A convincing realisation of modern day Glasgow using the mystery/thriller story as a peg on which to hang the characters and description of the city. The sadistic sexual references made me uneasy, but are not dwelt upon too much (it is graphic) and are necessary to the portrayal of the characters and their relationships. ( )

In this story we are led to believe that there will always be sadistic sexual predators, and that there is at least one amateur in Glasgow who wants to solve a murder involving these themes. The twist is that this particular murder happened decades before the story, and our hero, Rilke, believes through most of the story that its perpetrator is dead. He learns that this has not been the case, however, but that the purported villain has been killed within the current story timeframe by an intended victim.

Rilke is a homosexual, and Ms. Welsh relates a series of anonymous sexual encounters in the seamy underbelly of Glasgow. It's hard to believe this book would be received as warmly in the US as it apparently was in the UK.

This is the story of a man driven by his conscience to try to prevent further depredation against innocents. Although the protaganist must ultimately give up his individual quest through circumstances beyond his control, it is also a book about the ultimate impossibility of stopping sadism and exploitation. It's a good, vivid read, and Rilke is a sympathetic hero. I recommend it. ( )

An interesting and very imaginative first novel. It is a crime story that takes place in Scottland, some parts are a little graphic but the story does move along at a nice pace and really engrosses you. It took me a bit to understand/translate some of the words that were used so that I could have them in context of the story. The author used the word jumper for what we would call a sweater here in the US. There were a few things like that that took a little getting used to but a good story none the less and I didn't figure out the ending until I reached it. ( )

I am just finishing the Cutting Room by Louise Welch, and once again, I'm not sure what I thought about the book.

From Booklist
First-novelist Welsh offers a fresh voice and an arresting plot in this darkly atmospheric portrait of Glasgow's mean streets. Gay auctioneer Rilke agrees to pack up and sell off an enormous quantity of high-quality goods in an inordinately short amount of time, no questions asked. He is a bit blinded by the huge amount of cash and fails to inquire why there's such a rush, an oversight he will soon pay for. While clearing out the attic, he discovers a horrifying packet of snuff pornography. Despite his own proclivities for promiscuous, anonymous sex, he is haunted by the woman portrayed in the photographs and determines to discover whether the events depicted actually happened. His drug-dealing transvestite friend, Les, puts him into contact with an underground pornography ring, and soon Rilke learns more than he wants to about the seamy trade. Welsh offers an immensely appealing cast of characters, from the irreverent yet softhearted Rilke to his business partner, the indefatigable Rose. And Welsh's Glasgow is a desperado's paradise, filled with sodden pubs and seedy sex clubs. Joanne Wilkinson

I picked this up at the Goodwill for a quarter, and I did get my money's worth out of it. And I would read another book by the author.

I do have some questions to ask of the list, but I need to get them sorted out first -- mostly about the British expressions.

I thought the author did a good job of portraying a man as the central character, but I probably need a man's opinion of that. I don't think there are many male authors who can portray a woman and her thoughts accurately -- it's something that I look for when I read. What does everybody else think?

There were some pretty graphic s*x scenes, but they weren't really gratuitous -- but they bugged me all the same. And I can't figure out why. I don't consider myself to be a prude, but still ... I guess when I pick up a mystery, I don't expect to read graphic s*x, and the cover did not really allude to it. And you didn't read it and go, ewww... that's disgusting

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Ahh, just read further on Amazon (from their book reviews), and here is a review written by a man (at least I think it was a man, meaning the person who wrote it could use any name ...) who basically said the same thing that I just said!

A fresh and interesting writing style. Two major problems, one this is not a Scottish novel, it is a Glaswegian novel: References to geography are not a major block to someone, but if the reader is unfamiliar with Glaswgow and it's language, there will be tiny dead spots within the story as the words with unfamiliar meanings are used. Also a potential problem, there are a couple of instances where the writer is extremely specific about homosexual encounters. The homosexual hero/main character did not bother me, but to be reading along a mystery and then be bogged down in a page or two of true pornography in order to keep going with the story was not to my taste. The story itself is interesting, the surprise twist appears some 20 pages short of the end of the book, which finishes a little flat. The book reminded me of a Glaswegian version of Arturo Perez-Reverte, but not at his very best. Some of the reviewers mention awaiting her next book with anticipation. It will be interesting to see whether it is in the mystery vain or the almost pornography category. The small photo of her on the inside flap is one of the worst I have ever seen of an author for their book. It is as if the photo purposely was meant to hide more than it reveals.
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Me again: The above review was pretty spot on -- not sure what was meant by Glaswegian? Could he mean Norwegian?

The book also apparently won several awards.

The other thing that bugged me (and there was a good twist) was that I still don't know who did it ... D**n, I hate books like that, and they are always books that are a bit off the beaten track so I can't talk about it with other people! ( )

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/node/... ( )