Cut: A Medical Murder Mystery by Amy S. Peele

My Rating: 5 Stars

This was the first mystery novel I have read involving medicine and organ transplant. I’m really glad I got to have this first experience with Cut by Amy Peele. This serves as a reminder that we should always try new things!

Sarah Golden is a renowned transplant nurse and her life runs smoothly, until she uncovers a very dangerous game being played at the hospital. When bodies start piling up, Sarah turns to her crazy best friend Jackie Larsen, former nurse and a stay at-home mom, to dig further into the matter. What they find is a deadly game: rich and powerful people are buying their way up to the transplant list, getting rid of “problems” as they come, being very careful not to leave any traces. Can they bring down this network or will they be “erased” too?

I was instantly curious about the title and the plot of the story, but I wasn’t expecting being completely taken by the story and for it to be impossible to put down! Wow!

First of all, the novel is very well researched: the details of the medical community, the transplant procedures and the nursing routines are full of detail. I can see that the author has a background in nursing and the knowledge that makes these details more personal than taken out of a medical book.

The story-line is fast paced, full of twists, suspense and humour. Peele ’s managed to create a novel that is perfectly balanced in terms of plot. There is plenty of suspense and action but also a spark of witty conversations and humour that readers with crazy friends will understand very well.

I loved the relationship and the dynamics between Sarah and Jackie. What a chemistry they have! I expected their verbal confrontations with enthusiasm. Sarah is a strong woman that isn’t afraid to put herself out there to help people and do the right thing. I felt that she took a bit more the part of main character since she is the one that first realizes something is amiss in the hospital and the waiting list. She is a very likeable character, very human. Jackie, the other main character, has her own unique shine that complements Sarah very well. Jackie is a great character and her love for her family is a breath of fresh air in the middle of all the craziness. Her nursing background also comes in handy and their partnership and friendship made me smile several times throughout the novel. As for other characters: handsome Sergio with a long line of women behind him despite his cold attitude and his partner Amanda. I think they make the plot a bit more interesting and of course they are the obvious targets of suspicion and investigation. But are they really guilty?

I thoroughly enjoyed this reading, I grew addicted to it and it was impossible to put down. I wait in anticipation for Ms. Peele ’s next novel! I highly recommend it to fans of mysteries.

I want to thank the publicist Kris Verdeck and the author Amy Peele for reaching out and allowing me to review this novel.

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