Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
I was not the target audience. More for teenage boys and this book did not transcend audiences

Iggy Guerra is out of prison, but his homecoming is anything but smooth. His beloved mother is gone, his grief-stricken father Armando is deep in debt, and they are about to lose the butcher shop that has been in their family for generations.

Iggy must earn his father’s lost trust in order to save La Carnicería Guerra from the threats imposed by a new rival business, a vigilante activist, and big-game hunter Orin, who has dragged Armando into his dangerous money-making schemes deep in the Everglades, where more than secrets are buried. Iggy will wrestle with the beauty and the danger of the place he calls home as he tries to save his family—without losing himself forever.

Sharp as a butcher knife gleaming in the Miami sun, Alejandro Nodarse's Blood in the Cut opens onto a deeply personal vision of the streets and swamps of Miami, where the roots are crooked but strong as mangroves.

When I had the opportunity to grab a copy of this one from Macmillan Audio, I jumped at the chance solely because Danny Pino narrates it. I love him on Law & Order SVU and I knew I would enjoy listening to him read this one. That also led me to go into this one blind.

I wasn’t particularly interested in the story. Cartels and the like aren’t really my speed. I did find myself feeling for Iggy though. He was forced into a situation where there was basically no winning. He needed to do what he could to save his father’s business, but stay under the radar and stay out of prison again in the process.

I was right in knowing I would love the narration though, and considering it was a quick book, I was able to finish it and it still warranted a decent rating.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. But each time I paused the book, I found myself wanting to go back to it. I really connected with the main character even though his life is vastly different than mine! But I wanted to learn more about what happened to this Cuban Miami butcher shop and how it all played out for Iggy.

Blood in the Cut by Alejendro Nodarse reads like a movie. Exciting plot points, interesting characters and suspenseful events. I loved the characters arcs and development.

Really enjoyed the well told story that painted a vivid picture of Miami, specifically through the eyes of someone growing up in a world that the majority of people grow up in. The novel felt honest and it told some real truth. Nodarse's voice felt developed and it surprised me that it was his first novel given that it may have been viscous but it was never raw.

This blurb sounded intriguing and maybe I should try the physical instead but I couldn’t get into the audiobook. It just couldn’t hold my attention and I tried multiple times. I made a pretty good dent at one point and then by the time I went back to finish it, I couldn’t remember anything that happened.

Let me start with one piece of helpful advice: Do not read this book (or probably even this review) if animal cruelty and death are major triggers for you. No sane person enjoys reading about these things, but I was not prepared for the level of detail and I'm fairly strong-stomached.

This one was challenging - there is a lot of potential here, particularly with the way that Miami and the Everglades are almost characters in their own right. And Iggy is a suitably complex protagonist, despite the lack of much backstory beyond his incarceration. And the central crime certainly is unique - there aren't many novels with the illegal meat trade as their primary conflict. Also, the narrator of the audiobook is outstanding - in fact, his tone seems more suited to the story than the actual text he's reading in some sections.

However: As referenced in the leading sentence, reading about the work of a butcher shop is not for the faint of heart. Especially when (spoiler) the animals being butchered are horses.

The biggest challenge, though, was the writing itself - this is not a flowery story. But the adverbs, adjectives, modifiers...there were sections that were difficult to follow because of the padding of the word count. And several truly head-scratching similes...not Cuban idioms that sound odd in English, but comparisons that are so bizarre they distract from the point they're trying to support.

I think with a good editor, this could have been much more. But as-is, I look forward to seeing what comes next from the author once he finds his groove.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Iggy Guerra has just been released from prison, but things are not any easier on the outside than they were on the inside. While locked up his mother died, leaving his family devastated, especially his father Armando. To make matters worse that family business, a butcher shop called La Carniceria Guerra, is facing a number of difficulties of its own. Not only are they facing competition thanks to the opening of a rival business, but a nature activist is out to harm their business as well. Then there is Orin, a man who has brought Armando into the folds of his own business, a business that involves activities in the Everglades that cannot exactly be defined as legal. Iggy is determined to persevere over all of these obstacles in order to keep the family business open and thriving.

