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The Tip Line
Perfect for fans of Hannah Morrissey and May Cobb, Vanessa Cuti’s debut is an unsettling thriller that asks just how far you should go to find love.
Anxious to get married, thirty-year-old Virginia Carey lands a job as an operator at a police tip line, where she thinks finding a husband will be easy. There’s Charlie Ford, a surprisingly sweet homicide detective, and charming police chief Declan “Deck” Brady. But just as Virginia’s plans begin to fall into place and she can almost picture a ring on her finger, she answers a call from Verona—a mysterious woman who provides a tip about four bodies on a remote local beach.
Verona, a sex worker, also gives Virginia details on sordid and raucous parties attended by law enforcement officers, and on the strange fetishes of cops she has been involved with. Then comes an explosive tip: Verona thinks it’s a police officer who is responsible for the killings.
But it can’t be true—the cops Virginia works with are marriage material, even if they are a little rough around the edges. While Verona trusts that her tips are being heard because she and Virginia have formed an unusual connection, Virginia realizes that the key to solving the case is ultimately in her hands.
The tip line will reveal the truth about those murders. So long as Virginia is willing to hear it.
Anxious to get married, thirty-year-old Virginia Carey lands a job as an operator at a police tip line, where she thinks finding a husband will be easy. There’s Charlie Ford, a surprisingly sweet homicide detective, and charming police chief Declan “Deck” Brady. But just as Virginia’s plans begin to fall into place and she can almost picture a ring on her finger, she answers a call from Verona—a mysterious woman who provides a tip about four bodies on a remote local beach.
Verona, a sex worker, also gives Virginia details on sordid and raucous parties attended by law enforcement officers, and on the strange fetishes of cops she has been involved with. Then comes an explosive tip: Verona thinks it’s a police officer who is responsible for the killings.
But it can’t be true—the cops Virginia works with are marriage material, even if they are a little rough around the edges. While Verona trusts that her tips are being heard because she and Virginia have formed an unusual connection, Virginia realizes that the key to solving the case is ultimately in her hands.
The tip line will reveal the truth about those murders. So long as Virginia is willing to hear it.
10 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 18, 2023
About the author
Vanessa Cuti
3 books30 followersVanessa Cuti's fiction has appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2021, The Kenyon Review, AGNI, West Branch, Indiana Review, Cimarron Review, The Cincinnati Review, Shenandoah, The Rumpus and others. She received her MFA from Stony Brook University and lives in the suburbs of New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
May 14, 2023
I should get this straight, so my mind DNF'd this book at 52%, but my ears listened until the end.
Without further ado, let's begin the review.
SUMMARY:
This is a story about adelusional woman named Virginia. One day she gets a job as a tip-call operator at the police station. She wanted to find a husband rather than work in here. She did well with her assignment, until there's one mysterious call from a woman named Verona. Verona gives her a tip that there were girls murdered on a remote local beach. And she thinks it was done by a police officer. Then, long story short, they're about to unravel who murdered these girls and why?.
👁️ This story told in first person POV (Virginia)
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🔊:
Narrated by: Sarah Naughton 👩
Length of audio: 9h 47m
She was great (truly), her pronunciation was clear, her voice was beautiful when she sang, and how she expressed each character and the tone she used to describe the scenery was incredible. The voice changing was also very nice and clean. She deserves all the stars; it's just the story that sucks. And no matter how good she was, she couldn't save this.
MY THOUGHTS:
📌I should have picked up an e-book, don't get me wrong. The narration was excellent; she was great; however, the story line was just all over the place. is a bit hard to understand. Some parts were boring❗️.
I even played chess on my iPad to get over her delusional mind. And FYI, I played more than 10 rounds.
📌 To be honest, the story of this book is such a breath of fresh air to me. Tip caller workers—i don't recall ever reading a main characters as tip caller workers.
📌 The premise was good however the execution...💀
WHY IT DIDN'T WORK OUT FOR ME:
☠️ I'm speechless (not in a good way) at how delusional our main character is. She's literally on the next level of delusional; I didn't even know which was her fantasy and which was her reality; I got drowned in her fucked up mind. Worse since I chose audiobooks instead of e-books.
- How delusional she is is way more than you can imagine. Every time she met husband material at her work place, she kept picturing: how will he kiss her?, his touch?, her wedding?, having babies with him?, he accompanies her at the labor?, how many kids they will have?, their kids' names?
- She is the most unlikeable character I have ever seen. Ahh.. right, she is not only picturing things with guys, but every aspect of her life. Picturing this, picturing that.
- Despite being in her thirties, her character is like a teenager who is still in heat and wants so badly to have sex.
☠️ When she was having a phone call with Verona (our tip caller), I thought they would have that kind of intriguing, serious, and tense dialogue. BUT HELL YEAH! They most likely talked about men, and when Verona talked about her job as sex worker, there was once when her client was a police officer, and they were having sex in the car when he was on his lunch break, and he told Verona to suck his gun. That's my limit. I'm off, and I'm done (Adios).
☠️ The main focus of this book, if you think the main focus is about the on-going case, how these 4 girls dead and how they will unsloved and catch our bad guy oh hohoho.....you're deadly wrong!. The main focus of this book is "How's Virginia Find Her Material Husband at the Police Station?" and talks about her friend and her mother asking her, "Have you met someone yet?" That's It.
And let me tell you, when Charlie asked Virginia for a date and he canceled it due a tip about four girls dead on the remote beach, it turned out to be true. She was pissed! Okay, okay, i will explain it again: someone murdered these 4 girls and dumped them like garbage on the beach; Charlie canceled his date; and then SHE WAS PISSED! 4 girls were dead, and she was pissed (I said "she was pissed" 3 times; I hope that is clear enough about what kind of character she is).
☠️ Now move on to men in this story, what i recall there were two men. One is named Charlie; he is a homicide investigator, and the other is named Deck?, Decky?, Becky?, Brady? Well, whatever. He is a chief of police. Whenever I was not paying enough attention, I got mixed up between those two guys.
