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Riley and Harris #1
Cut To The Bone
One Missing Girl. Two Million Suspects.
Ruby is a vlogger, a rising star of YouTube and a heroine to millions of teenage girls.
And she's missing . . .
But she's an adult - the police aren't too worried.
Until the video's uploaded . . .
Ruby, in the dirt, pleading for her life.
Enter Detective Inspector Kate Riley; the Met's rising star and the head of a new team of investigators with the best resources money can buy. Among them, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris, the poster boy for multiracial policing. But can Kate wholly trust him - and more importantly, can she trust herself around him?
As hysteria builds amongst the press and Ruby's millions of fans, Kate and her team are under pressure to get results, and fast, but as they soon discover, the world of YouTube vloggers and social media is much darker than anyone could have imagined.
And the videos keep coming . . .
Ruby is a vlogger, a rising star of YouTube and a heroine to millions of teenage girls.
And she's missing . . .
But she's an adult - the police aren't too worried.
Until the video's uploaded . . .
Ruby, in the dirt, pleading for her life.
Enter Detective Inspector Kate Riley; the Met's rising star and the head of a new team of investigators with the best resources money can buy. Among them, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris, the poster boy for multiracial policing. But can Kate wholly trust him - and more importantly, can she trust herself around him?
As hysteria builds amongst the press and Ruby's millions of fans, Kate and her team are under pressure to get results, and fast, but as they soon discover, the world of YouTube vloggers and social media is much darker than anyone could have imagined.
And the videos keep coming . . .
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2016
92 people are currently reading
1779 people want to read
About the author
Alex Caan
5 books61 followersFor fans of THE FALL, a slick, dark, contemporary THRILLER in the tradition of SARAH HILARY and ROBERT GALBRAITH that grips from the very first page.
What the reviews say:
'Told in an uncompromising way...a different book which is really refreshing.'
‘A very taut crime thriller…The story moves at a face pace, with lots of twists and turns. A dark edgy story for the current times of social media exploitation.’
‘WOW!!!! Blisteringly fabulous dark crime, that is hard to put down!’
'It's a super-twisty police procedural that kept me guessing right until the end!'
‘Not many books can keep me reading until the early hours of the morning but this debut novel grabbed me from page one and didn't let me go!’
‘You're kept moving along and the plot is engaging enough that you keep wanting to turn pages. I loved the plot twists and the character development.’
‘This was a great mystery with much deeper subject matter than I originally thought.’
‘I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book. I didn’t particularly know anything about the world of vlogging, and it sounded like more of a YA book, but I decided to read it and am glad that I did. This is a fast paced thriller that takes you on a ride through the seedier side of vlogging, and political corruption. It is well written, and the characters are intriguing. The plot is good, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.’
‘I am not a big fan of social media but this was a great read and the story kept you turning the page from the very beginning.’
‘Absolutely brilliant book which I consumed in a matter of days and loved every minute of!’
‘I thoroughly enjoyed the plot in Cut To The Bone as it has a bit of everything. I love a good police procedural and this is very good on procedure without being boring. There is misdirection at every turn which really held my attention and kept me in the dark until the end.’
‘Unlike other procedural crime series, this has a darker, angstier edge to it.’
‘A contemporary thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. It is a great buy and the author did a brilliant job.’
‘Thoroughly enjoyable with the short chapters making it easy to pick up and hard to put down.’
‘One of the most captivating introductions I have read in a while! Caan's use of short sentences creates tension effectively, gripping the reader and pulling them straight into the dark and frightening situation which sets the tone for the rest of this compelling thriller. This really is a novel for 2016.’
Biography:
Alex Caan has spent over a decade working in Information Systems Security for a number of government organisations, and is currently specialising in Terrorism Studies. A lifetime passion for writing was sparked by the encouraging words of an English Teacher in school, and eventually led to Alex successfully completing an MA in Creative Writing, and write Cut to the Bone. Alex lives in London and Manchester.
What the reviews say:
'Told in an uncompromising way...a different book which is really refreshing.'
‘A very taut crime thriller…The story moves at a face pace, with lots of twists and turns. A dark edgy story for the current times of social media exploitation.’
‘WOW!!!! Blisteringly fabulous dark crime, that is hard to put down!’
'It's a super-twisty police procedural that kept me guessing right until the end!'
‘Not many books can keep me reading until the early hours of the morning but this debut novel grabbed me from page one and didn't let me go!’
‘You're kept moving along and the plot is engaging enough that you keep wanting to turn pages. I loved the plot twists and the character development.’
‘This was a great mystery with much deeper subject matter than I originally thought.’
‘I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book. I didn’t particularly know anything about the world of vlogging, and it sounded like more of a YA book, but I decided to read it and am glad that I did. This is a fast paced thriller that takes you on a ride through the seedier side of vlogging, and political corruption. It is well written, and the characters are intriguing. The plot is good, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.’
‘I am not a big fan of social media but this was a great read and the story kept you turning the page from the very beginning.’
‘Absolutely brilliant book which I consumed in a matter of days and loved every minute of!’
‘I thoroughly enjoyed the plot in Cut To The Bone as it has a bit of everything. I love a good police procedural and this is very good on procedure without being boring. There is misdirection at every turn which really held my attention and kept me in the dark until the end.’
‘Unlike other procedural crime series, this has a darker, angstier edge to it.’
‘A contemporary thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. It is a great buy and the author did a brilliant job.’
‘Thoroughly enjoyable with the short chapters making it easy to pick up and hard to put down.’
‘One of the most captivating introductions I have read in a while! Caan's use of short sentences creates tension effectively, gripping the reader and pulling them straight into the dark and frightening situation which sets the tone for the rest of this compelling thriller. This really is a novel for 2016.’
Biography:
Alex Caan has spent over a decade working in Information Systems Security for a number of government organisations, and is currently specialising in Terrorism Studies. A lifetime passion for writing was sparked by the encouraging words of an English Teacher in school, and eventually led to Alex successfully completing an MA in Creative Writing, and write Cut to the Bone. Alex lives in London and Manchester.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
October 21, 2016
I am replacing a review that strangely has gone missing and been deleted on Goodreads. This is a compelling and complex crime thriller which grabs your attention and never lets go. It shines a light on the world of vlogging, and the people and corporate interests that inhabit this segment of the media. It is a world where a young unknown person can be catapulted to super stardom and megabucks. A new and well resourced police unit has been established under the control of the politically ambitious Justin Hope. DCI Kate Riley and DS Zain Harris are called in when Ruby, a successful vlogger, is abducted. Shortly after, disturbing videos are posted online which lead to a frenetic investigation.
Kate and Zain have troubled pasts. Kate lives with her mother who needs constant care after suffering a devastating attack. As a result, her mother has the condition Prosopagnosia, face blindness. Zain is struggling to keep himself together after events that occurred in his last post. They look into Dan Grant, another vlogger and Ruby's boyfriend. Dan is an unpleasant, flawed and arrogant young man who has let his celebrity lifestyle go to his head. Ruby and Dan were contracted to the suspicious and shadowy MindNet that set out to exert almost total control over their clients. There are connections with unspeakable and criminal corporate actions and misconduct in Africa. There are behind the scenes political machinations to control the unit. There is even a 'deep throat' character. The unit struggle to get a hold on exactly what happened to Ruby, and there are further threats. What will it take to find out what exactly is going on?
The novel has very short chapters resulting in a tense, suspenseful and fast paced narrative. I really enjoyed the fascinating insight into the world of vlogging of which I knew little. The story is well plotted and engaging. The characters are interesting and complex. The whole unit goes out of its way to resolve the case and the relationships seem authentic. Highly recommended book. Many thanks to Bonnier Publishing for an ARC.
Kate and Zain have troubled pasts. Kate lives with her mother who needs constant care after suffering a devastating attack. As a result, her mother has the condition Prosopagnosia, face blindness. Zain is struggling to keep himself together after events that occurred in his last post. They look into Dan Grant, another vlogger and Ruby's boyfriend. Dan is an unpleasant, flawed and arrogant young man who has let his celebrity lifestyle go to his head. Ruby and Dan were contracted to the suspicious and shadowy MindNet that set out to exert almost total control over their clients. There are connections with unspeakable and criminal corporate actions and misconduct in Africa. There are behind the scenes political machinations to control the unit. There is even a 'deep throat' character. The unit struggle to get a hold on exactly what happened to Ruby, and there are further threats. What will it take to find out what exactly is going on?
The novel has very short chapters resulting in a tense, suspenseful and fast paced narrative. I really enjoyed the fascinating insight into the world of vlogging of which I knew little. The story is well plotted and engaging. The characters are interesting and complex. The whole unit goes out of its way to resolve the case and the relationships seem authentic. Highly recommended book. Many thanks to Bonnier Publishing for an ARC.
June 28, 2016
I loved the blurb on this book and really wanted to read it. But it wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be but, it was still an okay book. Don't let that keep you from reading it though because as we know, we all have different opinions.
I thought this was going to be all about vlogging and it's not. Yes, it's what started the whole thing but the book takes off with conspiracy and worse.
Ruby Day is in her twenties and she's a vlogger. She makes tons of money (like many do) by have people sponsor her vlog or giving her free stuff. She's a really kind person on her vlog, but something happened and she was taken.
We have DCI Kate Riley on the scene and her right hand man, Zain. I liked both of their characters because they had pasts, Zain's is pretty messed up, but I'm not saying what happened to him. They are working hard to find out who has Ruby and trying to track the videos that keep getting posted of her... somewhere... out there!
There is Dan, he was her boyfriend in a sense. I can't talk much about that without giving a spoiler. Lets just say he was a fellow vlogger, he talked about video games and got tons of money as well.
Things turned ugly when Ruby, Dan and many others were conned into joining with a company named MINDNET. They ultimately were supposed to do all of your video editing and what not, good stuff, helping you out to get more people to follow you and give you money. Welllllllll....... then they tell you what you can put out there, what you can't, basically you don't have a mind of your own any more. Ruby didn't like this... Ruby found things out.. Ruby disappeared.
There are a lot of different characters in the book and I didn't really care for most of them. They were just good and bad people all around. I liked the book well enough, I just didn't love it. The beginning was awesome and then it was okay from then on out, well until the end when we find out what is going on. This is a crime book that goes all the way to the Congo. The only advice I can give on the book is if your one of the popular vloggers be careful!
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Bonnier Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
I thought this was going to be all about vlogging and it's not. Yes, it's what started the whole thing but the book takes off with conspiracy and worse.
Ruby Day is in her twenties and she's a vlogger. She makes tons of money (like many do) by have people sponsor her vlog or giving her free stuff. She's a really kind person on her vlog, but something happened and she was taken.
We have DCI Kate Riley on the scene and her right hand man, Zain. I liked both of their characters because they had pasts, Zain's is pretty messed up, but I'm not saying what happened to him. They are working hard to find out who has Ruby and trying to track the videos that keep getting posted of her... somewhere... out there!
There is Dan, he was her boyfriend in a sense. I can't talk much about that without giving a spoiler. Lets just say he was a fellow vlogger, he talked about video games and got tons of money as well.
Things turned ugly when Ruby, Dan and many others were conned into joining with a company named MINDNET. They ultimately were supposed to do all of your video editing and what not, good stuff, helping you out to get more people to follow you and give you money. Welllllllll....... then they tell you what you can put out there, what you can't, basically you don't have a mind of your own any more. Ruby didn't like this... Ruby found things out.. Ruby disappeared.
There are a lot of different characters in the book and I didn't really care for most of them. They were just good and bad people all around. I liked the book well enough, I just didn't love it. The beginning was awesome and then it was okay from then on out, well until the end when we find out what is going on. This is a crime book that goes all the way to the Congo. The only advice I can give on the book is if your one of the popular vloggers be careful!
