Cut Dead

DI Charlotte Savage #3

by Mark Sennen

'He could be out there right now. Passing you on the street. You'd never know ...'

DI Charlotte Savage is back, chasing a killer who was last at large ten years ago, a killer they presumed dead ... Now he's back and more dangerous than ever.

When three headless bodies are found mutilated in a pit, it's a particularly challenging case for DI Savage and her team. The bodies bear the hallmarks of a killer who was never caught, last at large ten years ago, butchering girls on Midsummer's Day.

Could this be a copycat or has the original killer resurfaced? With a steady stream of bodies arriving at the morgue and gruesome secrets from the past emerging DI Savage is up against it to find the killer before he attacks again? The past has caught up with them. And so has he...

Part thriller, part police procedural, a must-read for fans of Mark Billingham and Tim Weaver

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Ebooks, Thriller

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 2014

About the author

Mark Sennen was born in Surrey, but spent his formative years in rural Shropshire where he learnt to drive tractors and worm sheep. He has been a reluctant farmer, an average drummer, a failed Ph.D. student and a pretty good programmer. He lives, with his wife and two children beside a muddy creek in deepest South Devon where there hasn't been a murder in years. He is the author of the best selling DI Charlotte Savage series: Touch, Bad Blood, Cut Dead, Tell Tale, Two Evils, The Boneyard, and Puppet; the Holm and da Silva series: The Sanction, and Rogue Target; plus the standalone thrillers: Three and The Sum Of All Sins.

The DI Charlotte Savage series is published by HarperCollins.
The Holm and da Silva series is published by Canelo.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cut Dead – Sheer Brilliance

I had never heard of Mark Sennen and his DI Charlotte Savage series until I was sent Cut Dead I hope I am able to find the previous excursions of DI Savage. Sennen debut Touch was self published and he has now been picked up by Avon a HarperCollins imprint and I doubt they will regret it in the long run. Cut Dead is the third book in the Savage series and I wish I had discovered her earlier. Yes a woman DI on a murder squad leading not following shear brilliance.

Three headless bodies turn up in a pit on farmland just outside of Plymouth and DI Charlotte Savage has been called out to respond. She hopes that this is not the continuation of a previous case that had never been solved by her mentor in the force. Only time will tell.

Are these the victims of the Candle Cake Killer and will there be more? All three bodies are headless and missing their genitalia similar to the cold case. To make matters worse the date when the serial killer took the original victims the 21st June is fast approaching and the women of Plymouth are worried for their safety. It is against this background that DI Savage is having to operate racing against time in hope they find the killer.

This is a fantastically fast paced plot with a killer that is a real thriller chiller which makes this compulsive reading. The plot is brilliant and paced well you can feel the pressure the Police are under in the investigation when the world is watching. There are brilliant twists and turns you do not find out who the killer is without a curve ball being thrown at you. This is a fantastic read and time well spent!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book shaped up a bit compared to the first two.

I still didn't find it brilliant, but now it finally felt like the series has started to take some sort of shape and the murderer(s) has started to take the back-seat in terms of page-time compared to the detectives. Positive changes!

The grating, slimy, almost nauseating misogyny that swirled around in the first two books were presented in a lot less "in your face" kind of way too. Of course I liked that.

It's still not an excellent series though. An OK thriller/police procedural.

[Lainy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time taken to read - sadly due to a busy schedule I dipped in and out over 6 days

Publisher - Avon

Pages - 406

Blurb From Goodreads

DI Charlotte Savage is back, chasing a killer who was last at large ten years ago, a killer they presumed dead …
Now he’s back and more dangerous than ever.

When three headless bodies are found mutilated in a pit, it’s a particularly challenging case for DI Savage and her team. The victims bear the hallmarks of a killer who butchered girls to their death; a killer who was never caught.

Could this be a copycat or has the original murderer resurfaced? With a steady stream of bodies arriving at the morgue and gruesome secrets from the past emerging DI Savage is up against it to find the killer before he strikes again?

Part thriller, part police procedural, a must-read for fans of Mark Billingham and Tim Weaver.



My Review

The story opens up with a prologue, in the past and giving us the starting point for our killer. We then flip to present day and DI Charlotte Savage is soon called to a gruesome burial site. Headless corpses and suggestion of a serial killer who operates on a specific timescale, can the police work out the significance of that and the message he leaves behind? The killer has struck before and it seems like he has resurfaced, Savage must work with her team to unravel the clues before the killer strikes again.

I read the book before this one but not the first in the series, I have to say I felt with this book the writer has came on leaps and bounds. The story flips between the investigation, police findings and the professional relationship between Savage and Riley. As well as this case Riley is looking into a potential lead from an old case that has special significance for Savage. Add into the mix a prison officer has gone missing and foul play is suspected.

