“The fertility of Hill’s imagination, the range of his power, the sheer quality of his literary style never ceases to delight.” —Val McDermid, author of Fever of the BoneIn a stand-alone psychological thriller from acclaimed mystery master Reginald Hill, a mysterious ex-con returns to his remote childhood home on a deadly hunt for revenge. Combining the chilling atmospheres of Thomas Harris’s The … of Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs, the narrative ingenuity of P.D. James’s The Private Patient, and the compelling characterizations of Hill’s own Dalziel and Pascoe series, Hill delivers a frightful, fast-paced study of suspense at its most sinister in The Woodcutter.
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I am now a huge fan of Reginald Hill. The Woodcutter is the first book I’ve read by Mr. Hill, and it won’t be my last. I haven’t been this engrossed in a book in a while. Mr. Hill’s writing is intriguing and suspenseful. In this masterful PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER told in the THIRD PERSON POV, Mr. Hill has crafted a world of distinct characters and a brilliant and memorable main character, WOLF HADDA, also known as the Woodcutter. Mr. Hill’s skillfully plotted story is reminiscent of Alexander Dumas, The Count of Monte-Cristo.
“‘I must have been mad,’ he said, ‘the day I started planning revenge, not to have ripped my heart out!’’’ ―Alexander Dumas, The Count of Monte-Cristo
The story begins with a young boy, a juvenile delinquent, plucked from the streets by an admirer.
“. . . I wasn’t planning to adopt him! Me neither, says his wife. But we’ve got to do something with him. Otherwise what does he do? Goes back to thieving or, ends up flogging his arsehole around King’s Cross.”
Charming, intelligent, and talented Wolf is plunged into a world which eventually brings him prominence, wealth, true love and a family―a fairytale existence. A life he may never have attained without THE CHAPEL, a covert organization with obscure origins, and inscrutable members who wield secret missions like a game of Russian Roulette. But is Wolf’s supporter, JC a friend or foe?
“You persuaded him! A boy, a naïve young man at the very most, in your employ, in your care, probably dependent upon you emotionally as well as economically! And you persuaded him to become a killer. I bet that called on all your Ciceronian skills!”
Over the years, Wolf amasses fortunes, private jets, homes across the country, and reverence for his services in commerce. He marries the beautiful Imogen, and they conceive their beloved daughter, Ginny. Then one day, his world topples when the police arrive at his door and arrest him for financial crimes and child pornography. In one day, he loses his hard-earned possessions, including his family.
In a daring escape from the courthouse, Hadda meets another fate, a head-on collision with a London bus, leaving him disfigured and in a coma. When he awakes, he’s determined to exact vengeance on those who plucked him from obscurity and tragically upended his world.
“The woodcutter is running free. I am sure you have been experiencing some serious concerns as to what he may be planning to do.”
Released from prison, Wolf lives on the edge of the woods in a secluded cabin with his faithful dog, Sneck, surrounded by fearful locals outraged a pedophile lives in their midst. Regardless of his tainted image and disfiguring scars, many, among them, his psychiatrist, Alva Ozigbo, and the local church’s vicar are strangely drawn to this fine specimen of a man. Both question his innocence, ponder his vengeance and fear he’s never atoned for his sins.
“The good huntsman knows how his prey will react. He prepares his hide and waits.”
As the story unfolds Hadda questions his family’s complicity in his downfall. His wife, Imogen? His mother-in-law, Kira? His father-in-law, Leon? Who else at his side has betrayed him? But the main question readers will ponder is Wolf’s innocence.
The complexity of this stand-alone novel kept me gripped from the beginning to the end. Twists and turns unfold to a shocking pinnacle, truly a steep cliff. The storyline, subplots, well-developed characters, and suspense kept me engrossed, as well as Mr. Hills sublime poetic prose. I highly recommended The Woodcutter to all.
I read this book a long time ago and plan on re-reading it. Reginald Hill wrote a lot of good books and this is his last and best.
Terrific stand-alone thriller by this master, whose writing is equal to that of any non-“genre” author. Wonderful that Hill works up to his own high standards after so many books and so many years. Here, a man rises much above his class, because he is personally gifted and because he is drafted into Brit secret services while still an adolescent. Then, he is all but destroyed by his privileged “friends.” The rest is for lucky readers to discover.
Written from a British perspective, sometimes difficult to follow, Lots of plot twists with a great ending
Great storyline and characters
A veritable drudge to get through and not very believable.
I did not finish reading this book. I had a difficult time keeping track of the characters and didn’t feel the story was interesting enough to finish the book.
Strange but well written book. Made me think.
Well developed characters and an ever-twisting plot kept me entertained.
Reginald Hill is one of the best. A well-plotted, twisty-turner, psychological mystery.
A riveting read from start to finish. I was sorry it ended
Well-written, surprising, evocative. I liked this book and its central character. I especially love books that use language beautifully and keep me guessing, and this book did both.
Mr. Hill is a master. Two delightful twists near the end.
Great read with many twists and turns. Well developed characters who still hold surprises. The main character is someone you could hate to love. Found it hard to put down.
Very good characters and reading
Reginald Hill is always a good read – This one does not feature his regular characters, but it is still well written.
This book was enthralling!
Reginald has done it again. First read of a non-Dalziel/Pascoe detective story from Hill. Entertaining and typically wonderful stretch of the English language.
Couldn’t even get past chapter 1. Didn’t like this book at all.
Twisting plot, complex characters, extraordinary writing, compelling read.