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Mitchell & Associates #1
Smash Cut
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown comes this thrilling new novel full of jarring, cinematic twists and breathless suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat.
When millionaire Paul Wheeler is murdered, his family retains renowned lawyer Derek Mitchell to defend the victim’s nephew Creighton— although the police have not charged the young man with the crime. Wheeler’s mistress, Julie Rutledge, who is also a suspect, believes that Creighton is the killer, despite his rock-solid alibi, and she’ll do almost anything in her quest to prove his guilt—even ruin Derek’s career. But the more Derek learns of Creighton’s darker side, especially his bizarre fascination with movie murders, the more he comes to believe Julie is right. The clock ticks down to a shocking ending as Derek and Julie join forces to find the truth. Has Creighton begun reenacting cinema’s goriest scenes? And who will be his unwilling costars? They won’t know until the final SMASH CUT.
When millionaire Paul Wheeler is murdered, his family retains renowned lawyer Derek Mitchell to defend the victim’s nephew Creighton— although the police have not charged the young man with the crime. Wheeler’s mistress, Julie Rutledge, who is also a suspect, believes that Creighton is the killer, despite his rock-solid alibi, and she’ll do almost anything in her quest to prove his guilt—even ruin Derek’s career. But the more Derek learns of Creighton’s darker side, especially his bizarre fascination with movie murders, the more he comes to believe Julie is right. The clock ticks down to a shocking ending as Derek and Julie join forces to find the truth. Has Creighton begun reenacting cinema’s goriest scenes? And who will be his unwilling costars? They won’t know until the final SMASH CUT.
367 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
4097 people are currently reading
15352 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Brown
343 books19.3k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,179 reviews
February 10, 2019
4 Stars
June 4, 2019
Of course it was as good, the second time around! I love this author.
===============================================
ORIGINAL REVIEW ...
Ok. I think it is widely known now that I love SB. Most of the books I have read by her have been 4 and 5 stars. And even her "bad" books are good.
As with all books by Ms Brown, you can't really say much for fear of giving something away. I really liked both main characters. Derek was fantastic. Sexy, smart, humorous.
Creighton, he sure was some piece of work. Derek got it right ...
It's peppered with reference to films (movies) - some I have seen and some I really want to see.
I used to work as a legal secretary when I lived in Ireland. I swears to ya, there were no sexy lawers there!!
I've seem some friend's ratings of the next book are not that great. What to do - read it nor not?
===============================================
ORIGINAL REVIEW ...
Ok. I think it is widely known now that I love SB. Most of the books I have read by her have been 4 and 5 stars. And even her "bad" books are good.
When Paul Wheeler is shot dead during an armed robbery, his lover Julie Rutledge is convinced that Paul's prodigal nephew, Creighton, is responsible for the murder. Creighton has a passion for movies and Paul's murder has all the elements of a blockbuster: family rivalries, incalculable wealth, and a prominent man dying in the arms of his beautiful mistress.
As with all books by Ms Brown, you can't really say much for fear of giving something away. I really liked both main characters. Derek was fantastic. Sexy, smart, humorous.
The kiss was thorough and deep and sexual, not a conclusion in any sense, but a prelude, a foretelling of what would happen ...
Creighton, he sure was some piece of work. Derek got it right ...
"You're an asshole.
You're a prick.
Furthermore, you're a prick made stupid by his own arrogance."
"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."
It's peppered with reference to films (movies) - some I have seen and some I really want to see.
I used to work as a legal secretary when I lived in Ireland. I swears to ya, there were no sexy lawers there!!
I've seem some friend's ratings of the next book are not that great. What to do - read it nor not?
March 16, 2015
I’m running out of opening lines for my Sandra Brown reviews. I keep saying the same things over and over. I Loved it. It was fantastic. My love affair continues. This was another remarkable book. But I guess if the shoe fits wear it right.
Smash Cut was a bit different. For me it was like going to dinner and starting with the dessert. SB treats us to some sexy, Mile High Club moments right from the get go.
The story also unfolds kind of ass backwards too. Early in the story you can start to put together things but you continually ask yourself what the heck is SB up to with this one. Undoubtedly there will be many questions. And there were. Undoubtedly there will be a twist that you will not see coming. And there was.
We find ourselves in Buckhead, Atlanta where the murder of Paul Wheeler takes place at a local hotel. The crime is coldblooded and the crime scene leaves us with many troubling thoughts and uncertainty. You have Julie who is a beautiful and sexy Art Gallery owner as the one suspect and Derek who is a Defense Attorney finding himself in a spot where he had no intention of being in.
