If you are fascinated by forensics this books for you! Judy Melinek wrote this enthralling book with her husband T. J. Mitchell. Melinek works as a medical examiner and that really gave an authentic realistic feel to the story. Dr. Jessie Teska just transferred from the LA Office of the medical examiner to its SF counterpart. She is surprise by the rundown state of the SF office especially after being spoiled by the sparkling new stainless steel LA office. But Jessie doesn’t have much time to acclimate she is quickly brought in on a case, a possible overdose. What follows is a tense story of push and pull, Mystery and politics. An addictive procedural with some grit.

This was such a compulsive compelling story. I’ve always been fascinated when it comes to forensics and autopsies. It is so interesting to me the clues that your body leaves behind. Parts of the story might be a little too detailed or descriptive for some, but I thought it was well done and truly gave you a real sense of the characters and what they dealt with. There was a part in the story where Jesse was unable to shower after performing an autopsy and then had to go interact with the cops. I felt so bad for her and was simultaneously repulsed by her possible smell. The setting of San Francisco lended well to the story and I have to say I love the fact that Jesse took up residence in a renovated cable car. Real, raw, gritty, gruesome, absorbing, addictive, enthralling, engaging. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is just the first in a new series!

This book in emojis 🌫 🚃 💉 🩸

*** Big thanks to Harlequin Hanover Square for my copy of this book ***

First Cut is a well written medical mystery, filled with details of autopsies and a variety of unusual killings. It is marred by a story featuring a young but experienced medical examiner who jumps to unbelievable conclusions without compunction, regardless of the consequences and impact on others. First Cut has the makings of a series, but it won’t succeed in that role until its main characters are portrayed more realistically. I hope that these talented authors use their sharp instruments on Jessie to hone her into a more sharply realistic feature.

I did not really enjoy this book, although I can see that others, including our library patrons, will like it.
I found the forensic scenes interesting and well done, but wasn't interested in Jessie's personal story. I didn't connect with her personality and found it annoying how many times she had to mention her Beemer. I had guessed why she left Los Angeles, which wasn't completely explained until the very last of the book, and thought there was too much whining about the poor facilities in San Francisco.

Dr. Jessie Teska is new to the San Francisco Medical Examiner's scene, but she is not new to forensic pathology. A star in LA, she finds the new conditions horrendous. As she struggles to fit in, she begins to notice unexpected patterns, too many non-accidental deaths, and conspiracy. Of course she won't stop prying, and soon her life is now in the crosshairs.

Dr. Jessie Teska's newest case as a medical examiner, and a new job at that, has her realizing that what was first thought to be an overdose was actually something much more - murder.

She wants to push things. To investigate. Instead she faces the obstacle of going against her supervisor. She is told to wrap things up, but Jessie just can't let it go. What is more is her work environment, now in San Francisco. She is completely nonplussed. At her previous job in Los Angeles, everything was shiny and clean. She also had technology at her disposal. Now, things are grimy, rather old school.

Adding in the suspicions about the body on her slab, how can Jessie even work? Meanwhile, more deaths abound. Jessie takes no time to connect it with the first case. Shockingly she discovers that there is an opiod crisis..Can Jessie get to the bottom of things, and stay safe in the meantime?

I love how Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell wrote this book. I felt like I was there with Jessie, asking questions and demanding answers. I also enjoyed that it was not too technical, even though it was gruesome at times. The fact that Melinek is a forensic psychologist helped to give Jessie's character a sense of authenticity. First Cut proved to be a job well-done, so much so that I do hope we get to see Jessie again.

Many thanks to Hanover Square Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Being a little tired of the sex and romance genre this was a wonderful change along with a new author. There is plenty of mystery and intrigue around the new position she has when she stumbles on a body that reminds her of the reason she in here. What this autopsy leads to is a swirl of activity as she weaves her way through all of leads and twist these authors supply in this forensic read. Don't get me wrong there is some romance but no details. These authors take us places and have us wondering what could possibly happen next all the way to the abrupt ending. There is no chance to take a breath as one clue leads to another. Don't blink and trust no one because it's that first cut that will get you.

Just zipped through this one and I truly hope it is the debut of a new series featuring Dr. Jessie Teska. It's a crime thriller whose protagonist is a spunky Polish medical examiner/forensic pathologist in the city of San Fransisco. The plot is complicated and the details are incredible as would be expected since the author is actually a medical examiner who wrote a memoir, "Working Stiff: Two Yeears, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner" along with her husband, T.J. Mitchell. I loved that book and this happens to be her first fiction novel. If you love medical thrillers, you won't be disappointed!

