij ben gekomen dit te lezen, maar ik raad het iedereen af. Vreemd en obscuur kindle boekje. Alleen uitgelezen omdat het 150 blz was, maar die waren alle 150 totaal absurd en stonden vol spellingsfouten. Echt heel bizar. Misschien geschreven door een lieve hobbyist dus 1 ster ipv 0 uit sympathie.
Ikz de 5 ster reviews zijn een soort scam want dit kan gewoon echt niet waar zijn.
Ikz de 5 ster reviews zijn een soort scam want dit kan gewoon echt niet waar zijn.
August 31, 2021
I’ve read a couple of Keyes novels before so I was already familiar with his style of blending humour, tight dialogue and an exciting plot line all together. Under the Bus was no disappointment, and I fell into the story and was pretty gripped from early on. I do like Keyes, and did really enjoy Under the Bus. While I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite of his books, it is a strong addition to his ever-growing library of works. The interplay between Donde Clark and Juanito Lewis was entertaining and often funny, and I could even imagine them in a TV show of this. A pretty good read, and I recommend it. I did find the cover a little odd though, not really representative of a novel of this type, but don’t let that put you off.
September 18, 2021
This is the first book I have ever read by Kyle Keyes and now that I've read Under the Bus, I have added his other titles to my tbr!
This is a short novel about a murder mystery during the Covid-19 pandemic. I really enjoyed the characters, Clark and Lewis, they couldn't have been written better for their roles. The realism of the characters allowed the story to feel real and relatable. Their sense of humor made reading this story even more entertaining! I was also impressed with the author's ability to create such vivid imagery, I felt as if I was actually in the story.
I thought the story was well-written, relatable, entertaining, and the pages turned quickly! I would definitely recommend Under the Bus to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries because you will be entertained and ready to check out the authors' other titles.
I was sent the eBook version of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for sharing this book with me!
This is a short novel about a murder mystery during the Covid-19 pandemic. I really enjoyed the characters, Clark and Lewis, they couldn't have been written better for their roles. The realism of the characters allowed the story to feel real and relatable. Their sense of humor made reading this story even more entertaining! I was also impressed with the author's ability to create such vivid imagery, I felt as if I was actually in the story.
I thought the story was well-written, relatable, entertaining, and the pages turned quickly! I would definitely recommend Under the Bus to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries because you will be entertained and ready to check out the authors' other titles.
I was sent the eBook version of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for sharing this book with me!
September 22, 2021
This is a mystery with tons of humor, in the present world. Once again Kyle Keyes uses his experience as a journalist to make this book a truly entertaining read. This time homicide detectives, Donde Clark and Juanito Lewis move to a new town, Hobbs Creek; and just a couple of days before a man was Gunned down in his house, there’s a lot of mystery surrounding the homicide, but the really entertaining part of this book is its characters, they are complete opposites and yet they work perfectly to build a great scenario to develop this story.
A fun and entertaining read, truly recommend it.
A fun and entertaining read, truly recommend it.
November 21, 2021
I can’t believe I paid for this book.
It was like watching a boring episode of law and order except the characters were worse!
And the author uses lots of phrases that are not familiar to non-Americans which made this book a torture.
It was like watching a boring episode of law and order except the characters were worse!
And the author uses lots of phrases that are not familiar to non-Americans which made this book a torture.
October 15, 2023
The book had a lot of humor to it but everything about it seemed to say it was amateurish.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews