- Title: A Cut For A Cut (Detective Kate Young #2)
- Author: Carol Wyer
- Publisher: Thomas & Mercer on June 29, 2021
- Genre: Crime Procedural
- Pages: 365
- Formats Available: Paperback, Audiobook, Audio CD, & Digital
- Rating: 4/5
Trigger Warnings: Murder, Graphic Violence, Rape, Torture
Many thanks to Carol Wyer and Damppebbles Blog Tours for providing me with a digital copy of A Cut For A Cut with a request for an honest review.
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A Cut For A Cut Blurb
DI Kate Young can’t trust anybody. Not even herself.
In the bleak countryside around Blithfield Reservoir, a serial murderer and rapist is leaving a trail of bloodshed. His savage calling card: the word ‘MINE’ carved into each of his victims.
DI Kate Young struggles to get the case moving—even when one of the team’s own investigators is found dead in a dumpster. But Kate is battling her own demons. Obsessed with exposing Superintendent John Dickson and convinced there’s a conspiracy running deep in the force, she no longer knows who to trust. Kate’s crusade has already cost her dearly. What will she lose next?
When her stepsister spills a long-buried secret, Kate realises she’s found the missing link—now she must prove it before the killer strikes again. With enemies closing in on all sides, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to bring them down. But time is running out, and Kate’s past has pushed her to the very edge. Can she stop herself from falling?
Provided by Damppebbles Blog Tours for Tour Use
My Review
The second Detective Kate Young novel, A Cut For A Cut, takes readers on a painful journey. Once again, Carol Wyer brings a full range of emotions to her writing. The unspeakable acts taking place in these sleepy little villages break your heart.
After Kate wraps up one murder investigation, another one falls in her lap. Though she is more stable mentally with help from her sister, her fragile mind seeks answers. She has trouble putting her husband’s murder to rest, but she must in order to solve the newest case in her care. A rapist is loose with no sign of stopping. Instead, his actions begin coming closer and closer together. Kate and her team feel pressured to solve this case fast but meet nothing but dead ends. Kate knows that the blocks come from the top of the police chain, and she knows why, but she can’t prove it yet.
I love the character of Kate. Her spunk is enough to get me to enjoy reading about her. Her mental instability makes her more endearing. She isn’t perfect, yet she gets things done. Morgan, Emma, and Jamie make up Kate’s team. Jamie is new in this novel, and I can’t stand him. There is more to him than meets the eye, and his mannerisms make me cringe. Morgan and Emma support Kate with every movement. When you add in Ervin, Felicity, and Harvey, you get an incredible support system for Kate’s work. I wasn’t sure how to feel about Tilly, but I am glad she got a bigger role in this novel. Getting to know her helped me like her.
Wyer’s story kept me guessing. It wasn’t until closer to the end that I guessed who the rapist was. I admit that this novel was hard for me to read. The events hit too close to home for me, yet I found it a bit cathartic. This guy has some major issues that messed with my head.
I enjoyed the book, but it felt like it took me two hundred years to read. The story felt like a bit of a slog, yet I don’t know what I would cut out to make it read easier. There is a lot of information to take in with this series. The reason for the slog could easily be my emotional head spin while reading. I can’t put my finger on the culprit.
I award A Cut For A Cut 4 out of 5 stars. The novel is entertaining, and the action at the end felt intense. If you enjoy crime procedurals, I recommend this series. If you do read it, give Kate a little slack, she’s been through a lot.
See my review for the first Detective Kate Young novel, An Eye For An Eye.
About the Author – Carol Wyer
USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer writes feel-good comedies and gripping crime fiction.
A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in LITTLE GIRL LOST and demonstrated that stand-up comedian Carol had found her true niche.
To date, her crime novels have sold over 750,000 copies and been translated for various overseas markets.
Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ”Irritable Male Syndrome’ and ‘Ageing Disgracefully’ and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and the Huffington Post.
She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy.
When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.
Thanks so much for being part of the blog tour x
My pleasure Emma. 🙂