Final Cut

by Marjorie McCown

Overview

Perfect for fans of Elle Cosimano and Nita Prose, when Hollywood costumer Joey Jessop stumbles across a dead body near the set of a big budget movie, she must find ways to protect her career—and herself—before it's too late.

Joey Jessop enjoys working behind the scenes. As key costumer for the next epic superhero movie, her role is to make others look good while staying out of the spotlight. That means making sure to be professional around Eli Logan, her ex and the First Assistant Director, and Courtney Lisle, Eli's newest love interest and the Second Assistant Director. But this isn't a problem for Joey—especially when the movie is shooting at a gorgeous Malibu location.

All of that changes when Joey finds Courtney's dead body on the first day of principal photography, and she soon becomes the primary suspect. When the press takes hold of the story and social media begins to run with it, Joey watches her well-ordered life behind the scenes become front and center for all to see. But that isn't even the worst of it. In the midst of this newfound and unfortunate stardom, she must also contend with the reckless behavior of the movie's predatory director and producer, Marcus Pray, who seems driven to continue his practice of making another blockbuster hit while making sure his crew endures a toxic and potentially lethal work environment. As a result, Joey finds herself embattled both personally and professionally.

With tensions building on set and a murder investigation looming over her life and future, Joey takes it upon herself to clear her name. Will she be able to expose the truth before it's a wrap?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781639107285
Publisher:	CROOKED LANE BOOKS
Publication date:	10/08/2024
Series:	A Hollywood Mystery , #1
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	274,876
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Marjorie McCown has spent her entire professional life in the story-telling business, though she started out on the visual side of the craft. She spent more than twenty-five years in Hollywood working as a key member of the costume design teams for a string of successful movies that includes Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, The Firm, A Bronx Tale, Wag the Dog, The Aviator, Hairspray, Angels and Demons, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and X-Men Days of Future Past. McCown has a BA in Theater from the University of Virginia and an AAS in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Southern California.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Final Cut:
Deadly Pleasures's Best Mysteries of 2023

“[A] keen sense of what it’s like to work on a Hollywood production.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A fun and unique story . . . Readers will love Final Cut.”
—Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

“Expertly showcases [McCown's] genuine flair for original and the kind of narrative driven and unexpected plot twists that make for a riveting story.”
—Midwest Book Review

“Engaging, with twists and turns.”
—Red Carpet Crash

“A must-read movie mystery packed with juicy details from a Hollywood insider, Final Cut gets my nomination for best debut.”
—Ellen Byron, Agatha and Lefty Award Winner, USA Today bestselling author

“Final Cut is both an insider look at what it’s like to work on Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster and a surprising, timely mystery about a murder on the set . . . The story is a pop culture lover’s dream. I’m already lining up for the sequel.”
—Kellye Garrett, Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty Award winning author of Like a Sister

“A sparkling debut.”
—Erica Ruth Neubauer, Agatha Award winning author of the Jane Wunderly Mystery series

“[A] compellingly-readable mystery . . . Heartily recommend!”
—Barbara Ross, award winning author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries

“McCown has expertly crafted a nifty intense mystery with a fascinating insider glimpse into the hectic life behind the scenes on a film set.”
—Daniel Orlandi, award-winning costume designer of The Da Vinci Code

“McCown offers well-developed characters, a cleverly designed plot, and an intelligent and interesting costumer protagonist . . . Engaging from first page to last.”
—Victoria Gilbert, author of the Hunter & Clewe mystery series

“[A] unique glimpse of how blockbuster movie magic is made, combined with a timely examination of the epidemic of harassment in Hollywood, makes for a fascinating read.”
—Olivia Blacke, author of the Brooklyn Murder Mysteries

“Overflowing with authentic details, the behind-the-scenes peek at Hollywood filmmaking will captivate readers as much as the crimes.”
—Misha Popp, author of the Pies Before Guys Mystery series

“A fascinating look at how that movie magic is made, combined with a fun, fast-moving plot and plenty of red herrings.”
—M.E. Hilliard, author of the Greer Hogan Mystery series

“[A] fast-paced and suspenseful debut. With a compelling cast of characters, a well-plotted puzzle, and fascinating industry insights, Final Cut is a guaranteed fit for movie and mystery lovers alike. I am already looking forward to Joey’s next adventure!”
—Ashley Weaver, author of the Electra McDonnell series

“Tight prose and deft plotting combine with Marjorie McCown’s insider knowledge from her career in the movies to deliver the debut of the year.”
—Zac Bissonnette, author of A Killing in Costumes

From the Publisher

05/08/2023

McCown’s entertaining but overwritten debut centers on Joey Jessup, a Hollywood costumer whose latest job turns deadly. Her gig on a high-profile superhero movie would be a dream come true if the film weren’t directed by the scummy Marcus Prey. To make matters worse, Prey’s assistant director is none other than Joey’s ex-boyfriend, Eli, and the second AD is Eli’s new girlfriend, Courtney. Joey manages to keep her head down and her eyes on her work until, on the first day of shooting, she finds Courtney dead on a Malibu beach near the film set. Painted by the police and the internet as a jilted ex, Joey becomes the primary suspect and sets out to clear her name without causing more waves at her increasingly toxic workplace. McCown’s 25 years as a real-life film costumer lend the proceedings juicy authenticity, but her plotting tends to sprawl: she throws too many characters in the mix, many of them extraneous to the core mystery. Joey’s final confrontation with the killer is a blood-pumping injection of welcome excitement, but readers will have had to make their way through one too many games of Hollywood inside baseball to get there. Still, there’s promise for the series, even if this first entry isn’t quite Oscar-worthy. Agent: Anne Collette, Rees Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

2023-03-11
Murder casts a dark shadow over yet another Hollywood production—and particularly over its key costumer.

Despite his name, producer/director Marcus Pray is a predator who bullies his colleagues, does his best to surround himself with Victoria’s Secret models, and hits on every woman in sight. Joey Jessop, the “queen of made-to-order” at Left Coast Costumes, is a consummate pro, but part of her professionalism has been to turn a blind eye to Pray and his kind as he asserts his seigneurial rights. Pray’s new production is threatened with the worst kind of publicity and even a shutdown after Joey finds Courtney Lisle, the second assistant director, dead of undisclosed causes. Since Courtney was Pray’s semisecret lover, their lives are both held up to scrutiny. But it’s even worse for Joey, who left her own lover, first AD Eli Logan, over his uncontrollable coke habit a year ago only to see him pair up with Courtney. Popvibe reporter Maggie Fuller keeps hounding her for an interview; an anonymous source keeps texting her threats of vengeance; Det. Corinne Blankenship, of the LA County Sheriff’s Office, keeps expressing impatience with her protestations of innocence; and the production keeps being interrupted by an escalating series of accidents that seem like anything but. McCown steeps her workmanlike whodunit in a million sharply observed details that give you a painfully keen sense of what it’s like to work on a Hollywood production on which somebody else has all the power.

The perfect remedy that will keep star-struck wannabes down on the farm.

Kirkus Reviews