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A Dr. Jessie Teska Mystery #1
First Cut
A hard-nosed San Francisco medical examiner uncovers an underworld plot in this fiction debut by the
New York Times
bestselling authors of Working Stiff.
For San Francisco's newest medical examiner, Dr Jessie Teska, it was supposed to be a fresh start. A new job in a new city. A way to escape her own dark past. Instead she faces a chilling discovery when a suspected overdose case contains hints of something more sinister. Jessie's superiors urge her to close the case, but as more bodies land on her autopsy table, she uncovers a constellation of deaths that point to an elaborate plot involving nefarious opioid traffickers and flashy tech titans who got rich off Bitcoin. Autopsy means 'see for yourself, ' and Jessie Teska won't stop until she has seen it all -- even if it means the next corpse on the table could be her own.
For San Francisco's newest medical examiner, Dr Jessie Teska, it was supposed to be a fresh start. A new job in a new city. A way to escape her own dark past. Instead she faces a chilling discovery when a suspected overdose case contains hints of something more sinister. Jessie's superiors urge her to close the case, but as more bodies land on her autopsy table, she uncovers a constellation of deaths that point to an elaborate plot involving nefarious opioid traffickers and flashy tech titans who got rich off Bitcoin. Autopsy means 'see for yourself, ' and Jessie Teska won't stop until she has seen it all -- even if it means the next corpse on the table could be her own.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2020
425 people are currently reading
2272 people want to read
About the author
Judy Melinek
6 books382 followersJudy Melinek, M.D. is a graduate of Harvard University. She trained at UCLA in medicine and pathology, graduating in 1996. Her training at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York is the subject of her memoir, Working Stiff, which she co-wrote with her husband, T.J. Mitchell. Currently, Dr. Melinek is CEO of PathologyExpert Inc., & works as a forensic pathologist in Oakland, California. She also travels nationally and internationally to lecture she has been consulted as a forensic expert in many high-profile legal cases.
First Cut will be the debut novel in a medical examiner detective-fiction series.
First Cut will be the debut novel in a medical examiner detective-fiction series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
February 5, 2023
Whilst I didn't really enjoy the story itself I appreciated the in depth look at the life of a medical examiner and found that element to be quite interesting. I will probably pick up Judy's non-fiction book on her life as a medical examiner at some point but I won't be reading the rest of this series. The story felt a bit clunky, disjointed and flat in parts. Heaps of people loved it so it was a case of 'not for me'.
January 6, 2020
If you are fascinated by forensics this books for you! Judy Melinek wrote this enthralling book with her husband T. J. Mitchell. Melinek works as a medical examiner and that really gave an authentic realistic feel to the story. Dr. Jessie Teska just transferred from the LA Office of the medical examiner to its SF counterpart. She is surprise by the rundown state of the SF office especially after being spoiled by the sparkling new stainless steel LA office. But Jessie doesn’t have much time to acclimate she is quickly brought in on a case, a possible overdose. What follows is a tense story of push and pull, Mystery and politics. An addictive procedural with some grit.
This was such a compulsive compelling story. I’ve always been fascinated when it comes to forensics and autopsies. It is so interesting to me the clues that your body leaves behind. Parts of the story might be a little too detailed or descriptive for some, but I thought it was well done and truly gave you a real sense of the characters and what they dealt with. There was a part in the story where Jesse was unable to shower after performing an autopsy and then had to go interact with the cops. I felt so bad for her and was simultaneously repulsed by her possible smell. The setting of San Francisco lended well to the story and I have to say I love the fact that Jesse took up residence in a renovated cable car. Real, raw, gritty, gruesome, absorbing, addictive, enthralling, engaging. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is just the first in a new series!
This book in emojis 🌫 🚃 💉 🩸
*** Big thanks to Harlequin Hanover Square for my copy of this book ***
This was such a compulsive compelling story. I’ve always been fascinated when it comes to forensics and autopsies. It is so interesting to me the clues that your body leaves behind. Parts of the story might be a little too detailed or descriptive for some, but I thought it was well done and truly gave you a real sense of the characters and what they dealt with. There was a part in the story where Jesse was unable to shower after performing an autopsy and then had to go interact with the cops. I felt so bad for her and was simultaneously repulsed by her possible smell. The setting of San Francisco lended well to the story and I have to say I love the fact that Jesse took up residence in a renovated cable car. Real, raw, gritty, gruesome, absorbing, addictive, enthralling, engaging. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is just the first in a new series!
This book in emojis 🌫 🚃 💉 🩸
*** Big thanks to Harlequin Hanover Square for my copy of this book ***
January 13, 2020
Favorite Quotes:
Dr. Stone struck me as an overgrown nerd, brilliant and opinionated and completely unfiltered. I like nerds, and I’ve been told many times— many times— that I could use a stronger filter myself.
He speaks Bengali like I speak Polish— fluent in curse words, proverbs, and food.
People from happy families can’t comprehend what it’s like to live in a hostage situation with people who tell you they love you.
We don’t work in a justice system, Jessie. It’s a legal system. We take what we can get.
My Review:
This multi-layered tale was cunningly plotted, cleverly complicated, and shrewdly paced. I suspected everyone, and for good reason, as each had their own hidden agendas and they were all actually up to something. While the storylines and characters were complex, I enjoyed the authors’ surprising wit and engaging and descriptive writing style. Their contributions meshed seamlessly and I never would have guessed it was a team effort. The book was written in the first person POV of a newly hired medical examiner in San Francisco, a place I’ve never been and a vocation that gives me the willies to contemplate, yet I was as intrigued by the story as much as the oddly compelling characters and I was truly fascinated by her delightfully unusual living accommodations in a cable car house.
Dr. Stone struck me as an overgrown nerd, brilliant and opinionated and completely unfiltered. I like nerds, and I’ve been told many times— many times— that I could use a stronger filter myself.
He speaks Bengali like I speak Polish— fluent in curse words, proverbs, and food.
People from happy families can’t comprehend what it’s like to live in a hostage situation with people who tell you they love you.
We don’t work in a justice system, Jessie. It’s a legal system. We take what we can get.
