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Darcia Helle
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The Cutting Edge: A Suspense Novel Kindle Edition

by Darcia Helle (Author), Bob Helle (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 80 ratings
My name is Skye Summers. I’m a hairstylist and I can’t stop fantasizing about killing my clients. Not all of them, of course. I only want to kill the ones who irritate me, which, if I’m being honest, is most of them. My occasional fantasies have turned into chronic daydreams. They’re bloody and vivid, like watching a slice-and-dice movie on IMAX.

I also want to kill my husband’s ex-girlfriend. She’s not a client but she tops my list. Eighteen years ago, she gave birth to his daughter and she has tormented him ever since. I should be troubled by this growing desire to use my surgically sharpened shears for more than a haircut. Instead, I wonder how I can get away with it.
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  1. Print length
    234 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    July 2, 2010
  5. File size
    1.6 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Darcia Helle has a head full of characters insisting their stories be told. Originally from Massachusetts, she now writes in the sunshine of Florida. She lives with her husband, in a home ruled by spoiled rescue animals. You can learn more about Darcia and her books at: http: //www.DarciaHelle.co

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003URRSRS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Quiet Fury Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 2, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 234 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 80 ratings

About the author

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Darcia Helle

Darcia Helle

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I'm a writer, reader, thinker, and dreamer, making my way through the world one book at a time.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
80 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book well-written and entertaining, with one review describing it as a dark thriller with a sense of humor. Moreover, they appreciate the character development, with one customer noting how the author captures these people brilliantly. Additionally, the book maintains a good pace, with one review mentioning how it immediately draws readers into the story. Customers also value the narrative quality, with one describing it as evocative and true to life.

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HumorReadabilityWriting qualityCharacter developmentPaceNarrative quality
17 customers mention "Humor"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, with one describing it as a dark thriller with a sense of humor, and another noting the hysterical fantasy sequences.

"...It’s a terrific story and an excellent read, albeit somewhat gruesome at times when the suspense of the serial killer becomes active...." Read more

"...her characters made them colorful, relatable, and humorous in their all-too-human foibles. It also made it a joy to read such tight, evocative prose...." Read more

"...I love that her books are so different. This one has a bit of dark humor to it as the reader can understand Skye's "urge to kill"..." Read more

"...is witty, and the thoughts are so honest and true to life it makes the book horrific...." Read more

12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, with one describing it as a page-turner that kept them engaged until the end.

"...It’s a terrific story and an excellent read, albeit somewhat gruesome at times when the suspense of the serial killer becomes active...." Read more

"...It also made it a joy to read such tight, evocative prose...." Read more

"...The Cutting Edge kept me entertained; I laughed, I cringed, and I felt for the characters...." Read more

"...That said, I found The Cutting Edge to be a great read...." Read more

9 customers mention "Writing quality"9 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting it is well-edited and has a perfect narrator, with one customer describing it as witty.

"...what a story!!” Editing and proofreading were excellent." Read more

"...This book is witty, and the thoughts are so honest and true to life it makes the book horrific...." Read more

"...book but I had read another book by this author and was impressed with her writing style...." Read more

"...Skye is a perfect narrator. We have all owned her thoughts...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with several noting the author's splendid job of creating interesting characters.

"...Marcia Helle captures these people brilliantly as she vividly describes Skye’s frequently hilarious reaction to them...." Read more

"...The characters are real ordinary people, which allowed me to relate more to the storyline; in turn, making the book more real and frightening to me...." Read more

"...Cutting Edge kept me entertained; I laughed, I cringed, and I felt for the characters...." Read more

"...Darcia Helle has a remarkable ability to breathe life into her characters, whether it's the endless stream of annoying clients in her hair salon,..." Read more

7 customers mention "Pace"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing, with one customer noting how the suspense builds at a good pace, while another finds it fast flowing.

"...The relatively abrupt ending was surprisingly satisfying, seemed very appropriate and prompted a “whew! – what a story!!”..." Read more

"...The suspense built at a good pace and I loved the ending." Read more

"...But, for a story as compelling as The Cutting Edge, a little sleep deprivation was a small price to pay. RJ McDonnell..." Read more

"...The narrator is very good, and you are immediately drawn into the story...." Read more

3 customers mention "Narrative quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative quality of the book, with reviews noting its evocative prose and honest thoughts.

"...ease with which the author paints her characters made them colorful, relatable, and humorous in their all-too-human foibles...." Read more

"...This book is witty, and the thoughts are so honest and true to life it makes the book horrific...." Read more

"...did a splendid job of creating interesting characters that really came to life...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • MrWizard
    5.0 out of 5 stars Whew! What A Story!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    If you’ve ever had to deal with the general public on a service basis, especially by appointment, you’ll recognize most of the clients who frequent The Cutting Edge. Obnoxious, self absorbed, braggadocious, manipulative, cheap, insistent, unreasonable, demanding, chronically late or infuriatingly early (I could go on but you get the point) – they can make the work life miserable for someone like Skye Summers, a by-appointment hair stylist. Who hasn’t wanted to strangle (or worse) their customers, clients, patients, etc. at times. The scenes bring to mind the oft repeated comment, “The more I get to know people, the better I like my dogs.”

    Marcia Helle captures these people brilliantly as she vividly describes Skye’s frequently hilarious reaction to them. We get to know intimately Skye and her husband (this guy’s too good to be true – he could not possibly exist in real life) and their terrific canine family as well as her parents and his ex-girlfriend and unfortunate offspring. It’s a terrific story and an excellent read, albeit somewhat gruesome at times when the suspense of the serial killer becomes active. The relatively abrupt ending was surprisingly satisfying, seemed very appropriate and prompted a “whew! – what a story!!”

