Review of Fatal Cut

Fatal Cut by Cathryn Grant is a psychological suspense novella that takes place in a church. From the opening paragraph in which Madison tells you that she found a dead body within six weeks of starting her job, you are hooked on her story. You want to know who is going to be murdered and who did it.


Madison Keith has a knack for really seeing into people's souls, minds and feelings. She likes to meditate, which opens up her mind. She has numerous earrings and tattoos and generally doesn't look like the kind of person you would expect to see siting behind the desk in a church office. But she also has a big heart.

Pastor Joe hires her to work in the office. Kate, who is in charge of the youth group, dislikes Madison from the start. In fact, Kate seems to have a chip on her shoulder about everything. Fred is in charge of the gardening. He is particularly concerned with the roses, which are mysteriously being cut during the night. He is convinced that some kids are out smoking pot every night, and shred the roses. Jan is the one who planted the roses, in memory of her daughter. She is convinced that Fred is the one responsible for them being shredded.

Madison is determined to figure out what is really going on at night, by relying on her intuition and "powers." She becomes involved in a supernatural world with intense love before stumbling upon a murder.

I liked this novella. The pages flew by as I read the story. I really like Madison and could see her as being one of my friends. She is opinionated without being rude, having no problem sharing her thoughts. Her big heart is endearing, as she is willing to do anything to help her friends.

The story was intriguing as the mystery of the shredded blooms began to unfold. I did feel that the opening paragraph was kind of a tease, though, and got impatient waiting for the murder to actually happen. I was also looking for the story to continue when it was over.

This novella is the first in a series of five. All of the stories are considered to be suspenseful and star Madison, who seems to have a knack for finding dead bodies. She is the kind of character I would be willing to follow.


I received a free copy of this book from BookRooster in exchange for my honest review.