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The Cutting Room

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The Cutting Room

By: Louise Welsh
Narrated by: Alan Cumming
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'Unputdownable' Sunday Times
'I was hooked from page one' Guardian

When Rilke, a dissolute auctioneer, comes upon a hidden collection of violent and highly disturbing photographs, he feels compelled to discover more about the deceased owner who coveted them. Soon he finds himself sucked into an underworld of crime, depravity and secret desire, fighting for his life.

 Crime Thrillers Gothic Horror Literature & Fiction Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary
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Critic reviews

"One of the most intriguing, assured and unputdownable debuts to come out of Scotland in recent years . . . A stunning work of fiction"
"A remarkable first novel"
"I was hooked from page one. Rilke is not Welsh's only great creation. The huge supporting cast of misfits and outsiders . . . are equally memorable. And Glasgow becomes a character in itself: it is oppressive, foreboding – a dark place for a dark tale"
"Astonishingly this is a first novel, catapulting Welsh straight into the superstar league, while establishing Rilke as a true original"
"Welsh upturns tropes and adds depth, seedy detail and Gothic lyricism to the page-turner framework"
"The Cutting Room fixes itself among a formidable modern pantheon that includes the novels of Ian McEwan and A.L. Kennedy"
"This elegiac, elegant and atmospheric book is an original and compelling first novel. Rarely can such Gothic material have been treated with such subtlety"
"Welsh’s prose can flit from clipped and short to elegant and graceful . . . As taut a thriller as you’ll get; full of unexpected alliances, double crosses and a brutal denouement worthy of classic American hard-boiled fiction"
"Welsh succeeds in making Glasgow her own"
"An astonishingly accomplished debut, this is always in my top ten books of any genre . . . Welsh brilliantly draws a gothic Glasgow of despair and decay as she lays bare the depths of human deviance"
All stars
Most relevant
Horrible but a very good, and informative -about a slice of life I know nothing about - listen.

Very good

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A well written book. The detailed descriptions making the book and the characters interesting. Binge listened both the first and the second book.

A good listen.

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The best Audible I’ve ever heard. Alan Cummings’ reading is an ode to The voices of Glasgow. His Rilke does what I would have thought was impossible and lifts the beauty and nuances of Louise Welsh’s. Compelling stuff.

Exceptional both as a novel and a performance

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Well crafted story and great characters. I preferred the story of the 2nd book "The Second Cut' and found it more gripping.

Brilliantly read crime tale

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Having never read a Louise Welsh novel, this was my first foray into her fiction world. I was not disappointed. An excellent story, well told and kept me wanting more. Alan Cumming’s superb narration added to the excitement and although many might find some of the sex scenes too graphic, I thought they added a realistic dimension to the characterisation. I will be straight on to the next in the series. Loved it!

First rate!

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