It is a busy story with lots of twists and sidelines going on, the killer also has a voice every so often, written in italics so there is not confusion it is him. This gives small glimpses of what is going on with him and potentially driving him although in small parts which some readers may find irritating although I personally thought it was well done.

The murders are brutal, sadistic and there is details within the story that gore lovers will find riveting and put off others who like their crime to be totally procedural and less graphic. All in all I felt it kept you interested, went at a really good pace and by the end most of your questions were answered. A few were left unanswered and for some I think there will be closure within the next book but not all of them. For me it is a 4/5 and I will definitely follow the next installment to see if Savage will finally get some closure. Thanks to the publicist for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is available to purchase now from all good retailers and you can find the author on Twitter @MarkSennen.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a strong series from a talented author rapidly making a namer for himself. Happily DI Charlotte Savage 4, Tell Tale is now out so I can continue reading these police procedurals set around Plymouth. Savage may been the focus but there is a strong set of characters developing which reflects the true nature of detective teams.
This is basically a serial killer after a hiatus of 5 years coming back and terrifying the community again.
Not involved with the initial failed investigation Savage helps lead the team to try and track down the killer before he strikes again.
I loved the many different ways the author uses the case to reveal the pressures on the police to get a result. Although they appear throw away lines and incidents collectively they build up this sense of pressure and failure to get their man.
Consequently mistakes are made,too long spent on false leads and following the wrong lines of enquiry. However that is what I applaud about this book; there is a real sense of investigation and Sennen cleverly works the plot so that the reader isn't fully aware of all the facts before the police get their break.
Lots of issues are touched upon and great use of the wider expanse of Dartmoor. Another missing person enquiry runs alondside the main serial killings and the range of personnel involved is outlined so it isn't just down to Savage's little grey matter.
Obviously the main events tend to centre around her; she hasn't been fully forgiven for past sins but her dedecation is clearly shown. We warm to her and her personal loss that means the one investigation she wants to resolve, the hit and run driver who knocked off her daughter from her bike and leaving her for dead is brought to justice.
There are suggestions that a more unconvential search for the truth within criminal circles could achieve what normal police work couldn't.
We are left at the end of this excellent stand-alone story in wondering what debt will she owe the criminal instrumental in sourcing a name; what sense of justice will be metered out, she hints that she would perhaps go beyond the law. Finally at the end of this novel the name is given which means Charlotte's world it turned upside down and I can't wait to read book 4.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent crime thriller, which really kept me turning the page. D I Charlotte Savage is on the hunt for a serial killer, one who has returned to start killing again, seemingly from the grave. The murders are brutal and sadistic and really send a chill down your spine, especially when the pieces of the puzzle all start to come together and you realise why the killings are taking place.

I really enjoyed the hunt, the way the plot twisted and turned to its conclusion and I really felt for Charlotte and her team as they sweated through the investigation. At times I was just as baffled as the police, but eventually the reader is one step ahead and that was so frustrating, being in the know!

I also enjoyed the segments telling the story from the killer’s viewpoint – extremely chilling stuff.

DS Darius Riley also makes a return and this time he is handling a missing persons case, so unable to work alongside Charlotte as such, but his part of the storyline is equally as interesting. I really liked his character, and hope the author brings him back in his next book.

This is the third book in the series but don’t let that put you off, it can be read as a standalone. Any background information you need is told, and in a nice way, one that doesn’t make you feel like an idiot for not knowing it already. Having said it can be read as a standalone – the final page left me open mouthed and now I really really want to read the next Charlotte Savage book, and I want to read it now!

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first time I have read this author and his DI Charlotte Savage series of books. It appears that this is the third in the series so I was coming to it blind as I had not read the previous two. I enjoyed the book and was always keen to read 'one more chapter ' to see what happens next. Some of the subject matter was quite gruesome but I'd like to read more in this series of books.

[Jez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in the DI Savage series.
A grave with 3 bodies is discovered on a corner of farmland, in an awkward location just outside of town, and Savage is called to investigate. One of the bodies seems more recently buried than the others, and concerns arise that this could be a serial killer resurfacing.
Great opening, again, and I was interested immediately. I like the setting in the southwest of the UK, and the atmosphere the author captures. The descriptions of locations are perfect to paint a picture in your mind’s eye, even without knowing them. But then that’s kind of key to the story as it unfolds.
You’ll bump into the same police characters as before, but they’re starting crystallise out now as distinct identities, and the relationships/irritations between them becoming clearer. It feels the series has found its footing and got into the swing of things.
Every so often there is a short chapter spoken by the killer. Cleverly done! As it’s first person perspective in these snippets, you don’t know the identity of the speaker, so it does keep you guessing.
There is a bit of dark humour and sarcasm riding to the surface every so often, and there are times when protocol gets in the way, or when someone is being a prat, you can practically hear savage roll her eyes.
I still haven’t read the first book, but feel like I’m missing out on key information on Savage. We get recaps of the past, but I’m not sure it is the same as reading the book.
Enjoyed book 3 much more than book 2. It just felt a lot more more like it knew what it wanted to be doing. I can see this has potential to be a good series, I like the different characters, and will probably try more books in the series.