My Review:
This multi-layered tale was cunningly plotted, cleverly complicated, and shrewdly paced. I suspected everyone, and for good reason, as each had their own hidden agendas and they were all actually up to something. While the storylines and characters were complex, I enjoyed the authors’ surprising wit and engaging and descriptive writing style. Their contributions meshed seamlessly and I never would have guessed it was a team effort. The book was written in the first person POV of a newly hired medical examiner in San Francisco, a place I’ve never been and a vocation that gives me the willies to contemplate, yet I was as intrigued by the story as much as the oddly compelling characters and I was truly fascinated by her delightfully unusual living accommodations in a cable car house.
January 19, 2023
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If you read my review for Working Stiff by Judy Melinek, then you may recall that I am 100% a Melinek fangirl. This woman is amazeballs. I love everything about her.
Where, before, she recounted her real-life experiences as the Chief Medical Examiner of NYC (during 9/11 no less) in her non-fiction work, this novel, First Cut, is a work of fiction that focuses on a new medical examiner on San Francisco, Jessie Teska.
Considering that this is a debut work of fiction, it’s top-notch.
If you love procedurals that rely on the science and forensic side of investigation then this is going to be a must-read. It might feel a little bogged down in medical details to the casual reader, however.
Melinek uses all of her real-life experience as a medical examiner to bring Teska’s job to life. Honestly, it’s so authentic I could probably dissect a dead body at this point. And I definitely wouldn’t forget what drawer the jar of tissue specimens was meant to go in.
Jessie Teska has transferred from LA County to San Francisco after a mysterious personal issue. Arriving in San Fran is a shock to the system. She’s used to shiny, expensive medical equipment, decked-out labs and high-end procedures. In San Fran the budget is different, so everything is shabby, used and old, and Teska finds she has to do most of the work she used to rely on assistants for. It doesn’t help that the men in the office are also kind of giant assholes.
One of Jessie’s first cases is a drug overdose that just doesn’t feel like an overdose to her. She tries to investigate, to get the cops to do their job but (shockingly) they don’t really have much of an interest in listening to her suspicions. The way the cops ignore her concerns, you’d think she had been sexually assaulted.
Yeah, I said it.
The plot expands, twists and unravels itself like an onion after Jessie decides to go on a rogue investigation. It’s precise, layered and fast-paced, it just lacks some depth. Which is a problem I seem to have with a lot of debut fiction. The authors spend so much time building a mystery, Sarah McLachlan style, that they forget to give the characters fleshed-out human depth.
Jessie, without a full personality, then becomes a little aggressive, sometimes stupid and makes odd choices in the face of difficult options, like accusing a colleague of murder and going straight for his fucking jugular which results in almost losing her new job. Did I connect with this woman? No, not really. Did I love that she named her Beagle, Beagle? YES.
I am also not a fan of economic shit, especially Bitcoin, because I don’t get it and I think cryptocurrency is kind of stupid. This book has a Bitcoin subplot that made me go cross-eyed and I was not a fan. I’m not going to say it made the plot convoluted, but it was going there for me.
Overall, I’m still a Melinek fangirl. This woman’s talents know no bounds and I’m all in for the next installment of this series!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4 stars
If you read my review for Working Stiff by Judy Melinek, then you may recall that I am 100% a Melinek fangirl. This woman is amazeballs. I love everything about her.
Where, before, she recounted her real-life experiences as the Chief Medical Examiner of NYC (during 9/11 no less) in her non-fiction work, this novel, First Cut, is a work of fiction that focuses on a new medical examiner on San Francisco, Jessie Teska.
Considering that this is a debut work of fiction, it’s top-notch.
If you love procedurals that rely on the science and forensic side of investigation then this is going to be a must-read. It might feel a little bogged down in medical details to the casual reader, however.
Melinek uses all of her real-life experience as a medical examiner to bring Teska’s job to life. Honestly, it’s so authentic I could probably dissect a dead body at this point. And I definitely wouldn’t forget what drawer the jar of tissue specimens was meant to go in.
Jessie Teska has transferred from LA County to San Francisco after a mysterious personal issue. Arriving in San Fran is a shock to the system. She’s used to shiny, expensive medical equipment, decked-out labs and high-end procedures. In San Fran the budget is different, so everything is shabby, used and old, and Teska finds she has to do most of the work she used to rely on assistants for. It doesn’t help that the men in the office are also kind of giant assholes.
One of Jessie’s first cases is a drug overdose that just doesn’t feel like an overdose to her. She tries to investigate, to get the cops to do their job but (shockingly) they don’t really have much of an interest in listening to her suspicions. The way the cops ignore her concerns, you’d think she had been sexually assaulted.
Yeah, I said it.
The plot expands, twists and unravels itself like an onion after Jessie decides to go on a rogue investigation. It’s precise, layered and fast-paced, it just lacks some depth. Which is a problem I seem to have with a lot of debut fiction. The authors spend so much time building a mystery, Sarah McLachlan style, that they forget to give the characters fleshed-out human depth.
Jessie, without a full personality, then becomes a little aggressive, sometimes stupid and makes odd choices in the face of difficult options, like accusing a colleague of murder and going straight for his fucking jugular which results in almost losing her new job. Did I connect with this woman? No, not really. Did I love that she named her Beagle, Beagle? YES.
I am also not a fan of economic shit, especially Bitcoin, because I don’t get it and I think cryptocurrency is kind of stupid. This book has a Bitcoin subplot that made me go cross-eyed and I was not a fan. I’m not going to say it made the plot convoluted, but it was going there for me.
Overall, I’m still a Melinek fangirl. This woman’s talents know no bounds and I’m all in for the next installment of this series!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4 stars
December 2, 2019
Totally different type of story. Got to love medical mysteries.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The story comes from a different view where the main character is a SF city medical examiner. In a city that big you know there are plenty of areas for intriguing investigations.
Jessie comes across a case that is extremely similar to another case that she had prior in another department. It nags her and bugs her so she decides to start digging a little bit deeper than a normal investigation. She runs across many interesting twists and coincidences that are hard to pass by. Was it accidental or was it murder?
The story is written in a different manner than what we normally expect. It comes from a medical coroner point of view and that could be disconcerting to some. It’s very graphic but written matter-of-fact so while there is the element of gore and death, it’s in a more clinical point of view.
