The Cut of the Moon

About This Audiobook

Cynthia Ellingsen’s *The Cut of the Moon* isn’t just another historical whodunit—it’s a jewel-box of secrets, where the gleam of vintage brooches and sapphire rings hides far darker stories than their settings suggest. Set against the gilded decay of the Wind Thorne estate in the 1920s, this novel follows Lindsey McKenna, a jewelry designer whose obsession with the landmark’s antique exhibit leads her deeper into a century-old murder mystery. Ellingsen’s prose shimmers with the author’s own expertise in gems and design, giving the story a tactile richness that makes the jewelry feel as vital as the plot itself. The romance, when it arrives, isn’t a frilly afterthought but a slow-burn spark between sparks—literally, as Lindsey and a reclusive historian clash over the estate’s hidden past. If you’ve ever picked up a vintage trinket and wondered what lies beneath its polished surface, this book will haunt you like a ghost in a velvet-lined case.

Alexandra Ryan’s narration is the real gem here. Her voice has the warm, smoky rasp of a 1920s speakeasy singer, perfectly capturing the era’s wit and weariness. She distinguishes every character with subtle accents and cadences, from Lindsey’s sharp, modern edge to the aristocratic drawl of the Wind Thorne heirs. The audiobook’s pacing is brisk but never rushed, letting the mystery unfurl like an unspooling silk ribbon. Ryan’s delivery of the novel’s twisty reveals—especially in the final act—feels like peeling back layers of tarnish to reveal the gleam of truth beneath.