[Clare Sudbery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beheaded and disfigured female bodies are discovered buried in a remote corner of a farm. The work of the "candle cake killer", the reader gets to see occasionally through the eyes of the killer but for most of the novel we don't know who they are. The detective is female and strong (although it has to be said, not that brilliant at solving mysteries).
A gripping tale that kept me reading to the end. There was plenty of mystery to keep me guessing (I more or less worked it all out, but it took me a while and there was still a surprise at the end, which is just the right balance).
The only bum notes were that
1) There is one scene repeated twice at the start of the book and it wasn't at all obvious it was the same scene (when the main detective first visits the first crime scene), which meant I wasted a lot of unnecessary time flicking back and forth between the two passages trying to work out whether they were supposed to be describing the same thing or not.
2) There is a character who is described as "mentally and physically ill" and it really is one of the worst characterisations I've ever read of somebody with various disabilities. The descriptions get worse throughout the book, are nowhere close to any kind of reality, and worst of all there seems to be an assumption that such a person would happily commit rape and torture with very little persuasion.

[Trevor Snape · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read. The story is well paced and a real page turner, and the ending will have you wondering if the next book in the series will bring a conclusion to the under lying theme within the series. The book is based along south coast of England around the Plymouth area and involves a serial killer and the police's attempts to catch the killer. Nice touch with the number of candles on each birthday cake, read it to find out why.

[Christina Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this in a series set and mistakenly thought this was first in series. Mark Sennen is a new author to me but so glad I decided to give his books a go. I loved this book and cannot wait to read the rest in the series, now reading the first one which judging by the first few chapters is going to be just as good. Can highly recommend this series by Mark Sennen and will keep reading them myself.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

You might notice that it took me forever to get through this book...I should have just given up and moved on, but I did want to know what actually was going on. My biggest problem was the sections that put you in the mind of the crazy killer and I really never want to be there, and secondly the story was a bit draggy despite the murders and just didn't grab and hold onto me. Oh well, finally finished and moving on to a Stephen Booth Cooper and Fry!

[Karen wadey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately the first thing wrong about this book is the title. Why wouldn't you give it a more exciting title such as the Candle cake killer or the adoption murders or the Dartmoor serial killer(s).
Apart fom the main detective the rest of the team were very non descript and boring. The plot was very leaky and the storyline predictable. Not an author I will seek out again for a while.

[Rebecca Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Mark Sennen is a master. DI Savage has soon become my favourite character of all time. Having spent my teenage years and all of my adulthood being an avid reader, Having a new favoured character is a shock!

[Hilda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very very good and very well written.it was brilliant. I couldn’t believe how someone can be so cruel and mean and psychopath.I couldn’t believe when it was revealed who was behind all that happened.

[Wendy Honour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the greatest read, very slow start but more interesting towards the end. Still had the element of intrigue which kept me reading it instead of giving up

[Vanessa Humphries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oops I read it before. Ordered the next three from the library

[MS Carole Kaleda · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read

Couldn’t put it down, thank you. Bring on the next book! Looking forward to reading more DI Savage crime stories

[Lou Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really had me gripped throughout. First time reading a murder mystery, I shall read more in the series.

[eilleen smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriller

Really good book if it had been a film I would have been hiding behind cushions! Exceptional descriptions of Dartmoor and the area really felt like you were there.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cut Dead is the third novel in Mark Sennen’s police procedural series following Touch and Bad Blood. DI Charlotte Savage and her team are on the trail of a killer who was at large 10 years ago, but now appears to be back. A pit has been discovered with three mutilated female corpses in it, all bearing the hallmarks of a killer the Savage’s team thought was dead. They face a race against time to apprehend him, but is this the original murderer or a copycat? Throw into the mix the disappearance of a prison officer at Dartmoor – one who was thought to be corrupt – and sleep old Devon looks more like a hotbed of intrigue and murder.

