You are gripped from the start by the dramatic prologue full of tension, taking you straight into this dark at times story with a sense of malice and ominous brooding foreboding.
I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading if it was going to be a scary brutal horror fest involving children, BUT I felt sure that that nice, Richard Armitage would not do that to us readers!
Their are two timelines,alternating between the present and 1994 where the adults from now are still children finishing Year 11 with their whole lives ahead of them, except for Annie who is murdered at the end of the Prologue.
The descriptive narrative brought the characters to life before my eyes and showed how the characters and their lives have changed or not - Mr Branch, the PE teacher, is still there after 30 years, very true to life!
I loved the Year 11 rivalry between Annie and Lynnette especially how it played out on the hockey pitch it was so real, as was the portrayal of how nasty and vindictive children can be, as we see in the gang of 5 bullying and tormenting their victims.
With the plots' plentiful twists and turns and red herrings, you are constantly questioning what you "know." So far, are "people" who they seem to be? (Is Freckles, Nathans online new friend really a girl his age?) "Who" killed Annie? (I wasn't expecting the person accused who is being released from prison to be the murderer!)
Discovering the true culprit and reason behind Annie's death revealed at the end is quite heartbreakingly sad and totally unexpected.

Thirty years ago a community was devastated by the murder of a young girl, now with the convicted murderer up for parole there's a film crew reawakening the past. Ben was the victim's girlfriend at the time, and now he's just trying to raise his own family but the past is never far behind.

I was so excited to be approved for this one and it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the 90's nostalgia in the flashback chapters. It was really clever of the author to lean into his film experience, and it added a unique layer to the story. I wouldn't call the ending a plot twist as such, but it's really dramatic and I flew through the book in a few sittings.

Unlikely scenario to say the least. The plot sort of hinges on one person doing something no one would ever do! Hard to say more without a total spoiler but it was t for me.

The cut was a thriller, flipping between two timelines, past and present. Great suspense and a storyline that kept me turning those pages. The writing brought out the atmospheric suspense with lots of twists and turns. The name calling and bullying seemed a central part of setting up the past’s storyline and how that develops later on in the present. I do think the characters, particularly in the past, were believable but whether they were likeable I am still not quite sure. The storyline kept those pages turning for me, always a good sign. A very intriguing and dark read.

Thank you to the publishers, the author and Netgalley for this ARC copy

This story has two timelines, the present and back in 1994.

Ben Knott witnessed his schoolfriend die back in 1994, he lost another friend to prison for the murder.

In the present, the killer has been released and returns to the village.

With a lot on his plate, Ben’s home life is not great. When his son, Nathan is picked to star in a film, Ben realises the film is about his past.

I was looking forward to reading this book, as I had enjoyed the author’s debut.

Unfortunately, I didn’t really get on with this story. For me, there were too many characters, I had to keep referring back as I couldn’t keep on top of who was who. I didn’t find any of the characters likeable, which also made it difficult for me to enjoy the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Totally gripping, uncomfortable storylines with loads of unseen unexpected twists, just brilliant reading!
The story is set on two timelines of 1994 and now.
It’s the summer of 1994 and the class have quite some history together. Group dynamics, friendships and love have played a part as has the incessant bullying and cruelty.
In 2024 Ben Knot is struggling with the past, brought back by night terrors and the fact his business is imploding, he could lose everything and he can’t do a thing to stop it. Ben’s two children have been cast in a horror film through his girlfriend Dani with dreams of Hollywood, which is horrifyingly close to the truth of what happened 30 years ago.
Complicated relationships and twisted characters form this compelling story of revenge.
A brilliant thriller and well told story! Dark and complex, haunting and captivating.
What a fantastic read! For lovers of Geneva and Harlan Coben’s books.
Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for the early read, this one is still haunting me!

I really enjoyed Geneva when I read/listened to it a while back so I was quite excited to get my hands on this, the author's second book, which I also read/listened to, as I found it already out on audiobook!
This time we have a dual narrative - set in the present and also flashing back to 1994.
In the past, we follow Ben and his friends as they complete their last year of school and are all looking forward to the summer and the future. Ben isn't really a nice person though and his gang are wont to torment the weak, Mark Cherry being one of his main targets. But things change when the bullying escalates and someone loses their life. Even though the perpetrator is caught and convicted, it still scars the village.
Back in the present and we catch up with Ben and his family, girlfriend Dani who is step-mum to his children Nate and Lily. Despite being a successful, award-winning architect, he is still haunted by the tragedy that happened. More so now as the perpetrator is due for release from prison...
But he has to go on for his kids. Lily is bossing it the football team and Nate has just landed the star role in a new horror movie which is being shot in the village.
So... things should be ticking alone nicely, until Ben realises that the film's story is a little too close to home...
I think the parts I listened to were better than those I read. Probably cos I found the story to be a wee bit on the implausible side, but also a wee bit predictable. I was also easy to work out when you were with the audiobook as each timeline has a different narrator, and they both excelled at bringing it to life.
The characters were on the whole good, although a few did only just stop short of being caricatures, some of the decision making being a bit spurious. That said, it did fit with the narrative and made for a good story, so...
And although the ending was a bit predictable, it was well worked up to and the final denouement well executed.
All in all, it kept me occupied and entertained for a while and left me mostly satisfied at the end. If you do audiobooks then I would definitely recommend this as a listen. Notsomuch a read.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The Cut by Richard Armitage had an intriguing premise, a past crime resurfacing through a film production, but unfortunately, the execution felt boring and slow. The pacing dragged, and I wish I would have liked it more as the author is a very gifted actor. I received a copy from Faber and Faber Ltd via Netgalley.