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Bonnier Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
September 1, 2017
This to me was just an average read The premise wasn't what the blurb said bar the beginning. but then it was about something else completely, I hate books like this its so damn annoying well theres my rant for the day. just was a no brainer.
July 22, 2016
An interesting and mostly well written debut, if in the final evaluation it lacked atmosphere. There was a good mix of characters- I enjoyed the variety of backgrounds from which the team was assembled and I'd like to know more about Kate Riley and Zain Harris in particular. However, i'm not sure the POV changes always worked-there were some characters we saw throughout and then some thrown in for the odd chapter just to fill in some extra info or drama. It could be quite disorientating and a bit of a cheap way to add red herrings. The plot worked for the most part, though there was long section of the investigation thrown in to push the detectives off in another direction and that was resolved (or not really) in a few sentences at the end. I suppose it might form part of the ongoing storyline into the next book but it left me feeling a bit put out and it was more than a little cliched in any case. Will I read more? Maybe. It started off really well and I think the author has potential. We'll see.
October 1, 2017
OH MY GOD – what a book! I had been in a bit of a reading slump until I started Cut To The Bone and my mojo returned tenfold! This book EXCITED me – right to the core of my being EX-CIT-ED!! And the only debut this year that had me feeling this excited, was AA Dhand’s Streets of Darkness …until now, that is! Eeeeeek!
Set in London, the reader comes across corruption, politics, betrayal, oppression, obsession, power and the search for the truth. The world of vlogging comes to the forefront and there are puppet-master’s at play. I found myself wondering who is pulling the strings and why!
The plot is fast-paced and really gets the heart racing. It is one of those books you sit there and think “….just one more chapter, I can’t stop now!” – and you can’t because you just need to know what happens next. The #Booms (twists) absolutely floored me. The story is masterfully intertwined with various threads that really has your mind working on overdrive. Did I mention this is a debut? Well OMFG you would never guess as the story-line, structure and characterisation are written as if by the hands of a seasoned writer – one who knows how to grab his reader and keep them hooked!
Another *Wow* for the characters in this book! I won’t describe each and every one but do think a few need a mention for sure!
Zain Harris – haunted, flawed, a bit mysterious….loved him. #IMayHaveAnotherFictionalCrush! – I was not sure what to make of him initially, but it all came together and I really was drawn in by his vulnerabilities.
DCI Kate Riley – oh! Oh! OH! Can I be her!? Seriously! Can I? What a great backstory and such an interesting character on all levels. I want to know everything about her. She is a fantastic female lead: strong, flawed, a bit of a dark horse, not afraid to challenge but also chooes her battles carefully. Superb!!
Now Justin Hope….hmmmmm….I had so many questions about him. Have to say I did not really warm to him and definitely felt that this guy was in it for himself…but everyone will have their own opinion, right!?
As for the baddie…oooooh it was clever! Well played, Mr Caan….OMG, seriously well played….I did not have a friggin clue..and even when I did…you threw in a bit of organised chaos and I doubted myself. Nice!!
So guess what….if you are looking for a spine-tingling, chilling, exciting, suspenseful read that will leave you gasping for more…then #BuyThisBook! A definite #TopRead and #TopDebut for me! Alex Caan….I am a fan! Click the link and treat yourself to this fantastic and refreshing crime thriller debut!
Set in London, the reader comes across corruption, politics, betrayal, oppression, obsession, power and the search for the truth. The world of vlogging comes to the forefront and there are puppet-master’s at play. I found myself wondering who is pulling the strings and why!
The plot is fast-paced and really gets the heart racing. It is one of those books you sit there and think “….just one more chapter, I can’t stop now!” – and you can’t because you just need to know what happens next. The #Booms (twists) absolutely floored me. The story is masterfully intertwined with various threads that really has your mind working on overdrive. Did I mention this is a debut? Well OMFG you would never guess as the story-line, structure and characterisation are written as if by the hands of a seasoned writer – one who knows how to grab his reader and keep them hooked!
Another *Wow* for the characters in this book! I won’t describe each and every one but do think a few need a mention for sure!
Zain Harris – haunted, flawed, a bit mysterious….loved him. #IMayHaveAnotherFictionalCrush! – I was not sure what to make of him initially, but it all came together and I really was drawn in by his vulnerabilities.
DCI Kate Riley – oh! Oh! OH! Can I be her!? Seriously! Can I? What a great backstory and such an interesting character on all levels. I want to know everything about her. She is a fantastic female lead: strong, flawed, a bit of a dark horse, not afraid to challenge but also chooes her battles carefully. Superb!!
Now Justin Hope….hmmmmm….I had so many questions about him. Have to say I did not really warm to him and definitely felt that this guy was in it for himself…but everyone will have their own opinion, right!?
As for the baddie…oooooh it was clever! Well played, Mr Caan….OMG, seriously well played….I did not have a friggin clue..and even when I did…you threw in a bit of organised chaos and I doubted myself. Nice!!
So guess what….if you are looking for a spine-tingling, chilling, exciting, suspenseful read that will leave you gasping for more…then #BuyThisBook! A definite #TopRead and #TopDebut for me! Alex Caan….I am a fan! Click the link and treat yourself to this fantastic and refreshing crime thriller debut!
February 7, 2017
If nothing else, the story here is timely: At the heart of it all is "vlogging" - video blogging - plus more technology tricks for ferreting deleted information out of computers and cell phones than I ever dreamed existed. All in all, it's a very good debut novel, for which I thank the publisher (via NetGalley) for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
It begins when Ruby Day, a wildly popular vlogger, is reported missing by her distraught parents. The case lands at the feet of detective inspector Kate Riley, detective superintendent Zain Harris and the rest of the team from their newly formed department. Things take a nasty turn when a video is posted online depicting Ruby begging for her life, putting the detective team on high alert with the realization that they've got to move fast - but there are few clues to indicate where they should go next.
As team members put their technology talents to work, they begin to uncover information that points to Ruby's ex-boyfriend, vloggers who are being exploited by a less-than-honorable management company, misdeeds by a corporation that would be out of business in a heartbeat should the facts become known and dastardly cover-ups at the highest levels. Meantime, Ruby and Zain must deal with emotionally draining personal issues of their own - issues that simultaneously bring them together and drive them apart. In fact, that's true of several of the characters here; not only are they so seriously flawed that it's hard to tell the baddies from the goodies, but they're so many in number that I had a tough time keeping them straight in my aging head.
As the plot moves along, the investigation sort of splits in two directions, one of which is resolved (with several twists and turns) and the other not so much. Also left hanging are those complicated issues Kate and Zain have been dealing with for years, making me suspect this book may be intended as the start of a series. Whether or not that's true, bloggers, vloggers, gamers and technology buffs should be happy with this one (for the record, count me in two of those categories). And if I'm correct about a series, count me as one who'll be happy to sample the next one.
It begins when Ruby Day, a wildly popular vlogger, is reported missing by her distraught parents. The case lands at the feet of detective inspector Kate Riley, detective superintendent Zain Harris and the rest of the team from their newly formed department. Things take a nasty turn when a video is posted online depicting Ruby begging for her life, putting the detective team on high alert with the realization that they've got to move fast - but there are few clues to indicate where they should go next.
As team members put their technology talents to work, they begin to uncover information that points to Ruby's ex-boyfriend, vloggers who are being exploited by a less-than-honorable management company, misdeeds by a corporation that would be out of business in a heartbeat should the facts become known and dastardly cover-ups at the highest levels. Meantime, Ruby and Zain must deal with emotionally draining personal issues of their own - issues that simultaneously bring them together and drive them apart. In fact, that's true of several of the characters here; not only are they so seriously flawed that it's hard to tell the baddies from the goodies, but they're so many in number that I had a tough time keeping them straight in my aging head.
As the plot moves along, the investigation sort of splits in two directions, one of which is resolved (with several twists and turns) and the other not so much. Also left hanging are those complicated issues Kate and Zain have been dealing with for years, making me suspect this book may be intended as the start of a series. Whether or not that's true, bloggers, vloggers, gamers and technology buffs should be happy with this one (for the record, count me in two of those categories). And if I'm correct about a series, count me as one who'll be happy to sample the next one.
September 14, 2016
Ruby is a rising star on YouTube and a heroine to many teenage girls. Now she is missing but as she is an adult hopefully there is nothing to worry about. Then a video has been uploaded of Ruby pleading for her life. Detective Kate Riley is the head of a team of investigators with the best resources money can buy. Kate's team is under pressure as hysteria's building between the press and Ruby's fans
A fantastic well written dark crime novel.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Bonnier Publishing and the author Alex Caan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A fantastic well written dark crime novel.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Bonnier Publishing and the author Alex Caan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2016
A book about an Internet vlogger is an unknown world to an oldster like me. Kate sums it up perfectly “didn't understand this world, where young people posted videos online and it was an actual profession. Where was the talent? What were viewers and subscribers buying into?” But I love mysteries, so I decided to give it a go.
This book keeps you off balance for the first part. Everyone has something to hide, including the two main investigators that are involved. And the secrets are only divulged a little at a time, so for a large percentage of the book the reader has no clue what the investigators are hiding. As with so many mysteries these days, both Kate and Zain are wounded souls.
The tale is well told. You're kept moving along and the plot is engaging enough that you keep wanting to turn pages. I loved the plot twists and the character development. I appreciated that the DIs allow their personal opinions to lead them astray and have to regroup. And that the team takes time to gel and come together.
This book also made me very glad I don't have teenagers, that my girls are well past that stage. It's a scary time we live in. We all remember the angst of being that age. But now… “When you're lonely and reaching out, you sometimes don't know what's reaching back until it’s too late”.
I recommend this one and hoping it is the start of a new series.
My thanks to netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for providing an advance copy of this book.
October 3, 2016
Ruby is a vlogger – a You Tube sensation with two million followers tuning in to watch her make-up tutorials and get her advice on the best and worst of the cosmetics and diet industry. Popular with her audience and with companies lining up to get her to endorse their products, she has the perfect life. When she walks out of the flat she shares with her parents one evening and doesn’t return, although out of character, they have nothing to be worried about. Do they?
At least that’s what the police think and for Detective Sergeant Zain Harris it makes no sense that they have been called out to the disappearance of a young woman in her twentie,s just a few hours after she ‘disappeared’. Even less sense that Police Crime Commissioner Justin Hope seems to be personally interested into the investigation, on behalf of a family he has never met. There is absolutely no reason to suspect foul play and Ruby is old enough to take care of herself. And yet something feels off, even to Zain. And when Ruby’s father is sent a video of Ruby, scared and pleading for her life, it seems that her parents were right to be worried.
But who would have reason to abduct Ruby and to what end? No ransom has been asked for and the video holds no clues as to motive. Detective Inspector Kate Riley and her team are under pressure to provide instant results, Ruby’s social media fans demanding immediate answers. But the team can find no real evidence that anyone had reason to harm Ruby. Other than perhaps one of her two million followers. People who both worship and troll in equal measure. After all, when it comes to the world of internet celebrity, social media and with unrestricted, unmonitored access to You Tube, you don’t really know just who is watching you. Do you?
‘Cut to the Bone’ by Alex Caan is a brilliant, fast paced nail biter of a story, tapping into the murky world of a growing on-line presence, where everything, particularly the lives of the younger generations, is managed at the stroke of a touchscreen, the tap of a key or the uploading of a video. In a society where fame and notoriety are as easy to come by as uploading a video to a web-site, where your life can be shared with thousands and millions of people instantly, the dangers inherent in that simple fact are almost endless and the access people have to your lives, almost unrestricted. Frightening thought, isn’t it? And Alex Caan taps into this fear brilliantly.
