This is my favourite series and I am always eagerly awaiting the next instalment. This didn't disappoint and I finished it in one sitting as soon as I had it on my kindle! This had a great storyline and great character development. I just wish I didn't have to wait for so long for the next one!

It was Kim Weldon who found the first bits of the body - she was a mudlarker on the banks of the Thames and when she turned over what looked like a stick she realised it was a hand, a right hand, in fact. DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent's team would later find three other body parts. Identification of the body was not going to be easy, but eventually, it would be given a name - Paige Hargreaves, a twenty-eight-year-old freelance journalist. Her friend, Bianca Drummond, another journalist, said that she was working on a story which she reckoned would be explosive - and she hadn't been willing to share any of the details with Bianca.

Investigations led Kerrigan to the Chiron Club and its president, Sir Marcus Gley. Maeve thought he was a charming old rogue, but he was adept at telling her very little. The members were all rich men - you had to be rich to afford the fees and Kerrigan struggled to get anything more substantial than rumours about men behaving badly with women.

Kerrigan's private life seemed to be going reasonably well. She's been seeing Seth Taylor, a solicitor, for about six months. He was good-looking, attentive and was happy to shower Maeve with gifts, delighted to take her out for meals when she was too tired to cook. She couldn't quite understand why Josh Derwent and Liv - another member of the murder team - were less keen on him. Perhaps it was Maeve's reluctance to go out socially with the team when she could be spending time with Seth. Maeve was happy to let it ride, though - she was in no hurry to settle down and she was generally having fun. After the heartbreak she'd suffered from boyfriend Rob a couple of years earlier, she thought she was in a good place.

I always have a large pile of books waiting to be read and, generally, I read them in order, but there are just a few series where I make an exception to that rule. The DS Maeve Kerrigan series is one of them. When a book comes in, it goes straight to the top of the pile. Why? Well, the writing is excellent, the characters are the ones who stick in your mind from one book to the next. I'm currently hoping that Liv's pregnancy goes well and that she and her wife enjoy the baby. I worry about Josh Derwent - he gets a personal shock in The Cutting Place which he won't come to terms with quickly. All the characters are fully-formed; even the relatively minor ones stay with you.

It's the plotting which really makes this book something special, though. 'Men taking advantage of women', I thought: it's hardly new. But then it blossomed out into something different, something rather more sinister and it became obvious that even women who seem outwardly strong can be taken advantage of.

I read the book far too quickly: I would have been happy for it to be twice as long. I just wanted to stay with the story and I can't wait for the next instalment. I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of Jane Casey’s ‘The Cutting Place’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is the ninth book in Casey’s series of police procedurals featuring DS Maeve Kerrigan. To date I have read the first and eighth in the series and have the rest patiently waiting on my Kindle. As is standard with ongoing series Casey provides background for newcomers to the series.

‘Everyone's heard the rumours about elite gentlemen's clubs, where the champagne flows freely, the parties are the height of decadence . . . and the secrets are darker than you could possibly imagine.’

When a mudlarker makes a gristly discovery on the Thames foreshore, DS Maeve Kerrigan is assigned to investigate the murder of a young journalist, Paige Hargreaves. It turns out that Paige was working on a story about the Chiron Club, a private society for the richest and most privileged men in London. Then she disappeared. 

Before the final pages there are many revelations and twists. This novel kept me glued to my seat from start to finish.

What goes on behind closed doors at the Chiron Club was clearly inspired by the 2018 President Club scandal that was exposed by The Financial Times after they sent two investigative journalists undercover as ‘hostesses’.

This was an excellent police procedural and Jane Casey prides herself on authenticity and clearly had done her research. Aside from the main case, ‘The Cutting Place’ also progresses Maeve’s personal life.

A highly recommended novel and series.

The Cutting Place is the ninth instalment in the superb Maeve Kerrigan series and this is the most captivating episode so far. Jane Casey’s writing is gritty and not a single word is wasted as she gets straight to the point. The plot highlights how many of those who are extremely wealthy believe they are above the law and can quite simply do what they desire with impunity. It discusses the topical issues of toxic masculinity and abuse against women in a sensitive and intelligent manner without preaching or it overwhelming the plot. There is a large focus on the relationship between Maeve and Josh Derwent and this is one of the only police procedural's where the personal lives of the characters are as interesting as the main plot. It captivated from the first few pages right through to the last with its intelligent observations and gritty realism. There are plenty of twists, turns, peaks and troughs taking you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and a cast of characters that are engaging and intriguing. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
The Cutting Place by Jane Casey is book 9 in the Maeve Kerrigan police series, and once again it is an extremely interesting, clever storyline. It is very entertaining because of the usual characters, but it is the twists and turns of the plots that make the books such an interesting and enjoyable read. I was thoroughly engrossed and entertained reading this book and look forward to reading more in the series.
Highly recommended.

