The First Cut

Doctors of Darkness, Book 3

By: Ellery A. Kane

Narrated by: Kristin James

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

There's a thin line between love and murder.

When "Love Doctors" Ian and Kate Culpepper are brutally murdered in their Carmel mansion on Valentine's Day, Ava knows it's karma. Because Ian's leaving her for perfect Kate four years ago had cut her bone deep. And then they had the nerve to show up here, on her turf. With their perfect house and their perfect daughter and their matching perfect smiles.

It's no wonder Ava can't stop watching. It's no wonder she can't let go.

But Ian is far from perfect, and Ava owes a debt too. For the unforgivable thing they'd done together. The dark deed that severed their marriage in two. When Ava's name is found inked in blood at the crime scene, a reckoning seems inevitable. Someone knows what she's hiding. Someone sees what she's done. And karma is ready to collect its pound of flesh.

About the series....

Straight from the mind of a forensic psychologist comes an addictive new series of betrayal, lust, revenge, and murder. These doctors earned their degrees from the dark side. And once you start listening, you won't be able to stop.

©2018 Ellery Kane (P)2019 Ellery Kane

Loved it

Ava’s plans for revenge backfire as she finds herself fighting to prove her innocents
A fantastic slow burn mystery that had me guessing till the en
Well written with excellent narration a true five star series
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review

Realistic and gripping psychological thriller

This is a stand-alone novel having no characters in common with the previous books in this series. It's a realistic psychological thriller that's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. It's pacing is a little slow and might seem a bit confusing in the beginning, but all is fully resolved by the satisfying end.

Kristin James does a fabulous job of voicing the characters, both male and female. I caught a couple of very minor mispronunciations, but overall, her performance is excellent.

NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Great Listen!

loved the twisty and entertaining stories in this series awesome narration hope there is more!!!

A thrilling thriller...

I received this audio book for free in exchange for a honest review.....

I really really liked this book. I have never read any other books in this series or by this author. It's not always easy getting into a book after 2 others have been written, but if I didnt know this was a 3rd book, I would have never had a clue. Oh, the narrator did an amazing job. She did perfectly. her voice fit the main role and she pulled off the other characters voices very well too. The book was a tiny bit on the creepy side, but that's the stuff I love! but I will definitely looking into the rest of the series. x0x0x 😘

Loved it!

Ava is a psychologist with a heavy past. She has her favorite clients and some that she merely tolerates. After the twin murders of famous love doctors Ian and Kate Culpepper are announced, she starts to see the ways that the celebrities affected her various patients. None of them are more affected than Ava herself. Her mysterious past is tied to Ian’s in a dark and tumultuous way. And that past is coming back to haunt her. Someone wants her to go down for their murders but who?

First thing about this book is even though it is part of a series, it is a standalone. The characters within this story are not ones who have appeared in the series before. The First Cut starts with a bang and held me from the very first chapter. I found the main character, Ava, to be an interesting character. She was an unreliable narrator of sorts in the way that she introduces the reader to her world. Slowly, the truth is revealed through a series of memories and personal revelations. Ava isn’t a good person, but she isn’t a murderer either.

Every character in the story is fleshed out well, not just Ava. Throughout the story we see the way that Ava’s teenage years have affected her, and how that played out to what happened to her as an adult. As she comes to terms with her ex-husband’s death, she starts to evaluate her own behavior, getting to the root of why she behaves like she does. At the end of the story, we see a completely different Ava, and I loved how real her character development really felt.

The mystery and suspense in this story were good. I didn’t know who was the murderer until the last hour of the book. It was one of those mysteries so well-written that anyone could have done it. I spent the first half of the audiobook thinking it was Ava herself.

I definitely recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers/mysteries.

Before this book, this author was new to me, but I will be reading the other books in this series for sure.

Narration was perfect.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

First rate thriller!

The First Cut was exciting and interesting from start to finish. Many twists snd turns to keep you guessing along the way using Valentine's Day as a focal point from the past and present to move the story along. If you like a who did it and why you'll enjoy this. The narration was clear snd focused and prodded you along on this journey with just the right touch for each characters emotions . 5 stars in my eyes. I'll never view Valentine's Day the same way!