I’m such a huge fan of this series that a five star review is pretty much guaranteed. Jane Casey has created such detailed characters who walk of the pages and her plotlines are always detailed and thoroughly engrossing.

The Cutting Place is the ninth book in the Maeve Kerrigan series, a series that I think only gets better with age and the London landscape is the perfect backdrop for the dramatic crimes. This book opens with a discovery of a dismembered body found on the bank of the Thames. Then comes the challenge to locate the owner of the parts, no easy task! When this is achieved Maeve then needs to find a motive for the death given there isn’t a handy suspect waiting to be arrested!

In between the present day action we also travel back to the scene of a party from two years previously. It is obvious there must be a link but quite what is a mystery….

And of course there is the ongoing look at the personal lives of Josh Derwent and Maeve Kerrigan who by now feel like people I really know and so I can’t wait to catch up on their news.

Another fabulous episode that I highly recommend.

I was really excited to start a new book by Jane Casey but I struggled to get into The Cutting Place. I persevered thinking I would start to enjoy it but I could not get into it so I gave up in the end.

4.5 Stars
I’m a huge fan of this author and couldn’t wait to read this as I knew it would be a great read. It was really nice to be back with Maeve and Derwent again as I followed them on their latest case. The banter between the two of them is always very funny which helps bring some humourous moments to an otherwise dark story. I keep hoping that the two of them will get together and always feel slightly disappointed that they don’t, despite obviously being great for each other. Liv actually hinted about a relationship between them in this book though so I’m very hopeful they’ll get together soon. It was nice to see a gentler more vulnerable side of Maeve too as it made me like her even more.

The setting of The Chiron Club is frightening realistic and one I could sadly see existing somewhere. Some of the dubious behaviour in the club definitely made me cringe as we know from Harvey Weinstein that some women do put themselves in vulnerable situations without thinking. I wished I could go into the club and sort the members out myself as their actions made my blood boil at times.

Overall I thought this was a fast paced, intense and engrossing read which I found difficult to put down. I often found myself trying to sneak away from the kids to read a few more pages as I wanted to see what would happen next. There are a few graphic descriptions in the book, particularly towards the end which might not be to everyone’s taste but in a book titled The Cutting Place you kind of expect some gore!

My only slight quibble with this book was that I guess who the murderer was early on. I had an inkling as to who it might be and I was right. That said it didn’t really stop me enjoying the book and I enjoyed following Maeve as she went on her investigation as it’s always great to spend time with her.

Huge thanks to Harper Collins for my copy of this book via Netgalley. If you’re a fan of dark crime fiction then you’ll definitely love this series.

I don’t watch out for many new crime novels, but I do watch out for Jane Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan books.

Why?

Well, I’ve come to like Maeve and to appreciate her progress of her career and her life over the course of nine books in this series now. She is good at her job, she works well with her colleagues, and she is a little less inclined to rush in without thinking things through now. I appreciate that she is both capable and vulnerable, and that she feels so real that I can easily believe that she is at work in London doing what she does.

The nine cases that I have seen have been diverse, they have been engaging, and they have addressed interesting issues. Some of the stories – including this one – have been a little too dramatic to be true, but the characters, the psychology and the emotions are always right.

This investigation begins when a severed hand is found on the bank of the river Thames. It is established to be the hand of a young woman, more remains are found, and though it seems unlikely that she can be identified every effort is made.

An identification is made, not as the result of that diligence but from a routine DNA check.

The dead woman was a freelance journalist, she lived alone, she was quite solitary, and so she had hardly been missed.

Maeve found that she had had been hard at work on a story about the Chiron Club, the most exclusive private members club, to which only the richest and most privileged men in London could gain admission. She saw signs that there were things much more dark and dangerous than the usual kind of ‘boys will be be boys’ bad behaviour that you might expect in such an institution; but to investigate such a powerful and secretive institution would be far from easy.

The plot is well constructed, compelling and frighteningly authentic.

The details were right, characters and incidents were utterly believable; and when twists came they were in no way contrived, they came naturally out of the story.

That made me feel very close to events; that I was living through everything that happened.

That plot is set against significant developments in the live if Maeve and her colleague, friend and landlord DI Josh Derwent. What happens comes quite naturally out of the history that has built up over past books, and though i saw what was coming to some degree I was also taken by surprise.