The author did a fabulous job blending in many different tangents to the story. After all she is a forensic pathologist and co-wrote this with her husband! So we will get all of the dirt.
We get to know a medical examiner that has a few skeletons of her own in her closet. Jessie has a quirky sense of humor and a taste for doing what is right regardless of how it can affect her later down the line. This action packed crime and medical mystery is fast paced and full of cringe-worthy detail that will keep you reading half the night!
The twist and turns in this story prove to hold up through most of the book and the ending gives us a nice surprise too!
Perfect for those that love true crime, medical mystery, and complete realism in their books, First Cut by Judy Mitchell & TJ Melinek is a great choice for that weekend read!
* Copy received for review consideration
Full review - http://amidlifewife.com/first-cut-by-...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The story comes from a different view where the main character is a SF city medical examiner. In a city that big you know there are plenty of areas for intriguing investigations.
Jessie comes across a case that is extremely similar to another case that she had prior in another department. It nags her and bugs her so she decides to start digging a little bit deeper than a normal investigation. She runs across many interesting twists and coincidences that are hard to pass by. Was it accidental or was it murder?
The story is written in a different manner than what we normally expect. It comes from a medical coroner point of view and that could be disconcerting to some. It’s very graphic but written matter-of-fact so while there is the element of gore and death, it’s in a more clinical point of view.
The author did a fabulous job blending in many different tangents to the story. After all she is a forensic pathologist and co-wrote this with her husband! So we will get all of the dirt.
We get to know a medical examiner that has a few skeletons of her own in her closet. Jessie has a quirky sense of humor and a taste for doing what is right regardless of how it can affect her later down the line. This action packed crime and medical mystery is fast paced and full of cringe-worthy detail that will keep you reading half the night!
The twist and turns in this story prove to hold up through most of the book and the ending gives us a nice surprise too!
Perfect for those that love true crime, medical mystery, and complete realism in their books, First Cut by Judy Mitchell & TJ Melinek is a great choice for that weekend read!
* Copy received for review consideration
Full review - http://amidlifewife.com/first-cut-by-...
January 6, 2020
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
FIRST CUT by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell is a medical thriller/mystery that is the start of a new series featuring San Francisco’s newest medical examiner, Dr. Jessica Teska.
Dr. Jessica Teska is hoping for a new start in San Francisco after leaving Los Angeles wondering if she would ever work as a medical examiner again. She is determined to do her best and prove she is worth this second chance.
When a suspected overdose case of a young woman leaves Jessie feeling as though there is something more sinister involved than a simple overdose, she digs deeper. This case leads to questions that tie it to several other murder cases. Even as more connections and questions arise, Jessie is surprised by her superiors’ pushback to close the case as an accident.
As more bodies land in the morgue, Jessie begins to see a web of connections between drug traffickers, bitcoin, and tech start-ups that may somehow tie into a RICO trial of a major criminal in federal court. But will her digging lead to her own body ending up on a slab?
I am so excited to have found a great new series to follow! I thought I had everything figured out, but I was only partially correct and the authors were able to throw me with an unexpected surprise twist. I love when that happens. I also love books that feature medical examiners or CSIs that get into the nitty-gritty and are knowledgeable enough to teach me new and unique ways to detect a murder. I had trouble putting this book down because of the intrigue of learning new things and because of the intricate mystery that tied everything together in the end. Even as the authors gave Jessie’s past in Los Angeles to me a bit at a time and gave Jessie love interests and new friends it never overpowered the mystery plot.
I highly recommend you read First Cut! I am anxiously awaiting more books in this series!
FIRST CUT by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell is a medical thriller/mystery that is the start of a new series featuring San Francisco’s newest medical examiner, Dr. Jessica Teska.
Dr. Jessica Teska is hoping for a new start in San Francisco after leaving Los Angeles wondering if she would ever work as a medical examiner again. She is determined to do her best and prove she is worth this second chance.
When a suspected overdose case of a young woman leaves Jessie feeling as though there is something more sinister involved than a simple overdose, she digs deeper. This case leads to questions that tie it to several other murder cases. Even as more connections and questions arise, Jessie is surprised by her superiors’ pushback to close the case as an accident.
As more bodies land in the morgue, Jessie begins to see a web of connections between drug traffickers, bitcoin, and tech start-ups that may somehow tie into a RICO trial of a major criminal in federal court. But will her digging lead to her own body ending up on a slab?
I am so excited to have found a great new series to follow! I thought I had everything figured out, but I was only partially correct and the authors were able to throw me with an unexpected surprise twist. I love when that happens. I also love books that feature medical examiners or CSIs that get into the nitty-gritty and are knowledgeable enough to teach me new and unique ways to detect a murder. I had trouble putting this book down because of the intrigue of learning new things and because of the intricate mystery that tied everything together in the end. Even as the authors gave Jessie’s past in Los Angeles to me a bit at a time and gave Jessie love interests and new friends it never overpowered the mystery plot.
I highly recommend you read First Cut! I am anxiously awaiting more books in this series!
February 26, 2020
2.5 stars
I must start my review by stating how much I LOVED LOVED this author’s non-fiction account of working as a medical examiner. I highly recommend Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner
Her debut into the world of crime fiction was fine but nothing that I will remember for long. It’s a debut so I am sure that in time she will grow as a fiction writer.
There were a few things I need to mention that I found distracting:
• The main character’s propensity to not only state that she drives a BMW at every opportunity but also explicitly state the model of the brand - a BMW i235.
• The fact that suspects openly revealed information to someone that’s not in law enforcement always throws me for a loop and in this book, it was no exception.
I did however like the sections that detailed the intricacies of life as a medical examiner but not enough to carry on with the series.
I must start my review by stating how much I LOVED LOVED this author’s non-fiction account of working as a medical examiner. I highly recommend Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner
Her debut into the world of crime fiction was fine but nothing that I will remember for long. It’s a debut so I am sure that in time she will grow as a fiction writer.
There were a few things I need to mention that I found distracting:
• The main character’s propensity to not only state that she drives a BMW at every opportunity but also explicitly state the model of the brand - a BMW i235.
