Thank you to Faber & Faber Ltd and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Cut, a twisty, psychological thriller from Richard Armitage. This was dark, ominous, captivating and not a single likeable character could be found.
Definitely one of the more unique ways to catch a killer and I can imagine the audiobook, narrated by Richard Armitage, would be brilliant too!

I absolutely couldn’t help but imagine Richard Armitage as the MC even thought the description did not match!

This was a sad, nostalgic, tense, well-paced read. At one point, I suspected everyone but I think it quickly becomes clear who was responsible. I found it an easy, entertaining read and kept wanting to pick this up to find out what happened next.

My only gripe was not seeing things from a certain POV at the end. I wanted to see how they felt about the outcome.

Ben Knott has tried his level best to put the tragic events of the past behind him, when a girl whom he knew was killed, nearly 3 decades ago. Now her killer is free once again, and is returning to their village. What will this mean for those who don't want old secrets dredged up?

To make matters worse, Ben's two children get jobs in a film that is being made in their area, and that turns out not to be straightforward either. Because Ben realises to his horror that the story line is all too familiar...

This is a gripping tale that features dual timelines. Unfortunately, that can at times be confusing, because it is not always clear what is going on. Nevertheless, this book is worth reading.

The plot grips you from the start as Armitage creates an atmosphere of fear and dread as a young film maker runs for his life in eerie surroundings.

The plot unfolds over two timelines and it was sometimes a challenge to know who was who.

Overall an adept and creative thriller from the author of the outstanding Geneva.

When I requested this on NetGalley, I fancied the sound of the plot and it didn’t click into place until later that it is THE Richard Armitage of ‘bad guy in thrillers on tv’ fame! So then I was really intrigued to see what this would be like!

The Cut is a really well-written, tense thriller set between two timelines - 1994 and 2024. Interestingly, the 94 timeline is in the present tense and 24 timeline in the past tense. I’m not sure why - maybe to signify how the past is still so vital to the main characters.

At times, I found the story a little over-complicated, as it sometimes switched between characters’ POVs mid-chapter! And there were a lot of characters’ POVs! Especially towards the end, as the switches between timelines got more furious!

But overall it was a good story! In the 90s, a group of teenagers are getting ready to finish school and go to college, excitement for the future mixing with the tensions of bullying, racism and homophobia. There’s some unpleasant characters in there! By the end of the summer, one of the kids is killed.

Now, 30 years later, the murderer is about to be released from prison and Ben Knot, now an architect struggling with some legal and financial problems, has never forgotten the events of that year. When his children, Nate and Lily, score parts in a horror movie, it soon becomes apparent to Ben that things are not what they seem with the timing and subject of the film.

I enjoyed how the two timelines started to converge at the end, with events taking place at the same school dance 30 years apart and the tension build up to a climax in both timelines!

This is a pacy and twisty read.

After a murder 30 years ago the murderer returns and what follows is a thriller that cover the trauma that the murder caused and how it can reappear years later.

Told in two timelines Ben Knotts schoolfriends are killed and years later his son is cast in a film that covers the bullying and the murder.

This is a brilliantly told read and one that some could find triggering.

It is a sensitive read but the actual events are told with some realism.

well worth the reading time

Following the runaway success of thriller Geneva, Armitage is back with another compelling story. Twisted, dark and viciously entertaining.

Dark and gripping with many twists and turns, I loved it. My only gripe was because the story is set across two timelines involving the same characters, I did find this a little confusing at times.