Virginia was as high as a cloud in the sky. You will never understand her. I think her brain cells were damaged when she used drugs back in college.
☠️ What I remembered most of this book is the way he kissed her, hugged her, touched her, had sex with her, and kept saying Jesus whenever he was with Virginia.😓
☠️ Overused "I said, she said, and he said."
☠️ The ending... don't ask! One star literally represents everything. When I listened to about 93% of the audiobook, I increased the speed from 1x to 2x, because I couldn't stand to hear this sick character for any longer. I didn't want to hear about her thoughts for even a second longer.
WHAT THIS BOOK MADE ME FEEL:
▪️MAD
▪️FRUSTRATED
▪️STRESSED
▪️WANTED TO SCREAM
CREDIT:
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with this audibook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🐥
Without further ado, let's begin the review.
SUMMARY:
This is a story about a
👁️ This story told in first person POV (Virginia)
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🔊:
Narrated by: Sarah Naughton 👩
Length of audio: 9h 47m
She was great (truly), her pronunciation was clear, her voice was beautiful when she sang, and how she expressed each character and the tone she used to describe the scenery was incredible. The voice changing was also very nice and clean. She deserves all the stars; it's just the story that sucks. And no matter how good she was, she couldn't save this.
MY THOUGHTS:
📌I should have picked up an e-book, don't get me wrong. The narration was excellent; she was great; however, the story line was just all over the place. is a bit hard to understand. Some parts were boring❗️.
I even played chess on my iPad to get over her delusional mind. And FYI, I played more than 10 rounds.
📌 To be honest, the story of this book is such a breath of fresh air to me. Tip caller workers—i don't recall ever reading a main characters as tip caller workers.
📌 The premise was good however the execution...💀
WHY IT DIDN'T WORK OUT FOR ME:
☠️ I'm speechless (not in a good way) at how delusional our main character is. She's literally on the next level of delusional; I didn't even know which was her fantasy and which was her reality; I got drowned in her fucked up mind. Worse since I chose audiobooks instead of e-books.
- How delusional she is is way more than you can imagine. Every time she met husband material at her work place, she kept picturing: how will he kiss her?, his touch?, her wedding?, having babies with him?, he accompanies her at the labor?, how many kids they will have?, their kids' names?
- She is the most unlikeable character I have ever seen. Ahh.. right, she is not only picturing things with guys, but every aspect of her life. Picturing this, picturing that.
- Despite being in her thirties, her character is like a teenager who is still in heat and wants so badly to have sex.
☠️ When she was having a phone call with Verona (our tip caller), I thought they would have that kind of intriguing, serious, and tense dialogue. BUT HELL YEAH! They most likely talked about men, and when Verona talked about her job as sex worker, there was once when her client was a police officer, and they were having sex in the car when he was on his lunch break, and he told Verona to suck his gun. That's my limit. I'm off, and I'm done (Adios).
☠️ The main focus of this book, if you think the main focus is about the on-going case, how these 4 girls dead and how they will unsloved and catch our bad guy oh hohoho.....you're deadly wrong!. The main focus of this book is "How's Virginia Find Her Material Husband at the Police Station?" and talks about her friend and her mother asking her, "Have you met someone yet?" That's It.
And let me tell you, when Charlie asked Virginia for a date and he canceled it due a tip about four girls dead on the remote beach, it turned out to be true. She was pissed! Okay, okay, i will explain it again: someone murdered these 4 girls and dumped them like garbage on the beach; Charlie canceled his date; and then SHE WAS PISSED! 4 girls were dead, and she was pissed (I said "she was pissed" 3 times; I hope that is clear enough about what kind of character she is).
☠️ Now move on to men in this story, what i recall there were two men. One is named Charlie; he is a homicide investigator, and the other is named Deck?, Decky?, Becky?, Brady? Well, whatever. He is a chief of police. Whenever I was not paying enough attention, I got mixed up between those two guys.
Virginia was as high as a cloud in the sky. You will never understand her. I think her brain cells were damaged when she used drugs back in college.
☠️ What I remembered most of this book is the way he kissed her, hugged her, touched her, had sex with her, and kept saying Jesus whenever he was with Virginia.😓
☠️ Overused "I said, she said, and he said."
☠️ The ending... don't ask! One star literally represents everything. When I listened to about 93% of the audiobook, I increased the speed from 1x to 2x, because I couldn't stand to hear this sick character for any longer. I didn't want to hear about her thoughts for even a second longer.
WHAT THIS BOOK MADE ME FEEL:
▪️MAD
▪️FRUSTRATED
▪️STRESSED
▪️WANTED TO SCREAM
CREDIT:
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with this audibook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🐥
May 11, 2023
2⭐
Publication date ~ April 18, 2023
Page Count ~ 282
Audio length ~ 9 hours 47 minutes
Narrators ~ Sarah Naughton
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ some chapters on the long side (40 minutes is long to me), murders
Virginia has a new job as a civilian tip line operator, which sounds exciting to my nosy self. Yay, she's going to get some tips to help solve case after case after case. But, nope, this book was so much more than her job and that's not a good thing.
She is absolutely obsessed with finding a husband. She's seems borderline crazy with all the inner monologue. She's like planning her and her nonexistent husbands whole life in her head. Just look her way and she'll have already named your future children. My biggest issue is that sometimes I didn't know if she was talking to someone or just herself. Let the scene play out in fiction life, not in your head girl.
For taking place in a police building there wasn't much police work actually going on. I could have went for more on solving the case of the 4 murdered women, since it was a big part of the story.
So in conclusion, if you like to read a non thriller thriller that has little police work happening when most of characters are cops and everyone is unlikable and the main character is batshiz then this one might be for you.
The narration is in the okay category. A little stiff at times, but listenable at 3x. I'm not sure if this would've been better as a read.
*Thanks to the author, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
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Publication date ~ April 18, 2023
Page Count ~ 282
Audio length ~ 9 hours 47 minutes
Narrators ~ Sarah Naughton
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ some chapters on the long side (40 minutes is long to me), murders
Virginia has a new job as a civilian tip line operator, which sounds exciting to my nosy self. Yay, she's going to get some tips to help solve case after case after case. But, nope, this book was so much more than her job and that's not a good thing.
