The Cutting by James Hayman

I am not sure where I read about this book, though it may have been in a magazine. The Cutting is the first book by James Hayman, and it sounded like something right up my alley. While I didn't get much time to read it yesterday, this evening I spent a few hours reading it and before I knew it, I was turning the last pages. I really enjoyed The Cutting and give it a B+.

Inside cover:
Detective Sergeant Michael McCabe moved from New York City to Portland, Maine to escape a dark past: both the ex-wife who'd left him for an investment banker, and the tragic death of his brother, a hero cop gone bad. He sought to raise his young daughter away from the violence of the big city... so he's unprepared for the horrific killer he discovers, whose bloody trail may lead to Portland's social elite.
Early on a September evening, the mutilated body of a pretty teenaged girl, a high school soccer star, is found dumped in a scrap metal yard. She has been viciously assaulted, her heart cut from her chest with surgical precision. The very same day a young businesswoman, also blonde and an athlete, was abducted as she jogged through the streets of the city's west end. McCabe suspects both crimes are the work of the same man- a killer who's targeting the young, who is clearly well-versed in complex surgical procedures, and who may have struck before. Just as the investigation is beginning, McCabe's ex-wife reemerges, suddenly determined to reclaim the daughter she heedlessly abandoned years earlier.
With the help of his straight-talking partner, Maggie Savage, McCabe begins a race against time to rescue the missing woman and unmask a sadistic killer- before more lives are lost.

I loved McCabe as a character. I thought he had the perfect mix of a hard-assed detective, but a loving father and compassionate person mixed in well. He seems like the perfect person to be friends with and someone who would defend and protect you to the end. It just seems when you fall in love with a character, you really fall in love with a book. The premise and twist of the story is intriguing, and while I had it figured out pretty early on, I still enjoyed it. It seems like there were a few loose ends left in McCabe's life, so I am hoping and crossing fingers that The Cutting may be the first in a new series. I know, I know, another series is the last thing I need to start right now, but I would love to reconnect with McCabe.

I think next is going to be one of my books, perhaps a chick lit or Jackie Collins book. I feel like something light and breezy and something that screams summer. It finally warmed up to the 80s today, and tomorrow I hope to get some sun and read the perfect book to go with it! I'm not sure though, and as it's already after 11:00, I won't start anything now. I have to go bed, so I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and Happy Reading!