Cut to the Bone

For fans of the TV show The Fall, this debut thriller is a fresh spin on a classic police procedural that explores the psychological implications of a life lived online.

Ruby Day is a young vlogger, a rising star of YouTube, and a wholesome role-model to millions of teenage girls. And she is missing. Detective Inspector Kate Riley, the head of a new high-powered team of detectives, and Detective Superintendent Zain Harris, the newest member of the team and a poster boy for multiracial policing, are brought in for what they expect to be a routine runaway. Then a video of a wild-eyed Ruby running through the woods and begging for her life is posted online. Amid mounting hysteria and heightened media coverage calling for Ruby’s safe return, Riley and Harris must decode the dark secrets of this seemingly squeaky-clean internet darling. Their hunt leads them to a smug ex-boyfriend who hungers for online fame of his own, a culture of online cyber bullying by anonymous thugs, and a corporation of ruthless advertisers who exploit online celebrities for their network of eager consumers. It becomes increasingly clear that the case is more complicated and nightmarish than Riley and Harris could have imagined. And the videos keep coming . . .

This debut novel is a slick, contemporary police procedural that explores the dichotomy of public life and one lived online. For fans of Megan Abbot and Kimberly McCreight, Cut to the Bone provides a harrowing glimpse into the friendships, ambitions, and secrets of the internet generation.

Alex Caan is a specialist in terrorism studies who has worked for a number of government organizations. Cut to the Bone is his first novel. He lives in England.

“I found the subject matter of social media completely fascinating and learned quite a lot as I read. I thought the two main characters Kate Riley and Zain Harris were expertly drawn and worked extremely well together. The pace of the story forged ahead leaving me positively breathless in places. While I wasn't reading this book I wanted to be reading this book and once I finished it I wished I hadn't. An excellent debut novel, superbly written and I will definitely be waiting for the next instalment.”—Angela Marsons, multi-million selling novelist of the DI Kim Stone series

“Fast-paced and edgy, Alex Caan has created a chillingly authentic, bang-on-trend thriller - one you’d be a fool to miss. More please.” —Lisa Hall, number one bestselling author of Between You and Me
“Fast-paced . . . Readers will want to see more of [Detective Chief Inspector] Kate and [her second in command, Det. Sgt. ] Zain, both of whom have traumatic pasts that affect their present private lives and job performances.”—Publishers Weekly “Engrossing. . . Recommend this one to fans of Sophie Hannah and Barry Maitland.”—Booklist
“Cut to the Bone drives the reader at break-neck speed to its thrilling conclusion. Alex Caan’s masterfully imagined characters delve into the seedy underbelly of the World Wide Web and remind us that new dangers of the modern age are only a click away.”—Jamie Metzl, author of Eternal Sonata and Genesis Code

“Just finished this by Alex Caan. Lightning paced twisty police thriller for our modern social media world. Read it!” —Vaseem Khan, author of The Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

“Alex Caan's debut novel rattles along at an impressive pace, helped by short bite-size chapters and a number of twists and turns in the plot that keep the reader involved. If, like me, the world of social media itself is a bit of a puzzle, let alone the concept of vlogging, there is no need at all to be anxious. There were any number of IT-Techie type conversations that will appeal greatly to readers who can understand them but irredeemable neo-luddites such as myself can allow these to fly past and still make sense of what is happening. It's very easy to imagine the author building up a following on the strength of this first outing and I look forward to his next one.’ —GJ Minett, author of The Hidden Legacy and Lie In Wait
“Cut to the Bone is gritty, gripping and dark. In Kate Riley and Zain Harris, Caan has created truly memorable characters, deep and flawed, and I can’t wait to see where they are headed next. Brilliant stuff!” —Chris Whitaker, author of Tall Oaks

"In 'Cut To The Bone' Alex Caan has created something twisty, turny, thrilling and extremely readable. His characters are rich, his details are solid and the story is both current and twisted in all the right ways. Putting it down is a formidable challenge." —Mike Bockoven, author of FantasticLand

"Cut to the Bone exposes the far reaching tentacles of politics and corruption. Ultimately it is a book about vlogging, but it is also much more than that. It is a very powerful read about a world we should all be more wary and aware of. It is a book exposing a world so far removed from the everyday for most of us, that we choose to close our eyes to it." -- Swirl and Thread blog

"CUT TO THE BONE is perfect for readers who like their police procedurals fast paced, twisty-turny, and served with a side order of grit." -- Crime Thriller Girl