The Cutline

Alex Vane #0.5

by A.C. Fuller

It's the spring of 2000 and Alex Vane is living the dream. He's brilliant, handsome, driven, and he has just landed his first major reporting covering New York's biggest trials for the city's second-biggest daily, The New York Standard.As if his luck couldn't get any better, Alex befriends a top prosecutor who helps him uncover a secret about a legendary defense attorney. When he breaks the story, the trial of the East Coast's most deadly drug kingpin falls into turmoil.But as he digs deeper, the story begins to unravel. Now Alex must figure out whether his source was playing him and, if so, why? And if he fails, he might be the one who ends up behind bars.In this prequel to The Anonymous Source, A.C. Fuller brings you New York City at its optimistic peak. Before 9/11, before the financial crash, and before the Internet revolutionized the news media and permanently altered the lives of reporters like Alex Vane.Series The Cutline (A Prequel Novella)The Anonymous Source (An Alex Vane Media Thriller, Book 1)The Inverted Pyramid (An Alex Vane Media Thriller, Book 2)The Mockingbird Drive (An Alex Vane Media Thriller, Book 3)The Shadow File (An Alex Vane Media Thriller, Book 4)The Last Journalist (An Alex Vane Media Thriller, Book 5)

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 2017

About the author

Once a journalist in New York, A.C. Fuller now writes stories at the intersection of media, politics, and technology. Before he began writing full time, he was an adjunct professor of journalism at NYU and an English teacher at Northwest Indian College.

He lives with his wife, two children, and two dogs near Seattle. For a free copy of one of A.C.'s books, check out: http://www.acfuller.com/readerclub/

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I hoped for in a prequel to the Alex Vane series. It showed Alex in his cocky and exciting, arrogant best. It showed his ability to skim into trouble and slide out of by the skin of his teeth. Great writing as I have come to expect from A. C. Fuller and intricate plots and storylines. Setting the stage for the first book was well done!!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teaser for a series that I gather has done pretty well, this is nicely told but seems to me to offer not enough by way of story.

Alex Vane is a, well, vain young crime reporter in NYC who's long had a yen for the glamorous lady prosecutor currently engaged in a high-profile rackets trial. To his amazement, she not only starts to respond to his advances but actually becomes the one making the advances. Of course, as he'd realize had he opted for a different ratiocinatory organ, she's playing him . . .

As I say, this is a well told tale. The trouble is, at least for me, that it seems to be an incomplete one. It's not that it ends on a cliffhanger -- that I could understand, albeit a tad ruefully -- but that it just sort of peters out, leaving matters unresolved. Before then, though, I was certainly enjoying the book.

I got this at the author's website: www.acfuller.com.

[Brenda Klaassen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an entertaining story. I did not enjoy the ending, but I can see why it ended that way. The story was advertised as being more edgy then it was in reality. I might try this author again in the future.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cutline (Alex Vane #0.5) by A. C. Fuller is a prequel novella. In the world of newspaper journalism, the Cutline is the line (s) below a picture telling who and/or what it is. Alex is an up and coming hotshot writer for The Standard who covers criminal trials for the paper. He is given a photo of the defense attorney at a public event being kissed by the mother of an individual who is the alleged murderer he is defending. That the attorney was involved with her is likely to result in a mistrial. But it is a huge scoop for Alex, and could really advance his career.

He calls his editor in the middle of the night so he can get it published and scoop all the other reporters. But his editor tells him to wait until the next day so they can check it and write the story. Alex doesn't want another reporter to jump in ahead of him. What should he do? What would you do?

This is an intriguing media thriller which I could not put down. 5 stars for this novella.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a mystery/police procedural/courtroom fanatic from way back, so this novella was right up my alley. The writing is excellent and the plotline, while a little typical, had a few unexpected twists to it. I found myself constantly wanting to get back to reading it (which is a pretty big compliment in my book). However...the ending greatly disappointed me. I know it is a novella, but I felt Mr Fuller could have done so much more with it. Instead of a bang up ending, I got a whimper. But I am impressed enough with Mr Fuller's writing that I will be checking out and reviewing his full length Alex Vane novel very shortly. That has to tell you something about the quality of his writing.

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited Notice Media Thriller...finally a subgenre understand the reason for. See binge reading in my future. This one pretty sure free day or perma free, the 1 probably same, 2 ARC 3 ARC.

Series List: An Alex Vane Media Thriller
The Cutline Book 0 {0.5}) - The Anonymous Source 1 - The Inverted Pyramid 2 - The Mockingbird Drive 3

The start, definitely not the finish. 9-11 just might kill him after the fact.

[Shannon Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 4 hours, I loved everything about the start of this series. Well thought out plot, and characters. A five star rating from me is hard to accomplish, definitely looking forward to reading other works by this author!

