Cut Out

DI Harland #3

by Fergus McNeill

Nigel never meant for it to happen. At first, he just wanted to be Matt's friend. But when he discovers he can hear what is going on in the flat below him, his fascination with his new neighbor drifts into obsession. Rearranging his furniture to recreate the layout of the rooms downstairs. Buying the same clothes, going through his post, his things. Becoming Matt without him ever knowing. And it would have been all right, if Matt hadn't brought the girl home. When things spiral out of control, Detective Inspector Harland has to unravel the disturbing truth. But there's far more to the case than meets the eye . . .

Genres: Thriller

400 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2014

About the author

Fergus McNeill has been creating computer games since the early eighties, when he started writing interactive fiction titles. Over the following years he became well-known in the industry, both for his own content, and his adaptations of other authors’ material, including working with Terry Pratchett to create the first Discworld game.
Moving from interactive fiction to interactive movie adaptations, Fergus set up and managed the development studio for SCi (now Eidos) where he co-wrote and directed voiceover scripts for a number of games including the award-winning Kingdom O’ Magic.
Now CEO at an iPhone game development studio, Fergus lives in Hampshire. He is 43, married, with a teenage son. Eye Contact is his debut novel, and the first of a three-book series.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really decent police procedural featuring DI Graham Harland, who works with Bristol CID. In the opening scene, D.I. Harland is called to a club in a run-down part of the city, where a body has been found in the gents’ toilet. It is an extremely sadistic murder. The man has been hit on the head and subsequently, while still alive, has had his eyes, nose and mouth sealed with Superglue. He has suffocated as a result.

The victim is soon identified as a small-time drug dealer, but the crime is so vicious that Harland feels it needs a thorough investigation. He is therefore extremely annoyed when his boss takes him off the case to deal with the disappearance of a young woman named Laura. Harland is wanted on this case because he recently interviewed the missing woman's ex-boyfriend, Matt Garrick, in connection with a burglary at his flat, and Matt is a possible suspect in the case of the missing Laura. Harland's one consolation is being given D.S. Imogen Gower as his assistant, a bright and pleasant addition to the force. They interview Matt, who insists that he had broken up with Laura some time before her disappearance, and had not seen her since. Matt appears to be a decent and open young man, and Harland doesn't believe he is involved.

At this point the plot deviates from the standard police procedural. The action shifts away from the police investigation and switches to Matt's neighbour on the floor above, (Nigel Reynolds, three months earlier). Nigel is in the digital photography business and works mainly from home touching up and altering images. He is reclusive and nerdish, with a huge chip on his shoulder. He becomes acquainted with Matt, who is everything that he would like to be. He becomes obsessed with Matt, copying his style of dress, and moving his furniture around to correspond with Matt's on the floor below. When Matt starts going out with Laura, he becomes infatuated with her as well.

I must admit that I wasn’t keen on the continuous switching from the police to Nigel, mainly because he is such an unappealing character. The book really came alive though in the last few chapters, leading to a really exciting finish.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first DI Harland novel from Fergus McNeill (There are two others prior to this one, Eye Contact and Knife Edge) and it was a definite page turner and some really excellent crime fiction. It was easily read as a standalone novel, although I will certainly be returning to read the previous stories in the series.

A drug dealer is murdered but before DI Harland can get his teeth into the case he is moved over to investigate the disappearance of a local woman as fears for her safety grow. As he interviews various people in her life, we are also taken back in time to hear from Nigel, who is becoming more and more obsessed with his downstairs neighbour…

I loved how this one was constructed, making it highly addictive and eminently readable – seeing the police investigation unfold whilst also learning about what has lead up to current events, the author manages to keep you on your toes with some terrific storytelling and an intelligently plotted mystery. Not everything is as it first appears and as the story twists and turns to a terrifically exciting conclusion this is crime fiction at its very best.

I adored the characters, the setting and the flow of it – DI Harland is wonderful as a main protagonist and I also developed a bit of a soft spot for Nigel despite his,erm, quirks. Add to them a well rounded supporting cast, a clever and satisfying set of suspects and an interesting psychological depth when it comes to the issue of stalking and you have a well imagined, intriguing tale which will keep you avidly turning the pages until you are done.

Definitely highly recommended for Crime fiction fans and for anyone looking to dip their toe in the water when it comes to this genre.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shocking and brilliant page-turner.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very excited to read this book after reading the blurb on bookbridgr. It confused me then when I began reading and our detective, DI Harland is at the scene of a particularly brutal and gruesome murder of a local drug dealer in a club toilet. We begin to follow Harland attempting to find out more only for him to be given the case of a missing woman, Laura, instead. The book then goes back in time by three months and introduces us to Nigel.