• The fact that suspects openly revealed information to someone that’s not in law enforcement always throws me for a loop and in this book, it was no exception.
I did however like the sections that detailed the intricacies of life as a medical examiner but not enough to carry on with the series.
January 23, 2020
First Cut is the first book in an exciting new series featuring Dr. Jessie Teska (don't even ask what her first name really is!) She is brilliant, thorough and very flawed, exactly the type of character I love in books.
Dr. Teska has newly arrived in San Francisco where a drug epidemic seems to be washing through the city. A new, highly volatile version of heroin has hit the streets causing overdoses among the most hardened users. Dr. Teska begins to see a pattern, however, in those who are ending up on her slab and the results of her investigation leads a little to close to home - the ME's office!
The writing in First Cut is taut, precise and it is obvious the author knows her craft - Melinek is, or was, an ME. The computer stuff was a bit over my head but still easy to follow and actually quite fascinating. The characters were interesting and, while I didn't like them all and some of them made me physically ill to imagine their existence in my world, they were exceptionally well written. I can't wait for the next in this series!
Dr. Teska has newly arrived in San Francisco where a drug epidemic seems to be washing through the city. A new, highly volatile version of heroin has hit the streets causing overdoses among the most hardened users. Dr. Teska begins to see a pattern, however, in those who are ending up on her slab and the results of her investigation leads a little to close to home - the ME's office!
The writing in First Cut is taut, precise and it is obvious the author knows her craft - Melinek is, or was, an ME. The computer stuff was a bit over my head but still easy to follow and actually quite fascinating. The characters were interesting and, while I didn't like them all and some of them made me physically ill to imagine their existence in my world, they were exceptionally well written. I can't wait for the next in this series!
January 8, 2020
I was convinced after reading this book that medical examiners could solve the cases much better than the cops as the dead bodies spoke to them.
And Dr. Jessie Teska was one such doc who could find clues in the minute bruises on the body. And boy, was she a genius. This was the story from the POV of a medical examiner and how dead bodies and murders and examiners were all linked in multiple cases.
My first book by the author duo, I loved reading it. The writing had medical jargon interspersed, and that made my heart sing. The living witnesses could say anything, but the dead never lied. Or did they? Dr. Jessie had quite a complex time with a murder which were linked to her boss's cases. I could understand her dilemma.
This was a lot of action and the good doc was quite proactive with the investigation. Her logical reasoning had me in awe. A little more friendlier way of writing rather than medical way would have made the plot come alive. Nonetheless, the doc in me rejoiced at reading this.
And Dr. Jessie Teska was one such doc who could find clues in the minute bruises on the body. And boy, was she a genius. This was the story from the POV of a medical examiner and how dead bodies and murders and examiners were all linked in multiple cases.
My first book by the author duo, I loved reading it. The writing had medical jargon interspersed, and that made my heart sing. The living witnesses could say anything, but the dead never lied. Or did they? Dr. Jessie had quite a complex time with a murder which were linked to her boss's cases. I could understand her dilemma.
This was a lot of action and the good doc was quite proactive with the investigation. Her logical reasoning had me in awe. A little more friendlier way of writing rather than medical way would have made the plot come alive. Nonetheless, the doc in me rejoiced at reading this.
January 13, 2021
What a great read! I loved every minute of it.
It is a very complex story, that seems solved several times but then evolves into new angles and more complexity. Judy Melinek knows what she is talking about and the autopsies are clinical described and very interesting....but probably not something for the faint of heart.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and am happy that it will be released later this month.
It is a very complex story, that seems solved several times but then evolves into new angles and more complexity. Judy Melinek knows what she is talking about and the autopsies are clinical described and very interesting....but probably not something for the faint of heart.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and am happy that it will be released later this month.
October 28, 2019
Are you fascinated by the intimate details of the job of medical examiner? If you are, try this novel. I was the wrong reader for this book--for me, it provided too much information about Jessie's job and, combined with lots of unlikable characters and a plot sideline dealing with startups and cryptocurrency, just didn't work for me. Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the ARC.
January 29, 2020
YES YES YES! I absolutely LOVED this book! Co-written by Judy (a forensic pathologist) and her husband (a screenplay consultant), we see their professions SHINE throughout this read. As a debut novel in a medical examiner detective-fiction series, you best believe I'll be continuing on and keeping an eye out for the next one.
I will say though, that there is a lot of medical terminology and intimate details about the job of a medical examiner and if these things aren't your cup of tea, then this might not be the read for you. However, if you enjoy the intricacies of this type of work, I highly recommend you read this. While some readers might find it a bit bogged down with the every day detail, I was truly fascinated (and this makes me want to go back and read Working Stiff, Melenik's memoir).
Now, if we're looking at the pure fiction story, I do wish there was a just a bit more depth with our main character, Jessie. I was missing just a bit of that feeling of connecting fully with her character as she became a one woman crusader with a case that seemed a bit fishy. But hey, as Jessi would say, "not my circus... not my monkeys". I certainly had fun with watching the whole process unfold. Did things get a little convoluted? Maybe. Did I love her Beagle named Beagle? Absolutely!
Regardless of the minor things I may have had issue with, I'm still rating this a full 5 stars because I just couldn't put this book down (thank god for a long day at work that consisted mostly of emails and waiting for answers) and when I turned that last page, I was smiling. That for me, folks, is a winner.
I will say though, that there is a lot of medical terminology and intimate details about the job of a medical examiner and if these things aren't your cup of tea, then this might not be the read for you. However, if you enjoy the intricacies of this type of work, I highly recommend you read this. While some readers might find it a bit bogged down with the every day detail, I was truly fascinated (and this makes me want to go back and read Working Stiff, Melenik's memoir).
Now, if we're looking at the pure fiction story, I do wish there was a just a bit more depth with our main character, Jessie. I was missing just a bit of that feeling of connecting fully with her character as she became a one woman crusader with a case that seemed a bit fishy. But hey, as Jessi would say, "not my circus... not my monkeys". I certainly had fun with watching the whole process unfold. Did things get a little convoluted? Maybe. Did I love her Beagle named Beagle? Absolutely!
