I have finally read and reviewed Cut to the Bone by Alex Caan.

In an attempt to get through my TBR I went through my shelf and started working backwards.

Totally aware that I am coming back to review novels where the world and technology have moved on from 2016 I found this novel held up well.

The blurb is that this is a race of time to find a missing vlogger but its more that this. Its an excellent well put together missing person story, but the investigating team are damaged and hiding tension. Then it moves into a whistleblowing narrative about corporate funding warlords in DCR which for me was a but of kilter. What would a small time vlogger ever have to do with Western funding of African warlords. Seemed a bit of a stretch to far for me but then the novel veered in and went somewhere else.

All in all its a fairly satisfying missing person novel, well paced race against time with lots of very damaged people.

Its a pity I left it so long to review.

Continuing my theme of reading older books on my Kindle I figured I would try an author new to me. Alex Caan released this in 2016 and it features DCI Kate Riley and Zain Harris. The opening of the book is pretty straightforward with Harrix being sent to the home of a missing woman Ruby who also happens to be a You Tube Vlogger. Both Kate and Zain are revealed and sections of their own personal lives show they both have their own issues. I have to be honest and say that I didn't particularly warm to Kate as a character. She just rubbed me up the wrong way from the get go and it didn't improve as the story progressed.


The chapters are nice and short and sharp and nothing wrong with this author's style of writing however due to my dislike of Kate it made the book harder to enjoy. The storyline explores the world of social media and like I said before elements of characters are revealed as the story progressed. For me although the writing was decent I felt a little bit like I was struggling to finish. Sometimes it can feel like this with a new series so I think I will at some point try book 2 in the hope I can gel a little more with the characters.

Unfortunately I was unable to finish this book. It was nothing to do with the book but more to do with me. I apologise. Thank you for providing me with a copy of the book to read.

The first book in a new detective series and it reeled me in, hook line and sinker from the very beginning, I absolutely loved it,

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Cut to the Bone but that has in no way influenced my review.

Oh my goodness, there is so much going on in this book which makes it a wild ride for the reader! And this is a debut, which is quite mind-blowing. Cut to the Bone didn't have that tentative, first steps feel about it at all. Caan has obviously been perfecting his craft for some time and it really shows in this, his first novel.

Detective Inspector Kate Riley is called in the middle of the night to attend to a missing persons case. The young woman, a popular vlogger called Ruby Day, has only been missing a few hours but her parents are distraught. The call comes from Justin Hope, the Police Crime Commissioner for Westminster, and Kate can't understand why her team who normally deal with the most heinous of crimes in London, are being involved. Then a video arrives which shows Ruby running for her life. Ruby is in terrible danger and it's down to DI Riley and her elite team of investigators to find out where the vlogger is, before it's too late...

The investigation into Ruby's disappearance is great but what really made this a riveting read for me were the characters and the team dynamics. There are a number of rather repugnant, self-important people in this book who are rubbing alongside the determined, gutsy investigators. Special Operations Executive Unit Three is a no-holds-barred, money-is-no-object elite unit of investigators, headed up by slimy, career-driven, wannabe politician, Justin Hope. He made my skin crawl and I loved it! Reporting directly to Hope is Detective Inspector Kate Riley who, after leaving the US in a bid to escape a very personal threat, has her own problems at home. Initially, the reader isn't told exactly what happened to Riley in her past to make her move to the UK, nor what her home situation is, but we're given short, sharp glimpses which made me question what the heck was going on with her.

And then there's DS Zain Harris who is cocky and arrogant but I couldn't help but have a soft spot for him. Again, Harris has a traumatic past which is referred to often and given to the reader in dribs and drabs until you have the whole shocking picture. His loyalties don't necessarily lie with DI Riley, he knowingly steps on the toes of his colleagues proving his tech far outshines theirs, but he proves himself to have a heart and will stop at nothing to solve the case. I wasn't sure of him to start with but by the end of the book, I was a Harris fan!

