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A review by travelsalongmybookshelf
The Second Cut by Louise Welsh
4.0
The Second Cut - Louise Welsh
‘Scotland isn’t The Wire.’
Auctioneer Rilke has been trying to stay out of trouble, keeping his life more or less respectable. Business has been slow at Bowery Auctions, so when an old friend, Jojo, gives Rilke a tip-off for a house clearance, life seems to be looking up. The next day Jojo washes up dead.
Jojo liked Grindr hook-ups and recreational drugs - is that the reason the police won't investigate? And if Rilke doesn't find out what happened to Jojo, who will?
I can soundly say I enjoyed this. Sharp, gritty and witty, my attention was rapidly caught. I loved the characters and although we are delving into Glasgow’s dark side there is still some lightness to it - Les made me laugh and Rose was fabulous too. These side characters really made the book for me. Rilke is a great character, sardonic, smart and a bit world weary, I could feel his eye rolls as he ends up embroiled in finding out what happened to his mate JoJo, found dead in a Glasgow doorway.
‘Perhaps I had gained a knack because the second cut was quicker.’
This was a darkly thrilling and atmospheric novel, it just winds up and up as Rilke gets embroiled deeper and deeper in something murky happening under the radar.
There are drugs, people trafficking and we go from illegal parties and Grindr hook ups to country house auctions and as Rilke digs deeper he finds himself up to his neck in trouble.
Honestly My heart was in my mouth at the end, a slow burn that caught fire for me - very good indeed! Not for the feint hearted and with a twist I did not see coming this was a cracking read!
✩✩✩✩
Thanks to Canongate books for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
‘Scotland isn’t The Wire.’
Auctioneer Rilke has been trying to stay out of trouble, keeping his life more or less respectable. Business has been slow at Bowery Auctions, so when an old friend, Jojo, gives Rilke a tip-off for a house clearance, life seems to be looking up. The next day Jojo washes up dead.
Jojo liked Grindr hook-ups and recreational drugs - is that the reason the police won't investigate? And if Rilke doesn't find out what happened to Jojo, who will?
I can soundly say I enjoyed this. Sharp, gritty and witty, my attention was rapidly caught. I loved the characters and although we are delving into Glasgow’s dark side there is still some lightness to it - Les made me laugh and Rose was fabulous too. These side characters really made the book for me. Rilke is a great character, sardonic, smart and a bit world weary, I could feel his eye rolls as he ends up embroiled in finding out what happened to his mate JoJo, found dead in a Glasgow doorway.
‘Perhaps I had gained a knack because the second cut was quicker.’
This was a darkly thrilling and atmospheric novel, it just winds up and up as Rilke gets embroiled deeper and deeper in something murky happening under the radar.
There are drugs, people trafficking and we go from illegal parties and Grindr hook ups to country house auctions and as Rilke digs deeper he finds himself up to his neck in trouble.
Honestly My heart was in my mouth at the end, a slow burn that caught fire for me - very good indeed! Not for the feint hearted and with a twist I did not see coming this was a cracking read!
✩✩✩✩
Thanks to Canongate books for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review