The Cutaway

Cover image and synopsis from Goodreads:

The Cutaway draws you into the tangled world of corruption and cover-up as a young television producer investigates the disappearance of a beautiful Georgetown lawyer in this stunning psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn.

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.

Harkening to dark thrillers such as Gone Girl, Luckiest Girl Alive, and Big Little Lies, The Cutaway is a striking debut that will haunt you long after you reach the last page.

I loved this book cover, and was intrigued by the synopsis. I’m a total sucker for twisty thrillers!

Unfortunately, this was not quite as twisty or as thrilling as I’d hoped it would be. I really liked the setting and reading about the behind-the-scenes world of television news and journalism. But the writing was a little clunky at times, and I figured out who the culprit was pretty much right away.

I enjoyed the investigation process, but I thought that Virginia made some really frustrating decisions for no good reason, like telling certain people too much about the investigation. I will say, though, that the culprit’s motive was part of an interesting story and set this story apart from other mysteries I’ve read.

Overall, this was fine, but I didn’t love it.