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A page-turning suspense debut about a woman infamous for escaping a cult as a teenager, whose future is threatened when dangerous secrets come back to haunt her--perfect for fans of Jessica Knoll and The Girls . Lucy Golden is a true-crime icon, infamous for the murder she committed while escaping a California cult twenty years ago. But as everyone in Los Angeles knows, fame is fleeting, and Lucy and her story are always just one news cycle away from obscurity. Not to mention, she''s fending off a stalker and moderating an icy feud between her acclaimed photographer mother and her scandalous rock star sister. Worst of all, online trolls are asking increasingly threatening questions about the legendary crime. Questions that could tear her life apart. So when a hotshot documentarian makes her case the subject of his next film, Lucy sees a chance to silence any doubters once and for all. But as filming begins, she must return to the California desert and come face-to-face with a cast of players from her torrid history. Of course, the past is never what it seems, and long-buried secrets soon collide with present-day threats. Can Lucy stop her doubters from digging up the truth before it''s too late? And how far will she go to protect the story she''s been telling--and selling--all along? Told in a narrative split between the present day and Lucy''s hit memoir about her fated summer in the cult, Paper Cut combines psychological suspense with coming-of-age Californian cult noir and a sharp examination of the true-crime phenomenon. As incisive as it is propulsive, this mesmerizing debut will keep readers hooked until the last page.
Report
"Gorgeously written, with an arch, seductive narrative voice and a timely dissection of the true-crime industrial complex, Paper Cut stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best cult thrillers, particularly those that interrogate how women might use sensationalist crime narratives to shape their own identities. Taff is an exciting new voice." - Ashley Winstead, USA Today-bestselling author of This Book Will Bury Me
"Darkly addictive with a blistering pace and puzzle-box structure, Paper Cut takes all the juiciest elements of true crime and assembles them in a dazzling new constellation. Elegant and smart, readers will find Taff's debut as intoxicating as the cultish outpost at its core, and just as terrifying, too. An absolutely stunning crime novel." - Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
"A twisty, coming-of-age thriller that will have you thinking about hero worship, the lure of fame, and the search for belonging." - Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
"A haunting exploration of reputation, memory, and how easily the vulnerable can be swayed. Fans of cult stories and true crime accounts will enjoy this page-turning suspense." - Library Journal
"Paper Cut is a rare find: a debut crime novel that's gripping, accomplished, original and entertaining. This is fiction with a true crime edge. A story that reminds us the media is just a prism through which the world's worst events are distorted, and that individual stories can be far more twisted and shocking than anyone could possibly imagine... a fabulous story, beautifully told and with echoes that reverberate long after the final page." - Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal
"What a scorcher! So evocative is Rachel Taff's desert setting that I swear I could feel the sand between my teeth. Paper Cut is a dishy yet razor sharp exploration of how far people will go to preserve fame, power, and our darkest secrets. This one is not to be missed." - Stephanie Wrobel, internationally bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold
"Haunting and propulsive, Rachel Taff's Paper Cut delves into the darker side of what makes an artist, who gets a voice and why the pursuit of the truth is often the most treacherous path. This is a sharp debut with a broken yet beating heart, splashed against the trainwreck allure of true crime as a genre, where trauma is mined for entertainment, marking the steep price we all pay for admission." - Rachel Koller Croft, USA Today bestselling author of Stone Cold Fox
"Paper Cut is so intoxicating and unputdownable that I basically absconded from society until I finished. Rachel Taff has crafted an unforgettable thriller that sears and redeems in equal measure." - Ruth Madievsky, nationally bestselling author of All-Night Pharmacy
"Smart, twisty, and evocative. Paper Cut drew me in with its Hollywood personalities, desert cultists, and buried secrets, but it kept me reading with its insights into the nature of art and family. I tore through Paper Cut in a single weekend, transported to its noirish west coast settings and enthralled by Taff's masterful storytelling. The kind of book you thrust in your best friend's hand so that you can discuss: what's the difference between our lies and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive?" - Kate Brody, author of Rabbit Hole
"Thought provoking and entertaining. I couldn't put it down. A twisty-turny and satisfying novel. An exceptional debut." - Sascha Rothchild, author of Blood Sugar
