When a friend is found dead of an apparent heart attack on the first day of school, Texas high school teacher Jocelyn Shore must put aside her own grief to assist his students, even if it means agreeing to fill in as tennis coach. With luck, a replacement will soon be found, and she’ll have time to sort out her fragile long-distance relationship with Alan Stratton. But Coach Fred’s death was no heart attack, and when the police find planted evidence of drugs in his desk, Jocelyn must act quickly to clear Fred’s good name.

Asking questions at Bonham High isn’t as simple as it seems, however, especially when Jocelyn’s new duties as tennis coach put her at odds with both teachers and parents. To complicate matters, her cousin Kyla has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon, a movie crew is filming on campus, and the all too interesting Detective Gallagher keeps turning up at inopportune times with questions of his own. A chance encounter, a word from a friend, and a sealed letter from a dead man combine to throw Jocelyn directly into the path of a ruthless killer.

Review

It’s the day before classes start at James Bonham High School and Jocelyn Shore walks in on a heated argument between fellow teacher Fred Argus and a parent. Jocelyn steps in to help her friend Fred and keep the argument from escalating any further. Jocelyn arrives to work early the next day, eager to start the new school year, but receives the shocking news the minute she pulls her car into the parking lot that her friend Fred has been murdered. When rumors start to fly that the popular coach was dealing drugs, Jocelyn is determined to clear Fred’s name. Although he doesn’t ask for her help, Jocelyn assists Detective Colin Gallagher in finding Fred’s murderer, even when it looks like the investigation could cost Jocelyn her relationship with Allan Stratton or even her life!

Death Makes the Cut has moments of brilliance that are unfortunately sometimes overshadowed by some of the book’s flaws. Jocelyn’s wonderful sense of humor is the highlight of the book and I love her commentary about her fellow teachers, the investigation, and her love life. The author perfectly describes the time demands expected of today’s high school students when it comes to extracurricular activities and seems well-informed about the teachers’ grapevine and administrative politics. This insider information adds believability to the plot and the characters.

I really like the main character of Jocelyn. I love her determination to protect Coach Fred’s reputation, and I like the way she deal with her students, earning their respect while maintaining discipline and setting high academic standards. She’s the dream teacher for parents and students alike. Even when she learns there are more people that may have had a reason to harm Fred than she ever imagined, she never hesitates in believing the best about him and continuing to clear his good name. The investigation is interesting and takes many twists and turns before the murder is solved. Detective Gallagher is also likeable, and we slowly get to know him as an investigator and a person.  Even though the case is wrapped up by the end of the book, Jocelyn’s love life ends in a cliff-hanger with Jocelyn torn between two men. I usually like more resolution to major storylines, but this definitely has my interest in a future book.

Unfortunately, I don’t care for the other main character, Jocelyn’s cousin and best friend Kyla Shore. Kyla has everything going for her and she knows it. She is not above manipulating anyone to get her way, and it seems Jocelyn is the only one who stands up to her. Kyla’s main concern is usually Kyla, but I admit she seems to care about Jocelyn and comes through for her in an unexpected way at the end. Kyla’s character is written a bit over-the-top, so a little toning down would go a long way to making the character more realistic and more likeable.

Some of the language used in the book is off-putting to me which spoiled some of my enjoyment of the book. The dialogue and slang used by the students is perfect, but Jocelyn and Kyla curse like sailors and they often use very strong language that seems out of place in this otherwise breezy, humorous book. There is a time and place for everything, and some of the words used seem out of place in this book. It spite of this, Death Makes the Cut is a fun mystery that has elements of Maggie Barbieri’s school setting with the humor of Laura Levine.

Reviewed by Christine

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