Final Cut

Margot O'Banion Mysteries #1

by Kit Sloane

A film crew from Hollywood, on location to shoot a movie's final
scenes, provides the action and the drama for Kit Sloane's suspense thriller, Final Cut.

Margot O'Banion Lake loves her life as the editor who accompanies directorial genius Max Skull and cuts and splices Max's frames into box office hits. But as soon as they arrive at the Palisades Ranch, it's obvious that something unwholesome is brewing there, where deceased film editor Amory Evans worked his surgical magic on footage gone wrong. Amory's widow has inherited his distaste for the Los Angeles set, although Letitia's twin sister Bernice may be more forgiving. But why do the old women put Max and Margot in such a shabby suite? And why has someone placed a very obvious bugging device in the corner of their bedroom?

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2000

About the author

KIT SLOANE ....A GRADUATE IN Art History from Mills College, Oakland, California, Kit has published short stories and many articles on the art of writing and the writing business. She served as first fiction editor for Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine. She especially enjoys lecturing about the writing world and mentoring new writers. She is a long time member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Mystery Women of the UK and was named one of Mills College’s Literary Women for 2007. Kit and her professor husband live on a small hilltop horse ranch in Northern California’s sublime wine country.

Reviews

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margot O’Banion Lake and her lover Max Skull are in the film business. When an opportunity arises for Max to shoot his final scenes at the home of Letitia Evans, widow of the greatest film editor of his time, Amory Evans, Margot is swept along with Max’s enthusiasm and her desire to ‘cut’ in the studio of the master.

On arrival the ranch is more than Margot had envisaged, and when she meets Letitia in the flesh, she is with her twin sister Bernice, and Margot is then not certain with whom she has been speaking on the telephone. The twins are identical, and decidedly weird.

The guest cottage is disappointing after her tour of the man house, which is lavishly furnished. In contrast the guest house is sparsely furnished and there is no telephone.

While Margot is quiet and shy, Max is flamboyant, and he waves away her reservation’s intent only on the wonderful location for his film.

In this book, nothing is as it seems, and no one should be taken at face value. Cut off from everyone, with half of her fascinated to be working in the studio of the great artist Amory Evans, and the other half of her wanting to run like hell. Margot is torn by her love for Max and the impending dread that seems to be overtaking her.

When Margot runs the film she has put together, it is different. The cut’s made are not her work. Is someone sabotaging Max’s film? And how are they doing it? And who is doing it?

An incredible novel of suspense. Kit has me totally confused and sucked in. One of those books you cannot out down.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
Earlier books in the series are, Bad Actors, Last Words, Grape Noir, Extreme Cuisine Location, Location, The Fat Lady Sings and The Magicians.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is the meat that the legendary Director of Films, Alfred Hitchcock would gnaw upon greedily. There were many vivid scenes drawn by the Author into my mind.

I was reminded of Architect, Frank Lloyd Wright's spectacular mountain homes. For those unfamiliar with his architecture, he is famous for his buildings/homes/offices blending into nature. A spectacular one is in California as the "Marin County Civic Building" next to the fair grounds. The home in the book flows and drapes the mountain that caresses the building wearing bright reds and almost 'eyes' in deadly black. The house adds to the atmosphere most dramatically. This eerie feeling increases as Margot and Max walk up the path to the western ranch (a misnomer indeed.) I was reminded of the movie, The Rocky Horror Show. There are warnings, oh yes, there are.

Hatred resounds within these walls. Hatred of race, religion, cats, and could it be possible? Men themselves?

Who lives there, well just two elderly women. One a widow of one of Hollywood's finest film Directors having won three Oscars. Everything seems lovely, or does it? Was there hidden microphones in the bedrooms? Why are Max and Margot sent not to the true Guest Room but a type of old saltbox? Why are members of the film crew missing and then returning with a type of amnesia? Who is trying to kill Margot and for heavens sake, Why? Just who is Johnny Pine?

This is a fine psychological thriller. It captured me from page one and I stayed up hours to finish it as I was captured in so many ways.