Book Review: ‘First Cut’ By Judy Meliner &T.J. Mitchell

The debut fiction novel by Judy Meliner &T.J. Mitchell is a great look at the life of a medical examiner in San Francisco. Dr. Jesse Teska has left Los Angeles for San Fran to take a job with the medical examiner’s office. Her brother is also in the city so she is closer to him. She finds the office a lot different from the LA office. Short on money, people and the way things are done. She’s on probation at first and has a lot of cases to work.

When one of her first cases involves a young pregnant woman who has overdosed it brings up red flags for her from her past. This woman has never been known to do drugs. And the more Jesse investigates the body and the girl she feels this was a murder. And not the first one like this. Then she finds out that someone she works with knows the girl and may have been more involved with her. When her body is suddenly cremated and the baby fetus goes missing, it really gets Jesse going into an investigation.

The more she digs, the more she comes up with, which pits her against her boss and the police. Soon she finds her life in danger and the one man that can save her is the last man she would have expected. It leads up to a shocking death and reveal of what has been going on in San Francisco.

This is a fascinating look at the life of a medical examiner and is really interesting how in detail these autopsies are. The authors are Doctors and know what they are talking about. The story moves along at a good pace and Dr. Jesse is a well-written person you root for as you read the story.

You can pick up First Cut in stores on Tuesday, January 7 from Hanover Square Press.