[Tom Bierdz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book I couldn't put down. It was the kind of thriller that I relate to. Good suspense in an area I didn't know much about. The author help my interest all the way. I will read the next books in the series

[L.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a taster for other books in the series, this works perfectly. This introduction to the Court Reporter from The Standard delivers the reader with an unforgettable character in the cocky Alex Vane. Dressed to impress both for the courtroom and the upmarket venues he later frequents, Vane is not one to shy away from controversy. Eager to make a name for himself, he'll do whatever it takes - providing it won't get him fired - to get a scoop. Unfortunately, his actions have consequences, and he is left to find a solution - it doesn't have to be the truth - else face jail time.
You have to admire his vow to never reveal a source, even though that same promise may well lead him into more trouble than he can handle.
One thing's for sure, I'm intrigued enough by Vane to want to read more from this series.

[Robert Romberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written story to introduce readers to the Alex Vane mystery series. Alex is the new intrepid court reporter for the New York Standard newspaper. In his first assignment he manages to get himself involved with the murder case he is covering for the paper that leads to questions of himself and his journalistic integrity. The characters are believable and engaging. I’m looking forward to trying the rest of the series.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was described as a mini-story and was a freebie. It had a beginning, middle and an end (unlike several other such promo novellas I've read.) This is our introduction to Alex Vane, with more stories to follow. He seems to be an interesting character and the story revolved around the right of a reporter to protect his sources. I will look for more Alex Vane stories from A.C. Fuller/

[Sean Flanagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.C. Fuller has crafted a tight and tense yarn about a up-and-coming print reporter who always skips near a cliff's edge, frequently going just a little bit over. In this case, he jumped off but somehow pulled a parachute out of his sock.

Although the story isn't plausible, it is a very fun read, and very well-written.

[Jay Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to Alex Vane, but a strange story. It sets up a number of very interesting characters and defines the early Alex. The story shoots a lot at the reader and disappears, leaving a wonder about what just happened.

[Cindy B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this prequel more than others. Main character was “kept in line” by his author. Not something others have done well. His performance and personality stayed where it started in the first novel. He did grow but didn’t become someone completely different. Kudos to the author.

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cutline is a good prequel. It is engaging and for naive people like myself,and Alex apparently, it had some unforeseen twists. Alex is a bit of a player, personally and professionally, but I think deep down he is a decent guy. I will read the series to see if I am right.

[virginia anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept my interest totally!

I like the pace of a novel which pretty much kept up with the pace of the courtroom and the outside drama. Highly recommend And then looking forward to reading Book by this author soon.

[Will Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the characters shallow and not very interesting. The plot was well laid out and moved right along, but the ending was forced and cliche. No depth or passion came through in the story.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The description of this novel held a lot of potential, a very interesting story. However, the novel itself just didn't grab me. Nothing about the characters or plot interested me.

[Barb VanderWel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this & I can't wait for more.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Anxious to read the next book(s).

[Bernie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a good and quick read. Recommend reading this first, before "Anonymous Source", as this is a prequel and introduces Alex Vane.

[Pat Welte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story and all the characters and the suspense from beginning to the end. I read in one day as I didn't want to put it down.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice wee set up as a prequel. Interesting enough to look out more by the same author 😊.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalist with principles, now with cell phone dictates the news article in.
As cover ups and other favors are being done. A full story may give more depth to the main characters.

[James Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read

The author has created an unusual and unique plot to go with a group of interesting characters making this hard to stop reading

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting introduction to 'Alex Vane' series. The storyline was really intriguing.

[Aviar Savijon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting Story

[Seth Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cool to see the backstories of the characters In the Alex Vane Series. The plot and story was what you expect from this author, good! However, the ending is kind of boring.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eager, green journalist and lead court reporter for his paper, Alex Vane is covering the murder trial of a criminal who has eluded most of the forces of law and order. The pretty prosecutor, Joey, is a courtroom ace and just a bit older than Alex so we are not surprised when court adjourns and they bump into each other outside a popular bar--and the story begins. Pillow talk uncovers a bombshell bit of oppo-research, the plot thickens and eager Alex skates over thin ice. At this point, halfway through the book, I was turning the pages faster and faster. Fascinating and super-readable, this prequel to The Anonymous Source is the perfect way to get into the Alex Vane series. Can hardly wait for more!

[Laura Kelp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart and smooth describes A.C. Fuller's writing and his main character, journalist Alex Vane, in this prequel to the novel The Anonymous Source. This tight, fast-paced novella instantly pulls the reader into Alex's life as a talented but cocky court reporter for The New York Standard. His formula for professional success - break the story first and fast - almost costs him his job and his freedom.
The author's style is tight and authentic, a perfect match for the "media thriller"genre that Fuller seems so at ease with in his Alex Vane series.