Given the nature of the plot it is almost impossible to discuss it without giving stuff away but sticking as closely to the blurb as possible I'll attempt to summarize. Nigel has a new neighbour, Matt and all he wants is to be his friend. Nigel is somewhat of a loner, so when Matt invites him round to watch the football he gets an insight into a world where he can socialize and have friends. He wants to become more like Matt who he sees as cool and sophisticated. To start off he rearranges his flat to match the layout of Matt's, then he starts buying the same clothes, reading his mail and then.... I honestly can't say anymore as you absolutely have to read this book for yourself and be as enthralled and, at times, shocked as I was.

The parts with Nigel becoming obsessed with Matt have an almost psychological thriller edge to it rather than just your standard crime novel. At times you almost feel sorry for him, he just wants to be liked and have a friendship with Matt yet it very soon becomes quite scary. Nigel is odd and creepy and not someone you would want as a stalker. Also, everything that Nigel does to Matt feels entirely plausible and realistic. Often you might get a story where you think 'Oh, as if that would happen...' yet here it all feels very real and for that reason the book becomes a whole lot more terrifying. You have no idea what Nigel will do next, or how far he will go and that makes the book seriously addictive. I finished this one long after I should have been asleep. The book moves between the present day and the months before seamlessly keeping the tension going and the reader hooked.

Everything Nigel does to Matt is actually quite easy and that makes it more scary as it shows just how easy it is for someone to obtain your personal information and 'become' you without your knowledge. It certainly puts me off ever wanting to live in a building like the one Nigel and Matt live in anyway. Matt is of course totally oblivious. In the present day we have DI Harland looking for Laura who is actually Matt's girlfriend and all eyes are on him. Again impossible to say anything else about the story other than it is gripping. Having no idea how the book would end I totally wasn't prepared for the couple of little twists thrown in near the end and the book finished very nicely indeed. However if I'm honest I was a little bit gutted it was over as I was enjoying the book so much.

Since becoming a blogger I've discovered so many authors that when I finish one of their books I'm left wondering why I have never read anything by them before. DI Harland is a fantastic character and one I'd love to read about again, my review TBR is staggering so I rarely have time to read my 'own' books but I really want to read the previous books in this series very soon and will be keeping an eye out in the future for what's to come next from Fergus McNeill who is a brilliant writer capable of telling one hell of a story. I can't reccommend this book enough, hugely enjoyable and one not to miss.

Thanks to Hodder for the review copy via bookbridgr.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Booktrail of the locations in the book -
Booktrail of Cut Out


A cat and mouse game of the most chilling kind in Bristol

Nigel is a bit of a loner. So when he gets a new neighbour, Matt who invites him round to watch the football, he jumps at the chance to make a new friend. Trouble is that’s not where it ends – Nigel takes a shine to Matt, at his outgoing personality and shiny flat and wants to be like him, to be him.

Changing his flat to match Matt’s is the first step, followed by buying the same clothes, slowly adapting to as much of Matt’s look and lifestyle as he can.

Just where will it end? And who is that knocking at Matt’s door? Nigel wants to know everything…

The house

The author based the house in the book on one he saw in Eastfield Road, a quiet residential street in Cotham, nicely hemmed in by the railway line. The setting is close to Stokes Croft – an area with tremendous character, full of independent shops and cafes, where almost every wall is covered in amazing street art. In many ways, the author explains, this neighbourhood reflects the spirit of modern Bristol, just as the grand old architecture reflects the city’s past.

And the Bristol of this book forms as we visit it over varying time periods – three months earlier, one month ago and two weeks ago and of course the present day with this house at the centre of the intrigue..

Nigel’s story and fixation with Matt starts in the past and soon takes on a life of its own. Matt’s girlfriend Laura is an unwelcome guest as far as Nigel is concerned and the already dark and insular world inside Nigel’s head gets darker still…

Present day – DI Harland and his team are looking into the case of a missing girl – one named Laura. The murder of a man found with his hands glued to the wall in the local pub’s toilet is another case he has to deal with, and the realisation that this all could be linked draws a dark picture of events past.

A quiet house on a quiet street in Bristol – could it really be the unassuming scene of the start of a crime which spread its obsessive and stalker tendencies further afield?

Do you know who is living next door to you? Someone who likes your clothes and life a little too much? And how prepared are some people willing to go to be just like you?

