Good page turner and the strong details about the logistics of TV news production didnt crowd out the story

...in this stunning psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn.

Harkening to dark thrillers such as Gone Girl...

Can we please stop comparing books to Gone Girl? My expectations were so wrong for this book. I went into it expecting a psychological thriller I wouldn't be able to put down.

That was not the case.

A TV news reporter is investigating a missing woman in The Cutaway, but we aren't really given any details about the missing woman for the first 20% or so of the book. Instead we are given TV news and family drama.

I tried to adjust my expectations when it became painfully clear this book wasn't even a psychological thriller, but I was already wanting to move on. By that point I was reading from a place of obligation, not a place of excitement or want for the story.

My theme while reading The Cutaway was who cares? I wasn't invested in anyone. I knew there was a missing woman, but so? I had no reason to care about her.

I don't know if The Cutaway was a bad book or if I was simply set up to be a bad reader, but I do know it didn't work for me. If you decide to give this one a try, note that it is very much a standard mystery novel (with a lot of time spent interviewing witnesses) and not a psychological thriller.

A very interesting book about Virginia, a t.v. news producer who is following the murder of a V.I.P. in her city. She is determined to follow the story even though there are road-blocks put up at her from all places inside the news station. She even gets demoted at the station but she continues on with the story, she has an informant inside the police, her ex-boyfriend. There are many twists and turns in the story, a great book that kept me up all night until I finished it!!

This was an enjoyable read.  From the very first paragraph you can sense the Cutaway was written by an author who had journalism in her blood.  The prose gives you an immediate feeling of the chaotic nature of a newsroom.  You can almost hear typewriters clacking away.  The probing questions, the follow-ups, the ambush nature of a 24 hour news cycle is evident.

I found 2 things that would have garnered The Cutaway another 1/2 star.  The personal relationships seem to have been written as if we already knew these characters.  They have worked together for years but there is not much backstory.  If this is a stand alone novel than maybe you don't need it.  But if this is meant to be an ongoing set of novels there should be something that hooks you.  Which brings me to the 2nd issue.  The ending really slows down.  You know who the murderer at about 80% of the novel.  The last 20% ties off every loose end with surgical precision.  I personally think that that 20% could have fleshed out the characters a bit throughout the novel.  Christina Kovac, being a News Professional, may not have wanted any loose ends.  Which is very understandable.  Don't think it adds to the book.

Christina Kovac can certainly write.  The staccato tapping of a keyboard lays a great foundation for an ongoing serialization of a D.C. Newsroom.  Tighten things up a bit and you have characters to like, relationships that build.  Well done.

I wish to thank the Publisher, Christina Kovac, and NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for this unbiased review.

The plot contained a very good mystery in "The Cutaway".  I don't want to give too much away.  Main character was intrigued by a woman who went missing in Georgetown.  As a journalist, she believes she has seen this woman before, and is correct when she finds the woman's image in a cutaway shot.  She is on the case and ready to help hunt down the woman or maybe even the woman's killer.
Very good mystery, kept me guessing which I enjoy.  Didn't have a cunning twist, but a very enjoyable mystery/suspense novel.

Newspapers are always fascinating to me. The rush of being the one to discover the story, break the news -  do the routine drudge work.  So I knew this book had one thing going for it right away.  The plot is fast and twisted. Definitely not a book you want to start unless you have time to finish it. It will drive you crazy until you can.  Very highly recommended. I look forward to more by this author.

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.

 

* * * * *

 

Usually when you run across a book about untangling a murder,  it is written from the viewpoint of a private investigator or a police officer.  THE CUTAWAY is rather unusual in that it is written from the perspective of a reporter.  That difference flavors the entire book and make it unique.  


I really loved the character of Virginia Knightly who will do whatever it takes to get her story and to protect her sources even if that means facing her own fears.  She draws strong men to her because of her own strength of will.  I also really enjoyed seeing the wheeling and dealing that goes on behind the scenes of a big story.  


I am actually crossing my fingers that this book was only the start of a series as I don't want to tell Virginia goodby.  I highly recommend THE CUTAWAY to any of my readers who enjoy a good mystery or suspense.  The pacing is spot on, the characters have a lot of depth and the dialogue is witty.


*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All opinions expressed within are my own.

Interesting characters and engaging plot that keeps you reading from the first page. Suspenseful but not predictable as so many psychological thrillers. It is well written with believable dialogue and characters. Thanks for the opportunity to read this book. I'm sure it will be a great success.

I did like this book it was active and kept a good pace throughout the book.  It did take a few pages to get going but once it was rolling it kept going till the end.

