Review: The Cutaway by Christina Kovac

Title:The Cutaway

Author:Christina Kovac

Published:March 2017, 37Ink/Atria Books

Format:ARC e-copy, 320 pages

Source:Netgalley via Publisher

The Cutaway draws
you into the tangled world of corruption and cover-up as a young
television producer investigates the disappearance of a beautiful
Georgetown lawyer in this stunning psychological thriller, perfect for
fans of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn.

When brilliant TV news
producer Virginia Knightly receives a disturbing “MISSING” notice on her
desk related to the disappearance of a beautiful young attorney, she
can’t seem to shake the image from her head. Despite skepticism from her
colleagues, Knightly suspects this ambitious young lawyer may be at the
heart of something far more sinister, especially since she was last
seen leaving an upscale restaurant after a domestic dispute. Yet, as the
only woman of power at her station, Knightly quickly finds herself
investigating on her own.

Risking her career, her life, and
perhaps even her own sanity, Knightly dives deep into the dark
underbelly of Washington, DC business and politics in an investigation
that will drag her mercilessly through the inextricable webs of
corruption that bind the press, the police, and politics in our nation’s
capital.

Harkening to dark thrillers such as Gone Girl, Luckiest Girl Alive, and Big Little Lies, The Cutaway is a striking debut that will haunt you long after you reach the last page.

My thoughts: There’s been a lot of buzz about this debut novel from Christina Kovac and I’ve been anxious to read it…though a bit apprehensive. Sometimes the buzz is overkill, but in this case, it is well-deserved – this book kept me engaged throughout. 

What I loved most about this book is having it told from the journalist’s point of view. This was a nice change of pace from the usual police procedurals that I tend to gravitate towards. Virginia Knightly is an investigative journalist – so we see the investigation from her side. She is one determined, strong-willed, capable reporter who goes after whatever she wants and isn’t willing to let anyone or anything stand in her way.  

For some reason, the case of this missing woman haunts Virginia – she can’t let this go and is determined to do whatever it takes to not only find out everything about this woman and investigate what happened to her, but to also get the exclusive story for her tv station. This is where the story takes off! And let me tell you – with this case, it is so much more than what it first appears to be.

Having the story told by Virginia means there is no question as to the reliability of the narrator. It also means that we are not only on the case with her at all times, but we also see her in action as the television producer – getting to see the inner workings of the news world was intense at times! 

This was a fast read with a mystery that builds slow, but then comes crashing down at the end. It kept me engaged the entire time and the twists and turns that take place kept me on my toes. I loved the intrigue, the political scandal and the behind–the–scenes look at journalism that we get. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from Christina Kovac!!!