Virginia Knightly is a television news producer who has been relieved of her producing duties. Good thing, because she's become intrigued with a missing person's case. A young attorney in Washington D.C. has disappeared after leaving a restaurant with her husband.
It's D.C., so there's politics involved. Virginia's ex is investigating the case, and maybe he's lying to her? There's a varied cast of characters and things start to look like a police coverup. But why? What did this very young, inexperienced attorney have that would make her a target.
I liked Virginia. She's strong and resilient. She's smart, and I found it easy to root for her. I really enjoyed the twists and turns in The Cutaway. It kept me guessing as Virginia follows leads and you think, "now she's got it!" but no...that's not it either. I didn't figure it out until she did.
The author is an experienced reporter and familiar with TV news and assumes the reader is too. I'm not. I did wish for a little more explanation of the workings of the news cycle, and what is involved in getting the nightly news on the air. There were some terms and expressions that I didn't quite understand. I really don't even get the title. Well, I guess I understood kind of, but there was a lot of tension over stories and timing that I just didn't feel. I don't think this took anything away from the actual story, but I think she missed an opportunity to educate her readers.
The other thing that was a small issue is the denouement. After the case is over and done, there is a lot of personal stuff that gets resolved. Maybe I was just tired, but it seemed like a lot of pages of this. Once again, not a huge issue.
The Cutaway is definitely a worthwhile read for mystery fans. Especially if you like the kind where it's about investigative reporting and not about police procedure. I think older teens would enjoy The Cutaway also.
Published by Atria, Marcy 21, 2017
eARC obtained from NetGalley
320 pages
Rating: 4/5