As usually SB not only gives us two amazing main characters in Derek Mitchell and Julie Rutledge but in this one she surrounds them with two additional characters that added so much to the story.
Creighton Wheeler was a sick son of a bitch to put it bluntly. He was also that guy that had it all. He was good looking, had loads of money, women at his beck and call and had a love for movies. We find his love for movies at the center of this mystery. With each snip it you get there is more intrigue.
Dodge Hanley was a private investigator that played by his own rules. He was Derek’s right hand man. The way he got things done was not always ethical and his methods of doing things were not always above board. But their relationship worked. I loved the banter between him and Derek. Dodge was a bit of a wise guy which I loved.
Though you are aware of a lot at the beginning of the story, as each chapter unfolds there is so much more that happens. Everyone is questionable. The reasons are doubted and when the twists comes OH MY GOSH. I had no idea. I would never have guessed it and did my typical shake of the head and mumble of…what the hell!! And Derek and Julie’s relationship was volatile throughout the story. They had some sexy moments and you could always feel the undercurrent of desire they had for each other. I loved how things were wrapped up with them too.
I am looking forward to reading on to book 2 to get Dodge’s full story. SB will continue to be my superwoman of Romantic Suspense.
August 16, 2018
While the beginning and end are exciting, in between drags and lacks adequate editing. 6 of 10 stars
June 2, 2022
“Family rivalries, incalculable wealth, and a prominent man dying in the arms of his beautiful mistress”
I have to own up to the fact that the genre characterization “romantic suspense” always gives me the heebie-jeebies. Call me a misogynist but I have this preconceived mental idea that the book I have in my hands is lowbrow chick lit and could not possibly be worth the reading. I’ve only read a few Sandra Brown novels but I also have to own up to the fact that I’ve been wrong every single time. And SMASH CUT is no exception.
A serial killer who has the rather bizarre MO of re-creating gory scenes and murders from his favorite movies with all of the requisite twists, turns, red herrings and suspense that you’d expect from the very best thrillers – what’s not to like? And the romance, well, it’s certainly there but even that comes with a surprising twist in the tale that can be characterized as interesting, creative, and heartwarming.
Note to self: Pick up your next Sandra Brown novel and tell yourself that, yes, it will be romantic suspense, but lose that idea of low-brow, unexciting chick lit! Sandra Brown is a winner.
Paul Weiss
I have to own up to the fact that the genre characterization “romantic suspense” always gives me the heebie-jeebies. Call me a misogynist but I have this preconceived mental idea that the book I have in my hands is lowbrow chick lit and could not possibly be worth the reading. I’ve only read a few Sandra Brown novels but I also have to own up to the fact that I’ve been wrong every single time. And SMASH CUT is no exception.
A serial killer who has the rather bizarre MO of re-creating gory scenes and murders from his favorite movies with all of the requisite twists, turns, red herrings and suspense that you’d expect from the very best thrillers – what’s not to like? And the romance, well, it’s certainly there but even that comes with a surprising twist in the tale that can be characterized as interesting, creative, and heartwarming.
Note to self: Pick up your next Sandra Brown novel and tell yourself that, yes, it will be romantic suspense, but lose that idea of low-brow, unexciting chick lit! Sandra Brown is a winner.
Paul Weiss
February 7, 2017
Written July 25, 2015
4 Stars - Solid good quality suspense - I'm happy!
I just finished the 12:45 hrs audiobook edition of Smash Cut narrated by Victor Slezak.
A suspense filled with Hitchcock references
As so often with Sandra Brown's novels, a really well told suspense romance. Not her best book but without doubt "good enough" (...for very rainy Swedish summer days).
*********************************************
A well known millionaire is murdered in a hotel elevator:
« When millionaire Paul Wheeler is murdered, his family retains renowned lawyer Derek Mitchell to defend the victim’s nephew Creighton— although the police have not charged the young man with the crime.
Wheeler’s mistress, Julie Rutledge, who is also a suspect, believes that Creighton is the killer, despite his rock-solid alibi, and she’ll do almost anything in her quest to prove his guilt—even ruin Derek’s career. »
*********************************************
Not much steamy romance maybe but a good creepy thrilling storyplot. If you are a movie fan will you love this one.
My ears were on high alert and sometimes was it so amazingly creeping (insinuating) scary that I just wanted to turn off and take a breath break. Ms. Brown is really a quite superb master at creating nasty cruel psychopath-like characters. (I want them dead... and buried...deep down) ~ You never know who of all characters that will survive to the end and it makes me so nervous.
There where a lot of interesting characters here and I like the light and funny feel (bantering) in the middle of the horror.
