It’s all too easy for intriguing titles to slip beneath the radar, often eclipsed by more prominent releases or overlooked due to lackluster cover art. This brings us to Paper Cut [*], a thriller by debut author Rachel Taff, published by William Morrow. I might never have read it had I not received a heads-up in a press release and an eGalley to review. The cover, while it transports me back to a vague late '90s aesthetic, lacks the punch to compel casual browsers. As for Rachel Taff, her name was new to me, though I later discovered her background in television production.
Paper Cut centers on Lucy Golden, a true-crime celebrity forever marked by the brutality of a murder she committed while escaping a California cult two decades ago. In the ever-watchful public eye of Los Angeles, Lucy is haunted by the specter of fading notoriety. As she grapples with the perils of fame—from an obsessive stalker to a simmering feud between her mother, a celebrated photographer, and her rock-star sister—she finds herself in a precarious balance between the past and present. Online trolls are rehashing the dark details of her infamous crime, amplifying the anxiety that’s already woven into her existence.
When a brash documentarian approaches her about making a film that centers on her case, Lucy perceives a golden opportunity to reclaim her narrative and quell the swirling doubts about her past. However, this venture demands a return to the California desert, where her history is as thick and deceptive as the sands themselves. Unraveling buried secrets amidst present-day perils, she must fight to protect the story she has long sold to the world.
The heart of this book lies in the tension between public perception and personal truth—a dance between the various layers of identity, all while examining the obsessive fascination with the true-crime phenomenon itself.
Taff’s narrative flits seamlessly between present-day events and excerpts from Lucy’s memoir, “Rattlesnake.” Normally, I find split narratives disruptive, yet here, they serve to deepen the intrigue as they intertwine past horrors with current threats. The pacing is swift, the prose direct but not devoid of depth—it keeps you hooked, a quality essential for a good thriller. Lucy Golden, the protagonist, is a character that eludes easy categorization; I found myself neither fully drawn to her nor repelled, yet I remained invested in her story.
Why is there such a dramatic allure surrounding protagonists who have escaped cults, often bearing the scars of a childhood marred by darkness? It’s a question worth pondering. I approached Paper Cut with skepticism, anticipating yet another familiar trope—a storytelling device that has become all too trendy. However, I took a step back, cleared my mind, and dove into Taff’s world over the course of two nights.
Paper Cut [*] may not embody high literature, yet it excels in delivering a modern, suspenseful tale that is accessible and engaging, albeit interspersed with the cliched elements that often plague debut novels. Setting aside my personal nitpicks, I can confidently say it’s worth a read, particularly if you’re a fan of thrillers. Taff’s inaugural offering suggests she has much more to reveal, making me curious about what comes next. ╌★★★½☆
⁓B.J. Burgess
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“The plot thickens… especially when you comment.” 〜B.J. Burgess