The Cut by Richard Armitage #TheCut #RichardArmitage @FaberBooks #BookReview

 

You saw her die

Thirty years ago, one of Ben Knott's schoolfriends was murdered. Another went to prison. The story ended. The village of Barton Mallett tried to move on.

Now her killer is back

As the murderer's sentence ends, the village is chosen as the unlikely location for a feature film by a Hollywood producer, with Ben's son Nathan cast in the leading role.

Can you keep hiding the truth?

As the film takes shape, Ben begins to recognise the storyline - from his own past. As his son becomes immersed in a tale of bullying and retribution, things turn dangerous, and an uncomfortable truth begins to emerge. Ben must choose between the safety of his children and reopening the wounds of the past. How much is he willing to risk to protect his family - and himself?

The Cut by Richard Armitage is published on 28 August 2025 by Faber. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

I met Richard Armitage at Harrogate Crime Fiction Festival a few years ago, I'll admit that I didn't have a clue who he was though. His book Geneva was all over that Festival! 

This is most certainly a review of two halves. Not the halves of the book, but of my reading experience. There is no doubt that Armitage can write and write well, his ability to conjure a place is so well done. I felt as though I was walking the streets of Barton Mallet; the large village in which the novel is set. The sense of place is fabulous, the whole village is brought to life through colourful and vivid language. 

He's also great at character building. Each one of the main characters felt real, and it was really interesting to see them grow through the different eras of the novel. 

The premise for the plot is really clever; with a murder from decades ago that was solved, linking into a film being made in the area in modern times. The use of the then and the now is great way to tell a tale. 

It's a mystery story but is also marketed as a 'thriller'. I have to disagree with the thriller label. The crime and mystery element is most certainly there, in this tale of obsession and revenge, but I wouldn't call it a thriller. The first seventy or so pages are very slow, I was desperate for something to happen, and soon.  It took quite a while!  I'm usually a fan of a dual time line but in this case it didn't work for me. I don't think it really flowed as well as it could. There were times when it all felt a little muddled and I wasn't sure which time zone we were in. 

I really wanted to love this one, and there were parts of it that I enjoyed. I'd certainly try another book by this author and I'm sure that The Cut will have many fans. 

Richard Armitage is a multi-award-winning stage, screen and voice actor best known for his roles in Peter Jackson's trilogy of The Hobbit,  Captain America, Alice Through The Looking Glass and Ocean's 8.

His debut novel, Geneva, was a top five crime debut for 2023 and a number one Audible bestseller. 

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