This is the fourth book in the Raymond Donne Mystery series. (I somehow managed to miss this fact, when I requested the book, but it wasn't a problem and I still enjoyed this one.)

NASTY CUTTER is an interesting, well-written crime novel. Raymond Donne is a former cop, now working as a teacher, but his cop-instincts and fate conspire to get him involved in a murder investigation. Well-written, populated by interesting characters, and with a real sense of place,* this is a very good read. Recommended.


* It's interesting, to me, how many NY-based crime/thriller series evoke the city so well.

Nasty Cutter is a crime novel from author Tim O’Mara and the fourth in the Raymond Donne Mystery series. I first encountered Tim O’Mara thanks to a collection of three short crime novellas by three different authors. I enjoyed his writing then, so when the opportunity to read a full length novel came up I was interested to give it a go.

When a lawyer known for his voluntary work with underprivileged children is murdered at his own benefit dinner, Raymond Donne does all he can to leave his cop instincts behind him. The questions surrounding who might want to kill this philanthropist capture him early on, leading Raymond and his reporter girlfriend on a race to find the culprit. A decades-old crime from the lawyer’s past rears its head as a factor in the mysterious murder.

Many crime novels ratchet up the tension and the action as the story progresses. Clues are uncovered, suspects put in the frame and the pace progresses. Tim O’Mara brings something different to the genre with Nasty Cutter. Following Raymond Donne, an ex-cop turned school dean, makes for a slower pace. Rather than following the almost scripted police procedural tropes, Nasty Cutter moves at a calmer pace. Research is the name of the game, and uncovering clues is sometimes accidental.

There are numerous moments where tension is built through implied or actual threat, but overall O’Mara keeps things calm and evenly-paced throughout with a likeable, real cast of lead and supporting characters that all help to lend an interesting and engaging dynamic to what is a good, fun crime novel.

Raymond Donne, ex-cop now a school teacher, gets in the middle of a murder investigation against his better judgment.

His father's former law partner, Harry Stover, is murdered while being celebrated as Man Of The Year. And then Stover's office is broken into the same night.

Who had motive to kill Stover? He's a nice man ... for a lawyer ... he does a lot of charitable work, most notably connecting low income kids with business owners. One of those kids happens to be one of Donne's former students.

The twin young men, Bobby and Billy Taylor, were represented by Stover years ago. Bobby was accused of raping a young lady at a booze and pill party. He served 10 years and is currently working for his brother, who has now retired as a pro baseball player. Are they involved?

It turns out that Stover was having an affair. Was his mistress involved? His wife? His son?

Donne quietly .. more or less .. begins his own brand of 'helping' the police solve the case.

This was a fast and entertaining read. There are a lot of characters to take a look at, but the author has woven them all in a way they don't get lost in the shuffle. Although this is a book in a series, this one is great as a stand-alone.

The characters are cleverly drawn. I liked the interaction between the main characters .. especially Donne and his long-standing girlfriend, who happens to be a reporter. There are moments of humor, and moments where they each wonder if the relationship is going to work.

The story premise is a good one and the ending really caught me by surprise.

Many thanks to the author / Severn House Publishers / Netgalley for the digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Mediocre at best. Too much emphasis on the relationship of Allison and Raymond for my liking. Glad to be done with this one.

I found the description of this book interesting, and this is my favorite genre. But I had a little difficulty getting through this book (although I did finish it). It was well written; just moved too slow for me.

I love it when I stumble across a writer who is new to me and whose work I instantly like. Such is the case with Tim O'Mara. I wasn't crazy about the title of this book, Nasty Cutter, but the story sounded intriguing in the description. It took me no time at all to get into the book - I liked the easy-going writing style immediately. I also really liked the characters. Raymond, Allison, Edgar - all unique, interesting, and likeable characters.

The story had several lines of mystery to keep the suspense up. I never post spoilers in reviews - suffice it to say they that were all tied together in the end.

A very enjoyable read.