I don’t want to say too much about specifics, but this side of the story was every bit as compelling, every bit as well executed as the story of the investigation.

The characterisation of the two characters and their (platonic) relationship is as complex and as realistic as anything I have read in contemporary fiction, and I am so anxious to know what happens next.

(You could read this book as a stand-alone mystery, but I have to recommend going back to the start of the series and reading every book!)

The drama and incident held me to the very last page, and though I wasn’t entirely convinced by they final resolution of the story of the murdered journalist, and though I had spotted something that Maeve didn’t realise was significant until quite late in the day, I was quite prepared to accept that life was fallible and that sometimes people can do things that take you completely by surprise.

I could do that because the story as a whole felt real and authentic and relevant.

I shall be surprised if I read a better piece of contemporary crime fiction this year. And I am already anxious to read Jane Casey’s next book.

A very good read, thoroughly enjoyed it. Great characters and some interesting stories within them.
An interesting insight into the workings of a gentlemen's club (even if possibly only fictional)
Will recommend .

I had a strong feeling early on in “The Cutting Place” that the relationship between two main characters DS Maeve Kerrigan and her boss DI Josh Derwent was going to play a big part in this story but - I wasn’t ready for what was to come!

The investigation starts with the discovery of a human body part on the foreshore of the Thames in the heart of London; after confirming the identity of the body part owner, author Jane Casey then leads the reader on a seemingly hopeless journey to discover the motive and the person responsible behind the murder of the journalist Paige Hargreaves. We are intermittently flipped back to the aftermath of a party 2 years previous to a confused character who is not identified until much later but finds himself confused and terrified after a wild party gone wrong!! The main investigation leads DS Kerrigan to a secretive Gentlemen’s club which she must get inside to discover exactly what goes on.

“The Cutting Place” is a superb and exciting thriller, with more than enough twists to keep the reader guessing, more story lines than I was expecting which all tie up very neatly at the end. I am looking forward to the next in the series already.

Here is my review of The Cutting Place by Jane Casey. It’s the ninth book in the DS Maeve Kerrigan series which is set in London.
DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent have been called to a crime scene by the Thames on a strip of shingle where Kim Weldon has found a hand. The Divers have found three other pieces of bone, hopefully all human and from the same body. The divers will search the river for more parts over the next few days and it will be depending on the tide where we might find anything. It will be up to the pathologist to advise if the bones are human.
The pathologist, Dr Early, advises we have potentially found a young adult female and that she has been in the water a couple of days. A right hand, part of a thigh, a left shoulder joint and one part of a lower leg are the body parts found and she was already dead when cut up. Maeve and Liv make a start on going through the missing persons files for the past month to see if they can find a match but realistically they are hoping for a positive DNA match.
After a couple of days, a match comes back for a freelance journalist called Paige Hargreaves. Her best friend Bianca has reported her missing eight days earlier. While Maeve and Liv are in Paige’s flat, they are looking round but there is no computer or mobile phone laying around although the chargers are there. Wouldn’t she have them there when working from home? Her keys have been dropped on the floor. There was a lot of rotten food laying around the flat and in the fridge, it smelt awful. No blood though.
When Maeve gets to her friend, Bianca, she can see that she has been crying but she is fine to answer some questions. She didn’t know what Paige has been working on but gave her some details of editors to ring to see if they knew anything. Adelia Munro was very helpful and mentioned the Chiron Club, which is for men or their sons from rich backgrounds by invitation only to a private social club.
Did Paige investigate the Chiron Club which seems to be a very mysterious club? Bianca seems to be holding something back. What isn’t she telling Maeve? Who was the rogue policeman that collected Paige’s computer? Will Maeve get out of this investigation without her usual scrapes?
Oh boy, what a read! I was on the edge of my seat reading this one, it was brilliant. It’s got to be one of the best ones yet. The tension was just superb, the writing and descriptive text excellent. How to keep your reader hooked - full marks!

A big thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of The Cutting Place, the latest installment in Jane Casey's DS Maeve Kerrigan crime series. It's more than a police procedural. It's a gripping rollercoaster ride full of twists and turns that'll leave your blood pumping, your skin sweating and your heart screaming out for more. Interested?