Regardless of the minor things I may have had issue with, I'm still rating this a full 5 stars because I just couldn't put this book down (thank god for a long day at work that consisted mostly of emails and waiting for answers) and when I turned that last page, I was smiling. That for me, folks, is a winner.
January 8, 2020
When a book has a certain formula that captures my attention, I get a little giddy; and this one fits the bill. It has a flawed, but relatable, main character, love interests to the left and right of her, several mysteries to solve with villains in abundance, and diverse characters that keep the plot moving along at a rapid, engaging pace.
I am so satisfied that First Cut is my first blog review of 2020. I mean, I could have really picked a dud to start out the year, but instead, I happen upon this gem of a mystery/thriller!
I am so satisfied that First Cut is my first blog review of 2020. I mean, I could have really picked a dud to start out the year, but instead, I happen upon this gem of a mystery/thriller!
January 3, 2020
Dr. Jessie Teska, a medical examiner, takes a job in San Francisco’s office to get away from a case/situation that rattled her and then some. This fresh start isn’t as clean as she’d like when she’s discouraged from digging deeper into a couple of cases by upper management. Unable to let things go, Jessie forges ahead when her gut urges her to get justice for her victims, putting her in danger as she tries to uncover the truth.
Jessie tackles these two main mysteries, but there are also other cases that come through that she investigates, little mini mysteries that are solved along the way. There’s also a little bit of romance, Jessie’s personal life overlaps with her work life, and I found the mix a compelling and fascinating combination.
I think fans of Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell would enjoy this story. I feel like the story was maybe a little less dramatic. I’m saying that in a positive way since I found all the dramas with Kay and her posse at bit tiresome at times. I think this is more a happy balance of Dr. G (the real-life medical examiner TV show), and Kay Scarpetta; a more clinical, matter-of-fact approach to autopsy. If you enjoy true crime shows, medical examiner mysteries, with a bit of the Dr’s personal life thrown in, then First Cut is for you. I read the authors are working on another Jessie Teska book, and I’m looking forward to it!
A copy was kindly provided by Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.
Jessie tackles these two main mysteries, but there are also other cases that come through that she investigates, little mini mysteries that are solved along the way. There’s also a little bit of romance, Jessie’s personal life overlaps with her work life, and I found the mix a compelling and fascinating combination.
I think fans of Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell would enjoy this story. I feel like the story was maybe a little less dramatic. I’m saying that in a positive way since I found all the dramas with Kay and her posse at bit tiresome at times. I think this is more a happy balance of Dr. G (the real-life medical examiner TV show), and Kay Scarpetta; a more clinical, matter-of-fact approach to autopsy. If you enjoy true crime shows, medical examiner mysteries, with a bit of the Dr’s personal life thrown in, then First Cut is for you. I read the authors are working on another Jessie Teska book, and I’m looking forward to it!
A copy was kindly provided by Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.
December 27, 2019
I received a digital review copy from the publisher through NetGalley for this book to be published January 2020.
I did not really enjoy this book, although I can see that others, including our library patrons, will like it.
I found the forensic scenes interesting and well done, but wasn't interested in Jessie's personal story. I didn't connect with her personality and found it annoying how many times she had to mention her Beemer. I had guessed why she left Los Angeles, which wasn't completely explained until the very last of the book, and thought there was too much whining about the poor facilities in San Francisco.
I did not really enjoy this book, although I can see that others, including our library patrons, will like it.
I found the forensic scenes interesting and well done, but wasn't interested in Jessie's personal story. I didn't connect with her personality and found it annoying how many times she had to mention her Beemer. I had guessed why she left Los Angeles, which wasn't completely explained until the very last of the book, and thought there was too much whining about the poor facilities in San Francisco.
December 16, 2019
Just zipped through this one and I truly hope it is the debut of a new series featuring Dr. Jessie Teska. It's a crime thriller whose protagonist is a spunky Polish medical examiner/forensic pathologist in the city of San Fransisco. The plot is complicated and the details are incredible as would be expected since the author is actually a medical examiner who wrote a memoir, "Working Stiff: Two Yeears, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner" along with her husband, T.J. Mitchell. I loved that book and this happens to be her first fiction novel. If you love medical thrillers, you won't be disappointed!
Jessie has left her job in LA under a bit of a cloud and is hired on at the San Francisco Office of Chef Medical Examiner. It's a far cry from the state-of-the-art facility that she'd worked in LA, but needs must and she jumps right in as assistant medical examiner dealing with sudden, violent, and unexpected deaths. She lives in a converted cable car in the city famed for the Golden Gate Bridge and rued for the near constant fog. Her first call-out takes her to the Tenderloin with her boss, Dr. Michael Stone, and they find a dead man who was shot multiple times after attempting to steal a computer. Jessie volunteers to do the autopsy and finds a fragment of the computer's serial number embedded in his tissue. The next day brings a new case -- a mutilated woman found in a hotel room -- her body was cut open to retrieve drug packets that she'd swallowed. Then, another, a young woman is discovered dead in her home -- a probable accidental drug overdose. This woman had died from an injection of "Soul Sister" a potent mix of heroin and fentanyl and Jessica believes that there is foul play involved but her bosses want her to close the case. There's something going on here that seems to tie these 3 separate deaths together. Add in a bitcoin scheme and this all turns into a very complex investigation involving some very powerful people. NO SPOILERS.
I really enjoyed this and hope that there will be more books with this main character and her job. I like Jessie and her enthusiasm for her job. I've never been to San Francisco, but I liked all the descriptions about the setting. My favorite parts, however, were all the medical details and I simply can't get enough of those. I find the whole subject quite fascinating and the the cases wholly believable. More, please.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
Jessie has left her job in LA under a bit of a cloud and is hired on at the San Francisco Office of Chef Medical Examiner. It's a far cry from the state-of-the-art facility that she'd worked in LA, but needs must and she jumps right in as assistant medical examiner dealing with sudden, violent, and unexpected deaths. She lives in a converted cable car in the city famed for the Golden Gate Bridge and rued for the near constant fog. Her first call-out takes her to the Tenderloin with her boss, Dr. Michael Stone, and they find a dead man who was shot multiple times after attempting to steal a computer. Jessie volunteers to do the autopsy and finds a fragment of the computer's serial number embedded in his tissue. The next day brings a new case -- a mutilated woman found in a hotel room -- her body was cut open to retrieve drug packets that she'd swallowed. Then, another, a young woman is discovered dead in her home -- a probable accidental drug overdose. This woman had died from an injection of "Soul Sister" a potent mix of heroin and fentanyl and Jessica believes that there is foul play involved but her bosses want her to close the case. There's something going on here that seems to tie these 3 separate deaths together. Add in a bitcoin scheme and this all turns into a very complex investigation involving some very powerful people. NO SPOILERS.
