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The Cutting
Not yet published
Expected 19 Jan 27When a woman haunted by a relentless presence seeks Annie Jackson's help, Annie and her brother Lewis are drawn into an investigation that reaches deep into Scotland's darkest history.
Evie Cartwright first speaks to the dead as a child. When she leaves home for university, her ability takes a terrifying turn after she witnesses a brutal murder. By morning, she is haunted by a dead serial killer who refuses to leave her alone, and marked by a cut across her neck that never heals.
For the next ten years, Evie is driven from place to place, searching for a way to rid herself of the voice that torments her day and night. When desperation leaves her with nowhere else to turn, she arrives at the remote Highland home of Annie Jackson, hoping she will finally find answers.
As Annie and her brother Lewis begin to investigate, helped by an old friend with specialist knowledge of the occult, they are drawn into a dark and dangerous search that reaches deep into Scotland's history. And some ghosts are not content to remain in the shadows…
Evie Cartwright first speaks to the dead as a child. When she leaves home for university, her ability takes a terrifying turn after she witnesses a brutal murder. By morning, she is haunted by a dead serial killer who refuses to leave her alone, and marked by a cut across her neck that never heals.
For the next ten years, Evie is driven from place to place, searching for a way to rid herself of the voice that torments her day and night. When desperation leaves her with nowhere else to turn, she arrives at the remote Highland home of Annie Jackson, hoping she will finally find answers.
As Annie and her brother Lewis begin to investigate, helped by an old friend with specialist knowledge of the occult, they are drawn into a dark and dangerous search that reaches deep into Scotland's history. And some ghosts are not content to remain in the shadows…
300 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 19, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy
The Cutting is the part of the Annie Jackson series, however I read it as a standalone having not read the others, and I still really enjoyed it! And after that ending, I will be reading the next one for sure!
This book gave me the perfect vibes for autumn, it’s dark, mysterious, spooky and compelling. I do love a gothic thriller and the atmosphere of this one was perfect.
With topics focusing around seeing the dead, psychic mediums, witches and witch trials, alongside a modern day search for a criminal, this book keeps you on your toes from all angles.
I loved the multiple POVs from the different characters and timelines, and even though there were a lot of them, I didn’t find it confusing at all.
A perfect ready for spooky season! 👻
Thank you very much to @1michaeljmalone @orendabooks @randomthingstours for my copy 🖤
This book gave me the perfect vibes for autumn, it’s dark, mysterious, spooky and compelling. I do love a gothic thriller and the atmosphere of this one was perfect.
With topics focusing around seeing the dead, psychic mediums, witches and witch trials, alongside a modern day search for a criminal, this book keeps you on your toes from all angles.
I loved the multiple POVs from the different characters and timelines, and even though there were a lot of them, I didn’t find it confusing at all.
A perfect ready for spooky season! 👻
Thank you very much to @1michaeljmalone @orendabooks @randomthingstours for my copy 🖤
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you do much for the proof - 3.25 stars???
I enjoyed this - I sadly didn't realise it was no.4 in a series as I was reading I felt a little put of the loop for some things and felt very ??? Until I found out
Despite that, had a good time and loved some of the atmosphere that really helped me feel more invested in the story
I enjoyed this - I sadly didn't realise it was no.4 in a series as I was reading I felt a little put of the loop for some things and felt very ??? Until I found out
Despite that, had a good time and loved some of the atmosphere that really helped me feel more invested in the story
August 26, 2026
I really do love this series. Not even going to try and build the suspense in this review and, straight off the bat, state I loved this latest offering from Mr Malone too. The Annie Jackson series encapsulates some of my favourite things about fiction - that brilliant blend of gothic thrills and suspense, a touch of the supernatural and a whole lot of mystery, perhaps even a hint of misdirection, all wrapped in Michael J. Malones beautifully immersive narrative style that has me drawn into his novels from the very start. And it seems that Annie's connection to the other conscious planes is expanding once again with the arrival of a newcomer to her circle of friends, one who comes with her own unique abilities and, well, hauntings.
The Cutting introduces Annie, and by extension we readers, to Evie Cartwright, a young woman who has long held a connection to the dead. A unique ability to communicate with them that many may wish to dismiss as fake medium trickery but is very clear to us all is nothing of the sort. And it seems Evie's talents come at a cost. A dark and malevolent spirit that has attached itself to her, eating into her thoughts day and night. Especially at night. The scenes in which he appears are suitably dark and skin crawling, the kind that if you are a sensitive soul, you may wish to read with the lights on, or where you have company. Plenty of company. Now Annie may well be the only person who can help Evie gain her much needed peace, but if you have paid any attention at all during the series - and if this is your first introduction to the series I would encourage you to read them all - then you will know that this will be no small ask.
