Audiobook Review: Cut Short By BD Spargo

I’m excited to be welcoming BD Spargo to Novel Kicks and the audiobook blog tour for his book, Cut Short.

Detectives can’t bury their mistakes, murderers can.

DCI Liam Doyle is haunted by the demons from his past and the challenges of the present: a broken marriage, a tarnished reputation, and a troubled young son who needs him. He’s newly moved out of south London – and out of his comfort zone.

When a murdered woman is found at a Lancashire beauty spot in his new patch. Doyle is tasked with finding her killer, along with his new detective sergeant, Anna Morgan.

As the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that things are not as they seem. A clever killer has created a complex web of deceit and is always one step ahead of Doyle … and the bodies are mounting up. Is the past the key to unlocking the present? When the stakes get higher, Doyle’s need to find the killer becomes personal and the detective is plunged into a desperate race against time. Will Doyle succeed before he has another dead body on his conscience?

Played out across the rugged Lancashire landscape, Cut Short is a gripping crime thriller layered with plot twists and sprinkled with humour. This fast-paced novel, the first in a series featuring DCI Liam Doyle, will have readers on the edge of their seats.

If you have enjoyed books by authors such as Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride, JD Kirk and Alex Smith, you won’t want to miss Cut Short.

*****

DCI Liam Doyle has just transferred from the Met to Lancashire to be closer to his son. On his first day, a young woman is found murdered. As the clues gradually piece together, can Liam, DS Anna Morgan and their team find the killer before someone else gets hurt?

I do like a good crime thriller and so I was delighted to be welcomed onto the audiobook blog tour for BD Spargo’s, Cut Short. This is first novel in a brand-new series featuring DCI Liam Doyle.

Narrated by Aubrey Parsons, the audiobook is clear, dramatic and was a great way to experience the story. I found the voice held authority and could very easily keep up with what was going on. As it’s the first novel, there were a few people to introduce, and Parsons navigated the story in an engaging way. I would very happily listen to his narration again.

Now, to the story. BD Spargo doesn’t hold anything back and, within the prologue, there is violence against an animal. If this is something you’d find triggering, I’d suggest starting the book at least 3 and a half minutes in. This act is an important part of the novel, so it isn’t gratuitous, just difficult and heartbreaking. I found it hard to get through the beginning but once I did, I found myself immersed in the case alongside Liam, Anna and their team. The author has done a great job of unravelling information in a careful, strategic way that makes you want to continue turning the page. I was never once feeling like the story was dragging. It was compelling all the way through. There was even some humour among the chaos and crime.

The characters are a fascinating mixture of people. Liam Doyle is someone who has seen a lot in his career. What you see is what you get with him. Anna is a little bit more guarded, and it isn’t until later in the novel that you find out a bit more about her. The other people within the team bring a great deal to the story – Bowen, Derrick Birdseye’ Nelson, and Geoff ‘Pearl’ Hales to name a few. There was one I didn’t like as much but I don’t want to give too much away.

Cut Short is a terrific beginning of what promises to be a gripping, gritty, captivating crime thriller series. It had me going through many emotions as I read, and I couldn’t quite decide how it was going to end. The ending is a surprise and has got me adding the second novel, Witch Hunt to my TBR list. BD Spargo has created a world that feels very believable, and his writing style had me absorbed from first page to the last.

 
 
 
About BD Spargo – 

Fast approaching fifty; without enough money for a sports car, BD Spargo decided to express his mid-life crises by turning to crime …

Thankfully for pretty much everyone this meant writing crime fiction rather than anything more nefarious. Originally from London, he spent his early career working in television and theatre including on the Ruth Rendall Mysteries broadcast on ITV.

A life changing accident necessitated retraining and a change of direction going on to work in mental health services. This culminated in ten years managing a groundbreaking forensic psychiatric service. He now lives in Lancashire with his family and is getting acclimatised to the rain.

Say hello to BD Spargo via his website and on Facebook, X, Bluesky and Instagram. 

Cut Short, book one in the DCI Liam Doyle Crime Thriller series. It was released on audiobook and released by Howfen Press on 6th February 2026. Click to buy on Audible UK, Audible US, Amazon UK and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.