The Cutting Crew

by Steve Mosby

The small team of policemen never even identified the dead girl and, for the officers involved, her murder came to symbolize everything that was wrong with the city—a haphazard sprawl of commerce and indifference. Four months on, that group is in disarray. Sean has disappeared into the city's black heart and not returned, and Martin is separated from his job, his wife, and his friends.

But then a simple note from his ex-partner forces him to re-enter an investigation he'd rather forget. "I found her," it says. The search leads him from one side of the city to the other in a downward spiral of violence and pain, and drags him into the orbit of the things that are really wrong with the city—the eight brothers rumored by legend to have control over everything.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

Reviews

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

It all starts with the unidentified dead girl, with that everything about the city seemed to come to the surface, murder, corruption, the seedy side of life and one which the cutting Crew is trying to stamp out by taking the law into their own hands by murdering the wrong doers.
But just four months later they are falling apart, Sean has mysteriously disappeared and Martin's life has fallen apart, estranged from his friends, split from his wife and separated from his job he is just a mess.
Then one day he gets a mysterious note from Sean saying "I found her" the girl is finally identified as Allison Sheldon and Sean or someone wants Martin to pick up the strands of the case again...
An exciting, twisty thriller with an unusual storyline and more plot turns than you can shake a stick at.
A pretty good read.

[Elaine Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a cop going wrong but not really - everything seemed pre-destined or helped along - lots of surprises and confusion for the main characters - well worth reading

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you look too closely at a city, you shouldn't be suprised when it starts to look back.

This is a complex, twisting story about a tainted hero who is painfully learning the consequences of taking justice into his own hands when the law appeared to be letting him down. Gradually his position as the main character in the story is usurped by the city itself, an awakening beast that twists apparently unconnected lives to fit the pattern of the oldest legends.

An unpredictable plotline, but an eventually inevitable seeming end. Amazingly done, and an idea I've never met before, which made it all the more enjoyable. Read it, but don't go into dark streets alone for a while afterwards!

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't live up to my expectations. There was something missing and I think it was pace. There was too much of the main characters internal dialogue and not enough action. Not really a page turner. Having finished one chapter I didn't feel compelled to rush onto the next one to find out what happens.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This only thing I didn't like about this book was that it was slow at the beginning and took a while to get into the story. But other than that it had a great story.

[Manal · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It wasn't about people; it was about roles and identities and functions."
I will not disagree with those who loved this book an while my feelings towards it may not be as extreme, I enjoyed it but only the last 100ish pages. The mystery was great, the concept was remarkable, the characters were well thought however the synopsis did not match the book. On the cover it is written "The murder wasn't the mystery; her identity was". Um the story did not dwell into Alison's story at all. Yes it kept me jarred when they mentioned about her using murder sites as her inspo but what about her identity? This book felt more like Martin finding answers to the questions that kept him awake till 3 AM but this was not a murder mystery and no one can convince me otherwise. Steve Mosby over-described everything. While his writing style was easy and quick to read, his use of literary devices was poor. The pacing was extremely exhausting. Last but not the least, he did not tie us A LOT of loose ends. All in all, I can go on criticizing this book but I will admit that this book was not as disappointing as the start. Maybe it was not my cup of tea but if you like reading things for what they're not and getting surprised at multiple times, go ahead.

[Nerfzilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cutting Crew is very different from what I typically read. It has a tiny bit of science fiction about it as it takes place in a world I don't know at all. The place where this book takes place is a character in thIs book as much as any of the people in it. The book is very original and creative, and it definitely kept my attention and drew me on in the story, but it also made me permanently uncomfortable. The characters are well drawn with complex lives, and the book works as a novel as well as a mystery, but as I have said in every review of the past three of the five Steve a Mosby books I've read, I really prefer his latest work to his early books. Regardless, I would absolutely recommend this. Book to anyone who likes Steve Mosby. I believe this was his first published work. I find him to be an interesting and very talented writer, and will read anything he publishes. I believe what he writes is much closer to literature than most of the mysteries out there and he is rarely formulaic and never predictable.

