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The Second Cut

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The Second Cut

By: Louise Welsh
Narrated by: Alan Cumming
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About this listen

The Times Crime Book of the Year

Auctioneer Rilke has been trying to stay out of trouble, keeping his life more or less respectable. Business has been slow at Bowery Auctions, so when an old friend, Jojo, gives Rilke a tip-off for a house clearance, life seems to be looking up. The next day Jojo washes up dead.

Jojo liked Grindr hook-ups and recreational drugs - is that the reason the police won't investigate? And if Rilke doesn't find out what happened to Jojo, who will?

Thrilling and atmospheric, The Second Cut delves into the dark side of twenty-first century Glasgow. Twenty years on from his appearance in The Cutting Room, Rilke is still walking a moral tightrope between good and bad, saint and sinner.

©202 Louise Welsh (P)2022 Canongate Books Ltd Crime Thrillers Literature & Fiction Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime Thriller Fiction Suspense Exciting Mystery

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Critic reviews

"I doubt I'll read a better book this year." (Val McDermid)

"Compelling, immersive and brimming with life." (Graeme Macrae Burnet)
All stars
Most relevant
This is the second in Welsh’s books in the Cut series and it is a stonker. If you like your books dark with finely drawn characters and twisting and indeed twisted plots you will adore this. Alan Cumming does a superb job of bringing the novel to life. His characterisations really bring not just the characters but the whole of Glasgows dark side to vivid life.

Puts the Nòir into Tartan Nòir

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Loved this book and the excellent reading by Cummings. Welsh paints great characters from Glasgow, slightly grotesque but dramatic and compelling. Galloway is gorgeous by the way and it doesn’t rain all the time. Well almost.

Convincing characters

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This is a worthy follow up to The Cutting Room. Times have changed but Rilke remains constant. A cracking story and fantastic performance from Alan Cumming.

Great to have Rilke back again.

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Not a writer I have tried before but I loved it, story and performance were great. Couldn’t wait to listen to it but sorry when I finished it - the mark of a great audiobook!

Brilliant

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Read the original when it came out and bought this as soon as I was aware it was out. Not disappointed in the slightest. Alan Cumming almost seems born to narrate this book, and captures the inner Rilke well.

Excellent Sequel

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