I was in the mood for a great thriller but unfortunately this fell flat for me. FBI agent Sayer Altair gets a case with a murdered girl - and quickly learns a whole bus full of high school kids has gone missing. I was quickly caught up in the premise and interested to see how it would all play out.

The resolution was too convoluted and over the top unbelievable for me. I also felt like there was a time when a whole team of elite FBI agents couldn’t come up with a solution that anyone who had watched or read a mystery would come to very quickly. Ultimately, this just wasn’t a good fit for me.

Thank you to Minotaur and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

Cut to The Bone by Ellison Cooper
Loved this book! I could not turn the pages fast enough, did not want to put down. This book had characters that I cared for and so much action it definitely held my attention! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this and leave my thoughts!

Cut to the Bone is the third book in the Sayer Altair series, but the first for me. It begins with a double murder, that of a cop who stumbled on the killer while he laid his first victim out at the Einstein memorial with an ax in her hand and nine baboons around her. Sayer is assigned to the case and quickly realizes this may be a serial killer. Before long, they discover the victim is a high school student who was on a school trip with several other kids and the entire busload of kids are missing.

To add to the suspense, someone is following Sayer and there is a mole leaking information from the investigation. That’s a lot to handle, but it seems she has some unseen allies.



I liked Cut to the Bone and it kept me up to the wee hours. The mystery is fair and we figure things out as Sayer does, though the great aha! about the identity of the killer was one I figured out a couple chapters before Sayer and I did feel some impatience, but then, I am on the outside, not feeling the pressure to produce.

This makes me want to read the first two and since it ends with a revelation unrelated to this particular mystery, I am eager to read the next. The soonest possible.

Cut to the Bone will be released on July 14th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

Cut to the Bone at Minotaur Books | St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan
Ellison Cooper author site

Loved this book ! Highly addictive fast paced thriller that stays with you long after you've turned the last page ! I highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book ! Opinions are solely my own ! #Netgalley #St.Martin'sPress #CutToTheBone

Cut to the Bone delivered!!!! Thank you @minotaur_books for sending over an ARC. #partner

You all know I love a good mystery/crime novel and Cut to the Bone satisfied my appetite ! I also want to thank my fellow Dallas Bookstagrammer @emileereadsbooks for sparking my interest!!!

If you’re looking for a good mystery to take your mind off things for awhile then read Cut to the Bone! (And the other 2 books in the series: Caged & Buried). I think it took me 2 days to finish and it helped me fall into a deep reading coma. You won’t be disappointed!

I SWEAR EVERY BOOK GETS BETTER

Book #3 covers a case where a girl is ritualistically murdered and posed in DC. Agent Sayer Altair is lead on the case and this one is way bigger than she ever thought...

Ellison Cooper is a master at what she does. Her symbolism and case building is phenomenal. Sayer is one of my all time favorite characters ever. I love that characters present in book 1 and book 2 converged in this book. The series plot moved so much in this book and I was so surprised. I loved loved loved this story. I can't say enough good things. The cultural and anthropological clues and rituals included in this book were unbelievable. The research required for these books is unprecedented and I am beyond impressed every time. I need a new Sayer Altair book ASAP!! Everyone should read this series!!!

Cut to the Bone is the 3rd book in Ellison Cooper's Agent Sayer Altair Series and I have enjoyed them all. It is a fast paced police procedural and it made a very good addition to the series. Although i think this could be read as a stand-alone - I would highly recommend that your read the first 2 books in the series - Caged and Buried. A number of the characters are carried over from the other novels and it just gives you a bit of a better backstory about them and also they are both amazing books. This particular book follows Agent Altair's search for a serial killer and a missing school bus of high school teens.. Lots of twists and turns throughout and I enjoyed this one although I don't think I liked it quite as much as the previous books.

Cut to the Bone by Ellison Cooper is the third novel in the Agent Sayer Altair Series, but it can be read as a standalone. This is a fast-paced psychological thriller with an intricately, well-researched plot and plenty of twists to keep you guessing until the very end. I recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of police procedural novels.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Ellison Cooper for a free electronic ARC of Cut to the Bone in exchange for an honest review!

This book hit a few key aspects for me: 1) Strong female lead 2) Events that were believable 3) kept me guessing 4) did I mention a serial killer? I do wish this book were a little more graphic but that's just me and my own warped opinion. I love the idea of really being in the mind of a serial killer.

This is the third installment of the series and each one keeps getting better than the last one. Her project into the minds of psychopaths continue. She is working on a new case of a missing bus of high school students.

I highly recommend this book! Great thriller!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

What a fabulous book! This is the third in a series about a very tough female FBI agent. The first two books were also very good, thrilling reads. I highly recommend starting with book 1: Caged. The plot is very original and seems very appropriate during this time of USA government corruption. I would highly recommend this book if you like FBI thriller fiction.

I love that I didn’t have to read the two previous in the “series” to get this book. It was so good as a stand alone. The corruption theme felt like perfect timing with our current climate and I really enjoyed!

Never kidnap kids on the way to a science competition.