Audiobook and narrator:
As always did Victor Slezak a phenomenal narrator job. He is still my #1 favorite SB audiobook voice. Simply perfect.
**********************************************
I LIKE - and I'm looking forward to the next one
4 Stars - Solid good quality suspense - I'm happy!
I just finished the 12:45 hrs audiobook edition of Smash Cut narrated by Victor Slezak.
A suspense filled with Hitchcock references
As so often with Sandra Brown's novels, a really well told suspense romance. Not her best book but without doubt "good enough" (...for very rainy Swedish summer days).
*********************************************
A well known millionaire is murdered in a hotel elevator:
« When millionaire Paul Wheeler is murdered, his family retains renowned lawyer Derek Mitchell to defend the victim’s nephew Creighton— although the police have not charged the young man with the crime.
Wheeler’s mistress, Julie Rutledge, who is also a suspect, believes that Creighton is the killer, despite his rock-solid alibi, and she’ll do almost anything in her quest to prove his guilt—even ruin Derek’s career. »
“In film, a smash cut is exactly what the term suggests: a technique where one scene cuts abruptly to another without transition, thus startling the viewer...”
*********************************************
Not much steamy romance maybe but a good creepy thrilling storyplot. If you are a movie fan will you love this one.
My ears were on high alert and sometimes was it so amazingly creeping (insinuating) scary that I just wanted to turn off and take a breath break. Ms. Brown is really a quite superb master at creating nasty cruel psychopath-like characters. (I want them dead... and buried...deep down) ~ You never know who of all characters that will survive to the end and it makes me so nervous.
There where a lot of interesting characters here and I like the light and funny feel (bantering) in the middle of the horror.
“Dodge, I'm going to tell you something."
“Judging by your tone, you're going to have to kill me after. Frankly, I'd just as soon not known.”
“During the opening credits, he said, ‘We're in the back row. Want to just mess around instead?’”
She looked across at him, and he grinned. "It's been hours, after all.”
“Half that time you've been furious with me.”
“Doesn't mean I don't want to jump your bones.”
Audiobook and narrator:
As always did Victor Slezak a phenomenal narrator job. He is still my #1 favorite SB audiobook voice. Simply perfect.
**********************************************
I LIKE - and I'm looking forward to the next one
November 3, 2017
It's Sandra Brown..
January 5, 2010
I feel like a sicko. Speeding through, interested only in the violence
I actually felt like a frustrated reader, speeding through, interested only in getting to the end.
Paul Wheeler, a wealthy man, is shot and killed in an elevator full of people. He is the only casualty of what at first appears to be a senseless act of violence during a run-of-the-mill robbery. The woman, Julie Rutledge, with whom he shared a standing Tuesday afternoon tryst at the hotel where the robbery/murder occurs, is convinced it is murder. And she is convinced his amoral, free loader of a nephew, Creighton Wheeler, is the culprit. Although he has an airtight alibi, Julie is sure he arranged the whole thing. Her belief is so strong that when Creighton's parents decide to engage the most famous pit-bull of a defense attorney, Derek Mitchell, as a pre-emptive strike, just in case, Julie arranges it so that if Derek takes the case it would be considered a conflict of interest.
But Even as Julie is proclaiming long and loudly to the police that Creighton is responsible, things begin to look like maybe there is another guilty party. Her.
This book started out very strongly. I was really delighted and sat back to settle in and read a good thriller. That feeling lasted about three chapters. The minute Creighton went all bat-shit over his mother touching one of his DVDs, I knew he was not only the killer but an unrepentant sociopath with no redeeming qualities and a penchant for hookers. In other words, a boring villain.
Some reviews and blurbs of this book that I've read called it 'clever' with a 'diabolical villain' who is also a 'slippery fiend'. I don't think so. The book is goes something this:
JULIE: Creighton did it.
COP: We've found evidence in your house linking you to the crime
(Somewhere Creighton laughs diabolically while getting a blowjob from a call girl)
JULIE: Creighton is framing me.
DEREK: You lied to me. But I think you're hot, so I believe in you.
JULIE: Creighton is crazy. He likes movies. A lot.
COP: Who cares. Your hair was found in a place that makes you look guilty.
JULIE: Creighton is framing me.
(Somewhere Creighton twirls his mustache, while looking at his beautiful self in the mirror, while jerking himself off)
COP: You have....a MOTIVE!
JULIE: oh, dear.
DEREK: You lied to me again. But we totally did it, so I believe in you.
COP: Why am I not arresting you? I have so much evidence.
JULIE: Creighton is framing me. And he likes movies. And he's a genius.