Cut Dead slots right into the grand tradition of the British police procedural, focusing on The Candle Cake Killer who was active several years previously, abducting and killing women around the Summer Solstice. As DI Savage do their work, we’re afforded a parallel narrative by the killer which offers some insight into his motivations. Depraved, manipulative, clever and with his twsted psyche, he proves himself an admirable adversary for Savage.

Our heroine is a solid enough character, casting up few surprises and thankfully free of the normal clichés usually associated with high ranking female police characters. She is highly professional and assured in her control of both her team and the investigation itself. She’s not all that colourful, though, aside from a dubious connection with a local criminal to sort out a problem from her past. The only other character that really establishes prominence or interest is DS Darius Riley, a black officer from London, and a fairly new addition to the team. He gives rise to some good nature jibes regarding his ‘soft city boy’ status in the countryside, but they belie his competency as a police officer which comes to light consistently through the book.

The central premise of the Solstice murders is a little harder to buy. The idea of this incredibly American-style serial killer, straight out of the pages of Jack Kerley or Richard Montanari, with hideously mutilated corpses turning up in a farmer’s field in Devon seems quite improbable. The killer’s narrative treads the well-worn path of many previous books right down to the use of italics for the passages in which he ruminates about his personal history and the road to murder. However, the parallel investigation into the disappearance of the prison officer provides more interest, especially with its link to the unsolved death of Savage’s sister some years previously. Sennen maps possible reasons for the officer’s disappearance very well, as well as the daily temptations and problems encountered in the employment of the prison service. Equally, the historical facts about Dartmoor add an interesting diversion to the main plotlines. Within the book overall, this storyline provides a good counterbalance to the fairly pedestrian nature of the serial killer murders.

Cut Dead might have used a little more life in the characterisation and the wholly American feel of The Candle Cake Killer doesn’t quite fit, but the bok is nonetheless a satisfying enough read – especially if you prefer British police procedurals. Even with my reservations, I will be seeking out the first two in the series, as Sennen’s tight control of the narrative and his obvious affection for and knowledge of Devon do come shining through.

[Nick Davies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, this was a disappointment. An interesting plot, and a well-rendered Devon setting, but I felt it was badly executed apart from that. DI Charlotte Savage and her colleagues try and track down who is murdering women on Midsummer's Day and burying them in a field. I quite admired the central idea, but just found the cast of characters too samey and hence too difficult to keep track of (Sennen assuming his readers are more familiar with previous books in the series, perhaps, or just poor discrimination in the writing), too little humour/lightness in the story (all pretty grim, no wit) and little in the workmanlike straightforward police procedural writing to elevate this above others in the genre.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a goodreads win in exchange for an honest review, hence you are seeing this before the actual book publication date. This is the 3rd book from Mark Sennen staring DI Charlotte Savage, who is once again on the trail of a serial killer and also dealing with her own issues. I don't want to give away plot points so no spoilers! this is part thriller, part police procedural and all action. I was kept guessing up until the big reveal and there's a good twist. I do however recommend reading the other 2 books first as the back story will make more sense. But damn you Mark for leaving me hanging! Looking forward to the next installment.

[Chrys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really really enjoying this series, it's great for me to read good stories that are set in Plymouth as I live here. A gritty new front story about a chilling psychopath sits well with the long story of the series, which is about the death of DI Savage's daughter. I like the connectivity of the plot and characters, some really excellent spider-webbing.
A little bit graphic in places but well worth a look, especially if you're from the Westcountry.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, well-told murder mystery. Gruesome details, nasty people (which I expected, obviously - that's NOT a complaint!) and slow-release of details so that the end came as a surprise. I could do with a bit more detail about Charlotte herself, but generally the characters are well-evoked, terrain vivid.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real page-turner. I'm enjoying getting to know the characters in the series. A very compelling and dark story, with lots of twists and turns and plenty of action. Rather gory in places, but necessary as part of the plot. One more to read before I say goodbye to Charlotte Savage till the new book's out next year.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many coincidences and contrived happenings. The author is overly fond of the 'I know what you did but I haven't told anyone rather I decided to meet you here at this cliff edge to confront you.' trope.
Some implausible events put in to mainly add length to the book.
Does not make me want to read any of the others in the series.

[Karolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this book hard to read although I liked the storyline and the characters, even restarted because I lost the plot, have been tired and not well last few weeks. Took longer then usual to read this book. Will try another when timing is better, like idea of female DI and the setting of around Plymouth

[Maxime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read a DI Charlotte Savage novel and being a crime fan i was not disapointed good storyline very scenic with good plot twist i would recommend and look forward to reading more in the series

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read, characters believable.

[NoirBlogger · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good detective story introducing Det Charlotte Savage. Well written, good plot- going to look out for more of these