Yes, the basic concept is not new. There has been a growing fear about the darker side of social media and the internet in general for a long time now. That will never go away. But the knowledge which informs this story, the understanding of the facts behind the media spin, even some of the (hopefully) fictional super spy-techy programs Zain uses to speed up the investigation, add a new dimension to the story, allowing the rapid pace of the story to be maintained. That, along with short, sharp chapters at just the right time, drive the narrative, and increase the sense of urgency of the investigation. Even when all looks bleak for Ruby, an implicit threat at the end of a second video means that the team cannot slow down for one moment, and the frustration of the main characters can be felt in every page, every action and reaction.
The characters themselves… Where to begin? With the possible exception of highly moralistic and ethical Ruby, who other than through second hand accounts from friends and family, we don’t really get to have a clear picture of, practically everyone else seems to be hiding something or have some kind of character flaw. Michelle – perhaps the most straightforward of the team – has an expensive nut brittle/toffee addiction. Stevie has a chip on her shoulder, resentful of the promotion she didn’t get. Rob – well he’s a bit of a tart really. Would like to think he is deeper than he is judged to be but, while proficient at his job, shows little evidence of profoundness hopping from bed to bed. PCC Hope is hiding his real motivation for taking over the investigation from the whole team. Zain is hiding, not always successfully, a dark moment from his past which threatens both his physical and mental health. And DI Kate Riley? Well she’s hiding pretty much everything.
And yet I like them all. A lot. I think I may well have a bit of a book crush on Zain (always had a thing for the damaged ones). The characters are so well developed, each with their own traits, both good and bad, that it is hard to not like them. As for the others, the distraught parents, the callous and fame obsessed boyfriend, even the team at MIndNet, the management and tech company who help add a professional touch to Ruby’s videos and yet do not seem to truly have her best interests at heart, all add an element of deception and add many distended layers to a complex and twisted tale. To a world where everyone seems unable to tell the whole truth.
I have to be completely honest now. I absolutely loved this book. I really didn’t know what to expect when I added it to my tbr list but I am so very glad that I did. It is jam packed full of heart-stopping moments, a real snag-em-and-drag-em-in opening, conspiracy theories, misdirection, dishonesty, moments of frustration and moments of full on sympathy, not just for Ruby but for the members of the team on the investigation. This is a team I want to know more about. There are some heart stopping moments when all seems lost as well as a sense of hope and second chances. Or third….
This is definitely one of my top reads for the year and I can’t wait to see what Alex Caan delivers next. I don’t know that there are enough stars in a 5 star Amazon/GoodReads rating system to do my feelings about this book justice, and it’s one of those stories which has me even considering changing my own classification system. It also make me very thankful to be a very minor, bit-part twitter player with a barely followed blog. Who needs fame anyway… ;o)
But for now… A bit, fat, conspiratorial, can’t-wait-for-the-next-one, 5 stars from me. Plus a virtual chocolate cake. Five layers. With extra fudge and swiss-meringue frosting. And chocolate curls.
My thanks to publishers Bonnier Publishing, Twenty7 and NetGalley for the copy of ‘Cut To The Bone’ in exchange for my review.
At least that’s what the police think and for Detective Sergeant Zain Harris it makes no sense that they have been called out to the disappearance of a young woman in her twentie,s just a few hours after she ‘disappeared’. Even less sense that Police Crime Commissioner Justin Hope seems to be personally interested into the investigation, on behalf of a family he has never met. There is absolutely no reason to suspect foul play and Ruby is old enough to take care of herself. And yet something feels off, even to Zain. And when Ruby’s father is sent a video of Ruby, scared and pleading for her life, it seems that her parents were right to be worried.
But who would have reason to abduct Ruby and to what end? No ransom has been asked for and the video holds no clues as to motive. Detective Inspector Kate Riley and her team are under pressure to provide instant results, Ruby’s social media fans demanding immediate answers. But the team can find no real evidence that anyone had reason to harm Ruby. Other than perhaps one of her two million followers. People who both worship and troll in equal measure. After all, when it comes to the world of internet celebrity, social media and with unrestricted, unmonitored access to You Tube, you don’t really know just who is watching you. Do you?
‘Cut to the Bone’ by Alex Caan is a brilliant, fast paced nail biter of a story, tapping into the murky world of a growing on-line presence, where everything, particularly the lives of the younger generations, is managed at the stroke of a touchscreen, the tap of a key or the uploading of a video. In a society where fame and notoriety are as easy to come by as uploading a video to a web-site, where your life can be shared with thousands and millions of people instantly, the dangers inherent in that simple fact are almost endless and the access people have to your lives, almost unrestricted. Frightening thought, isn’t it? And Alex Caan taps into this fear brilliantly.
Yes, the basic concept is not new. There has been a growing fear about the darker side of social media and the internet in general for a long time now. That will never go away. But the knowledge which informs this story, the understanding of the facts behind the media spin, even some of the (hopefully) fictional super spy-techy programs Zain uses to speed up the investigation, add a new dimension to the story, allowing the rapid pace of the story to be maintained. That, along with short, sharp chapters at just the right time, drive the narrative, and increase the sense of urgency of the investigation. Even when all looks bleak for Ruby, an implicit threat at the end of a second video means that the team cannot slow down for one moment, and the frustration of the main characters can be felt in every page, every action and reaction.
The characters themselves… Where to begin? With the possible exception of highly moralistic and ethical Ruby, who other than through second hand accounts from friends and family, we don’t really get to have a clear picture of, practically everyone else seems to be hiding something or have some kind of character flaw. Michelle – perhaps the most straightforward of the team – has an expensive nut brittle/toffee addiction. Stevie has a chip on her shoulder, resentful of the promotion she didn’t get. Rob – well he’s a bit of a tart really. Would like to think he is deeper than he is judged to be but, while proficient at his job, shows little evidence of profoundness hopping from bed to bed. PCC Hope is hiding his real motivation for taking over the investigation from the whole team. Zain is hiding, not always successfully, a dark moment from his past which threatens both his physical and mental health. And DI Kate Riley? Well she’s hiding pretty much everything.
And yet I like them all. A lot. I think I may well have a bit of a book crush on Zain (always had a thing for the damaged ones). The characters are so well developed, each with their own traits, both good and bad, that it is hard to not like them. As for the others, the distraught parents, the callous and fame obsessed boyfriend, even the team at MIndNet, the management and tech company who help add a professional touch to Ruby’s videos and yet do not seem to truly have her best interests at heart, all add an element of deception and add many distended layers to a complex and twisted tale. To a world where everyone seems unable to tell the whole truth.
I have to be completely honest now. I absolutely loved this book. I really didn’t know what to expect when I added it to my tbr list but I am so very glad that I did. It is jam packed full of heart-stopping moments, a real snag-em-and-drag-em-in opening, conspiracy theories, misdirection, dishonesty, moments of frustration and moments of full on sympathy, not just for Ruby but for the members of the team on the investigation. This is a team I want to know more about. There are some heart stopping moments when all seems lost as well as a sense of hope and second chances. Or third….
This is definitely one of my top reads for the year and I can’t wait to see what Alex Caan delivers next. I don’t know that there are enough stars in a 5 star Amazon/GoodReads rating system to do my feelings about this book justice, and it’s one of those stories which has me even considering changing my own classification system. It also make me very thankful to be a very minor, bit-part twitter player with a barely followed blog. Who needs fame anyway… ;o)
But for now… A bit, fat, conspiratorial, can’t-wait-for-the-next-one, 5 stars from me. Plus a virtual chocolate cake. Five layers. With extra fudge and swiss-meringue frosting. And chocolate curls.
My thanks to publishers Bonnier Publishing, Twenty7 and NetGalley for the copy of ‘Cut To The Bone’ in exchange for my review.
July 14, 2016
Not many books can keep me reading until the early hours of the morning but this debut novel grabbed me from page one and didn't let me go! I don't know what I expecting when I picked up this novel by Alex Caan (comparisons to The Fall brought it to my attention as well as being recommended for fans of Sarah Hilary) so I don't know why I'm saying it wasn't what I expected!! But it wasn't and not in a bad way I hasten to add! It has a very current feel to it, mainly due to the plot that concerns "vlogging" but also because it brings a very fresh style to the writing and is written in short, sharp and snappy chapters. Sometimes it read like a YA book but again that is probably due to the plot content and so I would be very interested to see where this author goes next, especially if he continues with these characters in a series.
DCI Kate Riley has been put in charge of a new team reporting to the PCC in Westminster, Justin Hunt. Joining her team is DS Zain Harris and both are struggling with personal demons from their past. When Kate gets a phone call in the middle of night to say that Ruby Day, the rising star of YouTube vloggers, has gone missing, she understands straight away that this is no ordinary missing persons enquiry. There then follows a very twisty plot which I found absolutely fascinating! You can tell that the author has absolutely written about what he knows about with this plot involving modern technology and information systems (as a total technophobe and IT dinosaur I found it really interesting!) and it gave the plot a realistic buzz. I found that because of this, combined with the short chapters, I flew through this book. I was pretty surprised to see where it ended up as well, as there were a few twists I definitely hadn't anticipated!
I liked Kate, although it took me a little time to warm to her, and this was probably due to her very mysterious backstory but once that became clearer I had a new found respect for her! And I'm sure there is plenty more to come there due to her past life in America! But I have to admit to having a bit of a thing about DS Zain Harris. I'd like to think its because I just want to mother him and take all of his worries away but after reading a rather unexpectedly spine tingling scene between him and Kate, I don't think that's the case! I do love an author who can create a character I want to meet in real life! Saying that, the whole book had a very visual feel to it, the small screen would love it!
I really enjoyed this and found it gripping from start to finish with realistic characters and plotting. There are a few books around at the moment with a strong female lead character who have a little twist to their life choices, but Alex Caan can hold his head up high here as this debut more than deserves a place on the shelves alongside them. So bring on the next book!
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
DCI Kate Riley has been put in charge of a new team reporting to the PCC in Westminster, Justin Hunt. Joining her team is DS Zain Harris and both are struggling with personal demons from their past. When Kate gets a phone call in the middle of night to say that Ruby Day, the rising star of YouTube vloggers, has gone missing, she understands straight away that this is no ordinary missing persons enquiry. There then follows a very twisty plot which I found absolutely fascinating! You can tell that the author has absolutely written about what he knows about with this plot involving modern technology and information systems (as a total technophobe and IT dinosaur I found it really interesting!) and it gave the plot a realistic buzz. I found that because of this, combined with the short chapters, I flew through this book. I was pretty surprised to see where it ended up as well, as there were a few twists I definitely hadn't anticipated!
I liked Kate, although it took me a little time to warm to her, and this was probably due to her very mysterious backstory but once that became clearer I had a new found respect for her! And I'm sure there is plenty more to come there due to her past life in America! But I have to admit to having a bit of a thing about DS Zain Harris. I'd like to think its because I just want to mother him and take all of his worries away but after reading a rather unexpectedly spine tingling scene between him and Kate, I don't think that's the case! I do love an author who can create a character I want to meet in real life! Saying that, the whole book had a very visual feel to it, the small screen would love it!
I really enjoyed this and found it gripping from start to finish with realistic characters and plotting. There are a few books around at the moment with a strong female lead character who have a little twist to their life choices, but Alex Caan can hold his head up high here as this debut more than deserves a place on the shelves alongside them. So bring on the next book!
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
February 12, 2017
Actual rating 4.5*
I picked Cut To The Bone because the lady of good crime book taste Noelle Holten of the CrimeBookJunkie Book Blog raved about it just before Christmas. I knew it was on the pile to be read so what better reason to pick it up than the #CrimeBookJunkie recommending it!
It's a fast paced crime thriller with relatively short, snappy chapters. The story jumps between different characters within the police team investigating the disappearance of Ruby, a young up and coming vlogger.
