The Cutting Season (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The young boy's soul emerged from his body, hesitated as if getting its bearings, made a circuit of the operating theater, and flitted upward toward..." (more)
Key Phrases: Tie Mei, Grandpa Lou, Rafik Petrossov (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A gripping story. ... a page-turning mystery,.. Rosenfeld's medical knowledge and martial-arts expertise reinforce an authority and clarity to the work. ... that's storytelling! -- Walter Anderson, President & CEO, Parade Magazine, March 31, 2007

Product Description

Dr. Xenon Pearl cuts brains for a living, and he's as good as it gets. His direct, sometimes abrasive style is forgivable in light of his skill with a scalpel, and tempered by his compassion for his patients and his friends. He is a dutiful son to his widower father, a doting grandchild to a grandfather who was once a rabbi, and he has even met the girl of his dreams. Everything is on-track for this medical golden boy. The other side of this motorcycle-riding, brilliant doctor facade is a side that Xenon (aka Zee) hides even from his father. Secretly trained since childhood by his Chinese nanny, Wu, Tie Mei--herself a martial warrior of shadowy lineage--Dr. Xenon Pearl is also a martial arts expert who loves the sword as much as the scalpel. Through Tie Mei's training of Zee, we see the philosophical and spiritual practice of a warrior, and how it guides his every step. Now his past is showing up to literally haunt him. His dead teacher reappears, reminding him of the warrior lives he has lived before, and demands he fulfill his destiny. Xenon must use his skill with a blade to protect the innocent, face down the Russian mob, protect the blade mistress who loves him, and stay one step ahead of a smart cop; he is set to lose everything unless he can cut just one more time.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 306 pages
• Publisher: YMAA Publication Center (June 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594390827
• ISBN-13: 978-1594390821
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #628,103 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing, February 16, 2008

By	C. F. Jones (MO, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An avid fan of the gentle mystery, I was not keen to read a story with gore and violence. However, the first chapter intriqued and by the third I was hooked! Arthur Rosenfeld is a masterful storyteller who can weave the fanciful and unbelievable into a hypnotic spell. The violence plays off the sense of hopelessness we have when bad things happen to good people and we must wait upon the wheels of justice to slowly grind thier paths. However, his protagonist is not without a conscience and his agony over his role in this life draws us into our own fantasies of wanting to be able to avenge evil and the frustration of being constrained by the rules of civilization. The "blood and gore" is cleverly done to allow the reader to visualize the event without his spelling out every detail. Indeed, the use of the acupuncture needles is a unique twist which lends a touch of reprieve from the violence usually associated with martial arts. Best of all, I understand the passion in the romance without having every action described in minute detail. This book was a spellbinder which could not be put down to even fix dinner until it was finished. Good thing I have a hubby that doesn't mind eating late! The only problem I had was that for me it ended too soon...I wanted more. But that's the mark of a gifted author. I'll be reading more of his stories soon!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting the Edge!, August 9, 2007

By	M. L. MacPherson (boston) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Cutting Season is a multi-level novel - the complicated main character, Xenon, is a martial arts expert, Jewish, and a brain surgeon that can wield a sword with the same degree of expertise as he does a scalpel. While you may not like this guy in the beginning - and may seriously question his sanity at times, by the end of the book you will have to say you respect his dedication to making things right. Engaging quick-read novel that keeps you interested throughout.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smooth as a straight razor edge, tough as pigiron., June 14, 2007

By	D. Moncusjr - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The story of one man who did make a difference and did it in a way most can only dream about. With an unstoppable narrative power, this book will cause much thinking. This is a great read with a you-are-there quality. The action junkies will find what they need, as will those who seek a deeper meaning. This book has it all. I could not stop reading. I feel as if I know, and have known all the major players. I look forward to the next one.