Synopses & Reviews
A reissue of the outstanding contemporary Glasgow novel for which Welsh won the Saltire First Book of The Year Award and the Crime Writers' Association Creasey Dagger, was chosen as one of Britain's Best First Novelists by the Guardian, and was nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction Rilke is eccentric, witty, and frequently outrageous. An auctioneer by profession, he is an acknowledged expert in antiques but also considers himself something of an expert in many other fields. When he comes upon a hidden collection of graphically violent erotic photographs, he feels compelled to unearth more about the deceased owner who coveted them. What follows is a compulsive journey of discovery, decadence, and deviousness, steered in part by Rilke's gay promiscuity and inquisitive nature. Louise Welsh's writing is stylish and captivating; she combines aspects of a detective story with shades of the gothic in a colorful Glasgow ranging from the genteel suburbs to a transvestite club, auction house to the bookies, pub, and porn shop. The result is a page-turning, darkly atmosopheric, and deliciously original debut.
Review
"You can find traces of morality tales, urban fiction, crime stories and Gothics in The Cutting Room without finding any single point of comparison that mirrors the book's unique voice or hardened humanism. It's a brilliant debut." salon.com
Review
"The likableness of an unedifying character like Rilke is part of the pleasure of the detective story." New York Times
Review
"Yet another talented Scottish author makes a debut with this dark and twisty thriller, boasting a highly unusual hero and a compelling background that shows extensive inside knowledge. . . . Booksellers can confidently recommend it to admirers of another Scottish noir author, Denise Mina. " Publishers Weekly
Review
"A taut mystery . . . Welsh develops a colorful cast of supporting characters and lays out the plot in just the right way to create a maximum amount of suspense; an unexpected twist at the end is well executed." Library Journal
Synopsis
For this outstanding contemporary Glasgow novel, Louise Welsh won the Saltire First Book of The Year Award and the Crime Writers' Association Creasey Dagger, was chosen as one of Britain's Best First Novelists by the Guardian, and was nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction Rilke, The Cutting Room's charismatic protagonist, is eccentric, witty, and frequently outrageous. An auctioneer by profession, he is an acknowledged expert in antiques but also considers himself something of an expert in many other fields. When he comes upon a hidden collection of graphically violent erotic photographs, he feels compelled to unearth more about the deceased owner who coveted them. What follows is a compulsive journey of discovery, decadence, and deviousness, steered in part by Rilke's gay promiscuity and inquisitive nature. Louise Welsh's writing is stylish and captivating; she combines aspects of a detective story with shades of the gothic in a colorful Glasgow ranging from the genteel suburbs to a transvestite club, auction house to the bookies, pub, and porn shop. The result is a page-turning, darkly atmosopheric, and deliciously original debut.
About the Author
Louise Welsh is the bestselling author of Tamburlaine Must Die, The Bullet Trick, and Naming the Bones. She was chosen as one of Britain's Best First Novelists of 2002 by the Guardian. Her awards include the Crime Writers Association John Creasey Memorial Dagger and the Saltire First Book Award.