BOOKMONGER
A Northwest thriller
‘Cut by Cut’ offers
a twisting take on a
fictional film scene
grip Steve Olin have outsized
ambitions.
Restaurateur Susan Kauffman
is the self-styled faux mama of the
local film industry.
And who is Sollie Berg – a media
mogul, or a shrink?
If you’re looking for a noir
thriller to match the wintry mood of
the season, you need look no further
than Patricia Vaccarino’s take on the
This week’s book
unsavory side of commercial film
and video production in her latest
‘Cut by Cut’ by Patricia Vaccarino
novel, “Cut by Cut.”
Modus Operandi Books – 292 pp — $14.95
The author, who splits her time
between Manzanita and Seattle,
chose the latter as the setting for this
dark tale of sex, violence, power,
Before 24 hours is up, two of
betrayal and incessant rain.
these players will be murdered, and
Taking place over the course of
most of the others will become sus-
one stormy Thursday in November,
pects – at least in the reader’s mind.
the circadian novel unfolds over a
The novel toys with our concep-
tions of reality. As we see through
set of chapters and scenes told out
the warped lens of each charac-
of sequence, though each chapter is
marked by time code, a system used ter’s experience, can there really be
such a thing as a reliable narrator?
by filmmakers to synchronize coor-
dination of time-based media. So as
Whose version of the story can we
Vaccarino delivers this story in dis-
trust? And as we get pulled into the
jointed fragments, told from differ-
lives of these people, who traffic in
ent viewpoints over the course of 24 the business of advertising and psy-
hours, the careful reader can use the chological manipulation, might we
extrapolate caution-
time codes to piece
ary
lessons for our
together a chronol-
THIS IS A
ogy of the machi-
own lives?
CUTTHROAT
nations of Seattle’s
Vaccarino also
BUSINESS.
‘CUT plays with the
chaotic film com-
munity, and the
BY CUT’ IS BOTH ambiguity of the
crime that occurs
“Cut by Cut” title.
A GRUESOME
within it.
Who is doing the
AND AN
Here are some of
cutting, and what is
ENGROSSING
the puzzle pieces:
getting cut? There
WHODUNIT.
Mia Hill has
are haircuts, film
repeating night-
cuts, cutting edge
mares of her abusive husband’s
styles, self-harm cutting – and the
murder, but no one she can really
cutting short of lives.
talk to except her housekeeper.
There is graphic seduction and
Commercial director Harry Hill,
sex in this novel, as well as graphic
who cuts a larger-than-life swath
violence. There is coarse language.
through Seattle’s film community,
And, as the author tells it, while the
has no time for Mia’s nonsense, no
film industry may deliver a nice and
time for his kids, no time for his
shiny final product, the behind-the-
neurotic producer, and not enough
scenes story is not for the faint of
time for sleep.
heart. This is a cutthroat business.
Editor Kenny Kix has no love for “Cut by Cut” is both a gruesome
egotistical directors.
and an engrossing whodunit.
Ad agency owner Ray Wachtel
The Bookmonger is Barbara
has no love for his neurotic wife.
Lloyd McMichael, who writes this
Producer Wendy Wachtel has
weekly column focusing on the
both a faithless business partner and books, authors and publishers of the
a faithless husband to contend with.
Pacific Northwest. Contact her at
Film stylist Jewell Cleary and
‘Cut by Cut’ is by Patricia Vaccarino.
barbaralmcm@gmail.com.
10 // COASTWEEKEND.COM