Jessie has left her job in LA under a bit of a cloud and is hired on at the San Francisco Office of Chef Medical Examiner. It's a far cry from the state-of-the-art facility that she'd worked in LA, but needs must and she jumps right in as assistant medical examiner dealing with sudden, violent, and unexpected deaths. She lives in a converted cable car in the city famed for the Golden Gate Bridge and rued for the near constant fog. Her first call-out takes her to the Tenderloin with her boss, Dr. Michael Stone, and they find a dead man who was shot multiple times after attempting to steal a computer. Jessie volunteers to do the autopsy and finds a fragment of the computer's serial number embedded in his tissue. The next day brings a new case -- a mutilated woman found in a hotel room -- her body was cut open to retrieve drug packets that she'd swallowed. Then, another, a young woman is discovered dead in her home -- a probable accidental drug overdose. This woman had died from an injection of "Soul Sister" a potent mix of heroin and fentanyl and Jessica believes that there is foul play involved but her bosses want her to close the case. There's something going on here that seems to tie these 3 separate deaths together. Add in a bitcoin scheme and this all turns into a very complex investigation involving some very powerful people. NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this and hope that there will be more books with this main character and her job. I like Jessie and her enthusiasm for her job. I've never been to San Francisco, but I liked all the descriptions about the setting. My favorite parts, however, were all the medical details and I simply can't get enough of those. I find the whole subject quite fascinating and the the cases wholly believable. More, please.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

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.

I absolutely loved this book. I felt it was so different from the typical murder mysteries as seeing it through the eyes of the medical examiner and figuring out how someone really died compared to how it was presented was just so fascinating and I was completely wrapped up in the story from the beginning. I felt as though the author gave us the right clues at just the right time.

I also just loved Dr. Jessie Teska as a character herself. She was smart and there were maybe a few moments where I didn't get all the medical lingo, but it didn't go completely over my head.

I am so excited to watch this series develop and grow and will be anxiously waiting for book two!

A study on what a coroner’s office really does. Very readable although there were long dialogues detailing the activities of the coroner’s office in a big city Lots twists and turns and surprises to keep the reader going

This is an excellent example of crime fiction with fantastic detail. Jessie Teska, medical examiner, is an interesting character with a complicated back-story and a seeming talent for getting in hot water. Jessie has recently relocated to San Francisco for a fresh start, but things soon turn south when one case after another are linked together. Buckle up, enjoy the ride, and hope for a sequel!

A realistic (at least to me) behind the scenes glimpse at the working world of a medical examiner. With a dash of mystery, intrigue and mayhem. What’s not to like?

**I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

I loved the premise of this book; I just had a hard time getting into this one. I don’t normally read mystery books, so maybe that is why I couldn’t get into the book.? I just couldn’t connect with the characters

First Cut by Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell is a standalone novel. We meet our heroine, Jessie Teska, immediately as she arrives for her first day as an assistant medical examiner in San Francisco. Jessie left her old job in Los Angeles because she needed to be on her own, and not close to the man she had fallen in love with. We will learn a bit more about that relationship and why she left nearer to the end, but he technically has nothing to do with this story line.

Jessie is immediately bombarded with a number of cases, with one being an overdose that is considered an accident. As Jessie takes control of the case, she discovers some other deaths being similar, causing her to delve deeper in to the overdose case. Her superiors want her to close the case as an accident, putting pressure on her, despite her belief that something was wrong. Jessie begins to suspect her boss as knowing more than he is letting on, trying to push her off the case. In a short time, with bodies showing up in the lab, Jessie begins see that this could be a murder and drug case, which now puts her own life in danger. Despite no help from her superiors, Jessie does work closely with some of the detectives to try and find the truth.

What follows is an intense, gritty, exciting story line about the world of medical examiners, with a lot of detailed descriptions. Melinek is a forensic pathologist in real life, and uses much of her knowledge in detailing everything throughout the book. First Cut is a complex and fast paced story that kept our attention from start to finish, also giving me a feel similar to Patricia Cornwall. I enjoy mysteries and thrillers, which this was, but there was so much detail and explicitly gory scenes as they dissect on the human body, which gave me mixed feelings about how much I needed to know. Lol However, this was a good compelling mystery and very well written.

Totally different type of story. Got to love medical mysteries.
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The story comes from a different view where the main character is a SF city medical examiner. In a city that big you know there are plenty of areas for intriguing investigations.

Jessie comes across a case that is extremely similar to another case that she had prior in another department. It nags her and bugs her so she decides to start digging a little bit deeper than a normal investigation. She runs across many interesting twists and coincidences that are hard to pass by. Was it accidental or was it murder?

The story is written in a different manner than what we normally expect. It comes from a medical coroner point of view and that could be disconcerting to some. It’s very graphic but written matter-of-fact so while there is the element of gore and death, it’s in a more clinical point of view.

