When a movie costumer finds an assistant director dead, she becomes the main suspect. She must work to clear her name while also dodging a sketchy producer and the press.

I love mysteries but this one wasn’t for me! Others might enjoy it more!

This was cute, but felt a bit too much for me. I think there were too many sub plots and they all wrapped up too quickly to feel realistic.

Overall a fun story though and thoroughly enjoyable.

Final Cut shows a lot of promise, but I think it ultimately wasn’t for me. A shame, because I love a book that goes deep into an industry I don’t know much about, which McGowan does really well with blockbuster film and costuming. There were just too many elements that felt clunky - the main characters mom, best friend, and neighbor seem to be introduced mostly to show that the character is not isolated to work alone, and what little they move the plot forward is made unnecessary elsewhere - and never followed up on even when Joey is thinking about how badly she needs a Non-Work Support Network. The perpetrator is a bit of a ‘drugs make you into a real-life Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ situation, which is so on the nose that it felt a little farcical to me. It’s also so jarring to be reading a fiction book and then Ben Affleck has dialogue in it. I get that the writer has probably had that exact interaction with Ben Affleck. It just really made me put down the book and say “Ben Affleck?” out loud.

I think the MeToo-parallel plot is timely and fairly well done, as well as the very sweet plot line where Joey essentially becomes a mentor to a young PA. The sabotage plot was interesting but wrapped up too quickly and neatly for my tastes. Overall, it just felt like this book needed tighter focus to me.

Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for my approval to read and review.

I found this book to be an entertaining mystery surrounding the death of the 2nd AD. Joey, the main character is a costume designer, when she stumbles upon the body of Courtney Lilse. I found it was full of facts of how behind the scenes Hollywood films are made. Joey takes it upon herself to find the murderer when her life takes a horrible turn when she falls victim to trolling. I will recommend this book to my friends as it is an easy book to read and to follow the story.

This book is not actually a mystery but instead is a book about costume design in Hollywood.

The first 40% of this book are pure explanations of how Hollywood costume design work. The only mystery plot we get is when the initial murder happens. The rest are EXTREMELY detailed explanations of costumer job titles and responsibilities, key places around California for costume work, and some real life famous people names thrown in. It was boring to me and I kept waiting for something to happen.

The next 40% are a continuation of the costume design explanations with just a little bit of mystery sprinkled in. They are conversations the main character has with others about this mystery. But they aren’t really acted on and still nothing happens and there’s no furthering of the plot at all. We don’t get any suspense or foreshadowing.

The last 20% of the book is when everything happened very quickly. In just a couple of chapters we get: another crime, a confession, and a showdown between Joey and the perpetrator. There was absolutely no suspense and I was not excited about what was happening.

There were a lot of characters in this book but they did absolutely nothing. Joey as a character did nothing. She didn’t even solve or attempt to solve the crime. She only gathered some info then somebody else told her the whole truth. The plot in this book was nonexistent until everything just happened at the end.

If you’re looking for a book about costume design this would be a good read but if you’re looking for a mystery set in Hollywood this is not worth it.

Joey Jessop has a dream job. Or so it would seem. She works in costumes for major Hollywood films. She is currently working on a blockbuster picture for one of the hottest directors in Hollywood. But it turns out that he is a womanizing narcissist.

To make life more difficult, Joey's former boyfriend is the first assistant director. And he's having an affair with the second assistant director. Or at least until Joey discovers her body. With a potential motive of jealousy, Joey is a prime suspect. She sets out to find the murderer in order to clear herself. But as she gets closer to the truth, the murderer decides that she has to go also.

In a fast paced, exciting novel, the author has a winner. Her experience in the motion picture costuming industry is a huge help in making the story accurate and detailed.

While I enjoyed this, I didn't feel like there was enough focus on the mystery. I learned more about costumers in Hollywood. Which isn't a bad thing, I assumed there'd be more independent mystery-solving from Joey's side.
I didn't sink into this in that comforting way a story wraps its arms around you. It felt like I was reading the surface of these characters.
I received a copy via NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I really had to push myself to finish this one, I felt that the the protagonist was weak. This book was marketed as similar to Finley Donovan which was why I was initially drawn to it, however, it lacked any humor or suspense. I was not drawn or felt any type of emotion towards the main character.

LOVE me a good mystery! This was an amazing tale of relationships, Hollywood, and a touch of magic. I enjoyed this tale, with SO many red herrings and loved the behind the scenes insight of being a Hollywood costume designer.

