Cuts Like A Knife Book Review

Cuts Like A Knife by M.K. Gilroy

 

I want to first admit I’m not exactly in to whodunit novels. I was never a Nancy Drew kind of gal and Sherlock Holmes, though I appreciated the elements of the tales, never held my attention. So when I read the book blurb of Gilroy’s novel I almost sighed and wanted to stomp my feet like a kindergartener, “I don’t wanna!” So I was pleasantly shocked in how much I immediately took a fierce liking to Kristen Conner, who works as a young detective in Chicago. I was even more surprised by the subtle Christian background the novel encompassed. It’s not something I see often anymore.

 

Conner is realistic to such a degree that her character pulls straight off the page and the reader feels they are reading an autobiography and novel a fictional story.  She is very much relatable throughout the book beginning with her quick wit and opinionated dimensions. She’s got a lot of things on her plate and never once is she written as ‘superpower heroine’ who can snap her fingers and everything is solved. Nope, she’s got major flaws in her personality, she hides herself away from those who care for her, and she holds onto a dark secret that makes her inability to forge relationships or get close to those dear in her life.

I loved her family. They all come with their own darker sides but for all good intent they try their darndest to survive amidst personal pains. They lift each other up while fighting each other; again, very relevant and relatable characteristics.

As for the story, the serial killer interest isn’t the first time for a novel; however this book takes the element and makes it explosive. I really loved reading snippets from the serial killer and watching them spiral out of control as they deal with their own issues. Their grandiose thoughts and their inability to get past their human emotions were appealing to me while reading. Throughout the book while the body count is continuously growing, I was constantly thinking I’d finally managed to figure out who it was.

The best part for me is that I didn’t figure it out. That spells success in my book. I am the kind of girl who wants to be inline, step by step, with the protagonist and when she figures it out is when I should figure it out.  K.C, though she hates being called that is always ready to move forward, while having a prayer on her tongue…but doesn’t nearly ever detective on police detail have some kind of prayer inside them? She’s got smarts. She’s got flaws. She’s got issues with love. She’s got spunk and she’s real. She’s on the prowl to stop the serial killer before they can retire from Chicago and move off to start anew and nothing is going to get in her way.

Gilroy has set the stage for a remarkable book from the very first page. His obvious experience in the publishing industry is quite apparent and his keen skills as an author are no laughing matter. His novel is rich, engrossing, and quite easily one of the best in its genre. I’ll be looking forward to more from him in the days to come.

My verdict: 10/10