A bus full of high school students has disappeared from Washington D.C. and FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair must hunt down the culprit who has a link to her own past.
Another fantastic installment from Ellison Cooper in the Sayer Altair series. I love the amount of detail that goes into each case, showing how knowledgeable the author really is. Each book is not just suspenseful and entertaining but also interesting and enlightening as well. The neuroscience behind psychopathy and the mythological elements of each story are what drew me in, but each and every character kept me engrossed to the very end and always wanting more. If you love Meg Gardiner’s Unsub series, you will also love this series. I can’t wait to see what Sayer deals with next!
Most effective here are the switches in perspective between the FBI investigation and the feisty captives, who are not sitting around waiting for their fate. Readers will find themselves devouring this genuinely gripping thriller in one (long) sitting as the clues become more esoteric and the twists mount. Cooper’s series is ideal for fans of Patricia Cornwell and for readers who crave more mysteries with women of color in the lead.
... never content with one twist; this book is a high-speed, high-stakes labyrinth of reverses and double crosses ... While reading, you can almost feel Cooper’s delight in the traps she lays ... Occasional moments of rest, when we learn about the neuroscience behind psychopathic behavior and how it differs from psychosis, are as gripping as the field work and chases, if not more so. The whip-crack pacing and constant sense of being pulled toward multiple leads make for compulsive, blow-through-your-bedtime reading, and if you think it doesn’t end with a bang and a half, think again. Cut to the Bone is a wild ride, creepy while still being a lot of fun.