The author did a fabulous job blending in many different tangents to the story. After all she is a forensic pathologist and co-wrote this with her husband! So we will get all of the dirt.

We get to know a medical examiner that has a few skeletons of her own in her closet. Jessie has a quirky sense of humor and a taste for doing what is right regardless of how it can affect her later down the line. This action packed crime and medical mystery is fast paced and full of cringe-worthy detail that will keep you reading half the night!

The twist and turns in this story prove to hold up through most of the book and the ending gives us a nice surprise too!

Perfect for those that love true crime, medical mystery, and complete realism in their books, First Cut by Judy Mitchell & TJ Melinek is a great choice for that weekend read!

Dr. Jessie Teska is new to San Francisco but not new to her job as medical examiner. She is smart and down to earth, has a very vocal and kind of destructive dog, a murky family history and a very curious nature that just might lead her into trouble.

Something about one of her first cases in her new department feels off and the more she pursues it, the worse it feels. When someone close to the case takes an interest, things quickly spiral in their own direction, leaving Jessie to follow along as her case becomes entangled in other recent cases.

This book feels like the beginning of a series. I get essence of early Kay Scarpetta and early Temperence Brennan in here. There is just the right mix of professional story line with a sprinkle of her human side, her dog her brother, her dates and even a smattering of her past.

A solid read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a fabulous find this was!

I'm fascinated by what forensics and forensic medical examiners are able to uncover based on the remains - no matter how degraded or diminished - of the human body... In this excellent story, Melinek and Mitchell have crafted a world that is sinister and scientific and full of secrets, and they've wrapped a messy but enthralling mystery inside of it. Add in a cast of characters that are complex, well-developed, and full of quirks and foibles and you have the making of a compelling story that I couldn't put down until I knew how it would all end...

Jessie Teska is surrounded by lies and liars - everyone from the bodies she examines to her colleagues and superiors has a secret, and it seems to fall on her shoulders to decipher (or at least navigate) through the minefields that those secrets represent. She is a fantastic protagonist - complicated, snarky, and full of secrets of her own that (of course) complicate matters deviously.

This was a great combination of medical mystery, crime, and revelatory thriller. The writing is fast-paced with just enough cringe-inducing descriptions of the process of medical examination to thrill and chill. Jessie's tale grabbed me from the first pages and never let go. I'm hoping this turns out to be a first-in-series. The characters are wonderful and there's great potential for continuation here...

Rating: 4.5
Wow this book was way different then I thought it would be from another
thrillers I've read so far , and the reason is of , intimate details of the job of medical examiner, and I do mean intimate ,it brings to live in vivid detail , so a word of at if you not into gory full out stuff then this might not be for you . Because this story is was gritty, enthralling, tightly plotted, and beautifully written. And it keeps you guessing on who is the murder , and every time I thought I had it I was wrong .With that said I want to thank Harlequin and Netgalley for letting me read and review it in exchange for my honest opinion and I can't wait for the next book in this series to come out .

I’ve never read anything by this author, but the book blurb sounded like something I’d enjoy. I liked the medical facts throughout, as well as the fact that things were written in a manner that the average person could understand. I love TV shows that deal with forensics, and this book reminded me of them.

Dr. Jessie Teska is a new medical examiner in San Francisco. She’s smart and sassy. The author’s inside knowledge of the field adds to the realism and enjoyment of the story. The character development is solid and the mystery interesting to watch unfold. There were a few unexpected twists, that I enjoyed. The end did seem a bit abrupt, but perhaps it’s a set-up for a sequel.

Fans of crime stories, mysteries, and police procedurals will enjoy this book.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

Dr. Jessie Teska, coroner, moved from LA to San Francisco to work for the city's Medical Examiner's office. hoping for a fresh start. However, what seems to be an accidental overdose, an open and shut case, turns into something much bigger when Jessie finds evidence of foul play. When more bodies show similar signs and her boss tells her to rule it an accident and move on, Jessie can't let it go, even when that puts her own life in danger.

I am a fan of many crime dramas on TV, so I was excited to receive an ARC of this book. I was impressed with how accurate the science seemed to be and I enjoyed the character development. I wasn't a fan of the random Polish phrases thrown in, only about 80% of the time was their meaning obvious through context clues. The suspense felt real to me and the twists were unexpected. I didn't have the whole thing figured out halfway through, which is often the case.

I wouldn't call this great literature, it certainly isn't high brow, it's gritty without being too dark. But it was fast-paced and entertaining. I was a little disappointed in the abruptness of the end, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the book. And it certainly won't keep me from reading a sequel (if there is one)! I recommend this to fans of police procedurals, crime dramas, mysteries, and strong female protagonists. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Who can resist a well-written medical mystery? A well-written, gripping story. Hopefully this will develop into a series.