The story is packed with intrigue - I could tell throughout the investigation that everyone is hiding something. What I didn't know was whether the secrets related to Ruby's disappearance or were people just hiding information to save face being in the public eye. There are plenty of avenues for suspects. Everyone has a reason to want to make Ruby disappear, some more sinister than others.
There were a couple of characters I didn't like; Harris to start with but then as his character developed and I learnt more about him, I softened towards him and liked the relationship he had with Kate. But then there was Dan, he was everything I dislike in a man; smarmy, thinking he's god's gift and a less than honourable opinions about women.
Kate's story really drew me in - I want to know more, I want to see whether her past will catch up with her. But I get the impression she can handle herself when she needs to.
I do hope that Alex Caan has more to come for this team, I can see this team going far! I am very impressed with this debut and will definitely be waiting eagerly for the follow up - say there is one Mr Caan sir!
Many thanks to Bonnier Publishing, Twenty7 and Netgalley for my ecopy of Cut To The Bone.
I picked Cut To The Bone because the lady of good crime book taste Noelle Holten of the CrimeBookJunkie Book Blog raved about it just before Christmas. I knew it was on the pile to be read so what better reason to pick it up than the #CrimeBookJunkie recommending it!
It's a fast paced crime thriller with relatively short, snappy chapters. The story jumps between different characters within the police team investigating the disappearance of Ruby, a young up and coming vlogger.
The story is packed with intrigue - I could tell throughout the investigation that everyone is hiding something. What I didn't know was whether the secrets related to Ruby's disappearance or were people just hiding information to save face being in the public eye. There are plenty of avenues for suspects. Everyone has a reason to want to make Ruby disappear, some more sinister than others.
There were a couple of characters I didn't like; Harris to start with but then as his character developed and I learnt more about him, I softened towards him and liked the relationship he had with Kate. But then there was Dan, he was everything I dislike in a man; smarmy, thinking he's god's gift and a less than honourable opinions about women.
Kate's story really drew me in - I want to know more, I want to see whether her past will catch up with her. But I get the impression she can handle herself when she needs to.
I do hope that Alex Caan has more to come for this team, I can see this team going far! I am very impressed with this debut and will definitely be waiting eagerly for the follow up - say there is one Mr Caan sir!
Many thanks to Bonnier Publishing, Twenty7 and Netgalley for my ecopy of Cut To The Bone.
October 28, 2016
I really wanted to like this book. The writing started off choppy, but the bluntness of the sentences added to the tension. It was almost like reading a dossier. But once the story became dialogue driven that all changed. The sentence structure was more polished, losing its edge.
Some chapters starred Kate, some Zain, and very few about secondary characters. None of which have any personality. Unless stress is a character trait.
The book begins as a kidnap/murder investigation. Dealing with the true reality of entertainment bloggers, there is a lot of technical computer understanding needed. There also needs to be previous knowledge of Cyber Crime to get through parts of the book.
That's when the book is about Cyber Crime. Halfway through the plot completely changes and becomes about corporate whistleblowing over abuses in African mining. It feels like a second book is wedged into the murder plot. Spoiler: the whistleblower plot is a red herring that has nothing to do with the murder.
I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
Some chapters starred Kate, some Zain, and very few about secondary characters. None of which have any personality. Unless stress is a character trait.
The book begins as a kidnap/murder investigation. Dealing with the true reality of entertainment bloggers, there is a lot of technical computer understanding needed. There also needs to be previous knowledge of Cyber Crime to get through parts of the book.
That's when the book is about Cyber Crime. Halfway through the plot completely changes and becomes about corporate whistleblowing over abuses in African mining. It feels like a second book is wedged into the murder plot. Spoiler: the whistleblower plot is a red herring that has nothing to do with the murder.
I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2016
DI Kate Riley has moved clear around the world to escape her past. She is now leading a new team and trying to build a new life for herself. A popular vlogger has disappeared but her parents are convinced her soon to be ex-boyfriend has done something to her because she was going to break up with him. DI Riley and DS Zain Harris are called by the commissioner Justin Hope to investigate barely hours after she has left her home. Things do not add up as to why they were called in so early but the start to investigate anyway. Then a video appears on line of Ruby pleading for her life and once the video goes viral more details come out about her vlog and her relationships, past and present, as well as her professional relationships. I am not a big fan of social media but this was a great read and the story kept you turning the page from the very beginning. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
November 9, 2016
Young Ruby Day just went out for a walk. DS Zain Harris received a report of a missing girl. Missing Ruby Day where are you? Was she alive? Had she been in an accident? Or did she just need some alone time? Why have you gone? Had she had any trouble with any over jealous fans from her full-time occupation vlogging? Ruby has over two million subscribers. That's two million suspects. Ruby's mother and father told police that Ruby does have a boyfriend Daniel Grant. He's another vlogger and the parents aren't too keen on him. The reality awful truth could be that Ruby Day had not just disappeared but someone may have taken her. With the very short chapters this story is really easy to follow. This is a bang-on trend thriller you won't forget. Readers don't miss it.
July 30, 2016
3.5 stars
YouTube Vlogger, Ruby, has made it. She has millions of followers, sponsorship deals and the adoration of a whole generation of young girls. But she has gone missing. A video is sent to her parents which shows her pleading for her life. Ruby is in real danger and the whole world can watch her fear. Detective Inspector Kate Riley is called in to investigate. Along with her newest team member, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris, they need to understand the world of vlogging before they can attempt to locate Ruby. But is it too late?
Alex Caan's debut thriller is a modern take on the genre of police procedural. DI Kate Riley has her own past to contend with, let alone trying to keep up with corporate coding and YouTube sensations. DS Harris also has baggage. Recently transferred to London's Met, he needs to hide his traumatic past and learn to trust again. The case originally seems like a regular missing person one, but why is it getting fast-tracked after such a short time? There are far bigger elements involved in Ruby's disappearance and the team needs to scratch more than the surface to uncover some hidden truths.
The concept of a vlogger disappearing and then re-appearing under dreadful circumstances is very clever. The YouTube generation think nothing of spending hours upon hours watching their favourite personalities testing products, playing video games, playing pranks on unsuspecting victims and even unwrapping parcels. There is a vlog for pretty much everything and each vlogger has their own unique touch. Ruby's is her honesty and integrity. But what went wrong? A web of deceit and lies seems to lay at the core of her disappearance. Alex Caan brings the world of the Met to the forefront as they delve further and further into Ruby's online presence. Kate and Zain are likable characters, who work well together on the page. Their back stories were what interested me the most. The world of coding and online agencies were a little too tedious for me and I wanted to know more about Ruby. Why she began her vlog, who was she really, why were her parents acting so strangely? The former MI5 and counter terrorism links were also wasted on me. They have a real 'man-book' feel about them (Yes, Yes. I know that is a very sexist turn of phrase, but I think you get the gist. All Jason Bourne-ish, Die Hard, guns, helicopters etc etc) and I just wanted to get to Ruby's story. The novel is written in short, sharp chapters (which I love) but some seemed like one longer chapter bisected in order to keep chapter length down. I devoured the first third of the book. The ending is fast-paced, thrilling and leaves the author free to write sequels galore. I just lost interest in the tech angle and the secret police type story line. In fairness, I think it is my personal mental block with this kind of thing. I reckon my husband would love Cut To The Bone and I shall pass him the kindle very soon.
I am actually curious to see how Kate and Zain get on in the inevitable sequel. I liked their individual personalities, their chemistry and their potential. There are plenty of thrills contained in these pages, with London as a delightful character. I think I would prefer more focus on the human stories and less on the tech? (Loved the St.Lucian dealer and Kate's housekeeper, for example). Alex Caan is a new-kid-on-the-block author, and is definitely one to watch...
YouTube Vlogger, Ruby, has made it. She has millions of followers, sponsorship deals and the adoration of a whole generation of young girls. But she has gone missing. A video is sent to her parents which shows her pleading for her life. Ruby is in real danger and the whole world can watch her fear. Detective Inspector Kate Riley is called in to investigate. Along with her newest team member, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris, they need to understand the world of vlogging before they can attempt to locate Ruby. But is it too late?
Alex Caan's debut thriller is a modern take on the genre of police procedural. DI Kate Riley has her own past to contend with, let alone trying to keep up with corporate coding and YouTube sensations. DS Harris also has baggage. Recently transferred to London's Met, he needs to hide his traumatic past and learn to trust again. The case originally seems like a regular missing person one, but why is it getting fast-tracked after such a short time? There are far bigger elements involved in Ruby's disappearance and the team needs to scratch more than the surface to uncover some hidden truths.
The concept of a vlogger disappearing and then re-appearing under dreadful circumstances is very clever. The YouTube generation think nothing of spending hours upon hours watching their favourite personalities testing products, playing video games, playing pranks on unsuspecting victims and even unwrapping parcels. There is a vlog for pretty much everything and each vlogger has their own unique touch. Ruby's is her honesty and integrity. But what went wrong? A web of deceit and lies seems to lay at the core of her disappearance. Alex Caan brings the world of the Met to the forefront as they delve further and further into Ruby's online presence. Kate and Zain are likable characters, who work well together on the page. Their back stories were what interested me the most. The world of coding and online agencies were a little too tedious for me and I wanted to know more about Ruby. Why she began her vlog, who was she really, why were her parents acting so strangely? The former MI5 and counter terrorism links were also wasted on me. They have a real 'man-book' feel about them (Yes, Yes. I know that is a very sexist turn of phrase, but I think you get the gist. All Jason Bourne-ish, Die Hard, guns, helicopters etc etc) and I just wanted to get to Ruby's story. The novel is written in short, sharp chapters (which I love) but some seemed like one longer chapter bisected in order to keep chapter length down. I devoured the first third of the book. The ending is fast-paced, thrilling and leaves the author free to write sequels galore. I just lost interest in the tech angle and the secret police type story line. In fairness, I think it is my personal mental block with this kind of thing. I reckon my husband would love Cut To The Bone and I shall pass him the kindle very soon.
I am actually curious to see how Kate and Zain get on in the inevitable sequel. I liked their individual personalities, their chemistry and their potential. There are plenty of thrills contained in these pages, with London as a delightful character. I think I would prefer more focus on the human stories and less on the tech? (Loved the St.Lucian dealer and Kate's housekeeper, for example). Alex Caan is a new-kid-on-the-block author, and is definitely one to watch...
August 12, 2016
Originally reviewed on Becca's Books.
First of all, I'd like to say a massive thank you to Alex Caan and twenty7 for providing me with a copy of Cut to the Bone in exchange for a fair and honest review. I found the cover of this novel striking and it was, originally, the first thing that drew me to it. After that, a quick read of the blurb was all it took and I knew that this was a book that I wanted to read. It slotted so seamlessly into today's social-media controlled society, making it all the more real and frightening for me. Quite frankly, I couldn't wait to begin and did so with much enthusiasm for a brand new author to add to my reading list.
In Alex Caan's Cut to the Bone, we're introduced to Detective Inspector Kate Riley and Detective Sergeant Zain Harris. We're also introduced to Ruby, a well-known and popular vlogger who is loved and watched by millions all over the world. So, when Ruby goes missing, who is to blame? It's down to these detectives to find out. The only problem being that time is not on their side, and is swiftly sliding down the drain. A video of Ruby emerges and from then on, it is chaos and a race against a killer who they're sure won't take their time before striking again.
For me, the fact that the disappearance within this novel was based around the whole vlogging industry truly struck a chord and perhaps even felt a little close to home. As a blogger myself, I'm aware of plenty of people who put their time and effort into their vlogs that they share with the world, and so it made this novel just that little bit more believable and frightening to read. Caan's insight and clear expertise into this topic ensured that I felt closer than close to Ruby's case and it wasn't long at all before I, too, was highly concerned about her whereabouts. After all, she was loved by many and seemed to have an endless amount of fans who supported her in her endeavours. I couldn't fathom who or why someone would want to harm this girl, but thankfully that wasn't for me to decide. The author swooped in and handled this plot with care, leaving me with a seamlessly weaved and stitched novel that I found I just couldn't put down. I was hooked completely, and as the novel progressed and a host of different characters and suspects stepped into the limelight, I found myself desperately trying to fit the pieces of this puzzle together in order to get my answers.