I feel that this is a story with a lot of potential, but it did not quite deliver. The pacing seemed off at times; there were some sections that were just so slow. For a novel that is listed as a thriller, I did not find there to be much suspense as it was not a novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was a bit of a disappointment as well and did not seem to connect well with the story up to that point. The secondary characters were not developed and were flat, as well as conforming too much to stereotypes for my taste.

I thought the presentation of the novel by Pino was well done. I liked the life that he gave to the various characters through the use of different voices, as well as the infliction used to tell the story, although the pacing was a little slow for my tastes. Overall the audiobook did add to my enjoyment of Blood in the Cut.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Starts off a little slow but definitely picks up! I liked Iggy a lot. I wasn't in love with the ending and almost wanted more to it, but it was still good. The narrator did great.

Iggy is out from prison and returns to help his father with their butcher shop after the death of his mother. He realizes his father has been making some shady decisions to keep the business running and now there is a new rival to deal with. If is willing to do anything to save the their business but is also dealing with the grief from losing his mother and avoiding decisions that might land him in prison again.

This one was a little slow for me. It had a lot of potential but there were also scenes that could have been shorter and less graphic. The narration was excellent however.

Thoughts:
I read this book in just two days. It’s so fast paced and action filled thriller that’s it’s hard to put down. It’s hard to believe that this is a debut book by the author!! I think that fans of S.A Cosby and Gabino Iglesias will love it!! I also love how Iggy has a tough guy exterior but on the inside he’s a guy with a heart of gold!!! It was pretty emotional hearing his thoughts as he tried to help out his family.

Also the narrator for this book, Danny Pino was so amazing!!! He really brought Iggy and the rest of the characters to life!!! His voice was perfect for this book.

Looking forward to more books by the author

This one was a fantastic debut and I gifted a copy of the hardcover to my dad for him to read on vacation! The story was action packed, especially in the second half, I enjoyed the characters and loved the added classic car tidbits. I thought Danny Pino did an excellent job with the narration of this one and really brought it to life.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this one.

Blood in the Cut, the debut novel by Alejandro Nodarse, is definitely a “dude book” in my opinion. The title and cover were clues, and the plot and male cast support the theme. I enjoy stepping out of my usual genres from time to time, and this was a gritty visit to present-day Miami.

The story features the Guerras, a Cuban-American family grieving the death of their matriarch. Son Iggy was just released from prison, and while reacclimating to society and reconnecting with family and friends, he learns the family business, a butcher shop, is struggling. He feels responsible, so he involves himself in its operation and makes some shocking discoveries which lead to an exciting mystery to solve.

If the reality TV shows The Butcher and Swamp People had a baby and added a dash of classic car love, it would be this book. It includes plenty of violence, which isn’t my preference, but I could relate to its themes of family loyalty and grief. I’m not the intended audience for this book, and I probably would’ve quit reading a print copy.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for access to the audiobook expertly narrated by actor Danny Pino.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for providing me with an advance listener copy to this gritty well-paced thriller.
Dark and brutal, Blood in the Cut is set in a Cuban butcher's shop endangered by gentrification. Iggy the oldest son returns from jail only to find his mother dead, his father behaving strangely and the family butcher's shop under extreme pressure from new neighbors. He wants to help his brother, and keep the shop alive while definitely making sure he stays out of prison but his father seems to have taken on a side business that is most likely illegal. How can he save the family and the family business ?
Alejandro Nodarse does not shy away from graphic descriptions of a butcher's work to bring the reader into Iggy Guerra's life and shop.
This book centers on gentrification, racism, culture and grief.
I listened to the audio for this book and loved the fantastic narration by Danny Pino, he made the Carniceria Guerra appear before my eyes.
My husband and I listened to this one together on our weekend road trip and both loved our listening.

