Cutthroat

Special X #3

by Michael Slade

The manhunt for the serial killer stalking San Francisco journeys from Little Bighorn, to the search for Bigfoot, to modern-day Communist China. Original.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

About the author

Slade on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MountieNoir

Slade on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MountieNoir

Criminal lawyer MICHAEL SLADE has acted in over one hundred murder cases. His specialty is the law of insanity. He argued the last death penalty case in Canada’s highest court.

Backed by his forensic experience, Slade’s Special X and Wyatt Rook thrillers fuse the genres of police and legal procedure, whodunit and impossible crime, suspense, history, and horror.

Slade was guest of honor at both the Bloody Words crime convention and the World Horror Convention. As Time Out puts it, “A thin line separates crime and horror, and in Michael Slade’s thrillers, the demarcation vanishes altogether.”

Slade was guest speaker at the international Police Leadership Conference and several RCMP regimental dinners. As Reader’s Digest puts it, “The Slade books have developed a strong following among police officers because of their strict adherence to proper police procedure.”

For the stories behind his plots, visit Slade’s Morgue at www.specialx.net.

Reviews

[Orient · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another spellbinding, rip roaring story with the Special X, adding an interesting twist in genetics, joining forces in a BR with the British Mounted and a great GR friend, Craig.



This series just never fails to keep me guessing and the characters just make me sit back with my jaw hanging. After the third book in the series I’m stunned as this book surprised me on it’s take in genetics, China culture and gripping characters.

After reading two books by Slade before "Cutthroat", I expected it to be full of police work. But it wasn’t so. You'd think that I was disappointed, but I wasn’t. Slade filled this gap with cool historical facts and some freaky genetics. After the mind-blowing secrets and well-knit mysteries in earlier two books, I expected “Cutthroat” to have this, too. But again, it wasn’t so. I guessed the killers identity and their plans quite early. But again, was it a disadvantage? In a way, though not so much as this read is not simple, it’s complicated and it left me wondering what happened to some baddies as some ends were left loose and the surprise factor really worked for me regarding one of the cops past (kids issue), also what happened to one baddy who was left for good and didn’t participate in the last stand, did this person reach the goal? Was the mission to find smth, successful?



Also the “dream” issue. That was mindblowing, I loved the action, the suspense, the thrilling discoveries and dang it, it was almost a perfect finish!!!! I know why Slade didn’t approve it to book-reality, the information was scarce on the real subject and the authors wanted to play safe making it more believable. But this left me in confusion a bit as some of the story lines were left hanging suspended.

The genetic point. Omg, that was juicy and so interesting. A bit of speculation, a bit of bloody mess, cover it with interesting history using Custer's Last Stand and Charles Darwin and voila I’m craving to know more as I love such stuff in books. It reminded me of James Rollins and my fave, Sigma Force. Though I must confess that Rollins does it better, especially having a better basis on the subject.


Say hi to Almas

What else do we have? The Zodiac killer copycat



a cop reciting poetry, some hairy freaks – missing links in humanity, medical researches on genetics



a super awesome doggy hero (love you, Napoleon <333), a creepy Chinese family with secret and bloody history, a sneak peak into Chinese culture and history, quite a fine detective part in the story and what is really awesome – a touch of surprise, when you finish a book and think, WTF has just happened.

Side note. Dear authors, can you now leave Zinc in peace, stop torturing him and let him have his HEA? Too much is too much :S

To sum up. “Cutthroat” is very different read comparing it to the first two installments. It has really great points which I loved, but also it left me a bit confused, not in a pleasant way. What I really loved is that like previous books, “Cutthroat” charmed me with gripping writing, complicated plotlines, historical spices and the characters I came to like from the very first book. I’ll def continue my playdate with Slade as new adventures await 😊

[AbyssTiger69 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Buddy Read with Amanda 🤘🙃🤘
Well once again this book read just like a gritty, Eighties action movie! I did feel the overall story was a lot more grounded, compared to the previous two, in terms of what was happening but it also had that edge due to inclusion of parts being set in the Orient, the theory of how man came to be alongside those very interesting and in-depth descriptive historical sections. Alas those sections can come across as being a bit dry, it all depends on personal interests. And of course you get your usual lovely, splattery gore scenes!! To end things off you also get this over the top action set piece that has to be read to be believed lol 😈😳

[Terry Cornell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is not for the squeamish, definitely some graphic violence here. I've never experienced such a bizarre mish-mash of seemingly unrelated pieces of history combined in one fictional book. What do Custer's Last Stand, Charles Darwin, Sasquatch, organized crime via Hong Kong, a string of seemingly random murders in San Francisco, and Canada all have in common? Slade brings all of this together making the reader puzzle out how this could possibly make any sense by the end. The book unites characters introduced in the first and second books of the series, and ends with a cliff hanger ending that I assume will lead into Special X, #4 'Ripper'. Luckily I managed to find a copy of this out-of-print book. Slade's books are the only ones of this kind of genre that I've read that include several pages of non-fiction sources at the end. I'm hooked, and fortunately I have 'Ripper' on hand!