Now if this were simply about Evie's quest for a special kind of exorcism, that would be one thing. A dark tinged ghost story of the finest order. But this is a Michael J. Malone novel. It is never going to be just a ghost story. Not that I would object to that - I like gjost stories. But the novel ventures boldly into some of Scotland's dark and troubled past, into tales of persecution that should never have happened but are sadly borne of the superstitions and prejudices long past, but which have informed the series from the very beginning. There are echoes of earlier novels - hence my advice to read them all - and elements of Evie's past, recounted through the memories of the spirit that haunts her in an especially effective dual timeline story, that may seem very familiar and steer us to not only the truth of why this particular ghost is so tormented and angry, but also connects Annie and Evie to other familiar characters who make a not altogether welcome appearance in the book.
And there is another thread, one that feeds straight off the back of Annie, and her twin brother Lewis's last confrontation in the preceding novel, The Howling. It adds jeopardy and tension to a novel that is already intense, as well as unexpected tragedy and emotion to the book too. This is one of the authors real key skills, not only capturing the haunting nature of Annie's talents, but building emotional depth to his characters, making you care about them even if, as sometimes in the case of Evie, you never quite trust them. I liked her. Mostly. Had a sympathy for her position, if not always approval for her methods. Not a character I would ever condemn or dismiss, but certainly one who, through the author's portrayal, had me shaking my head in disappointment a few too many times. I am intrigued by her story though, wondering if, and how, Annie might be able to find an answer for her, much as I am invested in Annie finding her own version of release.
As for that ending ... Mr Malone - you are a very naughty writer. I mean, I was always going to read the next book (hopefully books) anyway, but now I will have to, won't I? A begrudging smile for what he has done here. The right way to conclude the novel, yes. For now. Yes folks. It's a kind of cliffhanger. Some threads closed off, others leaving us with an almighty 'what the heck' that will both delight and frustrate. It is going to be a long old wait for answers, anticipation off the scale kind of scenario with as many, if not more, questions that at the start of the book. If you love the series, you will eat this up. If you are new here, as I said before, start at book one. You need it to fully appreciate the sheer artistry and skill here in building the narrative, a complex and gothic laced world that I am utterly addicted too. Definitely recommended.
The Cutting introduces Annie, and by extension we readers, to Evie Cartwright, a young woman who has long held a connection to the dead. A unique ability to communicate with them that many may wish to dismiss as fake medium trickery but is very clear to us all is nothing of the sort. And it seems Evie's talents come at a cost. A dark and malevolent spirit that has attached itself to her, eating into her thoughts day and night. Especially at night. The scenes in which he appears are suitably dark and skin crawling, the kind that if you are a sensitive soul, you may wish to read with the lights on, or where you have company. Plenty of company. Now Annie may well be the only person who can help Evie gain her much needed peace, but if you have paid any attention at all during the series - and if this is your first introduction to the series I would encourage you to read them all - then you will know that this will be no small ask.
Now if this were simply about Evie's quest for a special kind of exorcism, that would be one thing. A dark tinged ghost story of the finest order. But this is a Michael J. Malone novel. It is never going to be just a ghost story. Not that I would object to that - I like gjost stories. But the novel ventures boldly into some of Scotland's dark and troubled past, into tales of persecution that should never have happened but are sadly borne of the superstitions and prejudices long past, but which have informed the series from the very beginning. There are echoes of earlier novels - hence my advice to read them all - and elements of Evie's past, recounted through the memories of the spirit that haunts her in an especially effective dual timeline story, that may seem very familiar and steer us to not only the truth of why this particular ghost is so tormented and angry, but also connects Annie and Evie to other familiar characters who make a not altogether welcome appearance in the book.
And there is another thread, one that feeds straight off the back of Annie, and her twin brother Lewis's last confrontation in the preceding novel, The Howling. It adds jeopardy and tension to a novel that is already intense, as well as unexpected tragedy and emotion to the book too. This is one of the authors real key skills, not only capturing the haunting nature of Annie's talents, but building emotional depth to his characters, making you care about them even if, as sometimes in the case of Evie, you never quite trust them. I liked her. Mostly. Had a sympathy for her position, if not always approval for her methods. Not a character I would ever condemn or dismiss, but certainly one who, through the author's portrayal, had me shaking my head in disappointment a few too many times. I am intrigued by her story though, wondering if, and how, Annie might be able to find an answer for her, much as I am invested in Annie finding her own version of release.