    Editing and proofreading were excellent.
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  • Marty Beaudet
    4.0 out of 5 stars Humorously drawn characters; clever, sinister plot
    Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2011
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I'll admit, I chose to read this book because of an online acquaintance with the author, along with the many rave reviews of her work from other authors in my network. Although I write thrillers myself, I'm not big on gore, guts, and cruelty. So a plot with a serial killer wouldn't normally attract me. [End disclaimer]

    I have to say I was pleased with the first half of the book, where protagonist Skye, a hair stylist with murderous thoughts about her overly-demanding clientele, gave voice to some very astute observations about the selfishness that seems rampant in our me-me-me society. What made her rants so enjoyable was the humor with which she infused them. It was easy to relate to her frustrations, and fun to laugh at her characterizations.

    A problem, perhaps, is that so much of the book is filled with these humorous characterizations (Skye describes at least 50 of her clients through the first 24 of 36 chapters), that it feels at times more like a stand-up routine than a crime thriller. Now, for me, that wasn't all bad--it spared me having to close my eyes too often (I'll admit to skipping a page or two during the killer's activities, which are meticulously described), but it detracted from the suspense that should have been building as the story interspersed the killer's machinations with Skye's day job and personal life.

    But the plot overall was entertaining. I knew that that the two story threads would eventually intersect, but I didn't know just how, and by the time they did I was anxious to find out. The resolution was satisfying; I'm glad I read the book.

    The ease with which the author paints her characters made them colorful, relatable, and humorous in their all-too-human foibles. It also made it a joy to read such tight, evocative prose. Knowing that the author was once a stylist leads me to conclude that these portraits of strangle-worthy fussbudgets were drawn from actual clients. After all, what author dreams up fifty or more incidental characters for a novel!

    I may still have to skip the most grisly pages, but I'll be reading more of Darcia Helle's books.
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  • Karen B
    5.0 out of 5 stars Never Take Your Hairdresser for Granted!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I will never take my hair stylist for granted again after reading this book! LSD ( Lilly Skye Destiny) Summers is a hairdresser and is known as Skye. Skye is happily married to Scott Skyler (hence her need to keep using her maiden name), loves her dogs and her parents who are hippies. But when it comes to her clients and her husband's ex and her daughter ... they're in different book altogether. They seem to grate on Skye's nerves and drive her crazy. So crazy, that Skye envisions using her hairdressing tools as weapons when her clients are rude, thoughtless, inconsiderate and think her job is easy. Her husband's ex keeps trying to get more money out of Skye and Scott which even if she doesn't get it ...ends up going to the lawyer who helps to keep the ex from getting it. And then there is the Mass Avenger: a serial killer out to punish women who think they are better than the men they deal with. Skye is unaware that as she is dreaming of gouging out the eyes of her clients, stabbing them in the jugular -- the killer has his eye on her; but not as a possible victim.

    This is the third Darcia Helle book that I have read and each one has been totally different and equally as exciting. I love that her books are so different. This one has a bit of dark humor to it as the reader can understand Skye's "urge to kill" considering what some of her clients say and do and expect of her. This reader wanted to slap them up the side of the face herself. Skye isn't really a bad character; she just associates with some annoying people! I like to read using immersion reading, listening to the audio version while reading and the audio of this book definitely enhances the reading. The narrator's voice just eeks with the frustration Skye feels. Although she didn't start out that way, will Skye soon become a possible victim for the Mass Avenger?
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Geoffrey West
    5.0 out of 5 stars gripping and thrilling
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2012
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The Cutting Edge brings us into the world of hairdresser Skye, a kindly but harassed animal lover who finds that an ever increasing frustration with dealing with customers is driving her to ever-more murderous thoughts: she wields scissors that would love to cut carotid arteries and slice away ears. Cleverly, Darcia Helle leads us to think initially that Skye's homicidal fantasies about her dreadful clients - who variously behave selfishly, abuse her good nature and even have hygiene issues - is going to lead her to actually commit murder.

    However, the Mass Avenger is the one who's really killing women in the small provincial town. And the reader is made aware of his ever-increasing interest in Skye that she has no knowledge of: thus creating an almost like a Hitchcockian build-up of tension that escalates higher and higher until it almost reaches breaking point. We see Skye from the monster's point of view, and she's totally unaware of it.

    One murder after another is interspersed with lighter moments, with Skye's nice husband and lovable parents re-homing dogs and seeing the best in people. The book culminates in a thrilling climax, which I won't reveal - read the book and find out!

    The interest in the book for me was the contrast of Skye's nice normal agreeable family life with that of the vicious lonely sociopath who preys on women: a heroine you can like and a murderer you can hate. Also I enjoyed the insight into a hairdresser's world, where seemingly balanced, likeable people can behave with such appalling self regard and tactlessness without even realising that their selfishness and cruel words can cause such harm.

    You can expect plenty of thrills, lots of warmth and humour and some very scary moments, with an interplay of viewpoints that works well, ratcheting up the tension right up to the end.

    You'll like Sky and her family and you'll love her dogs, and you'll enjoy her company until the very end: a really good read. Wish I hadn't read it so I could read it all over again.
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  • R
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2012
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is one of the most gripping thrillers I have ever read. It was exciting, and I was hooked by the first few chapters.
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