(Somewhere Creighton muses on how much a genius fiend he is as he watches a movie while doing a call girl)
JULIE: We must catch Creighton on our own. We Smart. Cop dumb.
DEREK: Ok. And you're hot.
Well... you get the gist. It was tedious and really Sandra Brown can plot better and create more interesting villains than she did here. I give it two stars because the beginning was really good and the end was very exciting.
I actually felt like a frustrated reader, speeding through, interested only in getting to the end.
Paul Wheeler, a wealthy man, is shot and killed in an elevator full of people. He is the only casualty of what at first appears to be a senseless act of violence during a run-of-the-mill robbery. The woman, Julie Rutledge, with whom he shared a standing Tuesday afternoon tryst at the hotel where the robbery/murder occurs, is convinced it is murder. And she is convinced his amoral, free loader of a nephew, Creighton Wheeler, is the culprit. Although he has an airtight alibi, Julie is sure he arranged the whole thing. Her belief is so strong that when Creighton's parents decide to engage the most famous pit-bull of a defense attorney, Derek Mitchell, as a pre-emptive strike, just in case, Julie arranges it so that if Derek takes the case it would be considered a conflict of interest.
But Even as Julie is proclaiming long and loudly to the police that Creighton is responsible, things begin to look like maybe there is another guilty party. Her.
This book started out very strongly. I was really delighted and sat back to settle in and read a good thriller. That feeling lasted about three chapters. The minute Creighton went all bat-shit over his mother touching one of his DVDs, I knew he was not only the killer but an unrepentant sociopath with no redeeming qualities and a penchant for hookers. In other words, a boring villain.
Some reviews and blurbs of this book that I've read called it 'clever' with a 'diabolical villain' who is also a 'slippery fiend'. I don't think so. The book is goes something this:
JULIE: Creighton did it.
COP: We've found evidence in your house linking you to the crime
(Somewhere Creighton laughs diabolically while getting a blowjob from a call girl)
JULIE: Creighton is framing me.
DEREK: You lied to me. But I think you're hot, so I believe in you.
JULIE: Creighton is crazy. He likes movies. A lot.
COP: Who cares. Your hair was found in a place that makes you look guilty.
JULIE: Creighton is framing me.
(Somewhere Creighton twirls his mustache, while looking at his beautiful self in the mirror, while jerking himself off)
COP: You have....a MOTIVE!
JULIE: oh, dear.
DEREK: You lied to me again. But we totally did it, so I believe in you.
COP: Why am I not arresting you? I have so much evidence.
JULIE: Creighton is framing me. And he likes movies. And he's a genius.
(Somewhere Creighton muses on how much a genius fiend he is as he watches a movie while doing a call girl)
JULIE: We must catch Creighton on our own. We Smart. Cop dumb.
DEREK: Ok. And you're hot.
Well... you get the gist. It was tedious and really Sandra Brown can plot better and create more interesting villains than she did here. I give it two stars because the beginning was really good and the end was very exciting.
September 21, 2022
The characters and the story fell a bit flat for me. Interesting though
February 26, 2018
Good one, good story, binge read... :)
Solidan prevod... :)
Solidan prevod... :)
July 25, 2016
3.5 Stars
November 19, 2017
Another great Brown with twists, turns and the big reveal that turns the book on its head in the final pages.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
May 18, 2017
By turns both boring and ludicrous! It works on a dumb potboiler level, but it's silly, brain-dead trash nonetheless!
Creighton Wheeler masterminds the murder of his uncle Paul Wheeler to get his hands on his inheritance, although he's already ridiculously wealthy. He employs a method from Strangers On A Train, where he gets Billy Duke to do the murder - a shooting - for him. Billy does this because he owes Creighton for killing the wealthy widow that Billy was fleecing and who was now about to testify against him.
Paul's lover Julie is convinced of Creighton's guilt, despite his rock-solid alibi. When she learns that the Wheeler family is about to employ Derek Mitchell to represent Creighton, she flies to France so that she can wind up on a flight back to the US with him, in order to have sex with him, and thus ensure that he can no longer represent the Wheelers because of a conflict of interest. Yes, really! This is despite the fact that there's no guarantee Creighton will ever be arrested or that the Wheelers could easily find another lawyer. Did Julie plan to have sex with all of them? Derek actually brings this up, but the question remains unanswered - probably because it's so fucking stupid and Brown really couldn't come up with any way to make it logical!
