Actual Rating: 3.5

It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a crime/thriller novel but having just finished watching the American TV show Castle, I felt like I was in the perfect mood for something like this.

Cut to the Bone is the third of a series but it does work as a standalone mystery; I personally went into this one without reading any of the others yet — though I definitely will go back and read them now.

This book follows FBI agent Sayer Altair. When a full school bus suddenly goes missing and students start showing up dead in ritualistic murders, Sayer finds herself chasing after a serial killer. There’s also the mysterious Subject 037, the subject of a psychopathy study who is a little too invested in Sayer’s life. And to make matters worse, she runs straight into a government conspiracy that is way above her pay grade.

I sort of have mixed feelings about that last part; I love a good conspiracy thriller novel but I’m kind of torn between (1) liking that the book took the extra step to make its story more twisted and (2) thinking that it was just a little dramatic and over-the-top. Maybe it would’ve made more sense to me had I read the previous books and there had been hints, but as someone who went into this one blind, I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief there.

Other than that, I really liked the mystery itself, though I still didn’t necessarily find it mind-blowing. While I loved the Egyptian aspect and the plot itself, I still think that any mystery lover would be able to guess who the killer was once some suspect backstory was given.

The most intriguing part for me was undoubted Subject 037 and this would be the main reason I’d want to read the entire series. Nevertheless, I’d definitely recommend this book — but probably read in order. ( )

#3 in Altair series. 6 months after "Buried" left off, Sayer is still reeling from Holt being fired & her own job still in jeopardy. A new case of a busload of kidnapped kids kicks off a new investigation involving Sayer, Tino, Max, & Ezra. Early Egyptian mysticism, secrets long buried, fake FBI agents, & being blocked at every turn has them scrambling to figure out why the kids were taken and who really has them, & why they are being killed. An explosive twist of events & psycho subject 037 dropping hints along the way keeps this a nail biter to the end. ( )

This series is one of my absolute favorites! It's also the 3rd book in the series so it is definitely going to be a bit difficult to talk about without sharing spoilers. I had been looking forward to this book for months and it was completely worth the wait! The things about all of the books in this series is that they are just so hard to put down! The premise of this one had me hooked from the very beginning. Twenty-four missing high school students that were supposed to be on a school trip - it was a suspenseful setup. But what I didn't expect (but loved) was how much this book tied in elements from her two previous books. I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil anything but WOW. Does this author know how to pull the rug from under you or what? And then the way this book ended....PLEASE tell me that we will be getting a 4th book in the new year because I NEED it! Need it. I flew through the pages of this book just as I have done with the previous two books. My favorite of the series so far still remains as Caged but all three of these books were standout reads for me. If you haven't checked this series out yet, then what are you waiting for?!? It's SO good - you won't regret reading these. I do suggest reading them in order because there are things that happen in each book that carry over into the other books.

Overall, I cannot say enough good things about this series or really even this book! We got a lot more than I expected with this one which I really enjoyed. I'm itching to get my hands on book four - it's going to be a long wait for that one but I will be first in line to read it. If you enjoy police procedurals (this is FBI so not quite the same) and darker mysteries, I definitely would say to give this series a try. This author is on my must read list where I will read anything/everything that she writes. Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: Another really great addition to one of my very favorite mystery series!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I ended up reading a copy courtesy of my local library. Honest thoughts are my own.

CW: Violence, Harm to teenagers, kidnapping, child's death. ( )

I recieved this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is an exciting 3rd book in this series. Parts of this book would be hard to follow if you haven't read the previous books. Sayer is an FBI neuroscientist who gets pulled into the case of a girl who was killed in a suspicious and ritualistic manner. The girl's death is tied to the kidnapping of a bus full of students and a far reaching conspiracy. Sayer must lead a team to find the rest of the students before it is too late. I love the strength of the women in this series. ( )

In this third installment of the series involving FBI agent Sayer Altair, we have the kidnapping of a bus filled with student and ancient Egyptian mythology. I love these books because not only are there great plot lines but I learn so much about very interesting things - such as how Washington D.C. had much in common with ancient Egypt. I can't wait for the next book as there are still questions left unanswered! ( )