She is absolutely obsessed with finding a husband. She's seems borderline crazy with all the inner monologue. She's like planning her and her nonexistent husbands whole life in her head. Just look her way and she'll have already named your future children. My biggest issue is that sometimes I didn't know if she was talking to someone or just herself. Let the scene play out in fiction life, not in your head girl.
For taking place in a police building there wasn't much police work actually going on. I could have went for more on solving the case of the 4 murdered women, since it was a big part of the story.
So in conclusion, if you like to read a non thriller thriller that has little police work happening when most of characters are cops and everyone is unlikable and the main character is batshiz then this one might be for you.
The narration is in the okay category. A little stiff at times, but listenable at 3x. I'm not sure if this would've been better as a read.
*Thanks to the author, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
April 15, 2023
30 year old Virginia is obsessed with getting married so she takes a job answering a police tip line solely with the purpose of finding a husband thinking there would be lots of eligible bachelors working at the station. One day, she receives a tip from a mysterious woman which leads the police to the bodies of four murdered women on a remote beach.
I listened to the audiobook which was skillfully narrated by Sarah Naughton. She has a lovely voice with excellent enunciation and did a great job voicing Virginia's crazy thoughts.
The premise of this one piqued my interest, particularly the aspect of the tip line, but unfortunately the execution missed the mark. The Tip Line is told in a first-person narrative. The issue for me is that it is told from Virginia’s POV and being in her head was exhausting. I didn’t like her one bit and way too much of the story is spent in her delusional mind going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole.
Th author was able to hold my interest because I wanted to see where the story would go with regards to the murders, but that storyline seemed to take a backseat to Virginia's search for a husband which was disappointing. I just wanted more of the mystery and thought the story would have been better without so much of Virginia's inner dialogue. There was just so much of it which made it difficult to tell what was real and what was fantasy. This made the story confusing at times. Perhaps this would have been easier to differentiate in the print version, I'm not sure. While this is stated to be a psychological thriller, it didn't feel like one. It felt like a mixture of a mystery and psychological suspense or domestic drama. Seeing that this is Vanessa Cuti's debut novel, I look forward to seeing how her storytelling develops in her next book. 2.5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to an ARC.
I listened to the audiobook which was skillfully narrated by Sarah Naughton. She has a lovely voice with excellent enunciation and did a great job voicing Virginia's crazy thoughts.
The premise of this one piqued my interest, particularly the aspect of the tip line, but unfortunately the execution missed the mark. The Tip Line is told in a first-person narrative. The issue for me is that it is told from Virginia’s POV and being in her head was exhausting. I didn’t like her one bit and way too much of the story is spent in her delusional mind going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole.
Th author was able to hold my interest because I wanted to see where the story would go with regards to the murders, but that storyline seemed to take a backseat to Virginia's search for a husband which was disappointing. I just wanted more of the mystery and thought the story would have been better without so much of Virginia's inner dialogue. There was just so much of it which made it difficult to tell what was real and what was fantasy. This made the story confusing at times. Perhaps this would have been easier to differentiate in the print version, I'm not sure. While this is stated to be a psychological thriller, it didn't feel like one. It felt like a mixture of a mystery and psychological suspense or domestic drama. Seeing that this is Vanessa Cuti's debut novel, I look forward to seeing how her storytelling develops in her next book. 2.5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to an ARC.
December 9, 2022
This was a fantastic, original read, and I was so STRESSED by the time I finished (in the best way). I kept wanting to yell at the main character, "Girl, stop drinking and start running!"
The TIP LINE is not a typical thriller book, but instead occupies that space between thriller and literary fiction similar to Otessa Moshfegh and Laura Lippman and a delightfully weird interiority that evokes literary greats like Renata Adler, Virginia Woolf, and Sylvia Plath.
Despite it's setting, this is not a police procedural with a traditional plot structure and familiar comforting tropes, and a reader going in with those expectations because of how the book was marketed are likely to be confused and disappointed. What this is, is a smart work of literary fiction with daring and experimental prose and a fast-moving plot that keeps you moving through the book at breakneck speed.
The story follows Virginia, a woman in her 30s who is excellent at making bad decisions. Determined to find a man to marry, she takes a job in the most male-dominated workplace she can find: the Suffolk Police Department. She's the civilian operator of the tip line, and one day she gets a call that leads to the discovery of multiple dead sex workers: the work of a still-active serial killer.
Cuti skillfully builds tension, not only with the circling danger of a predator on the hunt, but through the anxious, intensely introspective voice of the narrator, whose thoughts race ever-faster as the book progresses, until the reader and the main character are cycling through uncertain, fractured fantasy worlds of shadowy what-ifs. The narrative is not about catching a killer but a descent into the rich, tumultuous world of a lone woman's mind. Five stars.
The TIP LINE is not a typical thriller book, but instead occupies that space between thriller and literary fiction similar to Otessa Moshfegh and Laura Lippman and a delightfully weird interiority that evokes literary greats like Renata Adler, Virginia Woolf, and Sylvia Plath.
Despite it's setting, this is not a police procedural with a traditional plot structure and familiar comforting tropes, and a reader going in with those expectations because of how the book was marketed are likely to be confused and disappointed. What this is, is a smart work of literary fiction with daring and experimental prose and a fast-moving plot that keeps you moving through the book at breakneck speed.
The story follows Virginia, a woman in her 30s who is excellent at making bad decisions. Determined to find a man to marry, she takes a job in the most male-dominated workplace she can find: the Suffolk Police Department. She's the civilian operator of the tip line, and one day she gets a call that leads to the discovery of multiple dead sex workers: the work of a still-active serial killer.
Cuti skillfully builds tension, not only with the circling danger of a predator on the hunt, but through the anxious, intensely introspective voice of the narrator, whose thoughts race ever-faster as the book progresses, until the reader and the main character are cycling through uncertain, fractured fantasy worlds of shadowy what-ifs. The narrative is not about catching a killer but a descent into the rich, tumultuous world of a lone woman's mind. Five stars.
