Review: Roses are Red,Violets are Blue,Madison's solved this one,Now can you!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 9, 2012
Other than what the publisher provides, I don't like "leaking" the story in my review as I feel this is unfair to the you, the readers, since often we are not warned with spoiler alerts.  If you are looking for a summary then this is not the review for you.Those who enjoy the paranormal are sure to enjoy this short novella, Fatal Cut, the first of a series written by Cathryn Grant.  Madison Keith has tired of her administrative assistant career in the high tech industry and is seeking a new job at a suburban church.  Madison is different from others because she can sense " what the soul is feeling" and because of this, both the dead and the living like to reveal their secrets.This is a very quick read but the story is complete leaving the reader with no doubt as to who committed the crime at hand. Even though this is a series, this novella can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone story. There is no ghastly cliffhanger that requires that the reader buys the next novella in the series to get the answer to the whodunit. Not to say that some authors don't manage cliffhangers well, it just seems that recently, it appears to be an unnecessary manner to force a reader into buying the next instalment in the series. So thank you to Ms. Grant for writing an interesting novella but permitting the reader the choice whether to continue on with the series.Character development is very well done considering the length of this novella. The reader gets a very good introduction to the main characters in this future series. Ms. Grant did not make a newbie error of 'information overload' which makes the reading experience more pleasurable. The story is mainly told from Madison's perspective therefore the reader gains insight into her thought process more than any other character. The secondary characters who will no doubt be in the next novellas, did not play a major role, therefore we are given a taste of who they are and what their roles entail as preacher and youth minister.  I had no trouble visualising the scenes that were depicted and unfortunately could relate even more to the feelings expressed.  I must warn that there are parts of the novella that may touch other readers more intensely if they have recently experienced the loss of someone close to them. I read the Novella twice, the second time gaining even more insight into the story since I had missed some tiny innuendos the first time because of my own personal feelings on the subject matter.  I am sorry that this seems convoluted but without releasing more specific story details, I cannot be clearer.As an editor is not identified, I would have to believe that Ms. Grant edited " The Fatal Cut".  Kudos as the editing is well done with great grammar and spell checking making for a reading that is not detracted by some of the problems encountered with some self-published books. I appreciate that Ms. Grant has taken the time to polish this novella for the reader to enjoy.The Fatal Cut is a novella that deals with murder, loss, unending grief and the impact this has on individuals. The criminal and what finally causes this individual  to kill may surprise all of you. It makes us wonder if there is someone close to us who is not coping as well as we think, with the loss of a person dear to them.  Ms. Grant also does a fabulous job of exposing some of the stereotypical behaviour that we have towards senior citizens. The human element in this novella is drawn out and exposed through Madison for the reader to experience. I believe that Carolyn Grant has created a very interesting character in Madison Keith and I will surely be looking to see what kind of trouble finds her next!I received a complimentary copy of this novella from BookRooster in exchange for an honest review.  I am not related nor friends with this author. False reviews are a problem & therefore I acknowledge that the opinions expressed in this review are fully mine unless specifically identified as that of another person.