I really enjoyed this and hope that there will be more books with this main character and her job. I like Jessie and her enthusiasm for her job. I've never been to San Francisco, but I liked all the descriptions about the setting. My favorite parts, however, were all the medical details and I simply can't get enough of those. I find the whole subject quite fascinating and the the cases wholly believable. More, please.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
December 21, 2019
ScienceThrillers.com review: Good science, good plot, great character and setting: FIRST CUT is a must-read for fans of forensic fiction. The irresistible voice and fascinating true stories from these authors’ first book, the nonfiction forensic pathology memoir WORKING STIFF, now run through their debut novel of mystery and suspense. About the first half of FIRST CUT has loads of forensic pathology detail. What I particularly appreciate is how the science is absolutely necessary for the plot. As the mystery unfolds, clues from the autopsy suite are critically important. Main character Jessie Teska is a strong, imperfect physician who shows grit and a desire for justice, which of course gets her into trouble. The city of San Francisco’s moods and neighborhoods enrich this story’s noir vibe. Examples of the writing style, which I loved: “He wore a faded red Stanford Athletics T-shirt and black spandex running shorts that immediately brightened my outlook on the day.” “The key was still so fresh-cut that he had trouble opening the door.” “It looks like a newsroom and smells like a gym.” Smart, readable novel that bodes well for a series.
An advance copy of this book was given to me by the publisher.
An advance copy of this book was given to me by the publisher.
February 14, 2020
First Cut is the debut novel of wife/husband team Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell and the first installment in a new mystery series. I've never really read mysteries from the medical examiner point of view. It apparent that the authors have an extensive knowledge of the field - the terminology kind of went over my head a bit and some of the descriptions were a bit graphic. The writing is good and the story was good. This book will appeal to those who love medical procedurals.
December 26, 2019
Dr. Jessie Teska's newest case as a medical examiner, and a new job at that, has her realizing that what was first thought to be an overdose was actually something much more - murder.
She wants to push things. To investigate. Instead she faces the obstacle of going against her supervisor. She is told to wrap things up, but Jessie just can't let it go. What is more is her work environment, now in San Francisco. She is completely nonplussed. At her previous job in Los Angeles, everything was shiny and clean. She also had technology at her disposal. Now, things are grimy, rather old school.
Adding in the suspicions about the body on her slab, how can Jessie even work? Meanwhile, more deaths abound. Jessie takes no time to connect it with the first case. Shockingly she discovers that there is an opiod crisis..Can Jessie get to the bottom of things, and stay safe in the meantime?
I love how Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell wrote this book. I felt like I was there with Jessie, asking questions and demanding answers. I also enjoyed that it was not too technical, even though it was gruesome at times. The fact that Melinek is a forensic psychologist helped to give Jessie's character a sense of authenticity. First Cut proved to be a job well-done, so much so that I do hope we get to see Jessie again.
Many thanks to Hanover Square Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
She wants to push things. To investigate. Instead she faces the obstacle of going against her supervisor. She is told to wrap things up, but Jessie just can't let it go. What is more is her work environment, now in San Francisco. She is completely nonplussed. At her previous job in Los Angeles, everything was shiny and clean. She also had technology at her disposal. Now, things are grimy, rather old school.
Adding in the suspicions about the body on her slab, how can Jessie even work? Meanwhile, more deaths abound. Jessie takes no time to connect it with the first case. Shockingly she discovers that there is an opiod crisis..Can Jessie get to the bottom of things, and stay safe in the meantime?
I love how Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell wrote this book. I felt like I was there with Jessie, asking questions and demanding answers. I also enjoyed that it was not too technical, even though it was gruesome at times. The fact that Melinek is a forensic psychologist helped to give Jessie's character a sense of authenticity. First Cut proved to be a job well-done, so much so that I do hope we get to see Jessie again.
Many thanks to Hanover Square Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
June 28, 2020
I did not care for this one. There was too much of
dead bodies that had nothing to do with the main
part of the story for a start. Then, the actual plot
kind of went sideways for me when the protagonist
-- who was an expert at medical examinations even
though she was a 'junior' in the office -- was
CONSTANTLY overruled by two other doctors. Very
frustrating and did not seem real to me (although
it could be reality, I do not know). Then the ending
to Part two of the book (prior to '6 months later')
was disappointing and just outrageous.
I was not as upset about the mention of a BMW as
a few other critics in here were, but this book was
just not my cup of tea.
dead bodies that had nothing to do with the main
part of the story for a start. Then, the actual plot
kind of went sideways for me when the protagonist
-- who was an expert at medical examinations even
though she was a 'junior' in the office -- was
CONSTANTLY overruled by two other doctors. Very
frustrating and did not seem real to me (although
it could be reality, I do not know). Then the ending
to Part two of the book (prior to '6 months later')
was disappointing and just outrageous.
I was not as upset about the mention of a BMW as
a few other critics in here were, but this book was
just not my cup of tea.
February 20, 2020
Jessie Teska is a medical examiner who has just relocated from LA to San Francisco when she is faced with a seemingly uncomplicated death: Man steals laptop, man is chased by laptop owner and shot, man dies. Except things are not as they seem, and this case is only one in a complicated web of intertwined cases. Set against the backdrop of high-tech San Francisco, drug trafficking and abuse, and the snarly legal system of the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco Medical Examiner, the story is slowly unfurled for the reader.
