Pasadena homicide detective Nan Vining and her partner, Jim Kissick, are called to the scene of a horrific double murder. Not only were two people killed, the man's body had been dismembered before the bodies were posed grotesquely. Vining and Kissick begin their investigation by getting to know those close to dilettante businessman Oliver Mercer and his latest girlfriend, Lauren Richards.

Friction between Mercer and his business partner, Mark Scoville, appears to be a promising clue at first. But with Scoville having an alibi, Vining and Kissick must consider whether he hired a hit man or if Ms. Richards' stalker finally snapped and lashed out. Or is there another motive for these murders? Seemingly unconnected events begin to weave together into a murder conspiracy.

Vining balances the murder case with her own investigation into the man that nearly killed her over a year ago. T.B. Mann—short for the bad man, as she calls him—managed to get away after ambushing her and knifing her. Her heart actually stopped for two minutes before she was revived. Vining is conducting her own secret look into clues that even her colleagues are unaware of. If her theory is correct, T.B. Mann is responsible for at least one other policewoman's death.

Squeamish readers should be aware that there are some grisly scenes in CUT TO THE QUICK. POVs from various sources—the killer himself, police detective Nan Vining, business associates of the murdered man, among others—give readers viewpoints into the thinking of the various characters. This story is the second in a three-book plot arc, so don't be surprised that not all loose ends are resolved. Ms. Emley has created a taut, suspenseful thriller that will leave readers eager for more.