May 13, 2023
Please allow me to be the outlier who tells you how hilarious and awesome this book is. But there is only one important rule with this book - do not believe anything this narrator says and find the humor in her desperate hunt for a husband, against all better judgment.
This is a biting satire, and a feminist thriller which I found both hilarious and chilling. I think a lot of the other reviews didn't appreciate the total tongue-in-cheek nature of this book, but I loved it.
Our heroine Virginia is desperate to find a husband, so she applies for a citizen Secretary job at the local police station because, you know -- so many strapping single men. The narrator's tone from the beginning of the book is one of a demure 1950s typing pool gal Friday, and that's the era I thought we were in for a long while, until I realized that our narrator Virginia is just a total cuckoo bird who wishes she were living in that era.
As other reviewers have noted, Virginia is so singularly obsessed with finding a husband in her midst that she completely misses many obvious clues that there is a serial murderer of women in her midst, too. As Virginia answers the tip line, and the clues point more and more obviously in a very specific direction close to home, Virginia must bury her head deeper and deeper in the sand to an almost ridiculous extreme as the murderer continues his rampage despite the many tips she is supposed to be passing along.
I found this book to be very frequently hilarious and a really funny satire of how crazy some women get over men who are clearly bad for them, all because they are desperate to be loved and/or married. You aren't meant to take Virginia's words at face value - there's a little feminist joke in almost every paragraph of her ridiculous internal monologues.
I loved the tone, the writing, the satire and especially the ending. This was a solid 4.5 stars for me. The voice actress also did a fantastic job! Vanessa Cuti is an intelligent, devious, fun author who I am going to be checking out much more from immediately.
This is a biting satire, and a feminist thriller which I found both hilarious and chilling. I think a lot of the other reviews didn't appreciate the total tongue-in-cheek nature of this book, but I loved it.
Our heroine Virginia is desperate to find a husband, so she applies for a citizen Secretary job at the local police station because, you know -- so many strapping single men. The narrator's tone from the beginning of the book is one of a demure 1950s typing pool gal Friday, and that's the era I thought we were in for a long while, until I realized that our narrator Virginia is just a total cuckoo bird who wishes she were living in that era.
As other reviewers have noted, Virginia is so singularly obsessed with finding a husband in her midst that she completely misses many obvious clues that there is a serial murderer of women in her midst, too. As Virginia answers the tip line, and the clues point more and more obviously in a very specific direction close to home, Virginia must bury her head deeper and deeper in the sand to an almost ridiculous extreme as the murderer continues his rampage despite the many tips she is supposed to be passing along.
I found this book to be very frequently hilarious and a really funny satire of how crazy some women get over men who are clearly bad for them, all because they are desperate to be loved and/or married. You aren't meant to take Virginia's words at face value - there's a little feminist joke in almost every paragraph of her ridiculous internal monologues.
I loved the tone, the writing, the satire and especially the ending. This was a solid 4.5 stars for me. The voice actress also did a fantastic job! Vanessa Cuti is an intelligent, devious, fun author who I am going to be checking out much more from immediately.
April 17, 2023
A mystery, yes. But not a thriller.
Even then, the mystery was pushed to the background. Most of the focus was on Virginia and her delusional thoughts. It was annoying, distracting, and pointless. Why do we need to know all of her crazy and psychotic thoughts? What does Virginia imagining herself with every guy that smiles at her have to do with anything? I just wanted to know who the murderer was and why. Was it a cop murdering all those sex workers? Was it someone she knows and works with?
There's so much potential! Unfortunately, the execution wasn't there.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Vanessa Cuti, and Dreamscape Media
for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
Even then, the mystery was pushed to the background. Most of the focus was on Virginia and her delusional thoughts. It was annoying, distracting, and pointless. Why do we need to know all of her crazy and psychotic thoughts? What does Virginia imagining herself with every guy that smiles at her have to do with anything? I just wanted to know who the murderer was and why. Was it a cop murdering all those sex workers? Was it someone she knows and works with?
There's so much potential! Unfortunately, the execution wasn't there.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Vanessa Cuti, and Dreamscape Media
for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
April 15, 2023
Summary: Determined to find a husband, Vanessa Carey takes a job at the local police department working the tip line. While there, she fantasizes about each and every potential candidate. Will it be the charming police chief Declan, or the sweet homicide detective Charlie, or any of the other eligible men in the department? When Virginia gets a tip from a sex worker that bodies are located on an isolated beach, and that members of the police department may be involved, Virginia decides to take matters into her own hands.
Thoughts: This one was a bit of a struggle for me. I think I enjoyed the premise of this book more than the execution. I had several issues with the story including the fact that our MC Virginia joined a police tip line purely to snag a husband (a bit dated for 2023 in my opinion). She then makes very odd decisions throughout the story that end up making it feel very predictable.
I listened on audio, and I think the narrator, Sarah Naughton, did a good job with what she had. Reviews are a bit all over the place with this book, so if you want to give it a try, I recommend the audiobook versus print.
Thank you Dreamscape Media for my advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thoughts: This one was a bit of a struggle for me. I think I enjoyed the premise of this book more than the execution. I had several issues with the story including the fact that our MC Virginia joined a police tip line purely to snag a husband (a bit dated for 2023 in my opinion). She then makes very odd decisions throughout the story that end up making it feel very predictable.
I listened on audio, and I think the narrator, Sarah Naughton, did a good job with what she had. Reviews are a bit all over the place with this book, so if you want to give it a try, I recommend the audiobook versus print.
Thank you Dreamscape Media for my advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.
April 2, 2023
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the narration of this book! Her voice was so clear and easy to listen to, it was very easy to get lost in her stream of consciousness. The story itself was a little confusing at first until you realize pretty quickly that the main character Victoria is completely delusional. Then it’s fairly easy to understand, although I would’ve liked some clear cut resolution. I’m sure many readers that enjoy psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators would get a kick out of this book!