With such a compelling case and with such a fast-paced and exhilarating plot, I swear I barely drew breath throughout my reading of this book. There was so much going on and I was urgently racing through, hoping to finally be given the answers I wanted so badly. Shocking yet compelling, Alex Caan created a dark and dangerous world that I found myself completely absorbed in, unable to look away from. I was highly aware of the time ticking by, not only in the book but in real life too, frantically trying to work out whether I'd have enough time to reach the end before I had to put down my Kindle yet again. Hooked really doesn't come close to describing how glued to Ruby's disappearance I was.
When I finally reached the conclusion of this novel, I sat back and finally drew a proper breath. I felt as if I'd been holding it right the way through and could only then exhale without caution. Alex Cann has achieved an absolutely tremendous job with this novel and I can't recommend it enough. Especially to anyone who loves a gritty crime novel that will have you reading until way past your bedtime. I, for one, will definitely be keeping an eye out for Caan's next release, as I know for sure it'll be absolutely brilliant. I honestly can't praise this novel enough. I loved it!
Becca's Books is awarding Cut To The Bone by Alex Caan with five of my bookish cupcakes. Sharp, sleek and laced with danger, only the highest rating from me for this heart-thumping novel. Special thanks to Alex Caan and twenty7 for providing me with a review copy of Cut To The Bone in exchange for a fair and honest review.
First of all, I'd like to say a massive thank you to Alex Caan and twenty7 for providing me with a copy of Cut to the Bone in exchange for a fair and honest review. I found the cover of this novel striking and it was, originally, the first thing that drew me to it. After that, a quick read of the blurb was all it took and I knew that this was a book that I wanted to read. It slotted so seamlessly into today's social-media controlled society, making it all the more real and frightening for me. Quite frankly, I couldn't wait to begin and did so with much enthusiasm for a brand new author to add to my reading list.
In Alex Caan's Cut to the Bone, we're introduced to Detective Inspector Kate Riley and Detective Sergeant Zain Harris. We're also introduced to Ruby, a well-known and popular vlogger who is loved and watched by millions all over the world. So, when Ruby goes missing, who is to blame? It's down to these detectives to find out. The only problem being that time is not on their side, and is swiftly sliding down the drain. A video of Ruby emerges and from then on, it is chaos and a race against a killer who they're sure won't take their time before striking again.
For me, the fact that the disappearance within this novel was based around the whole vlogging industry truly struck a chord and perhaps even felt a little close to home. As a blogger myself, I'm aware of plenty of people who put their time and effort into their vlogs that they share with the world, and so it made this novel just that little bit more believable and frightening to read. Caan's insight and clear expertise into this topic ensured that I felt closer than close to Ruby's case and it wasn't long at all before I, too, was highly concerned about her whereabouts. After all, she was loved by many and seemed to have an endless amount of fans who supported her in her endeavours. I couldn't fathom who or why someone would want to harm this girl, but thankfully that wasn't for me to decide. The author swooped in and handled this plot with care, leaving me with a seamlessly weaved and stitched novel that I found I just couldn't put down. I was hooked completely, and as the novel progressed and a host of different characters and suspects stepped into the limelight, I found myself desperately trying to fit the pieces of this puzzle together in order to get my answers.
With such a compelling case and with such a fast-paced and exhilarating plot, I swear I barely drew breath throughout my reading of this book. There was so much going on and I was urgently racing through, hoping to finally be given the answers I wanted so badly. Shocking yet compelling, Alex Caan created a dark and dangerous world that I found myself completely absorbed in, unable to look away from. I was highly aware of the time ticking by, not only in the book but in real life too, frantically trying to work out whether I'd have enough time to reach the end before I had to put down my Kindle yet again. Hooked really doesn't come close to describing how glued to Ruby's disappearance I was.
When I finally reached the conclusion of this novel, I sat back and finally drew a proper breath. I felt as if I'd been holding it right the way through and could only then exhale without caution. Alex Cann has achieved an absolutely tremendous job with this novel and I can't recommend it enough. Especially to anyone who loves a gritty crime novel that will have you reading until way past your bedtime. I, for one, will definitely be keeping an eye out for Caan's next release, as I know for sure it'll be absolutely brilliant. I honestly can't praise this novel enough. I loved it!
Becca's Books is awarding Cut To The Bone by Alex Caan with five of my bookish cupcakes. Sharp, sleek and laced with danger, only the highest rating from me for this heart-thumping novel. Special thanks to Alex Caan and twenty7 for providing me with a review copy of Cut To The Bone in exchange for a fair and honest review.
November 9, 2016
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
I was pretty stoked about reading this one and excited when it was finally time to pick it up as I had requested it several months ago on NetGalley but wanted to wait until release month to review it. (Ok I actually had planned on reviewing it before release day and didn’t manage that) Anyway, I’m not sure if it’s because I’m suffering from a bit of a book hangover after just reading the amazing The Bird Tribunal or if I’m getting into some sort of slump, but my overall feeling after finishing this was that I was totally underwhelmed. It may just be me as several other bloggers seemed to love this one, so this time, take my thoughts with all that in mind.
I really liked the initial first twenty five percent of this book. Ruby is a vlogger and she gets kidnapped. Her captor posts a video of her online and all hell breaks loose. I found the whole world surrounding the vloggers and their community utterly fascinating. Clearly I can get behind the blogging thing but I don’t spend very much time on YouTube. Maybe an occasional makeup tutorial but it’s rare. My kids however? They’ll watch anytime I let them. I don’t understand the appeal of watching someone playing video games, (much like Ruby’s boyfriend Dan)but I know it’s very big with kids today. God, I sound elderly. There was a lot of talk about millions of subscribers and endorsement deals and it’s just mind boggling. I know there are a ton of YouTube stars, but seeing it play out in this manner in print was so interesting.
Initially, the investigation is all over the place with no real leads. Kate and her team were interesting enough and their backstories were developed and revealed enough to peak my interest, but no real deep character development was done. I think this was because there were so many characters, too many for me to list honestly without boring myself and you. Kate and team is five people, then there is their supervisors, Kate’s mother and care taker and that’s just anyone related to police personnel. The list of possible suspects is equally large and daunting along with friends and family of Ruby and Dan. The list is endless and just too much for me.
After the beginning, I really wasn’t all that invested or impressed by the plot. I figured out the plot twists easily and in any mystery that’s always a huge letdown. The investigation took a few sharp detours that just seemed to serve no actual purpose except to maybe throw the reader off? I’m not even sure. Add in a ton of technical talk relating to computers that, frankly bored me and I really had to power through this. It wasn’t a bad book, Caan is a good writer and I would probably pick up one of his future books, but I just could not get into it in the end.
I was pretty stoked about reading this one and excited when it was finally time to pick it up as I had requested it several months ago on NetGalley but wanted to wait until release month to review it. (Ok I actually had planned on reviewing it before release day and didn’t manage that) Anyway, I’m not sure if it’s because I’m suffering from a bit of a book hangover after just reading the amazing The Bird Tribunal or if I’m getting into some sort of slump, but my overall feeling after finishing this was that I was totally underwhelmed. It may just be me as several other bloggers seemed to love this one, so this time, take my thoughts with all that in mind.
I really liked the initial first twenty five percent of this book. Ruby is a vlogger and she gets kidnapped. Her captor posts a video of her online and all hell breaks loose. I found the whole world surrounding the vloggers and their community utterly fascinating. Clearly I can get behind the blogging thing but I don’t spend very much time on YouTube. Maybe an occasional makeup tutorial but it’s rare. My kids however? They’ll watch anytime I let them. I don’t understand the appeal of watching someone playing video games, (much like Ruby’s boyfriend Dan)but I know it’s very big with kids today. God, I sound elderly. There was a lot of talk about millions of subscribers and endorsement deals and it’s just mind boggling. I know there are a ton of YouTube stars, but seeing it play out in this manner in print was so interesting.
Initially, the investigation is all over the place with no real leads. Kate and her team were interesting enough and their backstories were developed and revealed enough to peak my interest, but no real deep character development was done. I think this was because there were so many characters, too many for me to list honestly without boring myself and you. Kate and team is five people, then there is their supervisors, Kate’s mother and care taker and that’s just anyone related to police personnel. The list of possible suspects is equally large and daunting along with friends and family of Ruby and Dan. The list is endless and just too much for me.
After the beginning, I really wasn’t all that invested or impressed by the plot. I figured out the plot twists easily and in any mystery that’s always a huge letdown. The investigation took a few sharp detours that just seemed to serve no actual purpose except to maybe throw the reader off? I’m not even sure. Add in a ton of technical talk relating to computers that, frankly bored me and I really had to power through this. It wasn’t a bad book, Caan is a good writer and I would probably pick up one of his future books, but I just could not get into it in the end.
May 15, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bonnier Publishing for an advance copy of Cut To The Bone, the debut novel from Alex Caan featuring DCI Kate Riley and DS Zain Harris. They are part of a newly formed pilot team working under a police crime commissioner rather than the Met, so when the commissioner, Justin Hope, calls them to investigate the disappearance of Ruby Day after a few hours they wonder why but spring into action. Ruby is a successful vlogger with 2 million followers so when video clips posted online make it clear she has been kidnapped the case becomes high profile and more complicated than any of them could have imagined.
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot in Cut To The Bone as it has a bit of everything. I love a good police procedural and this is very good on procedure without being boring. There is misdirection at every turn which really held my attention and kept me in the dark until the end. There is a fair amount of secretiveness from the characters so I was left wondering who to trust and what their motivations are, which again really holds your attention and, of course, there is the old favourite of abuse of influence by the rich.
Ms Caan has done a good job with her characterisation as well. Kate Riley is hiding secrets about her past life and present circumstances. We get just enough information about it (in dribs and drabs) to whet the appetite and understand where she is coming from. Zain Harris is a bit more clichéd as he is still struggling with the after effects of being kidnapped and tortured by terrorists in the course of his previous duties. He has anger management issues, pops pills of indeterminate composition and appears to compensate with an arrogance which upsets the rest of the team and yet his heart is in the right place and I couldn't help rooting for him. The rest of the team aren't as well drawn but there is no need for it.
I think Cut To The Bone is a tremendous start to, hopefully, a series and Ms Caan's writing career. I would have given it 5 stars if it were not for all the geek speak. I understand that Ruby's life is tied to her online presence and that a certain amount of computer technology will be involved but all the detail on how to recover deleted files and GPS technology made my eyes glaze - a simple "we're having trouble recovering X, Y or Z" would have sufficed. Despite this I still heartily recommend this as a very good read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot in Cut To The Bone as it has a bit of everything. I love a good police procedural and this is very good on procedure without being boring. There is misdirection at every turn which really held my attention and kept me in the dark until the end. There is a fair amount of secretiveness from the characters so I was left wondering who to trust and what their motivations are, which again really holds your attention and, of course, there is the old favourite of abuse of influence by the rich.
Ms Caan has done a good job with her characterisation as well. Kate Riley is hiding secrets about her past life and present circumstances. We get just enough information about it (in dribs and drabs) to whet the appetite and understand where she is coming from. Zain Harris is a bit more clichéd as he is still struggling with the after effects of being kidnapped and tortured by terrorists in the course of his previous duties. He has anger management issues, pops pills of indeterminate composition and appears to compensate with an arrogance which upsets the rest of the team and yet his heart is in the right place and I couldn't help rooting for him. The rest of the team aren't as well drawn but there is no need for it.
