Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC, Cut To The Bone, in exchange for my honest opinion. Wow! I’m still trying to process all the twists and turns in this book. This book had so many surprises that I totally did not see coming and as for the ending all I can say is I can’t wait for the next book in this series. I loved this book and definitely recommend you read it.

Interesting in every way. Taunt and sometimes creepy it all comes together eventually. Surprising and frightening. The kids are strong yet terrified. The police chasing clues intelligently. The worse kind of bad guy
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

One of my favorite series/authors!
The character development continued to grow in the installment. I loved the twist and turns this book took...especially at the very end. I highly recommend you start this series from the beginning.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review "Cut To The Bone", the third installment in #EllisonCooper's Sayer Altair series.

I absolutely loved the first two books in this series "Caged" and "Buried" and looked forward with great anticipation to "Cut To The Bone". I was not disappointed.

Agent Sayer Altair is dealing with the new realities of life - both personal and professional. Her adopted daughter is looking at colleges, having the opportunity to take advantage of scholarships. and her Nana is off helping with a measles outbreak; at the FBI, her mentor, Assistant Director Holt has been pushed out, and Director Anderson (who tried to have Sayer fired) isn't making anything easy for her and her team.

When the body of a woman is found at a Washington landmark, and a DCPD cop is murdered by the perpetrator, Sayer is assigned to the case, which soon escalates when it is discovered that the girl was one of 24 students and their chaperone and bus driver who have disappeared off the radar,

Sayer must locate and rescue them, with no backup other than her team: Ezra, Max and Kona, as well as neighbor Tonio and Vesper, and their support. Things do not go well from the outset, as some of the missing students are located immediately.

In the course of this case we are introduced to an UNSUB (unknown subject) who has a particular obsession with Egyptology and - in particular - the Egyptian Book of The Dead and the Afterlife.

This story cruised along at breakneck speed, with the main plot supplemented by Sayer being followed by someone, and 'assisted' by her old friend (?) 037, the psychopath who was part of her study and now seems to think he/she is her guardian angel. And it appears as if Sayer is in need of this help as her life is endangered more than once!

Just when we think that we know what's going on, there are sub-plots galore and surprise upon surprise.

This is a worthy entry in the series, and highly recommended. I cannot wait to see what #EllisonCooper has in store for these characters in the future. My only regret is that now I'll have to wait for the next book. Oh, well.

A bus full of students goes missing, and they have discovered dead bodies that are connected. Can the agent figure out where they are hidden before it’s too late?

Wow... wow... this book has so many twists and turns it was crazy. What an amazing read. I loved all of it! The flow was perfect. It never felt draggy or repetitive. I look forward to more from this author!

I really anticipated the 3rd book in this fast paced series. It's full of complex characters and a storyline that will not disappoint.

I really enjoyed this book and while it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat with suspense, there was enough to keep me turning the pages. I also didn't realize that this was the third in the series, but thankfully the author gives enough back story so you are not lost.

I also love the fact that the author used diversity when it came to the main characters, something i feel is really lacking in todays books.

So good. This is exactly the kind of mystery/thriller I've been looking for. I didn't realize when I requested an ARC that it was the third book in a series, but the author gave enough back story during the book that it was never an issue. I now want to read the first books, though I know a little bit of how it all turns out.

10 second synopsis -- a busload of STEM high school kids is kidnapped and the perpetrator is seriously off the rails (with good psychology as to why, it turns out). An FBI agent who is an expert on brains and psychopathy leads a task force to try to save them.

The main characters are all likeable, smart and interesting. The diversity is off the charts for all kinds of things (race, LGBTQ, one character has lost his legs...) but never in a tokenism way and they're all people I'd want to hang out with. They're just cool, well rounded characters. The story is suspenseful and deals with death and violence realistically but not in the cringe-worthy detail that some authors use. The star character is a smart woman who feels like a real person, and one I'd like to hang out with. It was nice that she was not either trope of gorgeous and perfect or so flawed it's a wonder she can get out of bed, which I've read too much of in recent years.

It's also kind of cool that two different work dogs are main characters in a way (a therapy dog and a search and rescue dog), along with their handlers.

Loved it, and I'm a new fan of this series and this author.

I read a digital review copy of of this book for the purpose of review.

I am really enjoying this series by Ellison Cooper. I think this third book of the series may be my favorite so far. You probably do not have to read these books in order, but it would help in understanding the motivation of the characters. I started and finished this book all in one day because the story grabbed me from the beginning and kept my attention all the way to the end (which was a bit of a cliffhanger). I cannot wait to read book four in this series! (When does it come out?!) Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Welp. I just finished this novel and feel a little shell-shocked. This is a meticulously crafted, edge-of -your-seat thriller, and I couldn't stop reading, exclaiming to myself over and over again excitedly, "This book is so friggin' good!" When a major plot twist happened toward the end, I was even more excited. "This book just got even better!" I thought. And then...in the climactic scene, this book went from a five-star read to a one-star for me. I'm still giving the book four stars, as most of it was "unputdownable," but that one twist--while understandable for a book that is a series--took me from wanting to read everything Ellison Cooper has or will write...to not wanting to read any more of the author's work ever. If that *one thing* had happened differently, I would have declared this one of the best books I've ever read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.

Loved it, loved it!! Such a good book. There was a point where I had figured out something about Sayer's deceased boyfriend before the writer revealed it, but then I was unsure if I was right, and boom, I was wrong once more. I really enjoyed all the locations in Washington DC. I even went and looked one of them up online to find out more, but I don't want to give any of the book away. The characters are all enjoyable and fleshed out. All the Egyptian information was very fascinating. Highly recommend!!

I love this series by Cooper and Cut to the Bone is no exception. It's a fast-paced suspense thriller involving a serial killer with ritualistic aspects. FBI Agent Sayer Altair is a well-developed strong character with great instincts. There was one particular twist that is pretty intense and the ending was GREAT! Can't wait for the next book!

Wow! Just .... wow! When I read the last word, all I wanted was more. I did NOT want this book, or Sayer's story to end. Can't wait until the next one!!!

Twists and turns ... an unexpected moment/story line I totally did not see coming ... Highly recommend this latest installment of the Sayer Altair series. If you haven't read the others by this author, you are missing out.

Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress #minotaurbooks for the eARC.