The Cut of the Moon

A Novel

By: Cynthia Ellingsen

Narrated by: Alexandra Ryan

A startling mystery and a longing for love link two women, a century apart, in a haunting novel about family secrets by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Lost Letters of Aisling.

Jewelry designer Lindsey McKenna is thrilled to be working at an antique exhibit at a local landmark that has been her obsession: the Wind Thorne estate. During the 1920s, it roared. Until an unsolved murder shadowed its legacy. Today, restored as a museum, Wind Thorne draws crowds of visitors to upstate New York. When one of them approaches Lindsey with an old diary, Lindsey is drawn deeper into Wind Thorne’s storied past.

It’s 1925 when young Ruby Thornhill steals her beloved sister’s engagement ring—a naive but heartfelt attempt to stall her upcoming wedding, which Ruby fears will tear the siblings apart. What the theft triggers thrusts Ruby into danger, and with it comes the realization that Wind Thorne is home to potentially inescapable secrets.

Aided by a charming gemologist, Lindsey gradually uncovers Wind Thorne’s history—and to her surprise, her own history as well. Now two young women, nearly a century apart, are righting the wrongs of their family and putting the past, and all its heartbreaking mysteries, to rest.

©2025 Cynthia Ellingsen (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Great Story

The story and characters in this book are captivating. The narration was ok and didn’t detract from the story but it didn’t enhance it.

Full Circle

I rarely review books but this book portrayed family, hurt, loss, and love in a way that touched me.

Fantastic

If you like a mystery with a historical twist, I highly recommend this book. I could hardly put it down. The characters and plot pull you into their world making you feel as if you are seeing things as they see them because of the wonderful performance of the person reading. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent Historical, mystery, romance, women’s fiction mash up

The Cut of the Moon is a 🥃🥃🥃🥃.25, dual time line, slow paced, engaging, historical fiction/women’s fiction mash up! The story is set in the 1920’s and in present time. The earlier story is about a wealthy family that has a farm and a bootlegging operation. It follows multiple characters and has several different story lines. The present day time line tries to unravel what happened when the entire 1920’s family was murdered and the murder remains unsolved. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I definitely recommend to fans of historical fiction, women’s fiction, mysteries, a potential romance, dual timelines or just really good stories.

The great unravel

The author does a great job of weaving the past with the present and continually keeping you in wonder as to the answers to the secrets. Great job pulling out the story bit by bit until finally all the answers are revealed.