The newsroom offers an innovative perspective on this well-written slow burner.

When a missing persons notice lands on Virginia Knightly’s desk it piques her interest as she’s sure she’s seen the young woman somewhere before. As one of Washington DC’s top TV news producers, Virginia knows there’s more to this than meets the eye and she’s determined to find out exactly what happened to the beautiful and talented young lawyer. Dancing with danger, Virginia embarks on uncovering the truth; a journey that could see her losing her friends, her career and possibly even her life.

Virginia is likeable enough in the lead; strong-willed, open-minded and with a sense of integrity one doesn’t usually associate with the press, but Kovac takes her time in introducing her to us. If you have the patience for that, you will be rewarded, but this whole novel is a slow-burn. Don’t expect thunderous plot twists and spectacular shocks, they aren’t coming; it’s a steady reveal, an unvarying ascent with a strong finish but there’s no life-changing view at the top.

A clever and well-researched novel, this was a pleasant departure from the usual police procedural. There were strong law enforcement elements within the storyline, but the newsroom gave the telling fresh legs and I enjoyed the innovative perspective. It also gave me pause to review the way I, and many authors, too often stereotype reporters. They are seen as scavengers, feeding off the death and destruction around them but this narrative held them up as heroes, thriving where the police were at best floundering and at worst, sabotaging.

The dribble of romance is barely noticeable in the absorbing plot, and I would argue slightly the weaker for it, but then it seems we cannot have a female lead without at least some notion of romance thrown in for good measure. The politics and corruption were far more attractive and I only wish Kovac had delved further here. Her knowledge and experience shine through in well-written prose.

Overall, this is strong and appealing debut and I would be keen to see more of what this talented author can offer.

Anouk

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

An enjoyable read with an original concept. Very different to the usual thrillers around but a good read nonetheless.

The Cutaway by Christina Kovac.
It begins with someone else's story. The story of a woman who leaves a busy restaurant and disappears completely into the chilly spring night. Evelyn Carney is missing - but where did she go? Who was she meeting? And why did she take a weapon with her when she went?

When brilliant TV producer Virginia Knightley finds Evelyn's missing person report on her desk, she becomes obsessed with finding out what happened that night. But her pursuit of the truth draws her deep into the power struggles and lies of Washington DC's elite - to face old demons and new enemies.
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. I loved Virginia. She was my favourite character. She wouldn't stop til she got the whole story. 5*. Netgalley and serpents tail/profile books.

Refreshing change to the more usual psychological thriller which I often read so the news slant was of great interest to me.
I wasn't totally convinced with some of the characters and felt they could have been more developed but a jolly good read.

I'm not sure if the timing of this book could be any more perfect. I expect that when Christina Kovac wrote this story, she had no idea how the American media would be portrayed at this time. In the era of 'fake news', The Cutaway stands for what is right with the media - tenacity, an unquenchable thirst for the truth and integrity. Perhaps not words we would normally associate with all journalists, but they're certainly true of Virginia Knightly.

When Virginia hears about missing woman, Evelyn Carney, she's instantly hooked. Maybe it was a journalistic hunch but she can't leave the story alone. Something bothers her, something familiar. When Virginia's boss effectively denotes her in a 'reshuffle' of the office, she's free to investigate the story herself with the help of anchor news reader Ben Pearce. And it isn't long before she discovers that her former lover, Commander Michael ledger, is in charge of the investigation. Cue some awkward moments.

I really enjoyed The Cutaway.. Christina's experience as a news journalist came through clearly in her writing to create an authentic experience. And just as there isn't time for preamble on TV news, so this book hits the ground running and we're quickly into the story. Although Virginia comes across as a strong woman, we learn about her vulnerabilities to, particularly her difficult childhood. I really hope there is a sequel. Virginia Knightley is too good to confine to one book.

This is a thoroughly entertaining and absorbing debut with a strong sense of location in Washington DC with its dark arts of political intrigue and corruption. It is set in the high pressure, stressed, and highly competitive nature of TV news and gives a detailed and insightful look at how the business is run and the professional working lives of those within the industry. Virginia Knightly is an experienced news producer, overseeing content and production, who follows up the story of a missing woman, Evelyn Carney, convinced she has seen her before on a news video.

Amidst the background of cuts, and her own demotion, Knightly seeks the return of her job whilst trying to protect her team in the cut throat climate created by Nick Mellay, the news director. She thinks she can resolve her problems by going back into the field to chase the exclusive story behind the mystery of Evelyn's disappearance. Virginia has a traumatic backstory of being abandoned by her father, being bought up in foster care and has trust issues that plague her personal life. It has taken real guts, courage and ambition for her to be where she is, and she is prepared to fight for what she has. She gets close to a colleague, Paige Riley, at Evelyn's exclusive law firm and finds the police investigation has the whiff of political manipulation about it. In the meantime, her father is dying of cancer and wants to see her whilst there are romantic developments in her personal life. In a story of twists and turns, Virginia finds herself up against political corruption, conspiracies, and a ruthless killer.

The real strength of this novel is in its depiction of the inner world of TV news, the intensity of the newsroom and the euphoria when landing that hard earned exclusive. The author clearly has personal experience of that world and utilises her knowledge well in the book. The characters of Virginia and her team feel authentic, and I hope Kovac returns to them in the future. The writing is fluent, easily enticing the reader into the gripping tale. An engaging and entertaining read. Many thanks to Serpent's Tail for an ARC.

