The Cutaway by Christina Kovac @christina_kovac #Suspense #Thriller #TVNews

The Plot:

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.

About the Author:

Christina Kovac managed newsrooms and produced crime and political stories in the District. Her career as a television journalist began with Fox 5’s Ten O’Clock News, followed by the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C. For the last nine years, she worked at the Washington Bureau of NBC News. She lives with her family outside of Washington, D.C.

Review:

I started out working at the National Public Radio affiliate in Charleston, S.C. One of our producers recognized my writing talent and mentored me. But one thing I learned while working with her was that I don’t have the attitude for hard news. If the Secret Service tells me to stand behind a certain line, I’ll do so. Mine won’t be the hand with the microphone snaking out of the crowd to get Prince Charles to answer at least one question before being dragged back behind the line—as my mentor was.

Virginia Knightly is who I’d like to be if I ever grow up. She’ll get behind that line and talk the Secret Service into letting her stay. In fact, she’ll convince Prince Charles he needs to talk to her. And if he’s done anything wrong, she’ll prove it, even if she has to risk her life to do so. As she does when Evelyn Carney goes missing.

Ms. Kovac created a cast of compelling, intriguing characters. Then she put them into a fast-paced book I couldn’t put down. In fact, when my granddaughter texted and said she was on her way to pick me up for my great-granddaughter’s birthday party, I texted “Okay,” and continued reading when I should have been grabbing my coat and running out the door. I was annoyed when she texted “Here.” That’s really bad.

Furthermore, I couldn’t figure out who did it. First I thought it was one person, and then another, and then someone else, and back again. It was difficult to tell who was telling the whole truth, part of the truth, or just flat-out lying. Plus, it was all mixed in with an upheaval back at the station. And did I mention she actually uses good grammar? Heaven!

Any book that almost makes me miss my great-granddaughter’s fifth birthday party is an absolute MUST READ!

Author Website:  https://www.christinakovac.com/

Warnings:  None

Length:  320 Pages

Prices:

Print:  $26.00

Digital:  $13.99

Buy Link:  https://smile.amazon.com/ dp/1501141694

Thanks for visiting.

Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon

Blurb:

Some secrets never die. They’re just locked away.

Alex Dale is lost. Destructive habits have cost her a marriage and a journalism career. All she has left is her routine: a morning run until her body aches, then a few hours of forgettable work before the past grabs hold and drags her down. Every day is treading water, every night is drowning. Until Alex discovers Amy Stevenson—Amy Stevenson, who was just another girl from a nearby town until the day she was found unconscious after a merciless assault. Amy Stevenson, who has been in a coma for fifteen years, forgotten by the world. Amy Stevenson, who, unbeknownst to her doctors, remains locked inside her body, conscious but paralyzed, reliving the past.

Soon Alex’s routine includes visiting hours at the hospital, then interviews with the original suspects in the attack. But what starts as a reporter’s story becomes a personal obsession. How do you solve a crime when the only witness lived but cannot tell the tale? Unable to tear herself away from her attempt to uncover the unspeakable truth, Alex realizes she’s not just chasing a story—she’s seeking salvation.

Shifting from present to past and back again, Try Not to Breathe unfolds layer by layer until its heart-stopping conclusion. The result is an utterly immersive, unforgettable debut.

About the Author:

Holly Seddon was born and raised in the sleepy south-west of England and now lives slap bang in the centre of Amsterdam with her husband and four children. Throughout her fifteen-year career, Holly has been privileged to work in some of the UK’s most exciting newsrooms.

Try Not to Breathe is her first novel, published in the UK (Corvus/Atlantic) in January 2016. Soon after, it will be available in the US (Ballantine/Penguin Random House), Germany (Heyne), Russia (Sindbad), Swiat Ksiazk (Poland), Crown (Taiwan) and Netherlands (Ambo Anthos).

Holly is currently writing her second book.

Review by Rochelle:

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Wow! I wish I could write like Holly Sutton. What an incredible book! Told in multiple first person points of view, Ms. Sutton takes us into the mind of an alcoholic who wants to battle her addiction but can’t, slowly peeling back the layers of what led Alex from teenage binge drinking to full-blown daily drinking, and the games she plays with herself to try to control her disease.

We see the guilt Jake carries as he tries to balance a career, marriage, his wife’s pregnancy, and the responsibility he feels toward Amy, his high school girlfriend who lies in a coma after a horrific attack by an unknown assailant. And the additional guilt he carries because of the effect his grief had on his brothers, both of whom ended up leaving home rather than cope with him.

Finally, we see inside Amy’s head. She worries her mum will be angry that she’s overslept. She wonders why her friends haven’t called her to go out. When Jake tries to tell her he’s getting married, she can’t understand why he’d break up with her. Is Mum angry? Why has she stopped speaking to her? Who is Alex? What is she talking about? What attack?

I couldn’t put down Try Not to Breathe. I had work to do and Christmas gifts to make. Yet I kept reading. Yes, when I grow up, I want to write like Holly Seddon. And she’s quite young—just starting out. Wow!

Author Website: 

Heat Rating:  PG

Length:  368 Pages

Prices:

Hardcover Print:  $20.26

Digital:  $12.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Try-Not-Breathe-Holly-Seddon-ebook/dp/B00ZNE44F0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450896416&sr=1-1&keywords=try+not+to+breathe

Thanks for visiting. Donna, Julie, & Rochelle