I really liked the narration of this book! Her voice was so clear and easy to listen to, it was very easy to get lost in her stream of consciousness. The story itself was a little confusing at first until you realize pretty quickly that the main character Victoria is completely delusional. Then it’s fairly easy to understand, although I would’ve liked some clear cut resolution. I’m sure many readers that enjoy psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators would get a kick out of this book!
April 18, 2023
Vanessa Cuti’s debut, THE TIP LINE is a domestic drama about a woman who wants to find love and marry. How far will she go to do so?
Virginia Carey seems obsessed with wanting to get married. She is 30 yrs old and lands a job as an operator at a police station where she handles the tip line for incoming crimes. The Suffolk Police Department is primarily male-dominated, and she is a civilian operator.
She thinks this should be easy since she is surrounded by cops that are guys. Charlie Ford is a homicide detective, and Declan Brady is the police chief and can envision the wedding ring and marriage proposal.
Then she receives a call from Verona, a mysterious woman (sex worker) providing a tip about four bodies on a remote local beach. (This is about the only interesting part of the book). She also enlightens Virginia about the scandalous parties attended by law enforcement officers.
Is there a serial killer on the loose? Is it a police officer who is responsible for the murders? Will the tip line uncover the truth about the murders?
Firstly, I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Sarah Naughton, gave an outstanding performance. However, the book—NOT so much!
The main character, Virginia, was so naive and, let me say, completely DELUSIONAL. She is living in some sort of fantasy world. OMG! This woman acted like a young pre-teen, not a 30-year-old woman!
I thought the book would be about mysteries, crime, and suspense; however, the book's focus was Virginia wanting to get married. Is this the 1950s?
I wanted to learn more about the murders, not Virginia wanting to get married, which seems to be front and center.
I fast-forwarded to most of it to get through it. A very unlikeable character. Maybe this book will be for someone, but definitely NOT for me.
Let me reiterate. This is NOT a police procedural. It is NOT a psychological thriller. This story is about a crazy woman and her innermost thoughts, a delusional mind. The story is narrated from Virginia’s POV, and being in her head was absolutely tiring, nerve-racking, and eye-rolling.
I will have to agree with many of the other reviewers. The book description does not fit the book. It drove me nuts. There was so much potential for a different story here.
I am being overly generous with a 3-star rating only because the narrator did a great job with what she had to work with. The book alone would be much less.
Thanks to #DreamscapeMedia for an ALC via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins |#JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3 Stars (for the audiobook)
Pub Date: April 18, 2023
Virginia Carey seems obsessed with wanting to get married. She is 30 yrs old and lands a job as an operator at a police station where she handles the tip line for incoming crimes. The Suffolk Police Department is primarily male-dominated, and she is a civilian operator.
She thinks this should be easy since she is surrounded by cops that are guys. Charlie Ford is a homicide detective, and Declan Brady is the police chief and can envision the wedding ring and marriage proposal.
Then she receives a call from Verona, a mysterious woman (sex worker) providing a tip about four bodies on a remote local beach. (This is about the only interesting part of the book). She also enlightens Virginia about the scandalous parties attended by law enforcement officers.
Is there a serial killer on the loose? Is it a police officer who is responsible for the murders? Will the tip line uncover the truth about the murders?
Firstly, I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Sarah Naughton, gave an outstanding performance. However, the book—NOT so much!
The main character, Virginia, was so naive and, let me say, completely DELUSIONAL. She is living in some sort of fantasy world. OMG! This woman acted like a young pre-teen, not a 30-year-old woman!
I thought the book would be about mysteries, crime, and suspense; however, the book's focus was Virginia wanting to get married. Is this the 1950s?
I wanted to learn more about the murders, not Virginia wanting to get married, which seems to be front and center.
I fast-forwarded to most of it to get through it. A very unlikeable character. Maybe this book will be for someone, but definitely NOT for me.
Let me reiterate. This is NOT a police procedural. It is NOT a psychological thriller. This story is about a crazy woman and her innermost thoughts, a delusional mind. The story is narrated from Virginia’s POV, and being in her head was absolutely tiring, nerve-racking, and eye-rolling.
I will have to agree with many of the other reviewers. The book description does not fit the book. It drove me nuts. There was so much potential for a different story here.
I am being overly generous with a 3-star rating only because the narrator did a great job with what she had to work with. The book alone would be much less.
Thanks to #DreamscapeMedia for an ALC via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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@JudithDCollins |#JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3 Stars (for the audiobook)
Pub Date: April 18, 2023
April 6, 2023
I've been sitting on this review for a while because I just don't know what to say. I've never read a book like this before and I hope I never do again but at the same time it wasn't a terrible book.
The main story line here is that Virginia wants a husband. That's it. She doesn't care who. She doesn't care what he does. She just wants a husband. Period. No, this book isn't based in the 50's as you would expect from such a description. She wants a husband so she gets a job in the best place she thinks she can find on, at the police department. Virginia is the new voice on the other end of the tip line, it's a simple job. Take the call, get as much information as possible, thank the caller, and get the information to the correct department. It isn't long before she takes a call from a woman claiming the bodies of dead escorts are on the beach, this turns out to be true and the work of a serial killer.
My biggest issue with this book? OMG Virginia has SO MUCH inner dialog and it's always chasing an idea down the rabbit hole...but like a fully formed idea including how conversations would go, how events would play out. It was often hard to know when it was really happening and when it was just Virginia's brain. It got to the point where every single time she was certain the killer was going to kill her too I just wished he would.
I don't know what else to say.
The main story line here is that Virginia wants a husband. That's it. She doesn't care who. She doesn't care what he does. She just wants a husband. Period. No, this book isn't based in the 50's as you would expect from such a description. She wants a husband so she gets a job in the best place she thinks she can find on, at the police department. Virginia is the new voice on the other end of the tip line, it's a simple job. Take the call, get as much information as possible, thank the caller, and get the information to the correct department. It isn't long before she takes a call from a woman claiming the bodies of dead escorts are on the beach, this turns out to be true and the work of a serial killer.