I think Cut To The Bone is a tremendous start to, hopefully, a series and Ms Caan's writing career. I would have given it 5 stars if it were not for all the geek speak. I understand that Ruby's life is tied to her online presence and that a certain amount of computer technology will be involved but all the detail on how to recover deleted files and GPS technology made my eyes glaze - a simple "we're having trouble recovering X, Y or Z" would have sufficed. Despite this I still heartily recommend this as a very good read.
August 12, 2016
Cut to the Bone was a book that had really attracted my interest, as I have recently become hooked on a couple of You Tuber's channels, so very curious to see a bit of the behind the scenes action as such.
What became very apparent early on in this book, is that it is very hard to trust any of the information that is being revealed, or at least you need to remember it all and try to make sense of it all, but there are so many leads, hooks, red herrings and twists and turns as the story progresses that I was left reeling at the end of it.
At times the sheer quantity of information and various threads made me have to put the book down for a bit while I processed the new leads, before I was able to continue. The story touches on all manner of issues, some of which were a lot more disturbing than others.
As is often the case when I review a thriller I am being deliberately vague as to the details, purely for fear of accidentally giving away any of the plot that could be key. I was though fascinated by all the geeky technological details that were used, and all of Detective Sergeant Zain Harris' unorthodox methods of acquiring data from computers. I understood quite a lot of the details and its a stark reminder that you leave a digital footprint with every action you take online, and that even deleted data can be recovered in skilled hands.
The main detective Kate Riley is hiding something in her personal life, and as her past is slowly revealed, I couldn't help but feel a lot of empathy for her, as she has had to make some quite difficult decisions in the past.
Cut To The Bone is written in many short chapters, which is great for when you think just one more chapter, and the pacing is very good. At all times I was intrigued by the story, even if I wasn't 100% hooked, I definitely realised early on I had no idea at all who was behind Ruby's disappearance, but that I really wanted to know who it was, and why.
This is a great debut thriller, and I really hope this isn't the last we will be seeing of Detectives Zain and Kate.
Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
What became very apparent early on in this book, is that it is very hard to trust any of the information that is being revealed, or at least you need to remember it all and try to make sense of it all, but there are so many leads, hooks, red herrings and twists and turns as the story progresses that I was left reeling at the end of it.
At times the sheer quantity of information and various threads made me have to put the book down for a bit while I processed the new leads, before I was able to continue. The story touches on all manner of issues, some of which were a lot more disturbing than others.
As is often the case when I review a thriller I am being deliberately vague as to the details, purely for fear of accidentally giving away any of the plot that could be key. I was though fascinated by all the geeky technological details that were used, and all of Detective Sergeant Zain Harris' unorthodox methods of acquiring data from computers. I understood quite a lot of the details and its a stark reminder that you leave a digital footprint with every action you take online, and that even deleted data can be recovered in skilled hands.
The main detective Kate Riley is hiding something in her personal life, and as her past is slowly revealed, I couldn't help but feel a lot of empathy for her, as she has had to make some quite difficult decisions in the past.
Cut To The Bone is written in many short chapters, which is great for when you think just one more chapter, and the pacing is very good. At all times I was intrigued by the story, even if I wasn't 100% hooked, I definitely realised early on I had no idea at all who was behind Ruby's disappearance, but that I really wanted to know who it was, and why.
This is a great debut thriller, and I really hope this isn't the last we will be seeing of Detectives Zain and Kate.
Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
May 29, 2016
ARC received from: Netgalley
Rating: 4*
One-Sentence Summary: An elite team of London detectives are called in to solve the kidnapping of a vlogger
Review: Detectives Riley and Harris are the latest newcomers to the world of British crime fiction. However, unlike other procedural crime series, this has a darker, angstier edge to it. Both of the main characters have a complicated, dark past which you only get to scratch the surface of in the first book and Riley's past especially seems poised to come back and haunt her later on in the series.
For this book though, the focus is on solving the kidnapping of a teenager YouTube star and as you would expect, nothing is as it seems on the surface.
The case was fast-moving and interesting. What really let this book down for me the appearance that every male detective felt insatiable lust over every female that crossed their path whether it's a CSI, an officer from a neighbouring force, a prostitute victim or their boss Detective Riley herself. Zain and his male colleague Rob Pelt really seemed to think with their dicks and were overcome with attraction in inappropriate situations that had me cringing.
July 7, 2017
I’m a fan. Can you tell? Alex Caan I have to congratulate you on a book that had me glued to the pages. The plot, focussing on SNS (Social Networking Sites) and a world that’s a mystery to the uninitiated, that of the vlogger, is fresh and original. Simplicity itself in its conception, ‘One missing Girl – Ruby, our vlogger. Two million suspects – her viewers’, yet as perfectly complex as a thriller should be. The characterisation is excellent – there are many points of view, but I identified with every character and their various flaws and worried throughout about Zain Harris, our damaged DS and his hidden agenda. The police procedural and technical information is pitched perfectly (you don’t have to be a techie to understand it!), pushing the plot along at a rapid, have-to-read-more pace.
The narrative and dialogue is superb. More than once, I reread a sentence and was just mesmerised by the quality of the writing. In fact, I even read one or two sentences out loud, asking my partner, ‘Wow! How powerful is that?’ In short, I loved Cut to the Bone and cannot wait for the sequel. Thank you for a massively impressive, enthralling thriller. Fast paced and fabulously written. Highly recommended.
The narrative and dialogue is superb. More than once, I reread a sentence and was just mesmerised by the quality of the writing. In fact, I even read one or two sentences out loud, asking my partner, ‘Wow! How powerful is that?’ In short, I loved Cut to the Bone and cannot wait for the sequel. Thank you for a massively impressive, enthralling thriller. Fast paced and fabulously written. Highly recommended.
July 11, 2021
Interesting and complex murder mystery. Likeable, but flawed characters. Slow to get into the action, but becomes unputdownable.
Amazing narrator, Imogen Church: this is truly a performance, rather than a narration.
Amazing narrator, Imogen Church: this is truly a performance, rather than a narration.
July 22, 2016
The Blurb . . .
Ruby is a vlogger, a rising star of YouTube and a heroine to millions of teenage girls. And she's missing. She's an adult - nothing to worry about, surely? Until the video's uploaded. Ruby, in the dirt and pleading for her life.
Who better to head up the investigation than the Met's rising star, Detective Inspector Kate Riley? She's leading a shiny new team, high-powered, mostly female and with the best resources money can buy. It's time for them to prove what they can do. Alongside her, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris - poster boy for multiracial policing and the team's newest member - has his own unique contribution to make. But can Kate wholly trust him and when he's around, can she trust herself?
Ruby's millions of fans are hysterical about what may have happened to her. The press is having a field day and as the investigation hurtles out of control in the glare of publicity, it becomes clear that the world of YouTube vloggers and social media is much, much darker than anyone could have imagined in their worst nightmares.
And the videos keep coming . . .
My thoughts . . .
I am rather shocked that this is Caan's debut novel! What a start!
When I read the blurb for this book, I was really intrigued to discover the angle the author would take, hoping that I wouldn't be met with thousands of pointless police interviews with randoms who had once sent Ruby a negative comment online, and I wasn't disappointed!
When the special task force are called straight to a missing persons case, an adult who has been missing less than 12 hours, they can't help but wonder why, there doesn't appear to be any reason why she is any different to any other missing young adult, other than her parents "just know" something is wrong. I was a little concerned with where this was going to start with, however, as the plot starts to dramatically unfold, things start to become clearer.
The attention to detail Caan portrays in his knowledge surrounding the workings of the elite police squad, the politics around them and his clearly intimate knowledge of the world wide web and technology is wonderful. All three are areas I like to think I know a bit about, but to no real intelligent level I'm afraid, yet Caan details aspects of each in such a way that you can understand it, and I mean really understand it, explaining jargon and not going over board with lengthy descriptives, which for me made the book so much better as I actually understood what they were talking about! Authors can run the risk of over explaining things, of making the reader feel stupid for not knowing something but Caan got the balance perfectly right.
I really loved how these characters developed - a new team, thrown together not so long ago, working on their first major crime case - seeing the dynamics between them was refreshing, and, as they are part of a new elite squad, their procedures and resources are different to those that we find in mainstream police crime thrillers, which added a really brilliant dimension to the story.
Kate and Zain clearly have pasts that they are keeping from each other, and it was a pleasure to watch their development on a personal level, seeing how they grew together and tried to learn to work together and trust each other. There is so potential for the whole squad, I really hope that Caan has plans for them in the future!
The plot twists and turns are intelligent and shocking, just when you think you have it all worked out, BAM, another heart stopping twist that keeps you more than engaged, it makes it impossible to put down, you will keep turning the pages until you get to the very end!
Cut to the Bone is an absolutely terrific debut novel from an author I hope sticks around for a long time to come!
I would like to thank the publishers and Net Galley for sending me this copy in exchange for my honest review.
Ruby is a vlogger, a rising star of YouTube and a heroine to millions of teenage girls. And she's missing. She's an adult - nothing to worry about, surely? Until the video's uploaded. Ruby, in the dirt and pleading for her life.
Who better to head up the investigation than the Met's rising star, Detective Inspector Kate Riley? She's leading a shiny new team, high-powered, mostly female and with the best resources money can buy. It's time for them to prove what they can do. Alongside her, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris - poster boy for multiracial policing and the team's newest member - has his own unique contribution to make. But can Kate wholly trust him and when he's around, can she trust herself?
Ruby's millions of fans are hysterical about what may have happened to her. The press is having a field day and as the investigation hurtles out of control in the glare of publicity, it becomes clear that the world of YouTube vloggers and social media is much, much darker than anyone could have imagined in their worst nightmares.
And the videos keep coming . . .
My thoughts . . .
I am rather shocked that this is Caan's debut novel! What a start!
When I read the blurb for this book, I was really intrigued to discover the angle the author would take, hoping that I wouldn't be met with thousands of pointless police interviews with randoms who had once sent Ruby a negative comment online, and I wasn't disappointed!
When the special task force are called straight to a missing persons case, an adult who has been missing less than 12 hours, they can't help but wonder why, there doesn't appear to be any reason why she is any different to any other missing young adult, other than her parents "just know" something is wrong. I was a little concerned with where this was going to start with, however, as the plot starts to dramatically unfold, things start to become clearer.
The attention to detail Caan portrays in his knowledge surrounding the workings of the elite police squad, the politics around them and his clearly intimate knowledge of the world wide web and technology is wonderful. All three are areas I like to think I know a bit about, but to no real intelligent level I'm afraid, yet Caan details aspects of each in such a way that you can understand it, and I mean really understand it, explaining jargon and not going over board with lengthy descriptives, which for me made the book so much better as I actually understood what they were talking about! Authors can run the risk of over explaining things, of making the reader feel stupid for not knowing something but Caan got the balance perfectly right.
I really loved how these characters developed - a new team, thrown together not so long ago, working on their first major crime case - seeing the dynamics between them was refreshing, and, as they are part of a new elite squad, their procedures and resources are different to those that we find in mainstream police crime thrillers, which added a really brilliant dimension to the story.
Kate and Zain clearly have pasts that they are keeping from each other, and it was a pleasure to watch their development on a personal level, seeing how they grew together and tried to learn to work together and trust each other. There is so potential for the whole squad, I really hope that Caan has plans for them in the future!
The plot twists and turns are intelligent and shocking, just when you think you have it all worked out, BAM, another heart stopping twist that keeps you more than engaged, it makes it impossible to put down, you will keep turning the pages until you get to the very end!
Cut to the Bone is an absolutely terrific debut novel from an author I hope sticks around for a long time to come!
I would like to thank the publishers and Net Galley for sending me this copy in exchange for my honest review.
