The First Cut is the first in a new police thriller series, the Jane Renwick series. Jane Renwick is a member of the Murder Investigation Squad in Scotland. The book starts with a sad introduction, and for a few lines, I wondered how it related to Jane Renwick, but it soon became clear. Her past had caught up with her.

Val Penny, the author, has done a great job in bringing several family members, all with their shared youth trauma, together into one storyline. How will their early trauma have affected them? Jane Renwick was adopted, but she never found out what happened to her siblings. When people are found with their throats sliced, her siblings suddenly become important, and Jane is taken off the case.

The First Cut is fast-paced with some surprising twists and turns, just as I like a book! There is the man watching them, but is he the killer? Each of the siblings has the skills to be the murderer, which I thought very clever, as it wasn’t obviously put that way. Which one is the one damaged enough, angry enough to go around killing people? And why?

The First Cut has some great characters as well, ready for a series, I suppose. It will be nice to see how they carry on interacting and growing together as a team. The First Cut is set in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and I loved the descriptions of Edinburgh especially, as it definitely adds to the story. The members from MIT are a great mix of people, with some fun dialogue.

The First Cut has quite a few bedroom-type scenes, especially between Jane and her partner, Rachel, as well as some strong language.

I was given a review copy by Val Penny, as part of her book tour, but was under no pressure or obligation to write a favourable review.