My biggest issue with this book? OMG Virginia has SO MUCH inner dialog and it's always chasing an idea down the rabbit hole...but like a fully formed idea including how conversations would go, how events would play out. It was often hard to know when it was really happening and when it was just Virginia's brain. It got to the point where every single time she was certain the killer was going to kill her too I just wished he would.
I don't know what else to say.
April 1, 2023
I don’t know what I expected with this book, but I was let down - I kept reading in the hope that it would get better, but it was not to be. The story is told from Virginia’s POV. Virginia has a rich fantasy life & she wants a husband so she take a civilian role with the police, answering the tip line. Cops are caring, strong and protective, right, & she’s already imagined several versions of married life with the first detective that smiled at her? The problem is that some of these police officers are corrupt & likely involved in the murder of several sex workers. I had hoped to read about more of the investigation but instead we get Virginia’s stream of consciousness about her fantasy married life. It would have been refreshing to get a different perspective as I found it hard to tell when Virginia had drifted into fantasyland. All in all, I thought this was a delusional & confusing mess filled with awful people.
Thanks the Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks the Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2023
Virginia wants to find love and marry. How far will she go to do so?
Eager to get married, thirty-year-old Virginia Carey lands a job as an operator at a police tip line, where she thinks finding a husband will be easy.
But just as Virginia’s plans begin to fall into place and she can almost picture a ring on her finger, she answers a call from Verona—a mysterious woman who provides a tip about four bodies on a remote local beach.
Verona thinks it’s a police officer who is responsible for the killings.
I started this book with all smiles because Virginia was so funny, after a while her whole character became rather tideous. I got confused between reality and her fantasy.
I must say it was hard to tell when Virginia had drifted into fantasyland.
I got bored with the story, what kept my attention was the narrator.
Sarah Naughton, gave an outstanding performance.
Eager to get married, thirty-year-old Virginia Carey lands a job as an operator at a police tip line, where she thinks finding a husband will be easy.
But just as Virginia’s plans begin to fall into place and she can almost picture a ring on her finger, she answers a call from Verona—a mysterious woman who provides a tip about four bodies on a remote local beach.
Verona thinks it’s a police officer who is responsible for the killings.
I started this book with all smiles because Virginia was so funny, after a while her whole character became rather tideous. I got confused between reality and her fantasy.
I must say it was hard to tell when Virginia had drifted into fantasyland.
I got bored with the story, what kept my attention was the narrator.
Sarah Naughton, gave an outstanding performance.
September 12, 2022
A slow-burning and clever reimagining of the Gilgo beach murders, I was riveted by THE TIP LINE and Virginia’s twisting story. With a full cast of suspicious characters (I never quite knew who to trust!) and an ending I couldn’t stop thinking about, true crime fans will surely devour this one.
February 28, 2023
I loved the unique writing style of The Tip Line, it gave such a strong voice to Virginia and made being in her head a fun roller coaster. Highly recommend this wonderfully immersive debut!
January 30, 2023
The Tip Line ruined my weekend because I could not stop reading it! It’s an incredibly written thriller that explores the dangers of our culture’s toxic obsession with marriage as the sole path to happiness for women. The voice of the main character, Virginia, is so mesmerizing, and I loved living in her over-active imagination. Even as I screamed at her in my head to open her eyes and take better care of herself, I was fascinated by her single focus and desire. I felt for her. I got frustrated with her. I rooted for her. I hated her. And I loved every page of this book. Now that I've inhaled it, I can't stop thinking about it. I have a feeling I'll be processing this beautifully written, highly character-driven thriller for a long time.
April 11, 2023
3 stars
A unique MC, a serial killer on the loose, & an enigmatic Police Chief make this an interesting read. I just wish there had been more character development, & character motivation driving the plot. Also, the ending left me unimpressed.
[What I liked:]
•Up until the end, the plot is decently interesting. I was invested in Virginia’s & Verona’s safety, & in finding out who the killer was.
•Virginia is a very interesting MC. She seems borderline unstable, which makes for a unique first person narrator. I wish we had gotten more insights into why her imagination was so over active though.
[What I didn’t like as much:]
•The MC, Virginia, narrates in first person. Throughout, she spins multiple very detailed scenarios (delusions?) one after another in rapid succession, which interrupt her narration of the actual events of the story. This made it very confusing to try to follow the story, since I often thought something was really happening that turned out just to be her imagination. This was annoying.
•The ending is mushy. It resolves nothing & just fizzles. Also, it seems unrealistic, like one of Virginia’s delusions got slapped on as a “happy” ending.
•I sort of get Virginia’s motivations, but they’re not entirely clear. She wants to get married, but why? Is her obsession with getting married only because her mother wants her to? That seems rather thin.
•Several characters could’ve added more to the intrigue of the story had they been developed more, including Ford, Declan, & Virginia herself. There just wasn’t much room for character development with all of Virginia’s stilted imaginings crowding out the actual main story.
CW: infidelity, sexual assault, substance abuse, sexism, murder
[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]
A unique MC, a serial killer on the loose, & an enigmatic Police Chief make this an interesting read. I just wish there had been more character development, & character motivation driving the plot. Also, the ending left me unimpressed.
[What I liked:]
•Up until the end, the plot is decently interesting. I was invested in Virginia’s & Verona’s safety, & in finding out who the killer was.
•Virginia is a very interesting MC. She seems borderline unstable, which makes for a unique first person narrator. I wish we had gotten more insights into why her imagination was so over active though.
[What I didn’t like as much:]
•The MC, Virginia, narrates in first person. Throughout, she spins multiple very detailed scenarios (delusions?) one after another in rapid succession, which interrupt her narration of the actual events of the story. This made it very confusing to try to follow the story, since I often thought something was really happening that turned out just to be her imagination. This was annoying.
•The ending is mushy. It resolves nothing & just fizzles. Also, it seems unrealistic, like one of Virginia’s delusions got slapped on as a “happy” ending.
•I sort of get Virginia’s motivations, but they’re not entirely clear. She wants to get married, but why? Is her obsession with getting married only because her mother wants her to? That seems rather thin.