Even though Derek refuses to represent Creighton and returns his retainer, he continues to dig into Creighton's past and possible motives. Despite claiming not wanting to be involved. Huh? Anyway, Creighton is carefully setting everything up to make it look like Julie and Billy were partners in Paul's death, which causes Derek to doubt Julie, even though he wants to have sex with her as well. The evidence keeps mounting up against Julie, causing friction between them, including the fact Paul recently changed his will to leave everything to Julie. But this is mired so deeply in the romantic suspense genre tropes that attempts to make Julie appear guilty are just pointless! By the very nature of this genre, we know she isn't!
Julie and Derek become convinced that Creighton plans to knock off the girl Ariel Williams, who apparently dated Billy and then testified against him. She also could have linked him to Creighton. Except it was actually her roommate Carol who dated Billy, which doesn't make much sense, but anyway. So it turns out that Creighton is actually off to murder Carol, so they all race off to save the day.
In the end, it's revealed that Paul was actually Julie's father, not her lover. Yes, that's why they had a weekly meet-up at a hotel! She claims it was to protect her parents (her father raised her as her own) and protect Paul's relationship with his deceased first wife, who couldn't have children. She wanted to spare them all the scandal. Except they all knew about the situation and were fine with it. So what's the scandal? Is this the 1960s or something?!? Julie claims she doesn't care if people thought she was Paul's lover - scandalous in itself - so it makes no freaking sense for her to care about the "scandal" of a unexpected pregnancy!
This revelation apparently also makes it okay for her to fuck a stranger on a plane, because she wasn't actually in a relationship with the person we believed she was in a relationship with. What I reckon is that Sandra Brown could have spent an extra five minutes to come up with a far less staggeringly contrived way in which to get her two main characters together! Absolutely nothing about that set-up made a lick of sense, and basically rendered the entire book very difficult to take!
I kept wavering between 1 star and 2 stars, but went with 2 stars because I suppose getting so riled up at a book's utter stupidity and inanity meant I was somewhat engaged with the material!
Creighton Wheeler masterminds the murder of his uncle Paul Wheeler to get his hands on his inheritance, although he's already ridiculously wealthy. He employs a method from Strangers On A Train, where he gets Billy Duke to do the murder - a shooting - for him. Billy does this because he owes Creighton for killing the wealthy widow that Billy was fleecing and who was now about to testify against him.
Paul's lover Julie is convinced of Creighton's guilt, despite his rock-solid alibi. When she learns that the Wheeler family is about to employ Derek Mitchell to represent Creighton, she flies to France so that she can wind up on a flight back to the US with him, in order to have sex with him, and thus ensure that he can no longer represent the Wheelers because of a conflict of interest. Yes, really! This is despite the fact that there's no guarantee Creighton will ever be arrested or that the Wheelers could easily find another lawyer. Did Julie plan to have sex with all of them? Derek actually brings this up, but the question remains unanswered - probably because it's so fucking stupid and Brown really couldn't come up with any way to make it logical!
Even though Derek refuses to represent Creighton and returns his retainer, he continues to dig into Creighton's past and possible motives. Despite claiming not wanting to be involved. Huh? Anyway, Creighton is carefully setting everything up to make it look like Julie and Billy were partners in Paul's death, which causes Derek to doubt Julie, even though he wants to have sex with her as well. The evidence keeps mounting up against Julie, causing friction between them, including the fact Paul recently changed his will to leave everything to Julie. But this is mired so deeply in the romantic suspense genre tropes that attempts to make Julie appear guilty are just pointless! By the very nature of this genre, we know she isn't!
Julie and Derek become convinced that Creighton plans to knock off the girl Ariel Williams, who apparently dated Billy and then testified against him. She also could have linked him to Creighton. Except it was actually her roommate Carol who dated Billy, which doesn't make much sense, but anyway. So it turns out that Creighton is actually off to murder Carol, so they all race off to save the day.
In the end, it's revealed that Paul was actually Julie's father, not her lover. Yes, that's why they had a weekly meet-up at a hotel! She claims it was to protect her parents (her father raised her as her own) and protect Paul's relationship with his deceased first wife, who couldn't have children. She wanted to spare them all the scandal. Except they all knew about the situation and were fine with it. So what's the scandal? Is this the 1960s or something?!? Julie claims she doesn't care if people thought she was Paul's lover - scandalous in itself - so it makes no freaking sense for her to care about the "scandal" of a unexpected pregnancy!
This revelation apparently also makes it okay for her to fuck a stranger on a plane, because she wasn't actually in a relationship with the person we believed she was in a relationship with. What I reckon is that Sandra Brown could have spent an extra five minutes to come up with a far less staggeringly contrived way in which to get her two main characters together! Absolutely nothing about that set-up made a lick of sense, and basically rendered the entire book very difficult to take!