[Jovdb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is told in a back and forth format: past to present day.

It was an intriguing tale with plenty to keep you hooked.

Nigel is a bit of a nerd; can't relate to people and has a job that isolates him, working from home touching up photos for clients. Then Matt moves in downstairs. Nigel is intrigued and becomes obsessed and "stalkerish", really weird about getting to know Matt, becoming Matt who is way cooler than Nigel.

Then DI Harland is called out to a murder of a local drug dealer in a night club. Before he has time to really get involved in the case, he is put on the disappearance of young girl, who just happens to be the girlfriend of Matt.

The two incidents are very nicely tied together and the ending is fast paced and thrilling.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obsession and its aftermath, well written with a good plot and story development. Bits of technical detail and suspense add to the mix. My only criticism would be that some characters depth might at times benefit the overall effect, Matt in the despite being a main figure and Jack the lad didn't quite emerge nor did some of Harlands colleagues. Despite this it was a good, solid story.

[Mrs B · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first thought the wrong book had been put inside the cover! But the story unfolded and it all made sense. Some nice twists and turns and although this was a relatively easy read I enjoyed the story and was keen to reach the ending.

[Victor Borgeest · Rating 3 out of 5]

hard to get into

[Penny Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it. Clever plot.

[Arshpreet Kaur]

so good book

[Houlahan houlahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story from new author for me. Really enjoyed it.

[harsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book bought from the author. Really good!

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like mystery/thrillers then McNeill's books are for you. I have read all 3 of his novels and found them all to be very readable and interesting. This one does not disappoint.

[Victoria Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cut Out is a clever mix of psychological thriller and police procedural. This is the first DI Harland novel that I have read, but is the third in the series. It was easy to read as a standalone, although I now plan to read the first two books.

The book is cleverly organised into sections - three months earlier, one month ago and two weeks ago interspersed with the present - which makes it very easy to follow and a pleasure to read.

The past, and build up to the present, focuses on Nigel and his fixation with his neighbour Matt, whose girlfriend Laura has vanished. Nigel wants to be Matt - he moves his furniture around to match Matt's flat, buys new clothes (just like Matt's) and breaks into Matt's flat to spy on him.

The other sections of the book - the present - focus on DI Harland and his team, who are searching for missing Laura. There's also the murder of a local drug dealer that needs to be resolved, although DI Harland has been taken off the case to investigate Laura's disappearance. Could the cases be linked?

Cut Out is a brilliant novel. It's well written and fast paced, with various twists and turns. I read it in one sitting, which for me is the sign of a great book. I really liked the characters (even Nigel - I actually started to feel sorry for him, which is ridiculous as he was clearly insane!) and found the stalking plot to be a fascinating read.

I received a copy from the publisher through the Lovereading Reviewer Panel in exchange for an honest review.

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fergus McNeill is a new British author who tells the story about What If someone wished their life was more like yours? Exactly like yours. And what if they lived upstairs from you?. There is more than meets the eye in this chilling novel. So much happens In this story that you wont be able stop turning the pages. I like reading this crime story for me personally I found that the crime was something different.
A dead body was found by the bartender in the club toilets. Detective Inspector Graham Harland took in the scene inside the club toilet cubicle. A male victim dead slumped down in the corner in the club toilet. Someone had sealed the victim eyes, nose and mouth and his ears with some sort of fast-bonding stuff. His hand were glued to the wall. Detective Inspector Harland has to unravel the disturbing truth to far more to this case and more.
This story has it all Wanting to be friends and,fascination that drifts into obsession. Then there is the question for Detective Inspector Harland to find out who and why did they kill a man leaving him for dead in the club toilet. Cut Out is a great tense police procedural for crime fiction fans.

[CriminalRepurcussions · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fantastic.
Written by a young British author with professional style, a fast-paced plot with believable characters, a very good Police Procedural. We will now read the preceding two books in this series. It's better than the synopsis cover-notes hint at, with some unexpected twists.
Congratulations to this wonderfully talented author, right up there with the best.
t's great fun and highly recommended !

[Kimberley Parsonage · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely loved this book, kept me interested from start to finish, going to try and get hold of his other books

[Karolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different to the first book, flicked between present and past so could be confusing but an interesting story. Really enjoyed the twist at the end

[MB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's not particularly fast-moving but really kept my interest. Great twist at the end. Will definitely read other books by this author.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. New author to me and looking forward to reading his other books. It was a different twist on the psychological thriller, not the normal there's a body .... who did it. Anybody yet to read it is in for a treat