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CUT TO THE BONE
by Shane Gericke
Pinnacle, June 2007
384 pages
$6.99
ISBN: 0786018143


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

The reader was introduced to Emily Thompson in the author’s first book BLOWN AWAY. Emily is back and the action starts within the first few pages of chapter one. She and her main man, Marty, who is also a cop, are having some R&R at a local spa where they are taking a mud bath. Suddenly a woman screams and Emily and Marty, muddy and slipping and sliding, race to help. The young receptionist is dead – her throat has been cut.

Emily, wearing a bathrobe over her muddy body, secures the crime scene. When the woman who screamed says the killer is getting away, Emily races out into the parking lot, only to be struck by the killer’s car.

Emily is convinced that the killer who attacked and killed two people (one a cop) in her home town of Naperville, Illinois, is a serial killer. Her boss and some of her fellow cops think it is a stretch, but Emily has good instincts and is convinced that all the killings are linked. Now she needs to discover how they are linked and what the victims had in common with each other.

The pace and timing of this book is fast, furious and frantic. There are several story lines, including an eye-for-an-eye governor who is thrilled to be able to return to the death penalty – it's been his private agenda following the murder of his brother years ago. There is also a bit of a back story referring to the time of the brother’s death, which is very well handled. At the present time, the State and the governor are gearing up for the first execution in many years, much protested against to be sure.

There is a lot of tension and suspense in CUT TO THE BONE. While we get to see some things from the point of view of the killer, the author cleverly conceals the murderer's identity. I was sure I knew who it was, but I was wrong! The cop characters were very well developed; I thought their rapport was well done, their cop banter felt authentic. I also like the relationship between Emily and Marty and hope they stay together.

The book is action-driven; the suspense is intense and does not let up. The reader has to sometimes stop reading and take a breather. It drove me crazy, but in a good way. I couldn’t wait to see the outcome. I hope there are more Emily Thompson books in the future.

Reviewed by Lorraine Gelly, May 2007

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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