Louise Welsh is the bestselling author of The Cutting Room and Tamburlaine Must Die. She was chosen as one of Britain's Best First Novelists of 2002 by the Guardian, won The Crime Writers' Association Creasey Dagger for the best first crime novel, and the Saltire First Book of The Year Award, 2002. .
One of the most intriguing, assured and unputdownable debuts to
come out of Scotland in recent years . . . A stunning work of
fiction.
* * The Sunday Times * *
I was hooked from page one. Rilke is not Welsh's only great
creation. The huge supporting cast of misfits and outsiders . . .
are equally memorable. And Glasgow becomes a character in itself:
it is oppressive, foreboding - a dark place for a dark tale.
* * The Guardian * *
What makes The Cutting Room so gripping is the combination of
suspense and character as the story unfolds through the unusual
eyes of Rilke . . . His horror, like the reader's, lies in the
terrible intimacy, impersonality and irreversibility of what he
witnesses.
* * The Herald * *
In Louise Welsh crime fiction has one of its few real literary
writers. The Cutting Room is a hugely commendable debut, assured
and memorable. Crime fiction may have its prize-winner at last.
* * Independent * *
One of the most intriguing, assured and unputdownable debuts to
come out of Scotland in recent years . . . A stunning work of
fiction. * * The Sunday Times * *
I was hooked from page one. Rilke is not Welsh's only great
creation. The huge supporting cast of misfits and outsiders . . .
are equally memorable. And Glasgow becomes a character in itself:
it is oppressive, foreboding - a dark place for a dark tale. * *
The Guardian * *
What makes The Cutting Room so gripping is the combination of
suspense and character as the story unfolds through the unusual
eyes of Rilke . . . His horror, like the reader's, lies in the
terrible intimacy, impersonality and irreversibility of what he
witnesses. * * The Herald * *
In Louise Welsh crime fiction has one of its few real literary
writers. The Cutting Room is a hugely commendable debut, assured
and memorable. Crime fiction may have its prize-winner at last. * *
Independent * *
Welsh's first novel is a taut mystery built around the seamiest side of the sexual trade underworld. Rilke, a dealer for a small auction house in Glasgow, stumbles upon some disturbing pictures of what appear to be a murder during a sex-for-hire situation. But are they real or staged? The photos appear to be decades old, and the would-be perpetrators are deceased, but Rilke still can't resist investigating-a thing he must do discreetly since the pictures technically belong to his wealthy auction client and her brother is featured prominently in them. As he seeks to find out more about the photos, he (as well as the reader) explores Glasgow's various aspects, from its middle-class suburbs to seamy transvestite clubs and porn shops. 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. Although certainly no Antiques Road Show, it does provide an interesting look into the inner workings of auction houses. Recommended for larger mystery collections where British authors like Minette Walters, Denise Mina, and Ruth Rendell are popular. [This novel won the John Creasey Memorial Dagger award, given to first-time crime novelists.-Ed.]-Caroline Mann, Univ. of Portland Lib., OR Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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