I kept wavering between 1 star and 2 stars, but went with 2 stars because I suppose getting so riled up at a book's utter stupidity and inanity meant I was somewhat engaged with the material!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2025
Smash Cut was my first book by this author. Being a serial killer mystery/thriller which is a genre I have previously read a lot of, I must admit I wasn’t expecting much when I picked this book up. This genre can become very formulaic and I was expecting something which has been done many times before. I am pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised. It was a page turner with lots of action and the usual characters one would expect. The story was nicely constructed however and the writing tight. Brown has a way of writing that keeps the reader guessing. She knows how to build suspense. At the end of each chapter it was difficult not to continue reading. There are twists at the end which are impossible to see coming. The only thing I struggled with was the villain. He was a young man with movie star looks and a seventy million dollar trust fund. I get he was a psychopath, but find it hard to believe someone in that position would throw it all away and spend the rest of his life in prison. That being said, I would definitely read further books from this author.
June 29, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, another "smash" from Sandra Brown - excuse the pun! Sigh!!
Derek is a high profile defence attorney who is hired by the wealthy Doug Wheeler after Dougs brother Paul is shot to death at a hotel. Who did it? Suspicion leans on Julie, the young mistress who is convinced it was Paul's nephew, the film loving Creighton Wheeler. Derek finds himself in a difficult position as he tries to catch a killer, when he may be falling for one.
I have one thing to say about Sandra Brown. She knows how to surprise me. This book had not one, but two MASSIVE twists that I did NOT see coming! And I'm pretty good at guessing twists. Not a freaking clue. Everything fit together perfectly and made perfect sense!
The characters were great! Loved Derek, I didn't like Julie at all at first, but she grew on me especially at the end.. Creighton... What a character!!! Totally unbelievable of course, but fantastic! And I loved Dodge, the PI. Will be interested to read the second book based on him.
Sandra Brown is absolutely one of my favourite authors. I love a bit of romantic suspense and love being surprised. She is definitely one of my go to authors.
Derek is a high profile defence attorney who is hired by the wealthy Doug Wheeler after Dougs brother Paul is shot to death at a hotel. Who did it? Suspicion leans on Julie, the young mistress who is convinced it was Paul's nephew, the film loving Creighton Wheeler. Derek finds himself in a difficult position as he tries to catch a killer, when he may be falling for one.
I have one thing to say about Sandra Brown. She knows how to surprise me. This book had not one, but two MASSIVE twists that I did NOT see coming! And I'm pretty good at guessing twists. Not a freaking clue. Everything fit together perfectly and made perfect sense!
The characters were great! Loved Derek, I didn't like Julie at all at first, but she grew on me especially at the end.. Creighton... What a character!!! Totally unbelievable of course, but fantastic! And I loved Dodge, the PI. Will be interested to read the second book based on him.
Sandra Brown is absolutely one of my favourite authors. I love a bit of romantic suspense and love being surprised. She is definitely one of my go to authors.
August 8, 2010
What can I say? I was at an airport, facing 3 hours of flying and a couple of hours wait time in the Phoenix airport. Plus they have this new airport bookstore benefit, where you get 50% refund when you bring the book back. This is a horrible book. A wealthy man is murdered in an elevator with his supposed mistress Julie, and Derek, a defense attorney becomes involved with the elite family which includes the murdered man’s nephew. Creighton, a narcissist who just might be a psychopath. No cares about these characters, and they act in uncharacteristic ways, like Derek loving and doubting Julie over and over. She tries to spice things up with some titillating language and scenes. She tries to make a red herring but throws that away half way through the turgid 489 pages. So don’t read this book, unless you have a 3 hour plane ride and a two hour wait between planes and can get 50% of the price back.
June 11, 2017
I would give this book 5 stars and then some. I am actually tongue tied over this book. I don't think I actually took a breath until I had finished it. One incident in the story horrified and disgusted me. I had to put it down for awhile to get past it. Everything that came after that was pure shock material for me. There were quite a few things I didn't see coming. This author never ceases to surprise me or let me down. A fabulous mystery/thriller. I would recommend it to all that like this genre.
September 3, 2016
Good on suspense part but weak on romance. I didn’t like Derek in the plane scene, it did not fit to his later actions. The book was leaking on relationship – building.
August 1, 2018
For some reason it took me a couple of tries at this, but glad I did. It is a great mystery, and holds the reader in suspense. I like old movies; so the references to various films were especially interesting. Though we learn early on who the culprit is, there are still twists that keep one guessing. And who doesn't like an interesting love story.