•Several characters could’ve added more to the intrigue of the story had they been developed more, including Ford, Declan, & Virginia herself. There just wasn’t much room for character development with all of Virginia’s stilted imaginings crowding out the actual main story.
CW: infidelity, sexual assault, substance abuse, sexism, murder
[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]
September 11, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book. Virginia, the main character is the epitome of boy crazy and manic. With a wild imagination! While there are murders in this book, I wouldn't describe it as a thriller and the ending was a bit weak. But I enjoyed the read!
Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for sharing this book!
Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for sharing this book!
May 22, 2023
Crime fiction/thrillers are gripping when done well, though not my first choice when exploring various genres. However, when well-written and plot driven, they are an absolute blast and quite addictive. And this is exactly what #TheTipLine delivered. Vanessa Cuti has created one of the most memorable--and also unreliable and a fairly unhinged--narrators I've encountered in quite awhile. Virginia Carey, our main character, is on a "mission" (no spoilers) and the reader is, for better and for worse, left to the mercy of her magical, mystical, emotional, and even rageful perceptions (rarely smooth or even-keel). It's a wild ride, to put it lightly. Her character's emotional lability was my favorite thing about the novel and though the threat of danger existed outside - in the shady world of men with far too much power, paid escorts, and underground liaisons - my greatest anxieties originated from Virginia herself. I could NOT quit this character - she fascinated me. I was reminded of Messud's "The Woman Upstairs" and Mossfegh's "Death in Her Hands" (off the top of my head) as characters who drew me toward them in a similar fashion. This is not a run-of-the-mill crime fiction novel. This is a study in psychology--in addiction and obsession--and the places they take you. This is one cool story. Brava.
March 31, 2023
Virginia wants to get married and when she gets a job answering the local tip line at the police station her mom tells her it should be like shooting fish in a barrel on the first day there she gets a call in the woman on the other line tells her about dead bodies on the beach but when Virginia press’s for more information the caller hangs up eventually Virginia will learn the girls name is Verona but for now she takes down the message and goes to bring it to the detectives downstairs, when she walks in one of them is quite rude and another quickly jumps up and apologizes to her this is what begins the relationship between Virginia and detective brown now whether it’s in her head or in real life you’ll have to finish the book to find that out now Virginia continues to get calls from Verona in the more she calls the more details Virginia gets it seems Varona is a stripper and she may or may not have attended parties that the dead girls we’re at partying with policeman. This isn’t a super long book but having to suffer through Virginia’s inner dialogue made it feel so much longer I mean then one part she said she was thinking of Verona on vacation then she went in to different titles of children’s books using Verona‘s name and not just a couple like oh that’s so cute but went on and on with it I mean that’s pointless and childish this is supposed to be a third a year old woman I did finish the book because I wanted to know what happened and if anyone Virginia knew was involved end of Virginia really was dating Detective Brown or who she was dating because it wasn’t made clear but now having said all that I don’t know if this is a Thriller a Romance fantasy made up by Virginia but it was only OK I see other people gave it five stars and that’s great I wish I lived in their world because lots of books I find myself criticizing other seem to Love so maybe it’s me. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
April 28, 2023
1.5/5⭐️
This book was light years away from what I was expecting. The crazy thing is that I wasn’t expecting very much. I was expecting a thriller. What I got was a delusional romance.
There were two things I liked: the premise, the cover, and the narrator. The narrator was clear with her pronunciations, an easy voice to listen to, and invested in the story. The cover is epic! It’s what drew me in immediately. The colors and the errieness of the cover is what caught my attention.
The premise was great. I’ve never read a book about a police tip line main character. This could have been an awesome book with this premise, but the execution was terrible.
The main character was a joke. She ruined the whole book for me. She’s an adult but reads like a horny teenager who lists after every man that looks her way. Literally, a male can just glance her way and she’s already imagining dates, marriage, kids, and a complete life with this person. It gave me weird vibes and didn’t belong in a “thriller”.
I wouldn’t categorize this book as a thriller at all. It’s more of a woman who is delusional with her romance ideas. Basically, the whole story is set in her mind and her own delusions. I should have dnf’d but I wanted to give a fair Netgalley review.
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape for the alc of this book, in exchange for my honest feedback.
This book was light years away from what I was expecting. The crazy thing is that I wasn’t expecting very much. I was expecting a thriller. What I got was a delusional romance.
There were two things I liked: the premise, the cover, and the narrator. The narrator was clear with her pronunciations, an easy voice to listen to, and invested in the story. The cover is epic! It’s what drew me in immediately. The colors and the errieness of the cover is what caught my attention.
The premise was great. I’ve never read a book about a police tip line main character. This could have been an awesome book with this premise, but the execution was terrible.
The main character was a joke. She ruined the whole book for me. She’s an adult but reads like a horny teenager who lists after every man that looks her way. Literally, a male can just glance her way and she’s already imagining dates, marriage, kids, and a complete life with this person. It gave me weird vibes and didn’t belong in a “thriller”.
I wouldn’t categorize this book as a thriller at all. It’s more of a woman who is delusional with her romance ideas. Basically, the whole story is set in her mind and her own delusions. I should have dnf’d but I wanted to give a fair Netgalley review.
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape for the alc of this book, in exchange for my honest feedback.
April 19, 2023
I was so intrigued by the premise of this but oh wow was this mc something. She was so unlikable I actually started to hate her a bit. She lives in one big lala land and being inside her head as she fuckin obsessed over every fuckin man who looked her way and imagined them as her husband and omg she also had like an unhealthy weird obsession with like dark thoughts and it was kinda awkward being in her head at times.
The mystery in this book gets pushed to the background over and over while this lady only cared about keeping her candy bowl stocked so these police officers could bend her over their desks or whatever.
Wasn't a fan.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
The mystery in this book gets pushed to the background over and over while this lady only cared about keeping her candy bowl stocked so these police officers could bend her over their desks or whatever.
Wasn't a fan.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 10, 2023
I thought that the story was good - heaps of potential and was happy that it had great narration.