When human remains wash up on the shore of the Thames, Maeve and the team soon trace it back to a promising young journalist, Paige Hargreaves. It transpires she'd been digging around for information on The Chiron Club, an gentlemen's club for the elite, that is drenched in dark secrets and monumental cover ups. Maeve is soon knee-deep in the world of rich, male privilege, delving into the case with tenacity and care that has made her so successful (and so loveable). As one crime exposes another, and another, the case builds and builds to its climactic and unpredictable end.

Maeve is a brilliant character, with an excellent sense of humour and a good heart. Brace yourself for the slow burn of Maeve's relationship with her boss and friend Josh Derwent. Since The Reckoning (book 2) when Josh swaggered onto the scene, I've been screaming into the pages of my paperbacks for them to just get together. I realised today I've been following Maeve's story for ten years. Ten years. A third of my life. No wonder I care so much about her love life... she's a fully-formed, real person in my head, and let's face it, I've been quarantined for almost seven weeks now, and I need all the friends I can get.

This intense thriller has an unbelievably believable plot, splashes of unexpected emotion and characters that'll stay with you long after you begrudgingly turn over that last page with a wistful sigh. You'll encounter issues you wish weren't real but unfortunately they are. You'll meet people you wish you hadn't. And you'll struggle to put it down.

If you are yet to lose yourself in this fantastic series from Sunday Times bestselling author Jane Casey, the good news is you can start with this one. Any backstory is subtly explained in a way that keeps you in the loop without bogging you down with the history of the characters. But come on, let's be honest... once you've read this, you'll be ordering the first book faster than I can say 'no comment.'

It's only April, but I already know this will be my book of 2020.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this author and this book did not disappoint, fast paced, page turning thriller that will have you hooked all the way through.

The Cutting Place I believe is the second novel I've read by Jane Casey, though this is the 9th in her Maeve Kerrigan series. It can certainly be read as a stand alone novel, as I myself have not read all books in the series. (Though I probably should try to at some point as I love Maeve's character!)

When Paige Hargreaves, a young investigative journalist is found dismembered in the Thames, Kerrigan is quickly sent to investigate.

Paige was investigating the Chiron Club, an exclusive members only club for wealthy, privileged men in London, suspected of conducting highly illegal activities. But the Chiron had made it difficult for outsiders of any description to gain access to their world, not least investigative journalists.

Maeve and her colleagues must gain access to Chiron Club in order to determine if any of its members played a part in Paige's death.

Were they trying to keep her quiet because they didn't want the club to be bought into disrepute?

Or is there something even more sinister being protected?

The Cutting Place is a brilliant written fast paced thriller, full of twists and turns to keep even the most prolific crime reader guessing, and I can't read to read the next in this series!

Kerrigan investigates a murder which appears to be connected to a “Gentlemen's Club”. Lots of secrets involved including her own. I liked the professional relationship between her and her partner and found the storyline interesting.

A Tense And Twisting Tale....
Featuring Maeve Kerrigan in a tense and twisting tale, smartly written with larger than life characterisation. Maeve is thrust into the decadent, dark, secretive and rather unreal world of so called ‘gentleman’s clubs’ when investigating the murder of a young journalist. Moving at a quick pace this is an engrossing read until the very last page. Recommended.

Wow what a rollercoaster ride. The words flowed from page to page ... sucking you in as each body part surfaces adding with it another dimension to the crime that you didn't see coming. I have only read a few books by this author before so hadn't followed them in sequence, this in no way impacted on my enjoyment of the book. It was gritty, red herrings all over the place, pulled no punches. If you love Sarah Hillary books then you will love this.

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview of this book. I loved it. Casey is a superb writer. I loved all the other books in this series & this one is once again excellent. The only bad thing about the book was when it ended!!

This book made me discover a great series and a very interesting new to me author.
I loved every moment of this book as it's multilayered, intriguing and a real page turner I wasn't able to put down.
Everything is well thought: from the characters to the setting and the plot.
Even if it's part of a series I had no issues with the plot or the characters but I will surely read the rest of the series.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The Cutting Place

When I read the blurb on this book and requested it...I had no idea it was part of a series. This made me a little apprehensive before I started reading it.