August 4, 2013
Narrated by Victor Slezak
I first listened to Smash Cut immediately after discovering Sandra Brown’s Envy – my first of her romantic suspense audios. As I listened to one Sandra Brown/Victor Slezak combination after another searching for another Envy, I discovered there simply isn’t another one. It stands alone as Brown’s best and my favorite romantic suspense of all time. But that doesn’t mean Smash Cut isn’t an excellent listen as well. When I listened the first time around, I graded it a B+. After all, it wasn’t Envy. When I recently relistened, I realized Smash Cut is A grade material all the way around. I was riveted to Brown’s intricate suspense plot and enjoyed every minute of Victor Slezak’s outstanding performance.
Once again, Brown takes us to the South – this time Atlanta. After Paul Wheeler’s murder in an elevator with his companion, Julie Rutledge, at his side, the murderer makes a clean getaway. No one can find even a trace of evidence anywhere. However, Julie believes it can only be one person, Paul’s nephew Creighton. Paul Wheeler is quite wealthy and Creighton his only heir. Besides, Creighton is just plain creepy despite his rich boy, tennis playing persona. Read the rest of the review at AudioGals http://www.audiogals.net/2013/01/smas....
I first listened to Smash Cut immediately after discovering Sandra Brown’s Envy – my first of her romantic suspense audios. As I listened to one Sandra Brown/Victor Slezak combination after another searching for another Envy, I discovered there simply isn’t another one. It stands alone as Brown’s best and my favorite romantic suspense of all time. But that doesn’t mean Smash Cut isn’t an excellent listen as well. When I listened the first time around, I graded it a B+. After all, it wasn’t Envy. When I recently relistened, I realized Smash Cut is A grade material all the way around. I was riveted to Brown’s intricate suspense plot and enjoyed every minute of Victor Slezak’s outstanding performance.
Once again, Brown takes us to the South – this time Atlanta. After Paul Wheeler’s murder in an elevator with his companion, Julie Rutledge, at his side, the murderer makes a clean getaway. No one can find even a trace of evidence anywhere. However, Julie believes it can only be one person, Paul’s nephew Creighton. Paul Wheeler is quite wealthy and Creighton his only heir. Besides, Creighton is just plain creepy despite his rich boy, tennis playing persona. Read the rest of the review at AudioGals http://www.audiogals.net/2013/01/smas....
August 13, 2010
Boring. Main characters were not likable or unique or developed. The character with the most development was the bad guy, who I didn't care about and found boring. There was WAY too much of Creighton. The plot was stupid and drawn out into a book when it could have been a five-page short story.
I liked Derek, mostly because he loved his dog so much...and then SB had to go and ruin that, of course. As for Julie...she was strange and annoying. Irrational, too. She wasn't likable, and I wasn't sure why the two of them liked each other.
It was supposed to be a suspense, but, well...I was bored. I had to force myself to keep reading. Nothing much else to say.
I liked Derek, mostly because he loved his dog so much...and then SB had to go and ruin that, of course. As for Julie...she was strange and annoying. Irrational, too. She wasn't likable, and I wasn't sure why the two of them liked each other.
It was supposed to be a suspense, but, well...I was bored. I had to force myself to keep reading. Nothing much else to say.
January 14, 2019
Uvek nova, uvek uzbudljiva, uvek fenomenalna ...
March 31, 2017
Smash Cut is not a police procedural, unlike many of Karen Rose's murder mysteries. That's good and bad for me. Good in that often the investigative process is too detailed and makes for laborious reading; bad in that in SC's case, I missed the POV from the detectives assigned to the case. I missed the investigative process in this case.
There was a lot more romance in SC than any of the newer SB books and I was surprised. Derek Mitchell turned out to be a nice guy and I do mean that in a complimentary way since I do have a thing (who doesn't?) for the bad boys of romance. Though I was put off by the mile-high sex episode, I managed to get over it and enjoy the development of the murder-suspense thread and Julie's and Derek's romance.
SC is suspenseful enough and Creighton is a nasty, unlikeable sociopath whose acquaintance as the villain we make early on the story, so not really a spoiler here. I liked SC enough to want to read the second Mitchell & Associates installment, Tough Customer, which features Dodge, the PI and Derek's go-to guy in SC.
The only thing that marred my reading pleasure was that the font was too small for comfort and increasing it on my reader made it too big. That's why I hate buying DRM books - I can't reformat them.
There was a lot more romance in SC than any of the newer SB books and I was surprised. Derek Mitchell turned out to be a nice guy and I do mean that in a complimentary way since I do have a thing (who doesn't?) for the bad boys of romance. Though I was put off by the mile-high sex episode, I managed to get over it and enjoy the development of the murder-suspense thread and Julie's and Derek's romance.
