Cut to the Bone

by: Shane Gericke

Published by: Kensington Books

Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann

Gericke worked for many years as a journalist, and he is the son of a 30-year police veteran. He lives in Naperville, Illinois.

After Gericke’s exciting Blown Away, Cut to the Bone follows the story of Naperville Police Detective Emily Thompson, and her boyfriend Marty Benedetti, a commander in the sheriff’s office. Several stories come together here, one beginning in 1966; several policemen are killed, among them the brother of Wayne Covington, now Governor.

Another storyline follows Emily and Marty in the present day as they are taking a mud bath at a spa. The receptionist is murdered, and the killer escapes after bouncing Emily off his windshield.

More murders follow, committed all over the U.S.; with the same odd clues—most of the victims are stabbed in distinctive ways; and two burned matches are left at the scene. The NCIS database does pull together the matches and stabbings and connections are made, but it is only when a historian connects newspaper accounts with a project he is working on, that they get a real break.

Meanwhile Governor Covington is preparing to electrocute a particularly nasty murderer, Corey Trent, at his newly constructed Justice Center, and a huge protest crowd is expected. Emily and Marty are among the many officers charged with keeping the peace.

The pacing is relentless, and the serial killer, The Executioner, is very disturbing. The various streams of storyline converge on the day Trent is to be executed, with a huge jolt of a conclusion.

The various sub plots can be a bit confusing; but the finale ties it all together. The relationships between cops and between Emily and Marty are real and a positive part of the story. The cops are heroic and persistent; and the police procedural aspects are spot on.

Armchair Interviews says: Recommended but be wary of the many subplots.

Author’s Web site: http://www.ShaneGericke.com