Paper Cut

“You’re in a cult; call your dad,” is an early viral quote from one of my long-time favorite true crime podcasts, My Favorite Murder. But what do you do when the cult leader is your dad?

Paper Cut by Rachel Taff follows the first-person narrative of Lucy Golden, a woman in her mid-thirties, from her perspective in two timelines: one, current day Lucy has agreed to participate in a documentary which will highlight the 20th anniversary of her memoir about escaping from a cult, killing someone in the process; the second timeline is twenty years earlier primarily via chapters from that memoir, Rattlesnake.

Present-day Lucy tells us that not everything in the memoir is accurate, hinting very early that she’s concerned the documentary will uncover some truth she didn’t reveal in Rattlesnake. Does this make me question whether she’s telling us - even herself - the full truth now? Yes, it does - but the truth of the events in Paper Cut - or its book within a book - isn’t the truth that matters. What matters in Paper Cut is the emotional truth. No matter what story Lucy tells us, whether through her memoir or in real time, her decision-making is obviously highly influenced by her emotional reactions to those around her - especially her mother and father.

In current time, besides the documentary, Lucy is also dealing with her true crime obsessed fan base, a stalker, and a temporary roommate - her narcissistic photographer mother who has an exhibit nearby. Throw in her strained relationship with her literal rock star sister, her own investigation into her past, and her need for human connection, whether with strangers in a bar or the documentary crew, there’s a lot going on with Lucy but it all seems to point back to her teenage self.

I am looking forward to what’s next from Rachel Taff. This debut is tightly written and fast paced, even with so many threads and the psychological heft. It doesn’t sacrifice character for its sharp look at a true crime and fame obsessed society.

If you’re looking for an out-there cult experience, this isn’t that - we’re seeing everything from Lucy’s eyes, how it affects her, and the cult (and her family and her fans and, and, and….) are supporting players in her story.

A note on the audio production: excellent production quality, as usual with Harper, and Helen Laser is Lucy Golden. No notes.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and HarperAudio Adult for the advance copy for my unbiased review. Pub date: 1/27/26