SC is suspenseful enough and Creighton is a nasty, unlikeable sociopath whose acquaintance as the villain we make early on the story, so not really a spoiler here. I liked SC enough to want to read the second Mitchell & Associates installment, Tough Customer, which features Dodge, the PI and Derek's go-to guy in SC.
The only thing that marred my reading pleasure was that the font was too small for comfort and increasing it on my reader made it too big. That's why I hate buying DRM books - I can't reformat them.
June 4, 2011
Another super book by Sandra Brown in "Smash Cut."This book kept you glued to the chair, to see what was going to happen.Love the characters that Sandra Brown brings to this story. The character of Creighton Wheeler starts out creepy and just keeps getting more psychotic as the story progresses. On the surface, the character of Derek Mitchell was just another defense attorney looking for fame and forturne. But as the story progressed you started to see the personal side of Derek and realize that he is a great guy. Lastly, the character of Julie Rutledge kept me guessing until the killer was revealed. One minute I thought that she was definitely involved in the murder of Paul Wheeler and the next minute I wasn't so sure. But undoubtedly, the best part of the book is the revelation made on the the very last page.This revelation changes the whole tone of the story and puts everything in a new perspective. I can only say thank you to the author for such an enjoyable read.I definately now will be looking to read some of her other novels.I'm hooked!
May 24, 2017
Yes, lagi-lagi heroine cerdas, kuat dan manipulatif. Walau awal perkenalan mereka anti mainstream tapi Julie sudah menancapkan kesan yang mendalam pada Derek. Dan pengacara gigih, cerdas dan super hot ini jelas worming his way to my heart di sepanjang buku. Awalnya dia nampak opportunis, matre dan egois. Tapi perjalanan panjang buku ini membuktikan sisi lain yang mengagumkan darinya. Relasi Julie dan Derek hot and cold. Untungnya twist akhir akan merekatkan semua konflik kejutan.
Seperti Criminals Mind, si villain utama sudah muncul sejak chapter pertama. Tapi 2 jempol untuk SB yang bisa membuatku terus berputar liar dalam storylinenya untuk mencari pembuktian yang layak pada apa motivasi dan apa saja yang bisa disibak dari kepribadian seorang sosiopath.
Seperti Criminals Mind, si villain utama sudah muncul sejak chapter pertama. Tapi 2 jempol untuk SB yang bisa membuatku terus berputar liar dalam storylinenya untuk mencari pembuktian yang layak pada apa motivasi dan apa saja yang bisa disibak dari kepribadian seorang sosiopath.
May 4, 2013
I had a really hard time getting into this book at the beginning. But, I must say, the ending was AWESOME and totally unexpected.
Will I read the sequel to this book? The jury is still out on that one.
Will I read the sequel to this book? The jury is still out on that one.
July 27, 2011
This is a very good book. Great characters and plot. Many plot twists that were unpredictable to the reader. Sandra Brown does not dissappoint with this newest book.
April 27, 2017
I was worried that this book would become predictable. I shouldn't have spent a second on that thought. Like the title, the smash cuts in this thriller kept me guessing until the very last chapter!
July 23, 2023
Sandra Brown suspense with an evil-doer with a film fixation as his twist, but the worst villain of all is Sandra Brown as she
May 28, 2017
#43 for 2017 RC
Genre : Suspense, Thriller
Sandra Brown berhasil tidak mengecewakan ku di buku ini. Hero dan heroine nya aku suka. Tipikal heroine favoritku yang merupakan wanita cerdas yang tahu apa yang dia mau. Hero yang tipikal alpha male. Hey who doesn't want an alpha male for you, even you have independent spirit woman?
Buku ini juga menceritakan cara pikir antagonisnya, bagaimana psikopat bisa punya kesenangan membunuh. Cukup oke karena penggambaran penjahatnya yang tampan dan kaya raya. Oke no further spoiler.
Genre : Suspense, Thriller
Sandra Brown berhasil tidak mengecewakan ku di buku ini. Hero dan heroine nya aku suka. Tipikal heroine favoritku yang merupakan wanita cerdas yang tahu apa yang dia mau. Hero yang tipikal alpha male. Hey who doesn't want an alpha male for you, even you have independent spirit woman?
Buku ini juga menceritakan cara pikir antagonisnya, bagaimana psikopat bisa punya kesenangan membunuh. Cukup oke karena penggambaran penjahatnya yang tampan dan kaya raya. Oke no further spoiler.
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