The other members of the team felt a more cohesive unit but that's not surprising because Harris is the new boy, out to prove himself. They're a solid bunch of well fleshed out characters who each bring something interesting to the table. The plot is well thought out and takes you down numerous avenues of investigation before the team finally start to get somewhere. But that's police work, right? Always searching for the means, motive and opportunity which will stick!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I really enjoyed Cut to the Bone and the time I spent with Riley and Harris. It's a dark and edgy police procedural which shows the devastating effects of social media and obsession. Taking you places you won't initially expect, this hard-hitting debut is one to add to the TBR if you're a fan of crime fiction. Recommended.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Cut to the Bone. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will. Enjoy

Hmmm probably a bit too new age for me. I disliked the writing style but accept it was deliberate and in relation to the plot but not one for me.

This was an average read to me. The premise of the book wasn't what was said in the blurb. I really wanted to like this book. The writing started off choppy, but the bluntness of the sentences added to the tension.

I read this book twice in order to write a review and somehow never ever got around to it. The reason why I have never said that I won't be giving a feedback for it is because I distinctly remember enjoying it both times around. It is a thriller through and through and although a bit graphic at times is still worth the time and money one would invest in it.

I have loved the opportunity to spend time researching novels to re-stockl our senior bookshelves in the school library that plays a central role in the life of the school. When I first took over the library was filled with dusty tomes that were never borrowed and languished there totally unloved.
Books like this, play a central role in ensuring that the library is stocked with fresh relevant fiction that appeals to the readers. It has a strong voice and a compelling plot that ensures that you speed through its pages, enjoying both its characterisation and dialogue whilst wanting to find out how all of its strands will be resolved by the end.
I have no hesitation in adding this to the 'must buy' list so that the senior students and staff of the school can enjoy it as much as I did. This is a gripping read that will be sure to grip its readers whether they are fans of this genre or coming to it for the first time through our now-thriving school library recommendation system. Thanks so much for allowing me to review it!

This to me was just an average read The premise wasn't what the blurb said bar the beginning. but then it was about something else completely, I hate books like this its so damn annoying well theres my rant for the day. just was a no brainer.

A very modern thriller and a cautionary tale to all those folk who live their lives on social media. A dark and compulsive read. Recommended.

The Internet has become our lives - with blogging, vlogging and YouTube everyone can share their lives with the world - but is it worth your life and sharing all your secrets?!

Fast-paced, Ruby is a vlogger who has gone missing. Once a video posts of her online as you can imagine with all celebrity incidents all heck breaks out. I found that it was too many people in this book and I felt as if I could not keep up. Its not a bad book but I struggled at times to remember who was who.

I can't believe it's skipped my attention and taken me so long to read this, however, at least it meant there was no long wait to read the next one, which I did immediately.

Counting The Dead had me gripped by the end of the first chapter, with DCI Riley and her second in command DS Harris heading the team under her dodgy chief commissioner, this really is a team of intelligent people working under a different breed of police, with an unlimited budget and technology at their disposal, they are at the top of their game.

Although nothing is as it seems, and both Kate and Zain are faced with their own personal demons. Will they win, or be beaten?

This is a thrilling ride, and once strapped in, you won't ever want to leave. Long live this series, because characters like this don't come along often enough and Alex Caan is intelligent and talented enough to be able to carry this through into an incredible series.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were easy to understand and the plot kept my interest, not wanting to put it down meant a little lack of sleep !!

Interesting plot - there were so many possibilities that I hadn't actually guessed whodunnit till near the end, good read!

I really enjoyed this book. A really good holiday page turner with good pace.

This is a very good read, which will keep you guessing right to the end. The story begins with the disappearance of Ruby, who is a high profile vlogger. When a film of her murder is emailed out, it is down to Kate Riley and her team to find out what is going on. Kate and her colleague Zain both have back stories too. This is a long book and the story is quite complex, but it is well worth a read. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

A really good read, likable characters and great story line. Really made me think and I would highly recommend it.