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Chopped: A Diana Hunter Mystery Paperback – April 27, 2017
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★★★★★ “Start reading Chopped only when you can devote time to read it thru. This is a can’t put it down book.”
A grisly corpse. An enemy from the past. Has Diana Hunter finally met her match?
Diana Hunter’s keen analytical mind made her the most skilled operative in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. But the young agent’s brilliant reputation attracted a deadly enemy. Ten years ago, Diana was captured by the elusive assassin known only as ‘Surgeon.’ She barely survived the ordeal.
Now, years later, the amateur sleuth is still haunted by the shadowy psychopathic genius. Two days before the anniversary of her kidnapping, a dead body turns up in the streets of Vancouver. Diana knows it can’t be coincidence. Surgeon has claimed another victim and left her a ghastly calling card.
Desperate to bring the psychopath to justice, Diana dangles herself as bait for this ruthless, arrogant killer. She thinks she can read his every move. But what happens if her plan goes horribly wrong?
Chopped is an electrifying game of cat and mouse, played against an opponent whose obsessive mind always seems to be one step ahead. Can Diana and her handsome partner, Detective Peter Hopkinson, outwit this brilliant killer? Or will Surgeon make the final move in their deadly little game?
Chopped is the third in this thrilling series featuring a feisty, fearless, female protagonist who is sometimes her own worst enemy. No bad language, graphic sex or violence, just plenty of excitement and suspense.
"Peter and Diana have a great chemistry."
Praise for the Diana Hunter series:
"Diana Hunter stories combine detective and spy stories in a delightful way."
"On the edge of my seat..."
"Page turner"
Books in the Diana Hunter series:
Hunted (Prequel)
Snatched
Stolen
Chopped
Exposed
Buy Chopped and watch Diana Hunter match wits with her deadliest enemy!
- Print length210 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateApril 27, 2017
- Dimensions5 x 0.53 x 8 inches
- ISBN-101541154835
- ISBN-13978-1541154834
The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"This book deserves more than the max five stars."
"The best one yet!"
"Yet another amazing read...I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series and find out what happens next!"
"Many, many thanks for a truly great read."
"Great story. Great characters. Loved it."
"I loved the book and the character you have developed in Diana."
"Oh my gosh! I just finished Stolen and now can't wait to read the other books in this series. I loved it and it sure kept me on my toes......"
"This was so well written and edgy. I had a hard time putting it down. I loved the danger, the characters were all people I could relate to and I enjoyed the descriptions, they jumped of the page into my imagination. Well done."
From the Author
Product details
- Publisher : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 27, 2017)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 210 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1541154835
- ISBN-13 : 978-1541154834
- Item Weight : 8.1 ounces
- Dimensions : 5 x 0.53 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #5,415,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #81,383 in Women Sleuths (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

A.J. Golden writes the Diana Hunter thriller series. As Alison Golden, she is the USA Today bestselling author of the Inspector David Graham mysteries and Reverend Annabelle Dixon cozy mysteries.
A.J. was raised in Bedfordshire, England. Her aim is to write stories that are designed to entertain, amuse, and calm. Her approach is to combine creative ideas with excellent writing and edit, edit, edit.
A.J. is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and twin sons. She splits her time between London and San Francisco.
To receive three free books, updates about new releases, exclusive promotions, and other insider information, sign up at: http://www.alisongolden.com.
Photo credit: Maggie Vittori
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Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2019
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Top reviews from the United States
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This is my first Diana Hunter Mystery though it's obviously not the first one in the series. Based on all the rave reviews, I was expecting more from this novel. In the beginning interactions between the main characters are over-stated. For example: "she barked", "she growled", "she snapped", "She glared at him", "she hissed". These reactions to her partner are evident throughout the storyline and a bit over the top. If these characteristics are intended to set the mood, they have done so but with a negative reaction. It was hard to warm to Diana and while I felt like the author wanted us to get to know her and (her partner) Peter better, their personalities were somewhat flat and one dimensional.
They presumably are on a case to find the killer of a man who is beheaded and his fingerprints are seared off. With these clues and I assume the "tox" screen on the victim, Diana immediately knows the identity of the killer, has had past experience with him, and gives an interview designed to draw out the killer--'Surgeon' (as he is known in police parlance). Though he failed to destroy Diana during their first encounter, she is convinced that he won't miss the opportunity to try again. The original headless victim is none other than 'Surgeon's' mentor, Garibaldi.