This was a solid mystery set within the intense world of journalism and hectic news broadcasting. It's told from the point of view of Virginia, a driven TV news producer who is completely focused on her job. She carries around a bit of baggage from a previous relationship and her family history but comes across as strong and independent. I really liked her.
The newsroom is abuzz with rumours of job losses and when Virginia is demoted and has to cope with a new boss, she becomes fixated on finding out what happened to a young attorney, Evelyn Carney, who went missing after leaving her husband in a restaurant. The police seem abnormally interested in the disappearance of the attorney, and Virginia feels there is something off about it. She starts interviewing people connected to Evelyn, researching material and following the police investigation. Unluckily, Virginia shares some history with the lead detective on the case, Michael Ledger. On top of that, the relationship between Virginia and her charismatic news anchor Ben is delicate. The romantic aspects of this were well balanced with the mystery elements and added a nice touch.
It turns into a complex tale of politics, conspiracy, fraud and cover-ups within the world of Washington DC. The story moved along at a good pace and kept my attention throughout. I actually enjoyed the insights into the news reporting business much more than I had expected. I was becoming really involved in the investigative reporting and the dynamics between all the different characters was riveting.
I thought the subplot about Virginia's family could have been incorporated more effectively. There was something missing there for me.
But overall, this was a really good, suspenseful novel with some unforeseen twists and turns, which didn't read like a debut at all. I'm really curious to see whether there will be a follow-up? I definitely found the setting and characters interesting enough to read more.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.

I have limited interest in the inner workings of tv news and there was too much of that in this book for me. I lost interest pretty quickly.  This just wasn't a book for me.  I received a free copy of the ebook from the publisher but wound up listening to the audiobook borrowed from the library.

fast paced, interesting story. I enjoyed reading this and getting caught up in the thrill of the chase for the story. Well written, and it kept moving, and kept my interest in the story.

Knightly is a producer for a news network. She also has a troubled history with her family and basically a photographic memory. Those traits cause her to focus more on aspects that others might overlook. She sees a piece on a missing woman and can't let it go. Most everyone in her life seems to be trying to hinder her digging deeper into the woman's story. Murder, mystery, politics, detectives, witnesses and more come into play. She isn't a cop, but she is an investigative journalist out to connect the answers and expose the coverups. She's a likable lead, and the storyline is great at keeping the reader hooked and guessing. Anyone could be guilty. The Cutaway was a win for me, and I'm definitely going to be following this author's future works.

Virginia Knightly is a TV news producer living in Washington, DC.  When a missing notice for a local young attorney comes across her desk, something starts nagging at her.  The deeper she goes into investigating the disappearance the more she realizes that something sinister is definitely going on.  Are the Police and Investigators in on this?  How far up does this go?  She risks everything trying to figure this mystery out, but what will it cost her?
 
I have to say that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this debut novel.  Kovac has worked for years in television and is a subject matter expert when it comes to newsrooms.  This definitely shines through in this work.  It reminds me of the “Bones” author, Reichs.  Because so much of the story is based on real life scenarios, the authenticity of the story really comes out.  There were so many twists and turns in this.  I never saw the actual truth coming.  I intend on following Kovac to see if she puts out any more works, and will definitely be picking one up.  Four Stars!!
 
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good mystery story about a TV producer that investigates the disappearance of a woman, Evelyn Carney, that she is determined to find out what happened to her. A good solid story that keeps you guessing on what happened to Evelyn Carney, and who was involved and why. The story starts out slow but picks up speed to  leave you with a surprise ending.

I was very intrigued after reading the description for this book.

Virginia Knightly is a young and intelligent TV producer. She is the only woman at her news station in a position of power. When a missing persons notice comes across her desk and catches her eye, she can't shake the feeling that she knows the woman. Eventually she remembers that she saw her in a video clip.  Virginia senses something from the woman's reaction to whatever is happening. She can't get the woman out of her head.

Virginia has a great memory. It's not photographic, but her mind will grab on to an image and not let go. This can be helpful in her line of work. However, the downside to this "gift" is that she can't ever get rid of the pictures either...which can be very painful at times.

"Be careful what your eyes take in. What you see becomes a part of you"

Virginia feels like she is meant to cover this story. The missing woman is a beautiful young attorney named Evelyn Carney. She was last seen leaving a restaurant where she met her husband for dinner. Apparently the dinner hadn't gone well and she left in a distressed state.

No one has seen her since.

When Virginia is summoned to a meeting with the news director. He tells her there are going to be some layoffs at the station. Virginia is not happy, but he's not done with the bad news. He tells her that for now, he is going to be overseeing content and production of the station.... which is Virginia's job. He's demoting her but tells her it's just for the time being, that HE'S going to get things back on track. She's livid but the missing woman's case helps distract her.

Virginia thinks this story will help her get her job back. But it means doing things a little differently. She starts to investigate on her own with some help from an anchorman, Ben as well as her ex-boyfriend, Michael Ledger who is the lead detective on the case.

She gets her hands on Evelyn's journal and learns how ambitious she is. She wonders if Evelyn's ambition got her involved in something she couldn't get out of. What about the people in Evelyn's life.....her angry husband? a new lover? a prominent prosecutor? a former professor?  Virginia wonders who knows more than they are saying. But as she continues her investigation, things start happening that make it obvious she isn't just putting her career in jeopardy, but possibly her life.

Where is Evelyn?

Virginia is a great character. An intelligent woman who has a strength many would envy. She likes the mystery behind her stories, she's addicted to figuring out the unknown, determined to get answers. She won't take garbage from anyone but she's also very caring and honest. 

I enjoyed seeing how things worked behind the scenes. The media, police, and politics quite often go hand in hand.  I could see how chasing a story could become addictive. The high you get when you get that perfect shot or when you break the story. It sounds intense.

It took me a little while to get into the story. But it picked up as I kept reading.  As well as working the case, Virginia's also trying to deal with some personal issues. I found her story interesting. It gave some insight into what makes her tick. The second half of the book gripped me and definitely made up for the slow start. I liked how it all came together in the end.

All in all 'The Cutaway' was an interesting read. Suspenseful with some good twists and turns. A missing woman, secrets, possible corruption, conspiracies and cover-ups. I was excited to find out what happened.

A very good debut novel. I look forward to reading more from Christina Kovac.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Christina Kovac for providing an advanced copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this debut novel eager for a gritty, suspenseful, psychological thriller set within the hustle and bustle of a network news team. But I wouldn't call it a psychological thriller, nor would I equate it with Paula Hawkins or Gillian Flynn's works.  Instead, it's a detailed look at the dissension within the ranks of a TV news station, a mystery surrounding a missing person and a lot of page time devoted to Virginia's love life. 

The characters needed more development in order for the reader to become invested. Virginia is tough, has a cool job but I struggled to connect with her and understand her intense, oddly obsessive, interest in this one specific missing person case. A reason is given for her obsession towards the end of the book but it was a case of 'too little, too late' for me with the reasoning not being overly unbelievable. 

The first three-quarters of the book was a slow-go for me and I waited to feel pulled into the story. The pacing and character development were weak throughout and I struggled to finish this book. I picked up this book because its blurb said it was a 'dark thriller' but Evie's disappearance felt convoluted and played second fiddle to Virginia's romantic angst. The last quarter of the book picks up the pace but by that time I wasn't invested in the plot or Virginia and was just eager for an ending.

In the end, this debut novel had an interesting premise but I wouldn't recommend it to fans looking for a psychological thriller. While the behind-the-scenes look at a TV network news station was interesting, too much time was spent on Virginia's love life while the plot surrounding the missing woman was left in the shadows for too long.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Evelyn Carney, as first year law associate goes missing after having dinner with her husband in Georgetown. Virginia Knightley, a 34- year old news producer for a television station, receives a press release about the missing Carney and can't shake the feeling that she has seen her somewhere before and in Knightley's words "People just don't go missing in Georgetown." With rumored cuts at the news station hanging over head Knightley is determined to get the story on what happened to the missing Carney. Knightley is well-connected to some of D.C.'s finest, but as her investigation continues it becomes increasingly unclear as to who exactly is telling her the truth about what actually happened Evelyn Carney and why.

This book was slow to start for me, but after about 25% into in the pace really picked up it was a great read after that. Because you are set up with little to no background on either Carney or Knightley at first, it is hard to really care about either of the characters, but the author does start to flesh out the characters after about a quarter of the way through so the story does interesting. The tone is very dry, almost like an episode of Law and Order, but twists and turns keep it interesting and ultimately I was surprised by ending, which is always a good thing!

Thanks to the publisher Atria books and NetGalley for the ARC to review. This book is available now!

Pretty good twist on the "who done it" story. I was totally surprised by the murderer. I loved hearing the story from a different point of view, not from a detective this time.

I make it a habit not to look up anything about an author before reading their book. Even without the advance knowledge, however, I could tell reading Christina Kovac’s upcoming novel, The Cutaway, that she had something to do with news journalism. In her story of a TV news producer chasing the truth behind the disappearance of a D.C. attorney, the elements that really pop are the glimpses behind the scenes of the nightly news; the work, the last-minute decisions, even the power struggles that shape the broadcasts. This makes sense, considering Kovac’s seventeen-year history working in local and national news broadcasts in the D.C. area. Unfortunately, though, the portions dealing directly with the work of the news are really the only portions of The Cutaway that draw you in. While Kovac tries to give her lead character, Virginia Knightly, some sort of depth with a sympathetic back story, it feels more like an afterthought than character development. The rest of the book’s characters feel even more two-dimensional, giving the book more of a tabloid feel than a serious literary effort. If you’re looking for something light to pop in your bag on the way to the beach, and like books set in D.C., this might be the story for you, but don't look to this one for something of lasting impact.