February 18, 2017
Ruby Day is an entrepreneurial product of her generation; a vlogger who has built up an online business using her own sparkling social media presence to comment on the issues and rampant commercialism of her generation. Many of her followers may think they know her, but of course few really do. When Ruby goes missing it is unusual to get such a quick response from the higher ups in the Metropolitan Police and with Ruby’s fanbase aware and watching, the pressure is on for the investigating detectives to get a quick result.
Detective Inspector Kate Riley now lives and works in the UK after circumstances made it necessary for her to have left her home country. Shocked as everyone when the first video of a bound and gagged Ruby is posted online, she acknowledges that the skills of her tech savvy young colleague DS Zain Harris are vital to the progress of the investigation. The two officers are doing their best to fit in with their new work colleagues but it’s a minefield of both political pressures plus the cast of suspects in the online world is enormous.
The strengths of this first novel are many. There is a good framework here for ongoing police procedurals with a strong cast of diverse characters that are solidly and quickly established in the first chapters of CUT TO THE BONE. It is not what you call a “tech crime” novel; the vlogging aspect of it is not dissected to great depth. There is a little more technical prowess involved when a cat and mouse chase ensues between our villain and the investigating detectives.
The backstory of Zain and Kate gives weight to CUT TO THE BONE; they are not operating in a natural state as both officers of the have experienced severe trauma. As it would, their backstories continue to control their current behaviours. The plot operates on two levels; the immediacy of Ruby’s crime and the shadowy corporate figures who puppet master their young online clients to turn a profit. CUT TO THE BONE scoots along with short punchy chapters and lots of insight into potential crimes of the new age.
Detective Inspector Kate Riley now lives and works in the UK after circumstances made it necessary for her to have left her home country. Shocked as everyone when the first video of a bound and gagged Ruby is posted online, she acknowledges that the skills of her tech savvy young colleague DS Zain Harris are vital to the progress of the investigation. The two officers are doing their best to fit in with their new work colleagues but it’s a minefield of both political pressures plus the cast of suspects in the online world is enormous.
The strengths of this first novel are many. There is a good framework here for ongoing police procedurals with a strong cast of diverse characters that are solidly and quickly established in the first chapters of CUT TO THE BONE. It is not what you call a “tech crime” novel; the vlogging aspect of it is not dissected to great depth. There is a little more technical prowess involved when a cat and mouse chase ensues between our villain and the investigating detectives.
The backstory of Zain and Kate gives weight to CUT TO THE BONE; they are not operating in a natural state as both officers of the have experienced severe trauma. As it would, their backstories continue to control their current behaviours. The plot operates on two levels; the immediacy of Ruby’s crime and the shadowy corporate figures who puppet master their young online clients to turn a profit. CUT TO THE BONE scoots along with short punchy chapters and lots of insight into potential crimes of the new age.
August 15, 2016
When Ruby Day, superstar of the world of vlogging, goes missing, Commissioner Justin Hope is keen for for his newly formed team to head up the investigation. When videos posted online make it clear that she has been kidnapped and that another victim is being lined up, the pressure is on for results and DCI Kate Riley's team comes under increased pressure from media interest and Ruby's adoring fans who are desperate for her safe return.
But from the outset this is a far from straightforward case. The investigation is hampered at every turn by a number of distractions. There's DCI Kate Riley's back story, shrouded in mystery with an undercurrent of threat. There's DS Zain Harris who is secretive about much of his work and struggling to come to terms with the after-effects of a traumatic experience at the hands of terrorists. There are a number of shadowy characters from the world of vlogging who may or may not be telling the truth about what they know, not to mention a vast multi-million pound corporation which has its own agenda. All of this would be tough enough but there is also an element of interference to deal with from Hope himself whose interest in developments seems to be bordering on the personal.
Alex Caan's debut novel rattles along at an impressive pace, helped by short bite-size chapters and a number of twists and turns in the plot that keep the reader involved. If, like me, the world of social media itself is a bit of a puzzle, let alone the concept of vlogging, there is no need at all to be anxious. There were any number of IT-Techie type conversations that will appeal greatly to readers who can understand them but irredeemable neo-luddites such as myself can allow these to fly past and still make sense of what is happening.
It's very easy to imagine the author building up a following on the strength of this first outing and I look forward to his next one.
But from the outset this is a far from straightforward case. The investigation is hampered at every turn by a number of distractions. There's DCI Kate Riley's back story, shrouded in mystery with an undercurrent of threat. There's DS Zain Harris who is secretive about much of his work and struggling to come to terms with the after-effects of a traumatic experience at the hands of terrorists. There are a number of shadowy characters from the world of vlogging who may or may not be telling the truth about what they know, not to mention a vast multi-million pound corporation which has its own agenda. All of this would be tough enough but there is also an element of interference to deal with from Hope himself whose interest in developments seems to be bordering on the personal.
Alex Caan's debut novel rattles along at an impressive pace, helped by short bite-size chapters and a number of twists and turns in the plot that keep the reader involved. If, like me, the world of social media itself is a bit of a puzzle, let alone the concept of vlogging, there is no need at all to be anxious. There were any number of IT-Techie type conversations that will appeal greatly to readers who can understand them but irredeemable neo-luddites such as myself can allow these to fly past and still make sense of what is happening.
It's very easy to imagine the author building up a following on the strength of this first outing and I look forward to his next one.
November 18, 2016
Ruby was a successful vlogger. Her parents are in a panic when she disappears and when videos of her appear on the internet appear to show what has happened to her, the newest police task force are put on the case. They soon discover a world of youtube celebrities and just how lucrative that world can be. Where there's lots money there is bound to be lots of people to go to any lengths to protect their interests.
I knew next to nothing of the world of vlogging and I found this fascinating. The task force is staffed by some interesting and complex characters. Finding out more about them as well as what happened to Ruby kept the pages tuning. I was also delighted to find a namesake character- even if it was my maiden name!
I thought this was a good four star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review it. I will be looking out for more by Alex Caan
I knew next to nothing of the world of vlogging and I found this fascinating. The task force is staffed by some interesting and complex characters. Finding out more about them as well as what happened to Ruby kept the pages tuning. I was also delighted to find a namesake character- even if it was my maiden name!
I thought this was a good four star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review it. I will be looking out for more by Alex Caan
October 25, 2017
Took forever to get through this - I abandoned it on a long flight and then restarted out of pig-headedness. It's really tedious.
The protagonist is an American working as an English police officer. The vocabulary switches between US & UK but ludicrously - so the US police officer is told by a UK officer that they have a 6-mile radius for a search and she translates that to 10km - what US police officer prefers to work in metric units? A UK officer rummages around in the glove box not the glove compartment. These are trivial things but it is just annoying when you keep stumbling over them.
The plot is ludicrous and there are all kinds of other nonsense dragged in as though the author is trying to include every tv-movie issue-of-the-week into a single story.
None of the characters is plausible or interesting, most of them are ciphers and/or deeply unpleasant and her hero rogue officer clearly needs to be sectioned, not given a badge.
The protagonist is an American working as an English police officer. The vocabulary switches between US & UK but ludicrously - so the US police officer is told by a UK officer that they have a 6-mile radius for a search and she translates that to 10km - what US police officer prefers to work in metric units? A UK officer rummages around in the glove box not the glove compartment. These are trivial things but it is just annoying when you keep stumbling over them.
The plot is ludicrous and there are all kinds of other nonsense dragged in as though the author is trying to include every tv-movie issue-of-the-week into a single story.
None of the characters is plausible or interesting, most of them are ciphers and/or deeply unpleasant and her hero rogue officer clearly needs to be sectioned, not given a badge.
August 8, 2016
A brilliantly gripping up to the minute thriller that draws on all our fears and a lot more besides. Loved it - and so did my 16 year old daughter!
July 14, 2020
All of my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles.com/
I chose to read and review a free eARC of Cut to the Bone but that has in no way influenced my review.
Oh my goodness, there is so much going on in this book which makes it a wild ride for the reader! And this is a debut, which is quite mind-blowing. Cut to the Bone didn’t have that tentative, first steps feel about it at all. Caan has obviously been perfecting his craft for some time and it really shows in this, his first novel.
Detective Inspector Kate Riley is called in the middle of the night to attend to a missing persons case. The young woman, a popular vlogger called Ruby Day, has only been missing a few hours but her parents are distraught. The call comes from Justin Hope, the Police Crime Commissioner for Westminster, and Kate can’t understand why her team who normally deal with the most heinous of crimes in London, are being involved. Then a video arrives which shows Ruby running for her life. Ruby is in terrible danger and it’s down to DI Riley and her elite team of investigators to find out where the vlogger is, before it’s too late…
The investigation into Ruby’s disappearance is great but what really made this a riveting read for me were the characters and the team dynamics. There are a number of rather repugnant, self-important people in this book who are rubbing alongside the determined, gutsy investigators. Special Operations Executive Unit Three is a no-holds-barred, money-is-no-object elite unit of investigators, headed up by slimy, career-driven, wannabe politician, Justin Hope. He made my skin crawl and I loved it! Reporting directly to Hope is Detective Inspector Kate Riley who, after leaving the US in a bid to escape a very personal threat, has her own problems at home. Initially, the reader isn’t told exactly what happened to Riley in her past to make her move to the UK, nor what her home situation is, but we’re given short, sharp glimpses which made me question what the heck was going on with her.
And then there’s DS Zain Harris who is cocky and arrogant but I couldn’t help but have a soft spot for him. Again, Harris has a traumatic past which is referred to often and given to the reader in dribs and drabs until you have the whole shocking picture. His loyalties don’t necessarily lie with DI Riley, he knowingly steps on the toes of his colleagues proving his tech far outshines theirs, but he proves himself to have a heart and will stop at nothing to solve the case. I wasn’t sure of him to start with but by the end of the book, I was a Harris fan!
The other members of the team felt a more cohesive unit but that’s not surprising because Harris is the new boy, out to prove himself. They’re a solid bunch of well fleshed out characters who each bring something interesting to the table. The plot is well thought out and takes you down numerous avenues of investigation before the team finally start to get somewhere. But that’s police work, right? Always searching for the means, motive and opportunity which will stick!
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I really enjoyed Cut to the Bone and the time I spent with Riley and Harris. It’s a dark and edgy police procedural which shows the devastating effects of social media and obsession. Taking you places you won’t initially expect, this hard-hitting debut is one to add to the TBR if you’re a fan of crime fiction. Recommended.
I chose to read and review an eARC of Cut to the Bone. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
I chose to read and review a free eARC of Cut to the Bone but that has in no way influenced my review.
Oh my goodness, there is so much going on in this book which makes it a wild ride for the reader! And this is a debut, which is quite mind-blowing. Cut to the Bone didn’t have that tentative, first steps feel about it at all. Caan has obviously been perfecting his craft for some time and it really shows in this, his first novel.
Detective Inspector Kate Riley is called in the middle of the night to attend to a missing persons case. The young woman, a popular vlogger called Ruby Day, has only been missing a few hours but her parents are distraught. The call comes from Justin Hope, the Police Crime Commissioner for Westminster, and Kate can’t understand why her team who normally deal with the most heinous of crimes in London, are being involved. Then a video arrives which shows Ruby running for her life. Ruby is in terrible danger and it’s down to DI Riley and her elite team of investigators to find out where the vlogger is, before it’s too late…
The investigation into Ruby’s disappearance is great but what really made this a riveting read for me were the characters and the team dynamics. There are a number of rather repugnant, self-important people in this book who are rubbing alongside the determined, gutsy investigators. Special Operations Executive Unit Three is a no-holds-barred, money-is-no-object elite unit of investigators, headed up by slimy, career-driven, wannabe politician, Justin Hope. He made my skin crawl and I loved it! Reporting directly to Hope is Detective Inspector Kate Riley who, after leaving the US in a bid to escape a very personal threat, has her own problems at home. Initially, the reader isn’t told exactly what happened to Riley in her past to make her move to the UK, nor what her home situation is, but we’re given short, sharp glimpses which made me question what the heck was going on with her.
