Cut Short

Geraldine Steel Series, Book 1

By: Leigh Russell

Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis

In the tradition of Ruth Rendell, Lynda la Plante, Frances Fyfield and Barbara Vine, Cut Short is a gripping psychological thriller that introduces DI Geraldine Steel, a woman whose past is threatening to collide with her future.

When DI Geraldine Steel relocates to the quiet rural town of Woolsmarsh, she expects to find her new home to be somewhere where nothing much ever happens; a space where she can battle her demons in private. But when she finds herself pitted against a twisted killer preying on local young women, she quickly discovers how wrong she is....

By day, the park is a place for children's games, for people walking their dogs or taking a short cut to avoid the streets. But in the shadows a predator prowls, hunting for a fresh victim. When an unwitting bystander comes forward as a witness she quickly becomes the next object of his murderous obsessions; someone whom the killer must stop at all costs.

DI Geraldine Steel is locked into a race against time, determined to find the killer before yet another naked corpse turns up. But can she save the lives of the town's young women - or will Geraldine herself become the killer's ultimate trophy?

What the Narrator Says

"Becoming Geraldine Steel was fantastic fun. She's a great, strong female character who takes you with her on dark journeys into the criminal world. She makes mistakes but she certainly fixes them with aplomb! Leigh has created a grimy world full of depraved and scary criminals but Geraldine and her colleagues (particularly the brilliant Ian Peterson), are determined to put criminals where they belong - behind bars. Can't wait for the next instalment..." Lucy Price-Lewis on narrating the Geraldine Steel series.

©2012 Leigh Russell (P)2012 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

" Cut Short is a stylish, top-of-the-line crime tale, a seamless blending of psychological sophistication and gritty police procedure. And you're just plain going to love DI Geraldine Steel." (Jeffery Deaver)

"Russell paints a careful and intriguing portrait of a small British community while developing a compassionate and complex heroine who's sure to win fans." ( Publisher's Weekly)

"Simply awesome! This debut novel by Leigh Russell will take your breath away." ( Amanda C M Gillies, eurocrime.co.uk)

Decent debut British Police Procedural

From the blurb, I thought I would love this novel, as I am a big fan of British mysteries, especially police procedurals. However, I never really related to any of the characters and there was no "mystery," as we are introduced to the villain's point of view (POV) early on. The shifting POV was a bit jarring occasionally (from victim to police to villain to witness and back to police) and the narrative voices seemed a bit unrealistic at times.

Despite the choppy writing and the underdeveloped characters, I would probably purchase the next book in this series, as I believe the writer will continue to improve her product.

Lucy Price-Lewis, the narrator, did a good job of differentiating the many characters.

My first and probably last Leigh Russell book

I couldn't make it through the entire book. The writing seemed simplistic and the narration bad. I don't like when the narrator changes their voice dramatically by character, especially when a woman puts on a deep voice for a mans character and an East End accent that sounds so fake.