As for that ending ... Mr Malone - you are a very naughty writer. I mean, I was always going to read the next book (hopefully books) anyway, but now I will have to, won't I? A begrudging smile for what he has done here. The right way to conclude the novel, yes. For now. Yes folks. It's a kind of cliffhanger. Some threads closed off, others leaving us with an almighty 'what the heck' that will both delight and frustrate. It is going to be a long old wait for answers, anticipation off the scale kind of scenario with as many, if not more, questions that at the start of the book. If you love the series, you will eat this up. If you are new here, as I said before, start at book one. You need it to fully appreciate the sheer artistry and skill here in building the narrative, a complex and gothic laced world that I am utterly addicted too. Definitely recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Evie Cartwright has been able to communicate with the dead since she was a child. After leaving home for university, she witnesses a brutal murder and since that day she has been haunted by the ghost of a vicious serial killer. To make things worse, she has a mysterious cut across her neck that never heals. For the last ten years she has been travelling the world in the hopes of finding someone who can help her get rid of this malevolent spirit, finally winding up on the very remote doorstep of Annie Jacksons home in the Scottish Highlands. She manages to convince Annie to help her and with assistance from one of Annie's contacts who has specialist knowledge of the occult, the two women travel deep into Scotland's history and folklore to discover why this particular ghost has attached itself to Evie and what it is that it truly wants.
I really wanted to love this book especially because I’m a big fan of anything involving ghosts and folklore, add in a creepy Scottish setting and I’m there. There was plenty that I enjoyed, particularly this idea that the ghost of a dead serial killer has attached itself to someone and won’t leave her alone. I enjoyed the way the book brought together actual history and folklore and blended it very successfully into a story that wasn't entirely supernatural.
The characters were fairly interesting and I did like the way the relationship between Annie and Evie developed. I was also very interested in watching Annie's brother Lewis’ story arc develop.
For me, though, it didn't quite have the impact I was hoping for. There were parts that felt a little slow and I didn't feel as invested in the mystery as I wanted to be. The darker elements were definitely there, but I found myself wanting more tension and a little more of that genuinely creepy feeling.
I also think this is one where reading the previous books would probably make a difference. Although it can be read as a standalone, there is clearly a lot of character history behind Annie and Lewis, and I felt at times that I was missing some of that connection.
There is plenty to like about this book but I do feel like overall, I needed that backstory to really enjoy it fully.
I really wanted to love this book especially because I’m a big fan of anything involving ghosts and folklore, add in a creepy Scottish setting and I’m there. There was plenty that I enjoyed, particularly this idea that the ghost of a dead serial killer has attached itself to someone and won’t leave her alone. I enjoyed the way the book brought together actual history and folklore and blended it very successfully into a story that wasn't entirely supernatural.
The characters were fairly interesting and I did like the way the relationship between Annie and Evie developed. I was also very interested in watching Annie's brother Lewis’ story arc develop.
For me, though, it didn't quite have the impact I was hoping for. There were parts that felt a little slow and I didn't feel as invested in the mystery as I wanted to be. The darker elements were definitely there, but I found myself wanting more tension and a little more of that genuinely creepy feeling.
I also think this is one where reading the previous books would probably make a difference. Although it can be read as a standalone, there is clearly a lot of character history behind Annie and Lewis, and I felt at times that I was missing some of that connection.
There is plenty to like about this book but I do feel like overall, I needed that backstory to really enjoy it fully.
September 29, 2026
Annie Jackson experiences ‘the murmurs’, an ancient curse affecting the females in her family, where she can tell of someone’s impending death.
She is trying to live a quiet life in a cottage in the Scottish Highlands.
It’s where she’s approached by Evie, who works as a medium, asking for Annie’s help. Evie has always been able to communicate with the dead, but for the past ten years, she’s been haunted by an evil spirit, an entity called Vincent.
As Annie can feel Vincent’s malevolent presence, she decides to help Evie…
I’m such a huge fan of this series, and this book didn’t disappoint.
I enjoyed catching up with all the characters, and I was gripped by Vincent’s story. I also loved learning more about the Scottish folklore and the treatment of women branded as “witches”.
This book is perfect with impending Halloween. It’s dark, moody and absolutely captivating. Perfect for when the nights are drawing in!
She is trying to live a quiet life in a cottage in the Scottish Highlands.
It’s where she’s approached by Evie, who works as a medium, asking for Annie’s help. Evie has always been able to communicate with the dead, but for the past ten years, she’s been haunted by an evil spirit, an entity called Vincent.
As Annie can feel Vincent’s malevolent presence, she decides to help Evie…
I’m such a huge fan of this series, and this book didn’t disappoint.
I enjoyed catching up with all the characters, and I was gripped by Vincent’s story. I also loved learning more about the Scottish folklore and the treatment of women branded as “witches”.
This book is perfect with impending Halloween. It’s dark, moody and absolutely captivating. Perfect for when the nights are drawing in!
Review of advance copy
I love this series more with every book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews