kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
The First Cut by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell is a riveting mystery starring Medical Examiner Jessie Teska.
Dr. Jessie Teska is settling into her new position at the San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office following her abrupt resignation in Los Angeles. She is smart, inquisitive and tenacious which are excellent qualities that are sometimes underappreciated by her new bosses Chief ME James Howe and Deputy Chief ME Michael Stone.
Jessie's first cases are interesting yet somewhat puzzling. Eugene Chen is brutally gunned down after stealing a laptop which begs the question what was on the computer that was worth killing for. Nursing student Rebecca Corchero dies from an apparent overdose but Jessie is not convinced her death is as straight forward as it appears. Certain there is more to both cases than first meets the eye, Jessie defies her bosses as she attempts to uncover the truth about these unsettling deaths.
Jessie is undaunted as she uncovers a promising lead in the Chen murder case. With her brother Tommy's assistance, she provides Assistant District Attorney Anup Banerjee with new information that could help with his prosecution. However, the deeper Jessie digs, she unearths details that could possibly link to another victim that has recently been examined in the San Francisco ME's Office. Will the investigators and Banerjee follow up on her evidence?
Jessie is deeply troubled by Rebecca Corchero's death. With no evidence the young woman is a drug user, Jessie is reluctant to label the case an accidental overdose. She is disturbed by some of her autopsy findings and despite pressure from Stone, she continues trying to find answers to her lingering questions. Jessie discovers startling details that send shockwaves through the ME office. But will Howe give her the opportunity to continue her investigation?
The First Cut is a well-written mystery with a clever storyline and engaging lead protagonist. Jessie is a flawed yet immensely appealing woman. The investigations are quite fascinating as they take very unexpected turns. Although savvy readers might connect the dots before Jessie, Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell bring this innovative mystery to a twist-filled, realistic conclusion. A brilliant fiction debut that will leave fans of the genre eagerly awaiting the next novel starring Dr. Jessie Teskas.
The First Cut by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell is a riveting mystery starring Medical Examiner Jessie Teska.
Dr. Jessie Teska is settling into her new position at the San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office following her abrupt resignation in Los Angeles. She is smart, inquisitive and tenacious which are excellent qualities that are sometimes underappreciated by her new bosses Chief ME James Howe and Deputy Chief ME Michael Stone.
Jessie's first cases are interesting yet somewhat puzzling. Eugene Chen is brutally gunned down after stealing a laptop which begs the question what was on the computer that was worth killing for. Nursing student Rebecca Corchero dies from an apparent overdose but Jessie is not convinced her death is as straight forward as it appears. Certain there is more to both cases than first meets the eye, Jessie defies her bosses as she attempts to uncover the truth about these unsettling deaths.
Jessie is undaunted as she uncovers a promising lead in the Chen murder case. With her brother Tommy's assistance, she provides Assistant District Attorney Anup Banerjee with new information that could help with his prosecution. However, the deeper Jessie digs, she unearths details that could possibly link to another victim that has recently been examined in the San Francisco ME's Office. Will the investigators and Banerjee follow up on her evidence?
Jessie is deeply troubled by Rebecca Corchero's death. With no evidence the young woman is a drug user, Jessie is reluctant to label the case an accidental overdose. She is disturbed by some of her autopsy findings and despite pressure from Stone, she continues trying to find answers to her lingering questions. Jessie discovers startling details that send shockwaves through the ME office. But will Howe give her the opportunity to continue her investigation?
The First Cut is a well-written mystery with a clever storyline and engaging lead protagonist. Jessie is a flawed yet immensely appealing woman. The investigations are quite fascinating as they take very unexpected turns. Although savvy readers might connect the dots before Jessie, Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell bring this innovative mystery to a twist-filled, realistic conclusion. A brilliant fiction debut that will leave fans of the genre eagerly awaiting the next novel starring Dr. Jessie Teskas.
rainyrae's review
while I loved her non-fiction book about her journey into becoming a medical examiner, this book didn't grab me. part of it was the writing style, which to me, felt like a very juvenile, underdeveloped style and voice. it really felt like a first novel, and not in a raw, fresh, explosive way.
kbrown5455's review
3.0
Young forensic pathologist moves to San Francisco, sees conspiracies everywhere.
mschaeff's review
3.0
I want to disclaim for the record that I absolutely, profoundly, incredibly loved Working Stiff. It was a fantastic book. And this one sort of left me feeling as if I'd have been a lot happier if Melinek had stuck with non-fiction. It wasn't terrible. It had an engaging plot, even if it got extremely confusing in places. I was all in for all of the autopsy and forensic pieces. Melinek's experience really shines through there. But oof, the actual writing itself was rocky. Jessie and the other characters felt so flat. I got really tired of hearing about her car, her clothes, the building. And the thing that probably bugged me the most is that Melinek has been a pretty strong advocate for the ridiculous nature of ME's in television and books and how astonishingly inaccurate the portrayal is. This felt similar. I think it could have been a much stronger book had the heroine stuck to her strengths instead of effectively working as a detective trying to solve a drug case. Overall, it was okay, and I might read the next one on the basis of loving ME stuff and the hope that the writing might improve over time, but on the whole, it was disappointing.
itsdaltonjamesm's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.25
I haven’t decided on whether or not the artist are racist. I actually really enjoy the plot but the writing is just not good
coffee_drinking_catlady's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mommasaystoread's review
3.0
First Cut is suitably named, and it goes into some pretty disturbing details about Jessie's job as a medical examiner. Normally, I'm not overly squeamish, but this gave me a little more than I bargained for, and parts of it did bother me. Given Melinek's background, I have no doubt that her attention to detail with this story is accurate, but there are just some things about the world of autopsy that I don't need to know. I think I'm probably not the target audience for this one, but I do recognize the talented writing, and the authors certainly know how to set a scene. The story does have a pretty good pace, and other than those somewhat gruesome details that I mentioned earlier, it held my interest. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a thriller, but it there is good suspense, and the characters, while not all likable, are interesting. In the end, First Cut may be a little more detailed on autopsies than I prefer, but it was worth the read.
lazygal's review
3.0
I hadn't planned on reading this, but it came disguised as another book I was downloading. It turned into a happy thing, if one can call a forensic mystery "happy". This is akin to the tv series Jordan or Quincy, with a newly arrived ME for San Francisco in over her head in terms of workload and several deaths that don't quite make sense. Who in the department can she trust to help her make sense of things? It's unclear if this will be a series, but I'd be willing to read another.
eARC
eARC
thepuppeteer's review
4.0
I really love the writing - the cynicism and the way the book feels so alive through small details and conversations.