In the tradition of Ruth Rendell, Lynda la Plante, Frances Fyfield and Barbara Vine, Cut Short is a gripping psychological thriller that introduces D.I. Geraldine Steel, a woman whose past is threatening to collide with her future.
When D.I. Geraldine Steel relocates to the quiet rural town of Woolsmarsh, she expects to find her new home to be somewhere where nothing much ever happens; a space where she can battle her demons in private. But when she finds herself pitted against a twisted killer preying on local young women she quickly discovers how wrong she is...
By day, the park is a place for children's games, for people walking their dogs or taking a short cut to avoid the streets. But in the shadows a predator prowls, hunting for a fresh victim. When an unwitting bystander comes forward as a witness she quickly becomes the next object of his murderous obsessions - someone whom the killer must stop at all costs.
D.I. Geraldine Steel is locked into a race against time, determined to find the killer before they discover yet another naked corpse . But can she save the lives of the town's young women - or will Geraldine herself become the killer's ultimate trophy?
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This tense and compelling narrative introduces an extraordinary new mystery protagonist. Escaping a failed relationship, Det. Insp. Geraldine Steel moves to a smaller town, which she hopes will have smaller problems. Instead she's put in charge of investigating a young woman's brutal murder. Her co-workers are alternately supportive and cynical, skeptical of her quick rise to the top, but Geraldine doesn't have time to worry about that when two more young women are found dead in the same manner and location and the prime suspect is eliminated. Geraldine's hunt for the severely disturbed killer soon makes her a target. A wide variety of characters come seamlessly together to advance the fast-paced, twisty narrative. Russell paints a careful and intriguing portrait of a small British community while developing a compassionate and complex heroine who's sure to win fans. (Jan.)
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Review
''A stylish, top-of-the-line crime tale, a seamless blending of psychological sophistication and gritty police procedure. And you're just plain going to love DI Geraldine Steel.'' Jeffery Deaver, author, Roadside Crosses
''This tense and compelling narrative introduces an extraordinary new mystery protagonist. . . . Russell paints a careful and intriguing portrait of a small British community while developing a compassionate and complex heroine who's sure to win fans.'' Publishers Weekly starred review