This psychological thriller is set in Washington DC. When TV news producer, News hungary, Virginia Knightly becomes obsessed by a recent news report about the unexplained disappearance of a promising law graduate and decides to investigate, the police appear to be unsure if she has been kidnapped or murdered.
The News Channel Virginia works for is struggling and jobs are at risk, including hers and that of her team. After being demoted, Virginia is even more determined to prove herself and discover the answer to the mystery of the girl’s disappearance. Political intrigue, undercover dealings, and fraud, all rear their ugly heads, and Virignia is eager to expose it all!
There is a lot of wonderful detail about working in late night newsrooms, with its deadlines and cut- throat rivalries, mixed together with politics. The book feels like a police procedural in places, and slightly old fashioned because of it, and perhaps it would make a good tv drama. However, that said, I found it quite enjoyable and I wanted to know what would happen next. It is a good debut

Wow. I had never read anything by this author.
Christina Kovac leads you down a road that twists and turns and has you suspecting everyone.
Virginia Knightley is a talented TV producer on a station that has average viewing figures but is under pressure to be more successful and therefore when the missing persons report of a young DC attorney falls on her desk,Virginia is keen to find out what happened.
What transpires is a mess of deceit, red herrings and eventually the killer is revealed.
Believable with a great insight in to a TV studio,law and the police you go on quite a journey.
Virginias love life is an added storyline that you champion her to win the good guy. will she /won't she ensues to the very end?
A gripping book that had me from the beginning.
Thanks to the author,publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.
5 stars

This is a story of a reporter investigating a crime. The ending has a couple of twists but the early part of the book was a bit slow. There were several references that only Americans would recognise. e.g. a character was in a Tahoe. Apparently its a truck. This happens several times. Either the author isn't interested in not US English speakers or didn't expect the story to be read outside the US.
I felt that the main character was doing the job of the police and it felt as if making her a reporter was just to men a difference from a regular police drama.

This is a very very good Washington novel - it's a mystery, it's a thriller, there are politics, there's newsroom intrigue and details, tand here are all sorts of things wound around each other so that it's hard to review without spoilers. Suffice it to say, this is one I'd recommend if you want the behind=the-=scenes DC of law firms, fund raising, the MPD, and the local news. Virginia is one complex, intrepid character who felt a tug toward Evelyn Carney, who has gone missing, and would not let go regardless. The local color - from the Correspondents Dinner to Georgetown - is great but it also gave me my one quibble. No one, but one, should run up Arizona Avenue from the Canal to the Citibank at any time of day much less in the dark and I can't imagine how Virginia did it without getting creamed by a vehicle. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC- this one really did keep me guessing not only at the identity of the murderer, but also about the reason and about Virginia's future. Thumbs up!

Potentially the start of an original and hugely enjoyable series. Highly recommended.

I just didn't enjoy reading this book. The main character and her investigation didn't hold my attention and i didn't find the other characters very interesting at all. It was nearly impossible for me to emotionally engage with Virginia and care about what she was doing. While i know others have enjoyed this i did not.

Thanks Netgalley. I really liked this book and although it is a thriller it is not like the ones that I usually read and for that reason I enjoyed it a lot

Such an intriguing blurb and cover but sadly the actual story and writing don't live up to the marketing. The plot is slow with lots of distractions and aimless scenes, far more about the in-fighting of a media station than a thriller. Too much girly romance undercuts the narrative and there's hardly any of the political corruption promised. This feels like a self-published book that never really finds its way.

This was an intricately plotted mystery thriller with some genuinely surprising twists in the narrative. Unfortunately, it was very, very slow until around the halfway mark, when the intrigue and mystery really began to build and boil over. But at around 80% or so, the killer was revealed, which left me bored again for the last fifth or so of the book.

I also wasn't particularly interested in the romantic sub-plot surrounding the protagonist, Virginia, and one of her co-workers; it just felt like it was thrown in for the sake of it and there wasn't much development on that front.

Overall, it was a good story, but still some rough edges around the side that more meticulous editing could have helped with.

An engaging and well-paced mystery that I found intriguing and read quickly, but I felt it wa s a little awkwardly written, and the characters seemed like stereotypes.

It was a interesting book that shows the underbelly of DC politcs

If The Newsroom met Gone Girl then had super intelligent kids....

Early reviews suggest The Cutaway may be about to divide opinion - so my opinion, for what it is worth, is that this is blinking brilliant. I LOVED it. I loved the main protagonist, I loved the Breaking News aspects, got all caught up in the story, didn't have a clue how the mystery element would pan out - not because it is particularly twisty in that sense but more because I was so caught up in the character dynamics and the investigative reporting side.

Christina Kovac writes with a very sharp edge, a genuinely insightful eye towards subtle characterisation and can put together one hell of a story - a bit like her main character Virginia whose sudden obsession with a missing woman puts her on the trail of all sorts of shenanigans. Meanwhile her workplace is in turmoil as a new boss starts messing with the status quo, the police investigation seems to be full of political motivation and there is Evelyn, gone in a relative puff of smoke, tying it all together as we wait to find out what has happened to her.

Look it was just bloody good. I couldn't possibly do anything but love it with my reading heart so give it a go. I will write a fuller, more useful review nearer publication.

Tense, clever, addictive and different. That is The Cutaway.