The Cut: A BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick

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The warden’s right. I don’t have the right to search your room. But believe me, I’ll be keeping an eye out for that phone, and if I see you with anything like it, I’ll be going to the police.’ A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry - Canongate Books". canongate.co.uk . Retrieved 5 March 2022.

I saw the guy behind the counter give you money,’ Philippa mumbled uncomfortably, looking at her shoes. Jerry could tell from the warden’s expression that this had landed. He did remember seeing Philippa on Dumbarton Road. It was too late to deny that he had been in the shop, or even that she had seen what she thought. When a new house share guest - Jerry arrives, while initially not interested, she soon finds him interesting and one of the few people not asking about her past.I recommend The Cut SO HIGHLY! A fast-paced thriller, lovely characters, [and] it kept me guessing’ In the early days, when I wrote Quite Ugly One Morning, I just wrote about all the places that were literally on my doorstep,” he explains. “I was staying on McDonald Road in Edinburgh at the time and a lot of the action takes place within about one square mile of where I was living, because I would go out for walks to see these locations. And that’s always been the case. You’re somewhere quite mundane and everyday so you project something really unusual on to it. Former special effects make-up artist Millicent Spark spent 25 years inside for a crime she thinks she didn’t commit and at 72, with no family and only one friend, she’s ready to end it all. Young biracial film student Jerry is obsessed with horror movies and heavy metal music, and struggles to fit in at University, so moves into a house with three old ladies for cheap rent and respite from his troubles. When a chance glimpse at an old photo sets them off on a quest for the truth about Millie’s past, their questions threaten powerful people who send a killer to silence her. Is the curse of a horror film reputed to be so evil it was never released about to strike again?

There is often a very dark dry wit present here and it makes for an entertaining read in the main. I did find parts, particularly of the historical side of Millie's story, a little slow/convoluted at times. Other parts were pacey, edgy and amusing. Long term fans of Brookmyre should enjoy this and it is perfectly accessible to those new to the author.Dark, heartfelt, stylish and thrilling, The Cut is the kind of wonderfully original tale I just adore. Chris Brookmyre is a storytelling mastermind’ Just to be clear,’ she told Jerry, covering herself first and foremost. ‘You do not need to submit to any search, and he has no right to demand one.’ Phew! This is a fun read to a point. I found the opening chapters hugely enjoyable and the depressed Millie a very interesting character and was looking forward to how it all played out. Not many people can pull off a comedy thriller but Chris Brookmyre is one of them. Peppered with his trademark Scottish vernacular and witty repartee, this stand alone story is golden. Millie (Millicent) Spark is planning to kill herself very soon. She has been out for a year after serving a 24 year sentence for killing her boyfriend in 1994 although she never admitted to the crime. She certainly can’t remember doing it. But now at 72 years of age, and with her only remaining family member, her beloved brother Alistair, dead, she feels there is not much left to live for.