[Stuart Haining · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10 9%. A stinker. Started well along Dirty Harry / Magnum Force lines but became ridiculously and needlessly confusing - on journeys loads of familiar Northern town names but set in a metropolis where every district is named after animals - Lion, Mouse, Elephant etc. Possible an attempt at otherworld ness suitable for the big screen, if so that’s not a film I’d watch even if you paid me. All topped off with a barely explained sub-plot of history repeating itself. It’s a shame really, Mosby pens interesting characters and the vigilante story on its own could have worked, likewise a story around the weird history theme, but in combination, a unenjoyable read and I won’t be buying more by this author now I’m 3/0 down! Save your money!

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this when I didn't really need a book. Just couldn't walk past a rack without doing so. Plus the other I picked up (2 for £5 - serves me right) was a dud.

'Invented a world' should have warned me, but sometimes they work, even though I'm not a fan. And this almost did. A lot of shooting, of confusion, of folks appearing and disappearing. Of things not what they seem, and yet well enough written to entertain. Sort of. So not all bad. And the mismatch almost certainly my fault.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've not read a book like this before but that doesn't mean it's particularly likeable. I spent a lot of time trying to work out the time period (1990s - but the technology was not quite right) and country (felt American but mostly English words were used). By the end I was skim reading as being in the main character's head was annoying. It then got really complicated, but I didn't care much by then.

[Robin Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even darker than his first two novels, this is Steve Mosby at his stunning best. The pace is electrifying and the plot tightly wound. Although a crime novel as always Steve displays a real talent for injecting horror into his work. And he keeps us in suspense until the very last page.

[Darlene Otet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! Different from the usual books that I read, so I didn't know what to expect. It was very good! I usually can figure out some of what is going to happen, but this one was beyond me. Kept me hooked to the very end - not at all the ending that I was expecting.

[Sarah Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

odd, very odd & a little hard work

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird offbeat thriller with some intriguing concepts about cities and time. Loved the city divisions being named after animals. 'Fondly I think of you' like 'Eternity'.

[Judie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too long for my taste, but I did finish it. I will read another of Steve Mosby's novels.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much a page-turner. Interesting background.

[pops · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring, confusing and lacking in plot.

[Robert Janse Van Rensburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Confusing. Intriguing.

[Luke Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one - the plot was complex but not overly so and the 'where's this going?' factor was pretty much non-stop. Some great characters and action, too. Recommended.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Mosby’s The Cutting Crew is a crime novel with a twist. It’s not really science fiction, in that the book seems like it is in the contemporary era, though its timing is not stated, and it clearly set in this world. However, the nameless city seems other worldly to some degree, divided into sixteen districts, each named after an animal, and each with its own characteristics. Myth has it that the city was founded by eight brothers. Mosby’s narrative is dominated by two elements – the city and its geography and history, and interpersonal relationships. Both were well crafted, providing a textured, layered insight into the two principle characters – the city and the main character, Martin. The story itself is compelling, though it seems to lose its way a little in the middle. Towards the end, it twists in an unusual and fulfilling way, bringing the narrative to a satisfying conclusion. Overall, an unusual crime novel, with strong undercurrents of myth and legend.

[Felicity Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

If ever there was a book in which there were two principle characters The Cutting Crew is it. Nothing original about that you might be thinking but what if I were to tell you that, the narrative dominated by these two factors, the two principle characters were main protagonist, Martin, and the city (a city split into districts, each named after an animal no less), its geography and history?

A slow starter, without a doubt. Confusing, yes. A poor internal dialogue to action ratio with way too much of the former and not enough of the latter for my liking, most definitely. Weird/offbeat, certainly. And yet, quirky and intriguing with more of what I thought a futuristic vibe than a Sci-fi one, oddly enough, I did kind of enjoy it.

Copyright ... Felicity Grace Terry @ Pen and Paper

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm compromising on the rating for this. In many respects, this was going to be a five star review, but at the end things took a weird turn and it felt more like a 3 star review. I loved the basic premise and the first 90% of the book. Things took a weird turn right near the end, and it was well written and well done but felt like I had stumbled into a different book. The writing was very good, the characters engaging and story moved along quite quickly. It was the last bit that I was uncertain about. I'll read another by this author.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've loved all of this author's other books but this one was a struggle to get through. It simply didn't hold my attention, possibly due to the self-conscious use of metaphors, or possibly due to the sci-fi setting that resembled the layout of The Hunger Games.

There was a weird kind of historic legend running through the plot and, but for the presence of ATMs, it could have been set in any decade.

There were also some large plot holes that never got filled in.

[Bennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slow at the beginning, but moves along quickly after than. Good payoff at the end.