The Chiron Club is not the kind of place where just anyone can waltz in.  Especially not a woman.  It's a palace of luxury, indulgence, and secrets to which only its male members are privy.  So, when Paige Hargreaves—a freelance journalist who was investigating the exclusive gentlemen's club—turns up dead, the police naturally turn their focus on the club.  Did one of its members kill Paige to keep her quiet?  That's what DS Maeve Kerrigan and her partner, DI Josh Derwent, are determined to find out.

As the duo digs into the secrets of both Paige and the Chiron Club, they make some dangerous discoveries.  Unearthing these truths is getting Maeve and Josh closer to a killer, but Maeve is keeping her own secret and it's this that could really put her life in danger.  Can she solve the mystery of how Paige died?  Can she save herself from suffering a similar fate?

I'm trying to wean myself off dark, disturbing thrillers, but when it comes to Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series, I just can't resist.  I love this brave, tenacious, self-deprecating heroine!  Maeve is a likable blend of vulnerable and tough and that's perhaps never more apparent than in The Cutting Place, the ninth installment in the series.  Although these novels feature taut, compelling mysteries, it's Maeve's evolving relationship with the mercurial Derwent that has become my favorite aspect of the series.  That features prominently in The Cutting Place, which makes me happy.  As always, Casey isn't afraid of taking on disturbing subject matter, so be forewarned that this isn't an easy read.  Still, it's one that kept me totally riveted.  Weaning be darned, I'll follow Maeve Kerrigan anywhere!

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Maeve Kerrigan series, including Left for Dead [novella], The Burning, The Reckoning, The Last Girl, The Stranger You Know, The Kill, After the Fire, Let the Dead Speak, One In Custody [novella], Love Lies Bleeding [novella], and Cruel Acts)

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Cutting Place from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!