First Cut, by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell, is the first in the series of Dr. Jessie Teska mysteries. There are two, so far, with After Shock coming out in 2021. Melinek and Mitchell are a husband and wife writing team. She’s a forensic pathologist, and he’s a writer. The collaboration is paying off, with the series launching a compelling protagonist, Dr. Jessie Teska, as she navigates her way through the dark sides of San Francisco’s medical examiner’s office and criminal underworld.
Our heroine, whose real name is Czesława, bestowed on her by her Polish mother, has recently fled from Los Angeles to a new job in San Francisco. The 31-year-old pathologist is running away from a traumatic event, the details of which will be revealed slowly throughout the book. She finds a quirky place to live (is there any other kind in a novel set in Frisco?), where she and her dog can restart their lives. Her deeper backstory reveals more trauma from growing up in an abusive household.
We get introduced to a motley assortment of characters at the medical examiner’s office, including Dr. Stone, the Deputy Chief. He’s enthusiastic about Jessie joining the crew, but there’s something off about him. He invites Jessie to a party at his house, where she meets Arnie, a charming and mysterious tech entrepreneur genius. Sparks fly, and you get the feeling Jessie is going to be seeing a lot more of him as you turn the pages.
Meanwhile, Jessie is quickly plunged into a series of murders that will reveal themselves to be interconnected. Dr. Stone’s former nanny, a 24-year-old Asian woman, dies of a heroin overdose that seems totally out of character for her. Jessie has suspicions about what’s going on, but she meets with red flags, stonewalling, and goings on at the medical examiner’s office that suggest that some of her colleagues may be involved in these crimes, or at least under pressure to cover them up.
Throughout, the book treats you to richly textured and intriguing medical forensics investigative procedures and, depending on your disposition, either fascinating or disgusting details. It takes the authors a little too long to get the mystery cranking properly, but once you’re in, you’re in. Melinek and Mitchell know how to hook the reader in a good “what the hell is really going on here?” setup. It also blends the personal story with mystery and an effective dose of office politics.
At the same time, First Cut offers some chick litish touches. You hear about dresses, makeup, and hair. You get Jessie being catty, at least to herself, about another woman’s dye job. She makes a BFF at the Hall of Justice, and the two of them talk about life, men, and work over tacos. She lusts after Arnie, and you get to be a voyeur at their date, even as you think, “Don’t do it, girl. He’s bad news!”
First Cut is a good read, and an auspicious start to a series that looks promising. It’s probably more a book for women than men, but it’s not Nancy Drew. There may be one too many Polish slang phrases thrown in, which are confusing because I don’t speak Polish. My only real negative here is that the major plot twist feels telegraphed. You (or at least I) could see it coming a mile away. There are still some surprises, however, so it’s not a total letdown.