Melinek and Mitchell - who are a real-life husband and wife couple (she a medical examiner, he a writer, and together they write books) - play to their strengths here: the reader can truly see the workings of a city morgue and the scenes witnessed by a medical examiner. Technical details abound, which is either very good, if you like the gruesome and you hunger for the medical and scientific data, or is information overload, if that's not the way you roll. I read the first book by this pair - about Melinek's experience working for the OCME in NYC after 9/11 - and the writing and construct of the book is better in this than the first, and I did enjoy the first. Admittedly, the first book was nonfiction and this is not - but the story is readable and engaging, and as with any authors, the skill of writing improves over time. The story was clearly plotted out - something I'm not great at doing in my own writing - and the details tie together tidily at the end - for the most part. I felt there were still loose ends at the end of the book but considering that this is billed as "Jessie Teska #1," I can only assume those issues will be addressed in subsequent novels.
Jessie is an intriguing character, though I didn't feel like I fully got to know her. The reader doesn't see much emotion from her, which made it hard for me to see the story through her eyes. There is an extensive list of secondary characters, variably developed, but again - if this is the first in a series, the authors have time to flesh out these characters. Luxury of pages and time. Things felt a little too tidy to me in spots - and I am torn between thinking that the reader should be able to figure out the killer/crime in a well-written mystery/suspense novel and thinking the reader should not. Of course in the latter situation the twist that gives the reader an unpredictable ending is often unbelievable. No perfect answer.
Anyway. I enjoyed this. It's a respectable contribution to the genre. Beware the medical detail! It's a 3.5 for me rounded to 4 for good reads - liked it, would read the next in the series.
Melinek and Mitchell - who are a real-life husband and wife couple (she a medical examiner, he a writer, and together they write books) - play to their strengths here: the reader can truly see the workings of a city morgue and the scenes witnessed by a medical examiner. Technical details abound, which is either very good, if you like the gruesome and you hunger for the medical and scientific data, or is information overload, if that's not the way you roll. I read the first book by this pair - about Melinek's experience working for the OCME in NYC after 9/11 - and the writing and construct of the book is better in this than the first, and I did enjoy the first. Admittedly, the first book was nonfiction and this is not - but the story is readable and engaging, and as with any authors, the skill of writing improves over time. The story was clearly plotted out - something I'm not great at doing in my own writing - and the details tie together tidily at the end - for the most part. I felt there were still loose ends at the end of the book but considering that this is billed as "Jessie Teska #1," I can only assume those issues will be addressed in subsequent novels.
Jessie is an intriguing character, though I didn't feel like I fully got to know her. The reader doesn't see much emotion from her, which made it hard for me to see the story through her eyes. There is an extensive list of secondary characters, variably developed, but again - if this is the first in a series, the authors have time to flesh out these characters. Luxury of pages and time. Things felt a little too tidy to me in spots - and I am torn between thinking that the reader should be able to figure out the killer/crime in a well-written mystery/suspense novel and thinking the reader should not. Of course in the latter situation the twist that gives the reader an unpredictable ending is often unbelievable. No perfect answer.
Anyway. I enjoyed this. It's a respectable contribution to the genre. Beware the medical detail! It's a 3.5 for me rounded to 4 for good reads - liked it, would read the next in the series.
January 12, 2020
Written by a husband and wife team, First Cut is a fictional story of a medical examiner starting a career in a new city (San Francisco) and finding herself in at the deep end, with underworld figures determined to see that what she’s found is never used to bring them to justice. Dr. Jessie Teska is a fascinating and very realistic and relatable character, with her working-class Polish-Boston background, her massive student debts to pay off and her not-terrific taste in men.
Judy Melinek is a real-life medical examiner and brings a wealth of knowledge to the plot, making it feel extremely realistic - far more so than any given episode of CSI, for example, where DNA results come back in a day. The terminology does occasionally get a bit technically dense, not just in medical stuff but sometimes in computer terminology as well as a bitcoin-laundering side plot pops up, but I think it’s actually handled very well, with Jessie demanding her techie brother who she uses as a source break down the computerese for her and Jessie herself explaining her pathology findings to medical students and homicide detectives as a vehicle for the reader to understand.
If you enjoy TV shows like CSI, Silent Witness or Crossing Jordan, I think you’ll really like First Cut. It’s a complex story with plot twists and turns you won’t see coming. If forensic detail and the inner workings of a medical examiner’s office aren’t your thing - you will want a fairly strong stomach as there’s quite a lot of gruesome detail which the main character just takes in her stride - you might want to give this a miss, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to see it as the first of a series about Jessie and the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s office. Five stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
Judy Melinek is a real-life medical examiner and brings a wealth of knowledge to the plot, making it feel extremely realistic - far more so than any given episode of CSI, for example, where DNA results come back in a day. The terminology does occasionally get a bit technically dense, not just in medical stuff but sometimes in computer terminology as well as a bitcoin-laundering side plot pops up, but I think it’s actually handled very well, with Jessie demanding her techie brother who she uses as a source break down the computerese for her and Jessie herself explaining her pathology findings to medical students and homicide detectives as a vehicle for the reader to understand.
If you enjoy TV shows like CSI, Silent Witness or Crossing Jordan, I think you’ll really like First Cut. It’s a complex story with plot twists and turns you won’t see coming. If forensic detail and the inner workings of a medical examiner’s office aren’t your thing - you will want a fairly strong stomach as there’s quite a lot of gruesome detail which the main character just takes in her stride - you might want to give this a miss, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to see it as the first of a series about Jessie and the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s office. Five stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
October 25, 2019
I'm a sucker for any fiction that gives a realistic behind-the-scenes glimpse of a secretive, highly specialized world... and the office of a medical examiner definitely qualifies. This novel was gritty, enthralling, tightly plotted, and beautifully written. I highly recommend!
January 21, 2020
I found this one a little too predictable. I was just waiting for a something to appear and when it did, the twist was simple. Was expecting more. Also wasnt overly fond of the main character
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May 5, 2020I loved her memoir Working Stiff!!! But this one is a super snooze. She drives a beemer...as that is mentioned anytime she goes somewhere. Too much detail, not enough story.
February 5, 2024
Patolożka bawiąca się w policjantkę, ale ogólnie polecam 👍
January 22, 2024
I enjoyed the medical examiner perspective of the story but overall was a bit bored reading this. Mystery?? Absolutely not. Extremely predictable plot and the parts that weren’t predictable had zero shock factor.