“Cut to the Bone” opens with the death of a police officer in Washington, DC; this will be a high-stakes case, one of those cases without a good outcome. When a second victim is found and the murders show some ritualistic nuances, FBI Senior Special Agent Sayer Altair, a neuroscientist for the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, is called. In a shocking turn of events, an entire busload of children traveling to a science competition is reported missing, kidnapped. The atmosphere is tense and frantic as the search for the children turns up only misdirection and false leads.

The story unfolds in alternating points of view. Readers have an inside view of the elite FBI squad action strategy, sources, procedures, and readers also learn the FBI does not know. The children themselves take things into their own hands. They are observant, resourceful, and determined, far from timid. The action is conversation driven; both casual and friendly, but deadly serious when the situation dictates. The narrative sometimes goes back in time slightly to show just how people got to a particular event.

“Cut to the Bone” is hard driving, fast paced, and intense. Help and answers come from an unexpected place, and those answers are shocking. However, there is a nice dog that can be counted on when things get bad physically and emotionally. I received a review copy of “Cut to the Bone” from Ellison Cooper, St Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books. The pace is frantic, and the plot is powerful. Just when readers think things are over, there is a startling revelation that hints of what is to come next. I can hardly wait.

I am a big fan of the Agent Sayer Altair series and Ellison Cooper sure started Cut to the Bone out with a bang! This is the third installment to the series, and I swear they just get better with every book she writes. Sayer does irritate me at times which is why I can't bring myself to rate this a full 5/5 stars, but they are all solid mysteries that surprise me which is exactly what happened with this one.

I started out reading Cut to the Bone, and even though it starts out with plenty of action that continues throughout the entire novel, I decided to switch to the audio. Danielle Deadwyler is the narrator and I while I didn't LOVE her narration, she still does a good job with it. I also noticed she narrates all the books in the series so if you wanted to listen to all of them that might be a good way to do it, but I will probably just stick to reading them from now on. She tried to do different voices for each character and I just felt like she would lose herself and carry that tone into a different character which made for a weird listening experience.

Cut to the Bone is perfect if you are looking for a fast-paced, chilling mystery and as always I loved the police procedural feel. This book felt like a mix of the TV shows Criminal Minds and Castle which I believe I have used to describe books one and two as well. I absolutely love that about them, and it makes for a very enjoyable reading experience. The chapters are all super short and quick, and that combined with the fast pace make this easily readable in one sitting. I had no idea what was going to happen and was completely surprised by the ending.

While it is disturbing and chilling, Cut to the Bone isn't super gory so if you aren't into, say Karin Slaughter type gore, this would be a great series to check out. I wouldn't recommend reading them out of order because of the way they progress, so I would recommend starting with book one and binging them because that is what this series is perfect for. Overall this was definitely another win for me in the series and I will be over here looking forward to book four. The end gave me CHILLS, and I can't wait to see where Cooper takes the series next.

Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This one unfortunately wasn’t for me either.

I enjoyed what the premise was about, but couldn’t really get into the book at all.

Agent Sayer is on the hunt of a killer recreating an ancient Egyptian book called the Amduat. She knows she will have more victims each day until she and her team can figure out who the killer is and where he will place the next victim. This is a fast paced thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Sayer has a good support team but she also seems to have someone who is sabotaging her case along with someone who is watching out for her safety. Sayer is always for the victims and in this case, she will use all that she can to solve the case

The victims are a group of high school students that will grab your emotional well being. They are smart and feisty. They fight back with their smarts and their gumption. They make you cheer and cause anxiety.

The wide variety of characters - good verses evil will give the reader plenty to grab on to but not get lost in the prose. Sayer is a complex character that is tough and vulnerable. Loyal and protective. She cares and she will fight. There is more to come in this series and the last sentence set chills up spine! Cannot wait.

A special thank you to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Thank you to net galley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review. DNF. Sorry I tried on this one I really did, but I just couldn't get into it.

Thanks to Minotaur books for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

I read this book as a stand alone, and it worked overall well. I enjoyed this fast paced book that focused on a hunt for a serial killer that abducted a bus load of high school teenagers. Sayer is a complex woman, and she is fantastic at her job. I liked how the story incorporated her personal life along with the case - and I assume this buildup had been coming.

I did figure out who the killer was, but it didn’t take anything away from this story. There’s also lots of Egyptian history in this story. I found it presented well and didn’t have any issues following along. I am also curious if there are plans for another book because that ending left me wanting to know more.

Ummm… I am blown away by this series. I feel like it was written with all of my favorite things in mind. Puzzling clues, a hunt for a serial killer, dog sidekicks, a smart detective and her loyal friends, and the list goes on, but I cannot without giving any spoilers. If you like Kathy Reichs books (or Bones, the TV show based on the books), the TV show 24, The Da Vinci Code, and/or National Treasure you will like this book. I didn’t realize Cut to the Bone was the third in a series and while it can totally stand on it’s own, I IMMEDIATELY went and found the audio for books 1 and 2 to listen to. I listened to all 3 books in 4 days and over a weekend when I normally listen less to audiobooks. They are all fantastic. When are these books being optioned for the screen? The whole time I read these books, I was thinking, these would be a GREAT TV show. I will be counting down for book 4. Ellison Cooper has made me a fangirl. I’m all in.