3.5 rounded up to 4. Audio was performed so well so I’d highly recommend the audio route. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for a copy! A book of family and loyalty told in an authentic voice.

Iggy has just gotten out of prison to find his mom has died and his family’s business, a butcher shop, is struggling to stay afloat. His dad is acting strange and seems to be keeping secrets, possibly doing something illegal.

The first half of the book was a slow burn, but I loved Iggy’s character and his commitment to his family. The last half of the book was where all the action and secrets came out, and I devoured that all in the last 24 hours. I struggled with chapter 12 and the gory details of butchering horse meat (it doesn’t describe the killing of the horse thankfully).

Thanks again to @macmillan.audio for this listening copy!

This book is available now!

I listened to the audiobook of this one and I thought the narrator did a good job bringing the main character to life. I think this story had a lot of potential but I felt like the pacing was off. This was an interesting story because it starts in the middle and ends still stuck in the middle. Maybe this was to encourage another book in the series, but it didn’t feel that way. The writing was ok, but the secondary characters felt stereotypical and they appeared to need some more depth to them. Iggy just got out of prison, a whole week early as “compassion” since his mother died. He’s determined to take this second chance but it’s clear that he also needs to focus on helping his family and saving their family business. His father has been making some shady decisions and the butchery is almost bankrupt. This was an interesting book, but while some scenes were a little graphic I was left with the feeling of very little happened. This may have been worse for me since I listened to the audiobook which is my slowest way of reading so this book seemed to last forever without a whole lot happening at all.

Please tell me this is the first in a series because I need more. Iggy was a very likable, family focused, and business minded. I really enjoyed the family interactions well not with Armando but fuck him. I appreciated everyone but him. But I know men like him and I think my instant hate and unwillingness to see things from his side is a ME issue and not a BOOK issue.

I would love to see this adapted for TV. Not a movie, this would be a fantastic series to watch.

Blood in the Cut by Alejandro Nodarse AUDIO is a listen that is out of my wheelhouse but it turned out to be oddly informative and very entertaining, if one considers blood entertaining. Iggy is just out of prison. He had gone to prison for stealing drugs from his mother’s pharmacy, oddly enough, to keep his family’s butcher shop afloat. Now his mother was dead, having been hit by a car, and his father was in a rage. He gave Iggy one week to find a place to live. Iggy quizzed his brother, Carlos, to figure out what was going on. His father left in the night, only to return covered in blood. After looking at the books Iggy discovered two things: the butcher shop was failing and they were receiving relatively large payments on an irregular basis with no notations. Iggy set to work, along with his grandfather, his brother, and his two cousins to set everything aright. What he discovered was both shocking and criminal.

The story gave me insight into Cubans living in their own community in Miami. While we often think that everyone should be integrated into one large society, this insight makes me believe otherwise. One of the striking things was a rich “boy” seeking entry to the neighborhood, probably to its detriment. Having never understood the impact of such a move, I was shocked to see it from the other side. Not shocking was criminals who were willing to take advantage of anyone they deemed necessary to their cause, and to use any means to make it so. It was an enthralling listen, full of details of the culture and the back room of a butcher shop. I am enriched by having listened to this book. I highly recommend it. Thanks Alejandro Nodarse for such a fine piece of fiction.

The narrator was Danny Pino who did an excellent rendition of the entire situation. He didn’t gum up the works with a heavy accent, but was still able to communicate the ethnicity of the family. He did a superb job, giving the listener a perfect book to listen to.

I was invited to listen to Blood in the Cut by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #AlejandroNodarse #DannyPino #BloodInTheCut

For lovers of The Bear and Xochitl Gonzalez, this debut novel from Alejandro Nodarse explores the family ties of a Cuban father and sons living near the Everglades in Florida. Iggy has just been released from three years in prison, coming home to his dad doing some shady business at his butcher shop to keep the family’s livelihood afloat. With much suspense, Iggy feels that it is his duty to get his family out of this and save the family butcher shop from the gentrification of their Cuban neighborhood.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.