April 4, 2021
First Cut
I generally have a hard time enjoying these sort of murder/thrillers. The writing is often lacking, the murders are easy to guess, and the story is overall pretty crappy. However, I really enjoyed this one, and it’s nice to find a book in one of my favourite genres that I actually like after so many bad ones.
I generally have a hard time enjoying these sort of murder/thrillers. The writing is often lacking, the murders are easy to guess, and the story is overall pretty crappy. However, I really enjoyed this one, and it’s nice to find a book in one of my favourite genres that I actually like after so many bad ones.
November 9, 2021
Okay, nie spodziewałam się, że ta książka tak mnie wciągnie, ale ostatnio mam ogromna ochotę na thrilley i kryminały i wykorzystuję tą sytuację na maksa. I w sumie cieszę się, że to pierwszy tom serii, bo zapowiada się naprawdę dobrze i trochę nie mogę się doczekać kolejnych tomów. Aż dziw bierze, że nie jest o niej głośniej!
Ogromny plus za bohaterkę, która jest... Polką. Ten moment, kiedy przedstawiała się swoim polskim imieniem... Prawie się oplułam ze śmiechu, bo wyszło to naprawdę komicznie. I te nasze cudowne polskie potrawy - bigos, pierogi. Taki miły akcencik, a jak potrafi poprawić humor. Bo dr Teska jest naprawdę fajną bohaterką, upartą, momentami nawet upierdliwą, która zrobi wszystko, aby dotrzeć do prawdy. A mi naprawdę dużo frajdy sprawiało towarzyszenie jej.
Nie jest to ten rodzaj historii, w której flaki się leją, wybuchają bomby i wszędzie mamy do czynienia z martwymi ciałami, to raczej taka opowieść, w której misternie pleciona tajemnica powoli wychodzi na światło dzienne. W której dokopujemy się do poszlak, a moment, w którym wszystkie fakty się połączą i odkrywamy, kto jest w to zamieszany - tu pasuje ta emotka z wybuchającą głową. A ja naprawdę lubię takie historie. Do tego przyjemne pióro i nie sposób się oderwać. Jest nawet wątek romantyczny, ale taki naprawdę mega subtelny i myślę, że on może wyjść na prowadzenie w drugim tomie. Szczerze? Cieszę się, bo bohaterowie są świetni i jestem mega ciekawa, jakie dramaty ich czekają.
Dodatkowo - autorka jest z wykształcenia patologiem, także możecie być pewni, że nie leje wody i wszystkie informacje dotyczące procedur, pracy lekarza medycyny sądowej i cała ta warstewka kryminalna - są jak najbardziej prawdopodobne, a to się ceni.
Ogromny plus za bohaterkę, która jest... Polką. Ten moment, kiedy przedstawiała się swoim polskim imieniem... Prawie się oplułam ze śmiechu, bo wyszło to naprawdę komicznie. I te nasze cudowne polskie potrawy - bigos, pierogi. Taki miły akcencik, a jak potrafi poprawić humor. Bo dr Teska jest naprawdę fajną bohaterką, upartą, momentami nawet upierdliwą, która zrobi wszystko, aby dotrzeć do prawdy. A mi naprawdę dużo frajdy sprawiało towarzyszenie jej.
Nie jest to ten rodzaj historii, w której flaki się leją, wybuchają bomby i wszędzie mamy do czynienia z martwymi ciałami, to raczej taka opowieść, w której misternie pleciona tajemnica powoli wychodzi na światło dzienne. W której dokopujemy się do poszlak, a moment, w którym wszystkie fakty się połączą i odkrywamy, kto jest w to zamieszany - tu pasuje ta emotka z wybuchającą głową. A ja naprawdę lubię takie historie. Do tego przyjemne pióro i nie sposób się oderwać. Jest nawet wątek romantyczny, ale taki naprawdę mega subtelny i myślę, że on może wyjść na prowadzenie w drugim tomie. Szczerze? Cieszę się, bo bohaterowie są świetni i jestem mega ciekawa, jakie dramaty ich czekają.
Dodatkowo - autorka jest z wykształcenia patologiem, także możecie być pewni, że nie leje wody i wszystkie informacje dotyczące procedur, pracy lekarza medycyny sądowej i cała ta warstewka kryminalna - są jak najbardziej prawdopodobne, a to się ceni.
January 14, 2020
Was this book sponsored by BMW???? If you are interested in reading a book that is about a Medical Examiner that drives a BMW and keeps a focus throughout on that BMW, then you have come to the right place. This might have been a really good mystery/thriller, but I was most definitely distracted by the constant mention of the ME's BMW:
"Sitting in my growling BMW 235i at the bottleneck left turn off of Stanyan Street..."
"I swung out of the loading dock and swooped my Beemer into the space as she left it."
"At that rent I could keep making my crippling student loan payments and not have to lose the BMW."
"She shined her light around the front of my BMW 235i and wrote something in a fat notepad."
"I put the Beemer in Drive and crept forward under the yellow tape as the police officer held it up."
"We got out of the Beemer and wound our way through the clot of patrol cars parked every which way on the closed block of Polk Street."
This is from the very beginning of the book and we haven't even made it inside the first crime scene yet. Believe me, it continues throughout the book, with no point to it.
It may be that I've read too many of these types of books, but I was able to see most of the twists coming. Still, it was a pretty good book. This one just needed to be polished up a bit.
"Sitting in my growling BMW 235i at the bottleneck left turn off of Stanyan Street..."
"I swung out of the loading dock and swooped my Beemer into the space as she left it."
"At that rent I could keep making my crippling student loan payments and not have to lose the BMW."
"She shined her light around the front of my BMW 235i and wrote something in a fat notepad."
"I put the Beemer in Drive and crept forward under the yellow tape as the police officer held it up."
"We got out of the Beemer and wound our way through the clot of patrol cars parked every which way on the closed block of Polk Street."
This is from the very beginning of the book and we haven't even made it inside the first crime scene yet. Believe me, it continues throughout the book, with no point to it.
It may be that I've read too many of these types of books, but I was able to see most of the twists coming. Still, it was a pretty good book. This one just needed to be polished up a bit.
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