Hello Friends!
Here I am with a review of a crime novel. This one is a book is the opening to a new series by an author I come to know via her previous books..
“The First Cut“, written by Val Penny, is a Crime (Police Procedural) novel, first book in the Jane Renwick Thriller Series, published on 8th August 2021 by Darkstroke.
I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Val Penny for the eCopy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Synopsis
It’s hard to escape a brutal past…
A vicious serial killer is on the loose. Victims include an academic and notable members of Edinburgh’s high society.
When Detective Sergeant Jane Renwick learns through DNA that a member of her family could be the killer, she is banished to the sidelines of the case and forced to look on impotently as the hunt for the killer ramps up.
Frustrated, she decides to conduct her own investigations.
Has someone from her estranged birth family returned to haunt her? And where will the killer strike next?
It’s a race against time…
This fast-paced, gripping police procedural is set in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland. It is the first in the new series of Scottish thrillers by bestselling crime writer, Val Penny.
Purchase Links: Amazon
About the Author
Val Penny is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and two cats. She has a Law degree from Edinburgh University and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, lawyer, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer. However she has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories and novels. Her crime novels, ‘Hunter’s Chase’ Hunter’s Revenge and Hunter’s Force are set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by Crooked Cat Books. The fourth book in the series, Hunter’s Blood, follows shortly.
Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter
My Review
Val Penny is an author I have come to know thank to her other crime novels. Yet this is a new series and this that comes a new side of Val Penny as a writer. Yes, there is still a lot of elements in her writing that are present her and I loved them all. There is also new possibilities and new characters that will allow me to see the author’s amazing abilities in this genre.
This book follows Jane, this is her series, and Jane isn’t like many other main female characters in crime novels. From her private life to her role as a detective. I love her and I know there is a lot more to uncover in upcoming novels.
Without revealing much of the plot and the mysteries in this story, for a first book in a series, it was what I expected and it was also more. It got me curious with the information being exposed, the way Jane acted and her thoughts, the crimes and the reasoning being it. It was an interesting start and it introduced various characters I want to know more about.
Overall, was not disappointed and I can’t for book two. If you are into crime novel, maybe you would like to check this story out. Or maybe this author.
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Love,
Jess
Jess Bookish Life 