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man...I have seen some very out there shit from Slade so far, but the plot of this one was pretty fucking out there by any stretch of the imagination. What do the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Chinese Tongs in Vancouver, and the potential of a living missing link between the australopithecine and modern man have in common? The reader who finds him or herself picking up a copy of this novel will surely come out the other side with clear answers to these questions, but also probably another layer of literarily-induced mental scarring as well. I can’t overstate how unique and awesome Slade’s blend of disturbing horror, police procedural, and historical lectures is (when it works, that is.)

I felt that Cutthroat was very much in the same vein of Headhunter that I liked so well. Ghoul was pretty much a major disappointment for various reasons but I think that the reason it didn’t work for me was because it felt too goddamn cartoony. The constant fun house/rock concert/monster movie type atmosphere was tacky and inappropriate for a book about violent murders and the complex police procedures that must follow. Really, really hurting matters were also how fucking cruelly EASY the whole all the various murders turning out to be perpetrated by one person with multiple personalities thing was to figure out. Thankfully these failings are not present in this volume and we’re not fucking around in England anymore (this one was mostly set in B.C., Canada although because Slade cannot resist a little globetrotting we go to China, and less excitingly, the States.)

I also really like Slade’s two primary detectives; Robert DeClercq and Zinc Chandler. DeClercq is pretty obviously a tribute to Christie’s Poirot (I actually haven’t read a single Christie novel but I had to sit through probably 800 volumes of the Poirot TV show with my parents when I was a kid) and Chandler is Slade’s tough-guy dick type. They’re both likable and fun to watch at work in their own ways and this seems to be the book in which the whole Special X thing as a series is finally crystallized. I mentioned the history stuff earlier, and again, it’s such an awesome part of these books. I’ve learned SO much about Canada and the Mounties from it. While I’m kinda on the subject of characters I have to give special mention to the book’s antagonists; the Mad Mountie Wilfred Blake and Cutthroat. The two are menacing as shit in their own ways and provided compelling shit-stirring.

Listen...I probably mentioned this earlier but I was a dumb American kid and a TV baby and so I grew up associating Mounties with the legendarily-goofy cartoon Dudley Do-Right. That image couldn’t be more wrong. The history of the RCMP is filled with larger-than-life characters, epic deeds and journeys, and all kinds of badassery. Slade takes the time to illustrate the differences between the American and Canadian concepts of police forces at the provincial/state and federal levels, which I couldn’t get enough of. Really, from what I gathered the RCMP are basically the Texas Rangers, FBI, CIA (until the ‘80s at least) and Secret Service rolled into one and hardened in the frozen fucking wastes of northern Canada. And with a bitchin’ uniform. Awesome. Even though I did think Ghoul was kinda dumb, I still recommend that people give this series a shot if they’re interested.

[Robert Reiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

After recently rereading Headhunter (and loving it) I decided to give this one a reread. This is book 3 of the Special X series. I read this like 20 years ago I think and I recall not enjoying this as much as the others. Alas, the same still holds true after the reread. It’s simply not as good as Headhunter, Ghoul and some of the others. Too many subplots and it’s really just all over the place. I do appreciate the research put into it though, I do love the Special X characters and for that I can justify 3 stars.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Michael Slade writing group delivers another disturbing, bizarre and nauseating ride into madness with the tale of a serial killer with ties to the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Chinese Tongs killings and a missing link. The tale is white knuckle ride that takes you on a ride into another disturbed mind that the RCM must conquer and stop. This book and all the books in the series are only for the strong of heart.

[David Veith · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 (spoilers) So this book is all over the place. You start with Custer's last stand, then end up with the Zodiac killer, oh wait no its not him, in CA. Then on to Canada, back to the US, then to China, then back to Canada (oh wait, not really, its just a dream). There is a stop In Hawaii. There are flashbacks, and history lessons all over the place. Names galore, I did not count but I will bet at least 100 different names, most of which are not important in any way. In the end the book is about a very powerful family in China who is trying to find the key to prolong life/immortality, by looking for DNA of our ancestors, aka Bigfoot. They kill off some people, who could prevent one of the family from moving to Canada, which gets the police, FBI, Canadian Mountys, and others involved. Then the chase begins and the who/what/when/where/why starts. Ends up with the main character getting shot in the head after his mother/child/ex are killed by assassin. Then you have a Bigfoot fight (turns out to be a dream while he is in surgery, which sucks because in his dream there are basically three groups of people, and he is only in one of them, but there is a whole story with all the groups, it makes no sense.) Then his girl gets the bad guy in a sort of stand off and end. You dont know if she survives, or if he really does either. Just a lot of random thought in this book .

[Jeff French · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a bunch of the Special X books in the past, but wanted to start at the beginning and work my way through the series. This is my second reading of Cutthroat. First time I found it meh and rated it 3 stars. I enjoyed it much more the second time around. Not sure if this is due to the fact that I read it in quick succession after Headhunter and Ghoul, but I liked seeing more of the characters introduced in the first 2 novels. Also the research was thorough, the history interesting and the plotting intricate. The only thing that didn’t work for me was the sequence of events that didn’t really happen. I won’t say more, but if you’ve read the book, you know what I mean. It reads very B movie-ish and doesn’t fit with the tone of the rest of the novel. I feel it would have been a better read if that part had been removed entirely. Glad I reread this one and am already onto Ripper.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Downward spiral here. Bored me to tears. The one worthwhile part was a very brief appearance by a character from Headhunter. It was almost worth it, but I doubt I'll read another unless someone can do some fancy convincing.