Review** spoiler alert ** This is an excellent series,and this book does not disappoint.
It's full of twists and turns for both Kerrigan and Derwent,in their professional and private life.
A case that involves a secret club and sinister members in sordid parties... it's draws you in,and a few times left me speechless.
The main relationship of the series continues to be it's strength,and hopefully will go on for many more.
Cracking read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for a review copy of The Cutting Place, the ninth novel to feature DS Maeve Kerrigan of The Met.

When a hand is washed up on the banks of the Thames Maeve is given the task of investigating whom it belongs to and how it got there. She quickly establishes that it belongs to journalist Paige Hargreaves and that Paige was investigating a secretive club for wealthy and influential men, The Chiron. Can she uncover The Chiron’s secrets and hold on to her own?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cutting Place which is a very absorbing police procedural with several strands and a few twists to boot. It is told mostly from Maeve’s first person point of view with a few chapters from two years previously about an unnamed man and an unclear situation he was involved in. Normally I’m not too keen on split narratives and even less so on murky situations with no immediately obvious relevance but I’ll make an exception in this case as the stories are compelling. The man’s disorientation and confusion are realistic and make the reader want to know more. Maeve’s investigation covers a lot of ground, uncovering dirty secrets and a pattern of behaviour at the Chiron Club that is disgusting but not unexpected or unbelievable.

I really liked the plot as it is involved and spins in many different directions. I found myself turning the pages quickly to see what was coming next. I could guess very little and there are some great twists, not at all what I thought. Yet, while the plot is strong the real strength of the novel lies in the characterisation. The self interest of many of the characters is on display in many different ways and it’s not pleasant but it is very readable and easy to recognise from people you know. Maeve is Maeve, smart, dedicated and slightly prickly. She has her own troubles in this novel which she faces head on and becomes even more loveable as a result. Her relationship with DI Josh Derwent is as awkward as usual but is there a hint of something more brewing?

The Cutting Place is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A gripping police procedural and one very apt and perfect for our time. One where men's clubs are the most secretive place on earth and one where women are not allowed. When a journalist goes to investigate a matter, she disappears. Oh to go into this world, with the police in the middle of the Metoo movement and it feels very apt and timely - sadly. Character driven but you get an unusual angle of London life from a certain level of society. Fascinating.

I love the Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent partnership. Great premise. Well written. Fantastic characters. Plenty of twists and turns to keep me enthralled. I will definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

What a great story. A police procedural but with a personal story intertwined. Very descriptive writing with characters and situations that jumped off the page. The court scene at the end was very dramatic with the tension continually rising. Great conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book,

This is a book I did not want to finish. It is gripping from page one to the unexpected ending. The characters are exceedingly well drawn with Maeve Kerrigan a complex personality but outstanding detective. The Chiron Club is for rich men with a huge sense of entitlement who believe they are above not just the law but all other norms of social behaviour. There is more than one strand to this story as the dead bodies are followed up but also in Kerrigan's personal life. There are hints of a love story yet to unfold. There is no unnecessary description,every paragraph matters to the story. This is certainly not a book to skim! It should be a winner. I recommend it unhesitatingly.

A new Jane Casey/Maeve Kerrigan is always cause for celebration and long-time fans will find interesting character developments here. The plot tackles timely issues of male privilege and violence against women with intelligence but I have to admit that I found the solution of the murder unsatisfying... so left-field! Still, this series is about so much more than a race to the finish. There's less of a role for the murder team and a closer focus on Maeve and Josh Derwent which suits me fine. There are a few places where Casey's usual clean writing gets a bit florid ('Ashington wriggled free like a salmon thrashing upstream', she was swaying like a sapling in a high wind') but these are minor niggles. Great emotional payoff makes this so much richer than just a police procedural - yep, still one of my favourite series being written.