The Cutting by James Hayman

James Hayman’s “The Cutting”, published by Penguin in the United Kingdom, is the latest crime thriller to land on my desk in 2011. Given that this is Hayman’s debut novel I approached the book with an air of excitement, eager to discover a new leading detective and a new novelist – adding to the fact that McCabe is a detective from Portland – I wasn’t disappointed!

After spending over twenty years as a senior creative director at one of New York’s largest advertising agencies, Hayman, who currently lives in Portland Maine, utilises his knowledge of the area in this wonderfully evocative thriller.

It’s hard to comprehend that this is his first novel; such is the fluidity of his narrative and intelligent police procedural throughout. An incredibly fast paced thriller, not only did this story have heart (and yes a play on words!) it had a lot of soul. Page by page I felt as if I was discovering more about Hayman’s interests through the parting wisdom of his lead character Michael McCabe.

Leaving the New York police department following an acrimonious divorce and the fatal shooting of his brother and a small time hoodlum, Detective Michael McCabe, an intelligent and enigmatic character, is keen to start anew with his daughter Casey. Leaving the violence of the big city the pair move to Portland, far away from an ex-wife who wants nothing to do with her daughter – the pair move on.

Three years on and McCabe and his daughter are comfortable in their loving relationship – I really enjoyed this softness to the story and his fears of protecting Casey plays a small part in keeping the story ticking along nicely.

Available from The Book Depository (Free Postage) – Amazon UK & Amazon US

1971 and a young boy takes a rabbit to a secret cave, carefully opening a sharpened knife he proceeds to take great delight in killing the animal, the blade entering the animal’s neck as it shook violently. Experiencing an indescribable feeling throughout his body, the euphoria of the rabbit’s beating heart still fresh in his memory, the boy wants to taste death again.

2005, a September evening, a homeless man discovers the mutilated body of a beautiful blonde teenager (Katie Dubois) in a scrap-metal yard. McCabe and his partner Maggie are called to the scene and are struck by the brutality of the murder – the young girl, missing for a week, is missing a heart.

Lucinda Cassidy is training for a 10K run, it’s 5:30 in the morning, the streets deserted with only her dog and engulfing fog to keep her company. She meets a handsome stranger and he boldly asks if he can join her on her run – she agrees. That very evening her ex-husband reports her missing.

McCabe quickly links the two cases, more by instinct than hard evidence, and his team work tirelessly to find the killer before the body count in sleepy Maine rises. Potentially a political goldmine for Chief Tom Shockley, pressure is applied from the very top.

As I mentioned earlier in the review, I thought the police procedural was particularly strong and effective. When McCabe cold calls a detective based in Florida, the detective offers to call him back to ensure McCabe is a genuine cop – it added credulity to the investigation and the novel. Although a small point, it’s the small attention to detail that completed the big picture for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the music and copious movie references and how the author compares the female characters to faded Hollywood starlets – clearly Hayman enjoys his time at the movies.

Set, almost in its entirety, in Portland Maine “The Cutting” is as polished as you get and given that this is his first novel – astonishing. McCabe is a likeable character, down to earth and a family man – I’d go as far to say that he is, at present my favourite fictional detective of the last twelve months.

Highly recommended, I can’t wait to read his second novel due out later this year.

Published by Penguin “The Cutting” is available from The Book Depository (Free Postage) – Amazon UK & Amazon US