The First Cut

by John Kenyon

94 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

John Kenyon is the author of the story collection "The First Cut" and the novella "Get Hit, Hit Back." By day, he is executive director of the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization. He founded and edited the short-lived crime fiction magazine, Grift, edited the ebook collection Grimm Tales, and has published stories with Beat to a Pulp, Needle, Pulp Modern, Shotgun Honey and elsewhere.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

The First Cut by John Kenyon is a terrific collection of short stories and it is really in many ways a book of advice about how to bury a body, how to get along with your neighbors, and how to co-exist with the crazy lunatics who dwell in our world. The first selection "Cut" is probably worth the price of admission alone. It is a story about moonlighting while working for a mobster and an organ transplant company. It talks about how James once enjoyed his job immensely, but then came Hollywood and Quentin Tarantino and now guys all think they have to act like they are in a Hollywood movie rather than just getting the job done. If you are old enough to remember Steve Martin's comic bits, you will certainly appreciate "A Wild And Crazy Night." "Dog Days of Summer" is another winner also worth the price of admission. It starts out with the unforgettable line: "Janice and I were just getting into bed when I remembered I still had Lenny's body in my trunk. You'd think you wouldn't forget something like that, but it had been a long day." Then later it has the priceless line about, if the narrator had known a dead dog would lead to some action in the sack, he would have run over him a long time ago. All in all, it is an enjoyable selection of modern-era crime fiction that is quick reading and worth your time.

[Nigel Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Kenyon is a classy writer.

In ‘The First Cut’, he offers a collection of stories that is a pleasure to read.

One of the features of his work is the ability to plant a seed in a reader’s mind and then chop down the plant as soon as it appears so that another seed can take its place. There were times when I thought

I had outsmarted the author and knew where a piece was going, only to find that it was Mr Kenyon who had the upper hand every time. This kind of loop-the-loop is a lot of fun to be part of.

Another feature is his ability to create a story in an unusual setting – there are lots of tangents from the ordinary here to enjoy.

This collection might also offer a number of tips to the reader, should they ever find themselves in a tight spot, a kind of self-help
book for the criminal:

how to bury a body the right way.

how to deliver the perfect Christmas gift to your child when you’re
short of cash.

how to ease your conscience after a hit.

why a little-white lie might serve better than a full confession.

how to keep out subliminal messages and maintain self-control.

My favourite in the collection is the opener, a story about a hit-man who has grown to resent Quentin Tarantino movies and who becomes linked in with organ-donation in a rather macabre fashion.

Recommended.

[Gareth Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Kenyon cuts deep with this superior collection of crime shorts. Quality was high throughout and the stories are peppered with a sly sense of humour. Won't highlight favourites as you will benefit from reading straight through. If you have enjoyed other Snubnose Press collections by Keith Rawson or Dan O'Shea then you will enjoy The First Cut as well.

Snubnose Press have been critisized in the past because of typos and formatting issues. Glad to say that The First Cut had no such issues which bodes well for future SP releases. For me they are publishing some of the best crime books out there and are currently excelling at short story collections. Can't wait to see what John Kenyon comes up with next. Brilliant

[Lennox Randon · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Kenyon has a clever but twisted mind. The stories remind me of a more macabre O. Henry. Just when you think you know where it's going, it takes a sharp left. The nature of collections is that not every story is a home run. Kenyon has a few base-clearing grand slams though to go along with several solo shots, triples and a rare double. Standout stories are "Sinking in the Sea of Love," "Not So Calm Not So Bright," "238," "Cut," & "A Wild & Crazy Night."

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual genre of choice but I'm so glad I got out of my comfort zone. Surprising twists, charming (but not too twee) attention to detail. One of those short story collections that begs you to read just one more before you turn out the lights. I'll never look at organ transplant coolers the same way again.