This was a good enough mystery book. I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. I don’t think I would read another book by this author though. I just felt like this very generic and nothing stuck out to me.

Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.

It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.

A very insider Hollywood book, I felt as if the story was a reason for all the backdrop of movie sets and costuming, Which is all very well and good but I did think there was more of that than story. A bitchy assistant director is found dead, after stepping on many sets of toes - but our heroine seems to be the most obvious suspect. As she tries to protect herself and figure out who did it.
It is nice to read about familiar locations and it was nice to read about her cat, so it was fun and ok.

Loaded with twists and turns! Loved the setting and plot. I found this a delightful cozy. Grab tub of popcorn and settle down for a fun read. Thanks #netgalley and #Crookedlanebooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

A Hollywood film set provides the backdrop for this contemporary cozy mystery. Joey, a costumer working on a blockbuster action movie, is the prime suspect in a murder when she stumbles upon the body of another crew member. When the police won’t clear her name, she’s forced to take matters into her own hands.

Joey’s a smart, driven MC, never giving up even when the odds are against her. The mystery is fast-paced and twisty; it kept me guessing right up to the explosive, high-octane ending.

The author’s experience in the world of filmmaking gives context and authenticity to the story’s details. Plus, fun cameos from real-life superstars contribute to that peeking behind-the-curtain of movie magic feel.

Quick and entertaining - the perfect beach read book.

I absolutely loved this book. I really loved the main character and the plot of a muder happening in a movie set. It made me learn a lot about costume designer of movies. The murder investigation was really great, like until almost the end I had no idea who had done it. I really recommend it, even if you don't usually read mystery books, because I don't and I was so into this book that I couldn't stop reading at some point.

The Final Cut by Marjorie McCown – A Review 
(Crooked Lane Books, June 6, 2023) 

 
Joey Jessup is a rising star in the movie-costume industry. At thirty-four, she has already landed a job as a key costumer on a blockbuster movie directed by the mercurial, and extremely well-connected, Marcus Pray. Joey knows this is a fantastic professional opportunity. This is why she took it, despite the personal, emotional pitfalls that surely awaited her. The first assistant director just happens to be Eli Logan, Joey’s ex-boyfriend. She thinks she can work professionally with him. The main stumbling block is that his new girlfriend is the second assistant director, Courtney Lisle. Joey determines to remain professional, but not everyone is so committed. At the end of the first day on the set, a day full of drama and tension behind the camera and almost nothing going on in front of it, Joey stumbles onto Courtney’s body, rolling in the surf, not far from the beach set. 

Suspicion turns to her when the police uncover her texts asking Courtney to meet around the time the assistant director was murdered. Joey sets out to find the killer and prove her innocence. But not everyone on set is who they seem to be. Adding to Joey’s problems, an anonymous party begins sending her threatening texts. When Joey uncovers a suspicious death from the past which ties some of the people on set together in surprising ways, she begins to realize just how dangerous her situation is. 

The plot moves along quickly, with McCown peppering in bits of information about the movie industry as she goes. At times, that information bogs down the plot, but overall the pace is good. Joey is a likable character, making this worth the read. Unfortunately, many of the other characters are fairly flat. I recommend this book for the plot, which weaves together Hollywood drama, including some heavily applied “Me Too” themes, with a twisty who-dunnit.

Grab the popcorn and go behind the scenes in this star-studded murder mystery! The unique glimpse of how blockbuster movie magic is made, combined with a timely examination of the epidemic of harassment in Hollywood, makes for a fascinating read.

Final Cut is a page-turner that will keep you guessing. When movie costumer Joey Jessop finds the body of a murdered co-worker on the set of a big-budget Hollywood film, her troubles are just beginning. She soon finds herself vilified in the press and social media for a crime she didn’t commit and since the authorities haven’t officially cleared her as a person of interest, she decides to look for answers herself. That puts her on a collision course with a killer.
The unique world of movie-making provides an energetic backdrop for this twisty, fast-paced mystery and there are many details about the day-to-day work of getting a movie from page to screen that are told from an insider’s perspective, adding both texture and interest to this tightly plotted story. Joey is a resourceful protagonist who must use her skills and creativity to deal with the pressures that are tearing her world apart. But in the end, she also needs courage and determination to escape the trap that’s set for her. With plenty of surprises and suspense along the way, this is an entertaining read from beginning to end.

I thought the story was just ok. Nothing about it really stood out to me. I felt like it was a storyline I've read before. O

#FinalCut #NetGalley Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.