A hint at a political hit courtesy of potential Islamic terrorists seems to be off the table as they focus their attention on capturing 'Surgeon'. So while there appeared to be some serious investigative work and situation assessment necessary, this line never really goes any where. Instead Diana sets herself up as bait to draw out 'Surgeon' and her ploy works. By now half the book is over without much action and what appears to be a rocky relationship among various agencies as well as amongst Diana's own team. Not knowing Diana or Peter's backstory is troubling as it would seem more attention on the political targets and the terrorists would be central to the investigation, instead all future paths forward depend on getting 'Surgeon'. The story takes an interesting twist when Diana is abducted by 'Surgeon'. Her capture by 'Surgeon', at first appeared sloppy on their part, but we later learn that Diana's team had it all worked out, even without the complete knowledge (by her partner) of all aspects. Her time spent in captivity, as she undergoes a planned discussion is designed to ensnare 'Surgeon'.
After Diana is hailed by her work partners as a champ, she is suddenly confronted by 'Surgeon' again. It would seem, though the reader is never informed how, 'Surgeon', after being used by the CSIS and others to gain information, has somehow escaped and is waiting for Diana at her apartment. One would think his escape would draw forth an APB and that Diana and Peter would be the first to know. Diana reflects once she arrives home, that the outside of her apartment is dark and she will need to get this situation fixed. It never occurs to her that there may be cause for concern that her bodyguards are missing and the lighting outside has been eliminated. The finale is somewhat anti-climatic as its Diana's terrier that attacks 'Surgeon' (biting his ankle) and distracts him enough and this gives Peter time to shoot and wound and eventually capture the assassin.
This book just left me uninspired. I didn't feel close to any of the characters and in fact, found myself not particularly liking Diana, the heroine. The way the ending was written, it appears some of the issues will likely be resolved in future novels. I will leave that to the many fans of Alison Golden.
Hunter and Hopkinson are called to a murder scene. A headless dead body has been found and a surgical mask is in the victim’s pocket. The missing head is not a sign, but the surgical mask certainly is. Hunter’s old nemesis the Surgeon has resurfaced, and it looks like he’s up to old tricks, including targeting of Hunter herself. The crime has links into international terrorism and a possible assassination plot. Hunter figures the only way to smoke out the Surgeon is to use herself as bait. It works.
Golden has three mystery and suspense series involving signature detectives. The Diana Hunter series is set in Vancouver; the series includes “Hunted,” “Snatched,” “Stolen,” “Chopped,” and “Exposed.” The Rev. Annabelle Dixon series is set in Cornwall. And the Inspector David Graham series is set on Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. The last two are officially “cozy mysteries,” which translates as minimal violence and any romantic interest will not involve graphic sex.
Things happen in the Diana Hunter series – and fast. The stories are action-packed, sometimes so action-packed that close reading is required to keep track of everything. But they’re highly entertaining suspense stories, with a very self-sufficient woman detective at the center.
The story centers around the search for a hired assassin who is called the Surgeon. You can imagine how he got that nickname. Diana has history with him and leads the team trying everything imaginable to find him, because nobody knows what his real name is or what he looks like. The story keeps evolving as more and more individuals and agencies are brought in on the search, all of them Canadian, as the story is set in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Of course Diana is involved in the eventual apprehension, but things do not go smoothly, and the reader is left wondering about the final outcome right up to the end.
Question is why would a politician hire a hit man to take out a hit man that has a target on him. They know he is the middle of and lying Diane has a plan to draw Surgeon out, she wants the charade to end and have her life back. Good plot of how Diane and Peter worked the case. The series is good and definitely worth reading.
Top reviews from other countries

The characters are outstanding and the plot is superb, I particularly like the relationship between Diana and her partner Peter, which has the added twist that Diana is the far more qualified and experienced agent. The 'baddie' Surgeon is also a great invention and is suitably clever and scary.
There is one negative aspect of this book for me and that is the ending of this book being effectively the start of the next book, so it is not a self-contained stand-alone book, but will leave you desperate to get the next one.



