Scan barcode
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
First Cut by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell has Dr. Jessie Teska starting over in San Francisco. Jessie along with her beagle pup, Bea rent a converted cable car. She then dives into her job as assistant medical examiner. Jessie notices an alarming number of drug related deaths that are similar. It starts her investigating that takes her down a dangerous path. Readers who enjoy forensics will be thrilled with First Cut. The authors experience shines through in First Cut. The story is well-written and the story proceeds at a thoughtful pace. I did find First Cut to be a slow starter, but it soon becomes engrossing. I thought the characters were realistic and developed. I liked Jessie with her Polish background, cute little dog named Bea, and her quirky abode. I thought she was spunky. She leaves a job with her mentor along with state of the art facilities behind in Los Angeles to get a fresh start. We do not find out why right away. Clues are dropped with the full story emerging later in the book. The descriptions are detailed allowing readers to visualize the scenes which brings the story alive. Be prepared to handle the gory details related to the autopsies (the sounds, smells and what the medical examiner sees during the examination). There is one corpse that was truly repulsive courtesy to the explosion of fluids. The mystery is complex and multifaceted. I enjoyed following Jessie as she delved into the case searching for the truth. It is a modern case that involves more than drugs (I do not want to spoil it for you). You will be amazed at how it all plays out in the end. First Cut is a story that will you keep you guessing.
ropers16's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
maja_books07's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
cactuscat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
given the author’s background, medical scenes were definitely explicit (maybe a little too much for me) and well written. BUT nothing about the story really gripped me and our main characters fell flat — especially with Dr Teska trying to play the sole hero in a convoluted drug trafficking/money laundering operation, unfortunately won’t be continuing with this series.
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I find forensic science fascinating, so I like mysteries that feature medical examiners, forensic anthropologists, etc. It's interesting to learn about the methods used to solve these mysteries. FIRST CUT sounded like the kind of thing I would like, so I agreed to review it. What did I think? I liked Jessie, even though she's impulsive and doesn't always make the best decisions. The plot of the novel isn't anything original or memorable, but it was compelling enough to keep me turning pages. The story is depressing and graphic, which made it a little hard to read. All in all, it was a better-than-average read for me, but I don't think I'll continue with the series. The first installment didn't hook me enough to want to keep going. Oh well.
kdurham2's review against another edition
5.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
A mystery thriller that is told through a unique set of eyes - a medical examiner. Dr. Jessie Teska abruptly leaves her job as a medical examiner in Los Angeles and moves to San Francisco to start anew. She quickly gets involved in some interesting cases that put her in harms way and she must figure out the hows and whys of some of the deaths in San Francisco to find out who is wishing her harm.
A mystery thriller that is told through a unique set of eyes - a medical examiner. Dr. Jessie Teska abruptly leaves her job as a medical examiner in Los Angeles and moves to San Francisco to start anew. She quickly gets involved in some interesting cases that put her in harms way and she must figure out the hows and whys of some of the deaths in San Francisco to find out who is wishing her harm.
samalvarez823's review against another edition
5.0
This was the first in the Dr Jessie Teska series and I can tell you, it was soo good!! I borrowed this from my library as I was sent the advanced readers copy of the second book in the series from NetGalley and Hanover Square Press. I’m such a nerd, I have to read books in their order haha.
I haven’t read many suspense/thrillers that use the medical examiner as the point of view so, it was a real thrill to read this one. Death is such an interesting and fascinating subject. So naturally, I was intrigued.
Dr Jessie Teska transfers from Los Angeles Medical Examiners office to San Francisco, she has a past that she’s running from. Guilt consumed she tries to take her new position seriously but, certain things keep popping up in different autopsy’s that look connected. So, she goes looking and involved in a big mess which puts her life at risk.
I loved the flow of the book, I loved the descriptions and I loved the doctors ferociousness in wanting to do the right thing. It was easy to stay focused and I enjoyed it! A definite must read if you’re into crime novels and a little gore.
I haven’t read many suspense/thrillers that use the medical examiner as the point of view so, it was a real thrill to read this one. Death is such an interesting and fascinating subject. So naturally, I was intrigued.
Dr Jessie Teska transfers from Los Angeles Medical Examiners office to San Francisco, she has a past that she’s running from. Guilt consumed she tries to take her new position seriously but, certain things keep popping up in different autopsy’s that look connected. So, she goes looking and involved in a big mess which puts her life at risk.
I loved the flow of the book, I loved the descriptions and I loved the doctors ferociousness in wanting to do the right thing. It was easy to stay focused and I enjoyed it! A definite must read if you’re into crime novels and a little gore.
hadasg's review against another edition
5.0
I've read the galleys (uncorrected proof) of First Cut. What I loved about the book:
It was fun, intelligent and suspenseful.
Formulaic in a good way. For example, when I read a detective novel I like the guessing but don't want it to be too easy or obvious. In this case, I wrongly guessed the killer's identity and correctly guessed the love interest identity, so I had a nice surprise learning that I was off base about the killer but was left with the satisfaction of being right about the romance.
I really liked the Polish phrases and the follow-throughs (e.g. circus and monkeys).
I liked the good ratio between scientific terms (both in forensics and "computer stuff") and easy to understand explanations.
Liked the relatively realistic (but not a disappointing one) as opposed to a too-happy ending.
Loved the wealth of language - it may be subtle but sometimes authors fall in love with a certain word and repeat it too many times in a book (e.g. Terry Pratchett and "susurrus" or Diana Gabaldon and "nipple" (:-)).
There was a variable representation of different races and ethnicities.
I would recommend the book to anyone who loves a good detective/forensic mystery with a strong but well-rounded female lead.
It was fun, intelligent and suspenseful.
Formulaic in a good way. For example, when I read a detective novel I like the guessing but don't want it to be too easy or obvious. In this case, I wrongly guessed the killer's identity and correctly guessed the love interest identity, so I had a nice surprise learning that I was off base about the killer but was left with the satisfaction of being right about the romance.
I really liked the Polish phrases and the follow-throughs (e.g. circus and monkeys).
I liked the good ratio between scientific terms (both in forensics and "computer stuff") and easy to understand explanations.
Liked the relatively realistic (but not a disappointing one) as opposed to a too-happy ending.
Loved the wealth of language - it may be subtle but sometimes authors fall in love with a certain word and repeat it too many times in a book (e.g. Terry Pratchett and "susurrus" or Diana Gabaldon and "nipple" (:-)).
There was a variable representation of different races and ethnicities.
I would recommend the book to anyone who loves a good detective/forensic mystery with a strong but well-rounded female lead.