My only issue was that the main character was very much in her own head and so most, if not all, of her scenes were repeated from the POV in her mind to the actual storyline (like constant groundhog moments) and it became a bit draining - now and then, yes... but not every scene, it was too much for me - but, others might love that?
I want to thank the author, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media
for providing me the opportunity to read this new book for my honest review.
My only issue was that the main character was very much in her own head and so most, if not all, of her scenes were repeated from the POV in her mind to the actual storyline (like constant groundhog moments) and it became a bit draining - now and then, yes... but not every scene, it was too much for me - but, others might love that?
I want to thank the author, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media
for providing me the opportunity to read this new book for my honest review.
March 24, 2023
Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this audio. I enjoyed it couse I would felt really simmilar I guess. The confusion,.desire, expectations and all other things that can happen to a woman in her 30s were there. I would love a different ending in books but here I was ok with an open one. I was sucked in this police station.
April 20, 2023
I love mysteries. And thrillers. And romance. This book is all of those and none of those at the same time. My issue is that we spend so much time in Virginia’s head and it’s not a fun place to be. She’s constantly in her own fantasy land and it’s annoying. The mystery had real promise and I wanted to know more but every time there would be a little about the murders, her thoughts would intrude and I would get annoyed and tune out again. I eventually gave up at 50% because I couldn’t take it anymore. The narration was very well done but couldn’t compete with a story that was all over the place.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #Dreanscape_Media for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #Dreanscape_Media for an honest review.
April 25, 2023
Although it did keep me on the edge of my seat rushing to get to the end, this book was mediocre. The main character, Virginia, is not likable. She is too much in her head & too anxious, overthinking every scenario. The end is surprising, but not for someone like her, who is too self obsessed to focus on anything but her & her future, and not the bigger problems at hand. 3/5
May 23, 2023
noooo. just no.
I don’t ~love~ posting negative reviews. but my role as a bookstagrammer is to read books and tell you if I like them or not. in this case, not.
what a mess. the MC was the most scatterbrained, delusional character I have ever read. her thoughts went on so many tangents that I struggled to figure out what was actually happening and what she was imagining. the book is already a pretty quick read, at just over 200 pages, and if the tangents were removed it would probably be about 10. the plot summary hooked me right in, but was misleading because I still don’t even know what was part of the story and what was made up.
I don’t ~love~ posting negative reviews. but my role as a bookstagrammer is to read books and tell you if I like them or not. in this case, not.
what a mess. the MC was the most scatterbrained, delusional character I have ever read. her thoughts went on so many tangents that I struggled to figure out what was actually happening and what she was imagining. the book is already a pretty quick read, at just over 200 pages, and if the tangents were removed it would probably be about 10. the plot summary hooked me right in, but was misleading because I still don’t even know what was part of the story and what was made up.
July 15, 2023
The book premise was so interesting but the execution was done so poorly. Probably the most underwhelming book I’ve read this year. I truly read it all because I figured it must get better, it must fill in the plot holes, it must make sense! But alas, it did not.
September 11, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book. Virginia, the main character is the epitome of boy crazy and manic. With a wild imagination! While there are murders in this book, I wouldn't describe it as a thriller and the ending was a bit weak. But I enjoyed the read!
Thank you NetGalley, author, and published for sharing this book!
Thank you NetGalley, author, and published for sharing this book!
June 3, 2023
This book was a disappointment and a struggle to read. I just did not like the writing style and couldn’t get into the book.
May 24, 2023
- Summary -
Virgina is a thirty-three year old who is very anxious to get married and thinks she has found hope when she takes a job as a phone operator for the Police Tip line. She pursues romantic workplace relationships while fielding calls from the public concerning the brutal murders of women on a local beach.
- Review -
The book is described as a mystery thriller, but I would argue there is very little thriller and a little bit of mystery.. I figured based on the description provided that it would be more murder-mystery - it's not. The murder and mystery are very much the background of this story as we the readers get front row seats to Virginia's disastrous love life.
At times the plot can be really hard to follow; Virginia will constantly zone out into a dreamland - not ideal for an audiobook.
I think I know why Virginia is so desperate for a husband, she's incredibly self-centred and doesn't care about anybody else's feelings. She's happy to flit to whichever person is likely to get her that ring on her finger - she is a horrible main character! I'm surprised I managed to finish the book (being able to increase the speed may have been heavily used).
The narration was well done, kudos to Sarah Naughton, I feel like she was truly able to convey the character and everything was well articulated.
The story is horrible though and I would not recommend it. It was painful to listen to the full 9 hours and 47 minutes - maybe it would be better in paper where the daydreaming might be more easily articulated? But Virginia really kills it for me, she's horrible and flighty, she's incredibly immature and so self-centred it's painful (I know I already said that but I hope the emphasis helps)..
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with this ARC.
Virgina is a thirty-three year old who is very anxious to get married and thinks she has found hope when she takes a job as a phone operator for the Police Tip line. She pursues romantic workplace relationships while fielding calls from the public concerning the brutal murders of women on a local beach.
- Review -
The book is described as a mystery thriller, but I would argue there is very little thriller and a little bit of mystery.. I figured based on the description provided that it would be more murder-mystery - it's not. The murder and mystery are very much the background of this story as we the readers get front row seats to Virginia's disastrous love life.
At times the plot can be really hard to follow; Virginia will constantly zone out into a dreamland - not ideal for an audiobook.
I think I know why Virginia is so desperate for a husband, she's incredibly self-centred and doesn't care about anybody else's feelings. She's happy to flit to whichever person is likely to get her that ring on her finger - she is a horrible main character! I'm surprised I managed to finish the book (being able to increase the speed may have been heavily used).
The narration was well done, kudos to Sarah Naughton, I feel like she was truly able to convey the character and everything was well articulated.
The story is horrible though and I would not recommend it. It was painful to listen to the full 9 hours and 47 minutes - maybe it would be better in paper where the daydreaming might be more easily articulated? But Virginia really kills it for me, she's horrible and flighty, she's incredibly immature and so self-centred it's painful (I know I already said that but I hope the emphasis helps)..
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with this ARC.
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