The Cutaway by Christina Kovac

In Washington D.C., beautiful young attorney Evelyn Carney goes missing. She ran out of a restaurant after an argument with her husband and seemed to disappear into thin air soon after. Virginia Knightly, an executive producer at a news station, notices the city’s Criminal Investigations Division latched on to the case immediately, even though there’s no evidence of a crime. There has to be more to the story and she’s determined to get the exclusive.

Virginia’s struggling news station is desperate to get ratings up. Anxiety fills the newsroom, as the office buzzes with gossip of imminent layoffs. Nobody’s job is safe and newsroom rivalries flare. If Virginia can get the exclusive in the Carney story, maybe she can do right by Evelyn and save her coworker’s jobs. She becomes fixated on Evelyn’s disappearance. She’s certain she recognizes Evelyn from a news clip, but she can’t pinpoint the exact story. Virginia races around the city attending press conferences, finding credible sources, and verifying information. Officials are tight-lipped and there’s always the possibility information is only given to manipulate the reporting.

“You know that inscription on the pretty white building on First Street?” He was talking about the United States Supreme Court. On its facade it was written: Equal Justice Under Law.
“I’ve read it.”
“A beautiful dream, isn’t it?” he said mournfully. “But nowhere close to reality. Know what’s worse? Nobody cares.”

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Virginia’s personal life was less compelling to me. Her entire life is built around her career. She keeps people at a distance because she’s always waiting for them to deceive her. She feels guilty for something she wished as a child, even though she wasn’t able to act on it. There’s a subplot that deals with her family history, but it didn’t feel fully integrated. She repeatedly asks herself why she is so obsessed with Evelyn’s case and I kept trying to connect it to her past. I did to some extent, but it didn’t totally link up for me. Her own analysis of her fixation was what I would’ve expected any journalist to say. I also felt like I was missing something with her relationship with the charming news anchor Ben. There’s obviously some history there, but it also came across as uncharted territory.

“If you’re good at what you do, no one can steal it from you, and you’ll carry your skill wherever you go. Being good at what you do is the closest thing to freedom a woman can find.”

The Cutaway is an entertaining mystery, especially for those interested in the journalistic process. Where’s Evelyn? Did she get mixed up in something that she couldn’t handle in her career or her personal life? Will Virginia break the story before anyone else gets the chance? The author’s seventeen-year history in newsroom added so much weight to Virginia’s experiences out in the field. I really enjoyed reading a woman’s perspective. I’d love to read Kovac’s memoir!

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