This book is so cinematic it is basically a movie, by which I mean it is a good book with detailed descriptions that make the story come alive (and of course it's much better than a movie).

It is hard to give a good review of this book without giving too much away. I will say this is my first book by Reginald Hill and I don't know how I missed him!

The Woodcutter is a revenge story but so much more. It's also a psychological thriller that gets us into the mind of an accused man. I love that it was a non-stop guessing game. I felt like I was in one of those labyrinths where you think you know where you are going only to hit a wall. It was mystery after mystery with an end that I never saw coming or even imagined coming. I think I am blue from holding my breath to see what was going to happen next.

I actually picked this book up to read the first page or so just to see if it would appeal to me and I was going to read it at a later time. BUT, it pulled me in and I could not put the darn thing down. I was tired for work the entire week.

I really developed a fondness for Wolf Hadda. Not to say he was the nicest of men but he was a good soul who got a dirty deal from those he trusted. I enjoyed his humor and his relationship with his psychiatrist, Dr. Ozigbo. I loved the scene where she found him showering in the forest.

The Woodcutter is one hell of a thriller and I will be looking for more books by this author.

I didn’t want this book to end! I highly recommend listening to the audio book, read by Jonathan Keeble. He does a wonderful job giving each character their own voice that goes perfectly with the story.

I enjoyed the first third or so of the book - the shifting perspectives and timeframes, and the unreliable narrative. However, as the plot wore on it dragged and became more and more convoluted. I like my crime fiction a lot leaner.
I also found the characters to be quite one-dimensional and mostly unappealing.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Or perhaps with an axe.

Wolf might have a thing for young girls, or he might not. Regardless, Elf is suppose to help him or at least set him down road of coming to terms with what he did.


But what if he is innocent. What if there is something more going on?


Nice thrilling ride.

Great book which kept me guessing all the way to the end. Wolf Hadder is such an interesting character. The writing is so good that you can never work out if he is guilty/not guilty, lying or being honest. The other characters all keep saying how likeable and charismatic he is and this really does come across. I found the climax took a little long to get to and I didn't find the final parts of the plot to be very convincing, but they still fitted in and rounded off the story well.

What a wonderful book -- it starts out kind of slow but once it gets started there are so many twists and turns that it keeps you on edge until the very end. Makes you wonder if things like this really happen and if so, how often. Great characters that you would like to know in real life and some you would prefer just to punch in the face.

Plot pays homage to The Count of Monte Cristo.