Hello all and welcome to my review of The Cutting Place by Jane Casey as part of its blog tour!
About the book:
Everyone’s heard the rumours about elite gentlemen’s clubs, where the champagne flows freely, the parties are the height of decadence . . . and the secrets are darker than you could possibly imagine.
DS Maeve Kerrigan finds herself in an unfamiliar world of wealth, luxury and ruthless behaviour when she investigates the murder of a young journalist, Paige Hargreaves. Paige was working on a story about the Chiron Club, a private society for the richest and most privileged men in London. Then she disappeared.
It’s clear to Maeve that the members have many secrets. But Maeve is hiding secrets of her own – even from her partner DI Josh Derwent. Will she uncover the truth about Paige’s death? Or will time run out for Maeve first?
This novel is the ninth installment in Maeve Kerrigan series but don’t let that discourage you – it reads perfectly as a stand-alone too.
I had tremendously enjoyed reading The Cutting Place. It was heavily focused on the dialogue and the novel greatly benefited from that. It allowed the reader to form a connection with the characters and learn their well defined personalities.
Maeve is a witty, brilliant young woman who perseveres in her pursuit of justice. With Josh Derwent at her side, filled with sarcasm and a heart of gold, they form a perfect crime-fighting duo.
We get to learn about the characters in greater detail when their own personal lives get intertwined with the investigation. It is one of the features that cause this read to feel realistic. Not only are they relatable characters, they feel authentic. The situations that they find themselves in, the questions they ask, the jokes they make – any one of us could experience.
The plot of this novel is perfectly paced and one of the best features of Jane’s writing is her ability to not waste a single breath of her reader. Every word has a purpose, none of it is used to fill in the gaps or empty spaces because there aren’t any. In particular, the investigation storyline is well-thought-out and every interaction and description was clearly needed to make it the compelling read that it is. I must admit, I rarely come across such a unique skill.
Outside of being a murder mystery, The Cutting Place offers a staggering number of topics such as e.g. self-development and domestic abuse. It might not be a read for everyone, however personally I did enjoy the variety that this novel has to offer. It didn’t feel overwhelming but rather like a mixture of life components.
I would like to thank HarperCollins Ireland and Jane Cassey for including me in the blog tour. It has been a pleasure to read The Cutting Place and I recommend you check it out if you haven’t already.
Thank you for reading this review, let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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