The characters felt too distant, and the plot often relied on turns that took me out of the story. Even the emotional themes around trauma and memory were undercut by the slow narrative flow. It took me a long time to finish.

I wanted to like it more, but, unfortunately, it's one of these thrillers that just didn't grab me at all.

2,5/5 ⭐️

Interesting storyline going between a time thirty years ago when one of their friends was murdered and current day when someone is producing a movie. But, it seems as if the movie isn’t fiction but based on the past. I did enjoy the book but found myself more interested in the happenings of the past than the present day. However, it was interesting seeing the difference in the characters between what they were like as teenagers and their adult persona.

Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy of this book

I loved reading and listening to Geneva on audible so was looking forward to Richard’s new book the cut. A lot of books usually either have a super good beginning or an amazing end. It's pretty rare for me to find one that has both but this defiantly had such a great beginning and all the way through pace that kept me wanting to keep reading like crazy and it also had an unforgettable ending. Five stars.

What I did love about this book was the characters. I cared about them and what happened to them. There is alot of them to keep you on your toes. What I didnt like was the ending - it ended very abruptly and left me disappointed.

The Cut is a dual timeline crime thriller. Annie and Ben are the power couple at school. Annie is smart, ambitious and beautiful. Ben is Top Dog. However, on the night of the Leaver's dance things go terribly wrong and Annie ends up dead.

Thirty years later her killer, Dave Patel, is being released from prison after finally admitting his guilt. But it coincides with professional problems for a now successful Ben and now his kids have got themselves involved in a movie project that is totally beyond his control. But who is pulling the strings and what will it reveal about the killer of Annie Maddock?

Sounds good right? And it might have been had I a) not worked out the end in about 5 seconds and b) been full of the most preposterous inter-generational and school relationships I've read in quite a while.

The adults seemed utterly insensible as to what the children were doing ALL the time. The kids didn't seem to have one braincell to rub against another. I thought they were supposed to be internet-savvy or, at least, have parental controls. But no, none of that. As for the boy with the cello - did noone remind him that he could easily leave it at the school?

There is a lot of bullying in this book. Apparently noone cares - not teachers, not parents. It's quite unbelievable.

In fact the whole story is utterly ridiculous.

I also listened to the audio version (which is free with Audible), and whilst one narrator - Jacob Dudman - was excellent, surprisingly Richard Armitage got a bit too melodramatic all the way through. His over-acting was awful.

Hence I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It was a ridiculous plot, easily worked out; none of the characters are likeable; the interplay between characters is laughable.
I've not read Geneva but based on this novel I'd say Mr Armitage needs to stick to acting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Faber &Faber for the advance review copy.

I had read Geneva by this author and enjoyed so was very pleased to have received this ARC of this book. Took me a while to get into it with characters and the past and present chapters, but then everything clicked and I couldn’t stop reading. I really enjoyed the book.

Ben Knott returned to his childhood village, building a spectacular house for himself and his family, but he spends too much time working, ignoring his family and ignoring the fact his firm is going bust.
He is also haunted by the past; the death of his teenage girlfriend Annie and one of his friends went to prison for killing her, and now David Patel is due to be released.
The story cuts between the last year of school, 1994, and the present day, linking what happened in the run up to Annie’s death and mirroring it with Ben’s children Nate and Lily acting it out for a documentary style horror film.
Art mirrors history as it all comes to a climax. A thrilling read and my thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for this digital advanced copy. Unfortunately this was two slow paced for me and I didn’t enjoy the dual timeline. I also found the characters unlikeable.

This dual timeline story of childhood and tragedy is not one to miss.

Ben Knott, father of two, is a successful architect who continues to live in his hometown. He travels all over the world, working on impressive buildings, though he has disconnected from his two children. But Ben holds a secret, and he doesn't think it is long until it catches up with him. He is also haunted by memories of his past, which a recent film is raising. When he was a teen, his girlfriend was killed, and it was one of his friends who did it. But that guy is getting out of prison soon, which isn't helping his state of mind at all.

Another great novel from Richard Armitage, showing not only the hardships of teenage life, but also of being an adult. Plus all the secrets we keep. A must-read.

An enjoyable psychological thriller that is well written. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

The story is set in dual timeline the chapters were alternating between past and present . I couldn't connect with the characters at a stage I was completely confused by some. Some parts of the story felt dragged. Overall I felt something amiss . I thank netgalley and faber and Faber for eARC copy.

The Cut by Richard Armitage is a bit hit and miss unfortunately.

Its biggest hit is in Armitages writing style. Clearly influenced by Harlan Coben he has an excellent way of ramping up drama and action when needed. The ending was especially exciting i felt as it quickly flicked between past and present.

The biggest miss is probably gaping plot holes. When everything is wrapped up i was left thinking it was so unbelievable that the original murder case ended that way. Ridiculous stuff.

Also. Who was Freckles. That seemed to go nowwhere.

Its definitely worth a read but could have been better with some tighter plotting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for an ARC copy of this

The cut -

The idea for the plot is really good; a murder from decades ago that was solved, linking into a film being made in the area in modern times. The use of the then and the now is great way to tell a tale. Although I found the multiple timelines confusing at points.


It's a mystery story but is also marketed as a 'thriller'. The crime and mystery element is most certainly there, in this tale of obsession and revenge, more so than the thriller aspects. The first 80.pages really focus on building the characters and atmosphere and at points I found myself desperate for something to happen.


I really wanted to love this one, especially afyer enjoying his novel, Geneva. Whilst there were parts of it that I enjoyed, I would say it was a lot slower than his first book and there was something missing.