However, I had nothing to worry about. Jane Casey does a brilliant job of filling us in without throwing too much information or repetition at us...thought the explanation of the relationship between the 2 leads was a brilliant piece of writing & I very much appreciated it, as felt I knew enough to enjoy the book...which I really did.

The book explores alot of intense and emotive issues....& even though some areas of the story are easy to work out (I knew who the killer was quite early on) there was enough going on to make this a non issue.

The entire book is intriguing & fast paced with a layered & emotional plot that is very rewarding. It is all woven together so well that, although there is an awful lot happening, you never feel bombarded or overwhelmed with information.

Maeve is a great character...so strong & real at the same time. She is very well drawn & I enjoyed the time spent with her. Unreliable narrators have become so commonplace that I found it reassuring & unusual to have such a reliable narrator that was really straight down the line & I appreciated that.

Maeve is a strong career driven woman & very likeable. She was such a nuanced character & her flaws made her very real & I felt very connected to her which I enjoyed & showed how talented the author is.

This was a tautly drawn thriller with very human characters & would highly recommend. I will definitely be reading more in these series.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Homicide DI Maeve Kerrigan is back, investigating the death of a journalist when her dismembered remains is washed up from the Thames. The investigation quickly grows in scope after Maeve discovers that the journalist has been working on a provocative expose of a secret gentleman's club with an elite, rich clientele - all with dangerous secrets that may be revealed.

Jane Casey has quickly become one of my favourite UK crime writers with her compelling Maeve Kerrigan series. Her novels are always incredibly tense and well-written, brimming with authenticity, a gripping plot and engaging characters. The Cutting Place has really breathed new life into the genre for me, after recently falling victim to a series of mediocre reads. This is the ninth in the series - if you can believe it. Each installment is just getting better and better.

Her latest outing revolves around a complex mystery with several different strands of suspicion, all of which boomerang back to The Chiron Club. The investigation quite quickly becomes much bigger in scope with unexpected revelations around every corner about this mysterious private club. The depiction of the Chiron Club felt utterly authentic and hit hard. I will admit the final reveal was a bit of a surprise and maybe even felt a bit trite; however, upon reflection, I could see why Casey went in that direction. As always, the themes she explores through the cases are incredibly timely and relevant, with misogyny, male privilege and violence against women taking the fore throughout The Cutting Place. This was an important novel and I hope it gets the readership it deserves.

Casey really hit her stride here, as Maeve's personal life and the interrelationships take a more prominent place, and I loved how well it complimented the themes and issues explored in the main plot-line. As I have reiterated in previous reviews, the compelling cast of characters is truly the strongest feature of this series and is why I keep coming back. Maeve is an excellent protagonist - real, brave, flawed, pig-headed, heroic. I love spending a few hours in her head. I am also crazy about the work/personal relationship between Maeve and Josh Derwent and I am excited to see where life finds them in the next one.

This series is the definition of satisfying reading. Prepare yourself for an extremely tense and well-written mystery and a cast of characters that will live with you in your head long after turning the last page.

With every book Jane Casey gets better and better. I didn't think that was possible because i loved her first Maeve Kerrigan book The Burning so much but The Cutting Place is just wow. The main story is exquisitely crafted and weaves so many little threads together i don't know how Casey kept it all in place. Maeve is trying to solve the murder of a journalist but finds herself trying to navigate the world of an elite gentleman's club where money and power can easily conceal a murder. Whether you've read Casey's previous books or not you can read and enjoy this but if you have read her earlier works it will only add to the experience of The Cutting Place as previous elements are weaved in. This was an amazing book and such a pleasure to read.

This is the ninth book in the Maeve Kerrigan series and still as fresh as the first. The plot centres round the discovery of a dismembered body found on the banks of the Thames. This is very well written and I loved the insight into the personal lives of the officers. It was dark, filled with tension and interesting characters. Can be read as a stand alone but you really need to start from book one to appreciate this fantastic series. Jane Casey is one of the top police procedural writers around today and I can't recommend this series enough. My thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

It always feels like a cheat reading a Jane Casey book, knowing that the review I give will inevitably be glowing because I love her so much. But they never disappoint! I absolutely loved the latest instalment in the Maeve Kerrigan series, and can't believe I now have to wait all over again for the next. Smart, pacey, clever, twisty – with the best slow-burn romance I've read. Loved it, every page, as always.