The First Cut

Better start this book on a long weekend because you won't be able to put it down! A real page turner. I really felt "a part of the action" as though I was walking in Detective Nan Vining's shoes. Great visual images--nail biting at times. Wonderful character development with witty insights into peoples' personalities. Very well written and the clever narrative moves along at a crisp pace keeping the reader on edge wanting more. Can't wait for a sequel to this one! Toni, Pasadena, CA

Diane Emley, in "The First Cut," introduces thirty-four year old Corporal Nan Vining of the Pasadena Police Department. One year earlier, Nan was left for dead after a man posing as a real estate agent lured her into an empty house and slashed her throat. Ever since that horrendous experience and its traumatic aftermath, Nan has suffered from recurrent panic attacks when she enters unfamiliar homes, and she fears that her desire to resume her career as a detective may be a pipe dream. However, as a divorced single mom with a precocious and loving fourteen-year-old daughter, Emily, Nan needs to make a living, and she is determined to regain her self-confidence as well as the respect of her colleagues. As soon as Vining reports for duty, Detective Sergeant Kendra Early assigns her to the case of slain off-duty LAPD officer Frankie Lynde. An unknown assailant slit Frankie's throat and then dumped her brutalized body into an arroyo near the Colorado Street Bridge. Jim Kissick, Nan's former lover, heads a team of detectives who scrutinize every detail of Frankie's life in an attempt to locate and apprehend her killer. Nan has a special interest in this case, since it eerily resembles some aspects of the assault that nearly took her life. "The First Cut" is a mesmerizing work with an intriguing protagonist. We have all read books about female cops who are embittered or jaded by departmental discrimination and politics, tormented by inner demons, and soured by love affairs gone bad, but Nan is not so easily pigeonholed. Although at one time she resented her ex-husband, Nan now gets along well enough with Wes and his upscale wife. Because she wants to devote as much time as possible to her daughter, Nan has little interest in romance. She quietly takes responsibility for regaining her peace of mind, no matter how long it takes. She's spunky, courageous, smart, and intuitive, but unlike other female cops who are anxious to prove themselves, Nan doesn't take stupid risks and generally follows police procedure down the line. This is not a classic whodunit, since we know the identity of the villain before too long, and he, alas, is your typical sadistic psychopath with a visceral hatred of women. Fortunately, the book has some delicious dark humor and neat twists along the way, including a spooky foray into the supernatural. Emley depicts her large cast with flair and she skillfully explores her characters' motivations and personalities. In addition, the author realistically captures the tedium of police work. Often, hundreds of leads and dozens of interviews fail to pan out, and as each day passes, the case grows colder. The cops must endure inevitable battles with the media as well as long hours and unpredictable schedules that take a heavy toll on their personal lives. Emley also explores a theme that comes up in many police procedurals: in order to remain effective, detectives must never become so cynical that stop caring about the victims. Nan

In this keen and well crafted murder mystery, author Dianne Emley leads the reader on a suspenseful journey through the often gritty and dangerous world of police work, while at the same time adeptly exposing the psychological complexity of its main character, Detective Nan Vining. Following a brutal ambush which leaves Vining dead for several minutes, a period of recovery finds the protagonist questioning her resolve as a mother and as a cop. A personal sense of safety for both herself and her daughter is further stripped way by the always present possibility that her attacker, as yet to be apprehended, will come back to complete his handiwork. Detective Vining's first assignment when returning to work finds her juxtaposition to the battered body of an LAPD policewoman, triggering eerie, yet realistic otherworldly visions. Emley superbly portrays the internal struggle experienced by Vining, who wrestles with whether to accept these visions as manifestations of her heightened anxiety as precipitated by the attack, or the real possibility that the dead policewoman, in some form of camaraderie, is indeed speaking to her and helping guide the investigation. Navigating the tension between these two potentialities permits the reader to walk in tandem with Detective Vining. The reader continues to follow Vining through a number of thrilling twists and turns up to the surprise ending. All and all, The First Cut is first rate. Dianne Emley has introduced us readers to not only intriguing characters and a finely developed plot, but has allowed us to share the haunting, yet very real world of Detective Nan Vining. I'm eager to see where Vining takes us next.

Four Pasadena cops have been killed in the line of duty; last year Detective Nan Vining came very close to having her name added to the list as an unknown assailant attacked her with a knife leaving her clinically dead for about two minutes. Physically the single mother of a teen has healed, mentally she fears interviewing strangers and entering unknown residences because that can trigger a panic attack especially since her adversary is still on the streets. Though her boss has some doubts assigning her to the slasher murder of undercover Los Angeles vice cop Frankie Lynde because of the similarities to Nan's near fatal incident, Vining insists on leading the investigation for that same reason. Vining knows from her visions and psychic link to the deceased cop that the killer, wealthy club owner John Lesley-and his wife Pussycat were having a ménage de trois with Lynde that leaves the investigating detective hot and bothersome with desire for her former lover Jim Kissick. However, proving to a jury that John Lesley is the killer needs more than a mental discussion with a dead woman. One clue has been left behind by Lynde if Vining can retrieve it before she becomes Pasadena's number five victim. This urban noir police procedural with paranormal elements will grip readers who know early on that psychopath Lesley is the cop killer with a thirst for blood and wild sex. The action-packed story line turns into a cat and mouse game as Vining seeks proof while Lesley uses his spouse and others to insure the cop gets no closer to the truth even as he sets up his next victim. Though definitely dark, Dianne Emley's gripping thriller will take readers on the underside of society where money can hide illegal drug abuse and murder. Harriet Klausner

This thriller debut by Dianne Emley not only should captivate the most devoted suspense and thriller reader, but it also offers dramatic insights to the workings and politics of a moderate size city police department. The "bad guys" are creepy yet unmistakable as everyday people among us! She realistically captures the struggles and dedicated professionalism of a woman police officer balancing her role as a single mom, law enforcement officer and the personal, emotional and psychic stress placed on her. The author's insights to these real life demands are woven into a highly readable, suspenseful story that will want readers to keep turning the pages and anxiously awaiting a next book on Officer Nan Vining! Warrning, keep the lights turned way up and expect the unexpected!