[Kim Canich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, but confusing. I still don't get it lol.

[Sally Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a weird one - the author must be Canadian and the Mounties always get their man

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This was the only option to take from the hostel in Zagreb, but I quite liked it. As intriguing as The Da Vinci Code. "Slade" is a team of Canadian Criminal lawyers. The writing is okay, more plot fueled. Cutthroat is the warlord in training for an ancient Hong Kong family looking for the fountain of youth via the brains of Windigo/ Sasquatch/ Big Foot/ Yeti. There are too many characters to follow completely, but Robert DeClerg is a Mountie who writes books, Zinc Chandler and Sharon Tate are a Mountie and an American cop in love.

[Arlingtontexican · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Well researched. Really....I learned a lot about several different subjects. The story scooted right along...loosing it's footing in places. It is a pleasure read so as long as the story works out, anything goes. I usually avoid eading collaborations set up to a jake money writting books (as opposed to writting a book and the writting be the main point not the money). The first novel by this author was recommended so I am not done with Michael until he tells me about some "GHOULES".

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth the read.

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book. As usual, Slade is a little heavy with exposition and historical fact, and the ending is just frustrating...

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in Slade's Special X series. I enjoyed it but it was the weakest in the series so far.

As usual, there was a lot of research that went into this one. Evolution, Anthropology, Immigration, Chinese history, American Indian War, etc etc. I enjoy the education and knowledge that I accumulate when I read a Slade novel.

The Bad- well when it comes to Slade you get use to a very convoluted plot. This novel is no different however, i felt the whole missing link, Bigfoot plot was a little too drawn out. I would have liked if there was more about the Chinese and their history. I thought you still could have accomplished the same with less of Yeti/Bigfoot but what do I know.

The Good- We get Zinc and Tate back from Ghoul. We get Declerq back from Headhunter. We see a healed female cop from Headhunter as well ( ugh i need to know if anyone in the series figures her out) and we also see Mad dog back. I liked that now some of the characters start to overlap. I also like connections and references. Zinc went through a lot in Ghoul, however his psyche ( and life) is really threatened in this novel. We def see what happens to his set back in Ghoul. sad.

The mediocre- Cutthroat himself ( "himself"). Crazy twist at the end that you kind of can see. Lotus Kwan, Evan Kwan and Mike Kwan. But only two known Kwans. Hmm....
Well the twist was good but the Killer wasnt as good as the first two in the series. I also wasnt really interested in the motive. The Chinese corporate world , big pharma, the missing link, the key to the fountain of youth/ life longevity. Just wasnt that "real" to me. Seemed too far fetched.

I also didnt like the Fever dream. O well. Decent read. 3 stars

[Leigh Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I discovered Michael Slade in high school, which at the time of this writing was....34 years ago.

I'm going to need a moment to process that emotion.

OK...

I've been rereading these in a little trip down memory lane. And I always forget that this book is inherently dishonest with it's mystery. The authors do not play fair. They make a few narrative choices that, thankfully, they do not revisit in subsequent books. But this one is, by far, my least favorite of the Special X books.

Not so much that it prevents me from owning a copy or rereading it every now and again because, after all, I am a completist. But it do piss me off so.

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 1993. A serial killer is also a time traveler.

[Nicola Schmidt · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

* Because "Cutthroat" is about two cops chasing down a serial killer who appears to be linked to a shady pharmaceutical firm, you might come at this one looking for police work. But you'd be disappointed if you did. You might think, Well, I love a good mystery. But you won't find one here. On the other hand, because this is written by Michael Slade, you might be satisfied with blood, gore, and torture. This is really the only way to go. Cutthroat is nothing if not sadistic.

* Believe it or not, a gigantopithicus skull figures into the plot. Gigantopithecus is an extinct species of ape once thought to be related to Man. Or is it related? Slade wonders. He uses it to tie together Custer's Last Stand, a superfluous scene with Charles Darwin, and one of the dumbest climaxes I've ever read.

* He uses his time-period (late eighties) to tie in the Zodiac killer, in the process making a mockery of all the behavioral science and criminal profiling pioneered by people like John Douglas.

* As literature, the book is almost a total loss. As gore-porn, it has its moments.


Spoiler follows:







* One funny note about the climax: Slade goes out of his way to position his cop heroes as literate, cultured men. They quote poetry and listen to classical music. But when one of them imagines a terrible battle on top of a mountain, the best his mind can conjure is a grade B monster movie.

[Jenna]

another one of the michael slade series. i am working through it, and with about 100 pages left, its picking up and falling into place. as i assume most real-life cases do. its my third book so far in the series and i am enjoying this. not as great character development as the first two, but you are hooked about half way through.