Book Review: The Cutting Room

Reviewed By: Jon Jordan - Crime Spree Magazine - RAM

The Cutting Room     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon UK PB Amazon UK HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Louise Welsh
Class/Genre:   Mystery
2002, Canongate, 294 pages

The main character in this book is a bit of an amateur detective. He is not an actual detective per se, but he does his own brand of detecting with in his field as an appraiser for an auction house. And he is good at what he does. Rilke is called in to auction off the contents of a home of a recently deceased wealthy man. His sister wants the house empty of its contents in one week. No small task to be sure.

To complicate matters, Rilke is asked to destroy the contents of the attic. As it turns out, the attic is home to an extensive and valuable erotica collection. Intrigued by some old photos, Rilke tries to trace their origin. He also wants to find out who was involved and maybe done wrong. This leads him to an underground world of pornography and the people who sell it and make it.

Rilke is one of those characters you want to keep yelling at. Don’t go in there! Don’t talk to this guy! I go so involved with the story I wanted to interject and try to talk some sense to him. But of course all I could do was watch what happened. And what happened was pretty interesting. I was hooked right to the last word.

This book does not read like a first novel. It is more like the latest from a seasoned pro that has mastered their art. I think it’s a wonderful debut and I look forward to more, whether with Rilke or something completely different.

Jon Jordan - Crime Spree Magazine - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jon Jordan - Crime Spree Magazine - RAM