And then there’s DS Zain Harris who is cocky and arrogant but I couldn’t help but have a soft spot for him. Again, Harris has a traumatic past which is referred to often and given to the reader in dribs and drabs until you have the whole shocking picture. His loyalties don’t necessarily lie with DI Riley, he knowingly steps on the toes of his colleagues proving his tech far outshines theirs, but he proves himself to have a heart and will stop at nothing to solve the case. I wasn’t sure of him to start with but by the end of the book, I was a Harris fan!
The other members of the team felt a more cohesive unit but that’s not surprising because Harris is the new boy, out to prove himself. They’re a solid bunch of well fleshed out characters who each bring something interesting to the table. The plot is well thought out and takes you down numerous avenues of investigation before the team finally start to get somewhere. But that’s police work, right? Always searching for the means, motive and opportunity which will stick!
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I really enjoyed Cut to the Bone and the time I spent with Riley and Harris. It’s a dark and edgy police procedural which shows the devastating effects of social media and obsession. Taking you places you won’t initially expect, this hard-hitting debut is one to add to the TBR if you’re a fan of crime fiction. Recommended.
I chose to read and review an eARC of Cut to the Bone. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
June 6, 2016
This book opens with one of the most captivating introductions I have read in a while! Caan's use of short sentences creates tension effectively, gripping the reader and pulling them straight into the dark and frightening situation which sets the tone for the rest of this compelling thriller.
"Her clothes are gone. She wears a sack, tied at the waist. ...... Help me. Who is she speaking to? .........Ruby is gone. Only her screaming remains."
The chapter continues by telling us "she is strapped to a chair, arms and legs bound, mouth taped." Ruby's panic and fear are well captured with the description of her imprisonment and sense of desperation: "The walls are coming in . The darkness has icy fingers. Her skin is on fire. She wants her mother. She can't breathe. She is drowning."
In Chapter 2 we meet our protagonist DCI Kate Riley - a highly experienced detective with a doctorate from Browns. She receives a phone call at 2.38 am about a 20 year old girl who has been missing for 8 hours. Justin Hope, the Commissioner, has requested an investigation even though it is quite unprecedented at this early stage given the age of the missing girl. It is unclear why he is involved as the parents dialled 999 and have no apparent connection with Hope.
Chapter 3 introduces another key character, DS Zain Harris. He is first on the scene at the missing girl's house - the girl we now know to be Ruby. Ruby is a Vlogger and YouTube star who posts lifestyle tips, make up tutorials and fashion advice. She is making an impressive income through freebies, sponsorship and advertising. She has an incredible 2 million followers. That night, she had just gone out for a walk and never returned. As Zain listens to the parents' answers to his questions, he can't help but feel that they are "prompting each other for answers....playing a part....their responses were scripted," but he tries to "switch off his paranoia". The theme of playing parts, and scripted scenes is repeated throughout the novel as Caan explores the world of social media; the blurred lines between someone's real and on line persona. Paranoia is also a key theme in the book - both Zain and Katy seem to suffer from it, although the roots and causes are mysteriously secret and buried deep in their back stories which Caan tantalises the reader with, only dropping the odd clue or half picture so their characters remain as mysterious as the actual crime they are investigating. It is very intriguing and I was very impressed with his handling of not only a complex plot, but also his management of complex characters. It is hard to believe it is a debut novel.
The chapters continue to alternate between Kate and Zain. They are very short and this book definitely moves with great pace and action. Although quite different characters, Kate and Zain form a bond quickly and even at the first interview with Ruby's parents the "silence was heavy between them, acquiring layers of something unspoken." I also liked the way that the mystery of Kate's home life - the baby monitor she kept by her bed with the blond wig she had to put on before responding to it, the dark fear shrouding her arrival in London- were entwined with the main criminal investigation of trying to find Ruby. As I said, this novel has a multi layered, intricate plot with lots of different threads for the reader to wonder about, be distracted by and ensuring that they are kept very much on the edge of their seat until the last page.
Zain is also a fascinating character. Is he good? Is he bad? Is he right in some of the procedural decisions he makes? What is his motive and to whom is he truly loyal? What is he caught up in? Nothing is quite as it seems and he is also compromised and full of internal conflict.
The case is difficult. Kate "was paddling...going through the motions, picking up everything she could, throwing it in the air and seeing what landed." As the book continues into the last third, the police investigation suddenly delves much deeper and into something much much bigger and more sinister than anyone could have anticipated. We learn more about Ruby, her violent and unpredictable boyfriend Dan, the mercenary world of Vlogging and the manipulative power of huge corporations. This story is more than a police procedural crime novel, it dances with conspiracy; searching and uncovering the sort of answers that will lead to people being murdered rather than revealing the truth.
This really is a novel for 2016; the world of Vlogging and those that build careers out of creating YouTube videos is such a recent phenomenon. Ruby's character is so interesting - she is lonely and has very few real friends, yet she is "lonely in the glare of 2 million people watching her." I thought it was very thought provoking in a sense as it made me really consider the growing role of social media networks and the affect they could be having on young people and their emotional intelligence or social skills. It highlights the dangers of exposure, the competition and resentment that can grow from a harmless Vlog. YouTubers and Vloggers can create a high level of perfection which can cause as much trouble for them as their viewer. And they seem relatively unprotected from praying companies seeking to exploit or manipulate them.
As the investigation proceeds there are plenty of technical conversations about how people use social media; how the police's work is made more difficult now so many people can hack / delete / wipe information - even though conversely we can also be tracked and traced by innocently opening apps on our phone. Caan's knowledge and research into the details of the technology, the internet and police procedure where vastly impressive and showed a deep understanding of everything he wrote about.
I have more to say...more quotes to use....but actually on reflection, I think they might give too much away. The best thing about this book is the way you are mislead, constantly unsure about some of the characters, shocked and tricked so I think for that reason, the less said the better! What I will say is that this is a very accomplished and considered novel and, as I am finding with all Bonnier Twenty7 debut authors, it is a book which really reads as if it has been written by an established writer with a catalogue of titles preceding them.
The final words of the book left me begging for a bit more! They are as compelling as the opening lines! I hope this means there is more to come from Caan, Kate and Zain.
This story reminded me of a lot of films and TV series I have seen recently in terms of the scale of the mystery and turns that the investigation take - the "grey" morality of a detective and another who carries an emotional burden. There is a lot of police procedure and jargon, and it was probably more intense than most crime novels I read, but even though I wasn't sure if I was always keeping abreast with Kate, I certainly recognise the talent of the author and the potential in this book. Recommend!
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
"Her clothes are gone. She wears a sack, tied at the waist. ...... Help me. Who is she speaking to? .........Ruby is gone. Only her screaming remains."
The chapter continues by telling us "she is strapped to a chair, arms and legs bound, mouth taped." Ruby's panic and fear are well captured with the description of her imprisonment and sense of desperation: "The walls are coming in . The darkness has icy fingers. Her skin is on fire. She wants her mother. She can't breathe. She is drowning."
In Chapter 2 we meet our protagonist DCI Kate Riley - a highly experienced detective with a doctorate from Browns. She receives a phone call at 2.38 am about a 20 year old girl who has been missing for 8 hours. Justin Hope, the Commissioner, has requested an investigation even though it is quite unprecedented at this early stage given the age of the missing girl. It is unclear why he is involved as the parents dialled 999 and have no apparent connection with Hope.
Chapter 3 introduces another key character, DS Zain Harris. He is first on the scene at the missing girl's house - the girl we now know to be Ruby. Ruby is a Vlogger and YouTube star who posts lifestyle tips, make up tutorials and fashion advice. She is making an impressive income through freebies, sponsorship and advertising. She has an incredible 2 million followers. That night, she had just gone out for a walk and never returned. As Zain listens to the parents' answers to his questions, he can't help but feel that they are "prompting each other for answers....playing a part....their responses were scripted," but he tries to "switch off his paranoia". The theme of playing parts, and scripted scenes is repeated throughout the novel as Caan explores the world of social media; the blurred lines between someone's real and on line persona. Paranoia is also a key theme in the book - both Zain and Katy seem to suffer from it, although the roots and causes are mysteriously secret and buried deep in their back stories which Caan tantalises the reader with, only dropping the odd clue or half picture so their characters remain as mysterious as the actual crime they are investigating. It is very intriguing and I was very impressed with his handling of not only a complex plot, but also his management of complex characters. It is hard to believe it is a debut novel.
The chapters continue to alternate between Kate and Zain. They are very short and this book definitely moves with great pace and action. Although quite different characters, Kate and Zain form a bond quickly and even at the first interview with Ruby's parents the "silence was heavy between them, acquiring layers of something unspoken." I also liked the way that the mystery of Kate's home life - the baby monitor she kept by her bed with the blond wig she had to put on before responding to it, the dark fear shrouding her arrival in London- were entwined with the main criminal investigation of trying to find Ruby. As I said, this novel has a multi layered, intricate plot with lots of different threads for the reader to wonder about, be distracted by and ensuring that they are kept very much on the edge of their seat until the last page.
Zain is also a fascinating character. Is he good? Is he bad? Is he right in some of the procedural decisions he makes? What is his motive and to whom is he truly loyal? What is he caught up in? Nothing is quite as it seems and he is also compromised and full of internal conflict.
The case is difficult. Kate "was paddling...going through the motions, picking up everything she could, throwing it in the air and seeing what landed." As the book continues into the last third, the police investigation suddenly delves much deeper and into something much much bigger and more sinister than anyone could have anticipated. We learn more about Ruby, her violent and unpredictable boyfriend Dan, the mercenary world of Vlogging and the manipulative power of huge corporations. This story is more than a police procedural crime novel, it dances with conspiracy; searching and uncovering the sort of answers that will lead to people being murdered rather than revealing the truth.
This really is a novel for 2016; the world of Vlogging and those that build careers out of creating YouTube videos is such a recent phenomenon. Ruby's character is so interesting - she is lonely and has very few real friends, yet she is "lonely in the glare of 2 million people watching her." I thought it was very thought provoking in a sense as it made me really consider the growing role of social media networks and the affect they could be having on young people and their emotional intelligence or social skills. It highlights the dangers of exposure, the competition and resentment that can grow from a harmless Vlog. YouTubers and Vloggers can create a high level of perfection which can cause as much trouble for them as their viewer. And they seem relatively unprotected from praying companies seeking to exploit or manipulate them.
As the investigation proceeds there are plenty of technical conversations about how people use social media; how the police's work is made more difficult now so many people can hack / delete / wipe information - even though conversely we can also be tracked and traced by innocently opening apps on our phone. Caan's knowledge and research into the details of the technology, the internet and police procedure where vastly impressive and showed a deep understanding of everything he wrote about.
I have more to say...more quotes to use....but actually on reflection, I think they might give too much away. The best thing about this book is the way you are mislead, constantly unsure about some of the characters, shocked and tricked so I think for that reason, the less said the better! What I will say is that this is a very accomplished and considered novel and, as I am finding with all Bonnier Twenty7 debut authors, it is a book which really reads as if it has been written by an established writer with a catalogue of titles preceding them.
The final words of the book left me begging for a bit more! They are as compelling as the opening lines! I hope this means there is more to come from Caan, Kate and Zain.
This story reminded me of a lot of films and TV series I have seen recently in terms of the scale of the mystery and turns that the investigation take - the "grey" morality of a detective and another who carries an emotional burden. There is a lot of police procedure and jargon, and it was probably more intense than most crime novels I read, but even though I wasn't sure if I was always keeping abreast with Kate, I certainly recognise the talent of the author and the potential in this book. Recommend!
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
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