Read A Sample Chapter

Order Now

A freelance film editor, Tracy Bateman goes where the work is. So when his old partner calls with an assignment, Tracy finds himself on a plane to Rome. But there are surprises waiting for him—deadly surprises that will lead him on a desperate chase across Europe, into the hands of a pair of brutal drug smugglers, and back to New York City, where the greatest betrayal of all awaits...

• One of the most acclaimed novelists of the last 30 years, Bell has been a finalist for the National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Prize
• Bell’s other books include All Souls’ Rising, Ten Indians, and Doctor Sleep, which became the movie "Close Your Eyes"
• Walker Percy on STRAIGHT CUT: "A real thriller...not only high entertainment, but high pleasure to read."
• Chicago Tribune on STRAIGHT CUT: "[A] treasure: the only straight mystery...by one of our leading novelists."

"A winning novel...spare and cinematic."

— Time

"A brilliant performance."

— The New York Times

"Every sentence [Bell] writes is a joy...His power is exhilarating."

— The New Yorker

"One of the most gifted and prolific writers of his generation."

— People

"As powerful as a crisp kick to the solar plexus...fiercely brilliant."

— San Francisco Bay Guardian

"Bell is, quite simply, a virtuoso novelist. Imagine Graham Greene melding his ‘entertainments’ with his more sober efforts and you’ll have some idea of Straight Cut."

— The Philadelphia Inquirer