Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Woodcutter

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 1,636 ratings · 275 reviews

Wolf Hadda's life has been a fairytale. From humble origins as a Cumbrian woodcutter's son, he has risen to become a hugely successful entrepreneur, happily married to the girl of his dreams.A knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison while protesting his innocence, abandoned by friends and family, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven...more

Hardcover, 519 pages

Published July 20th 2010 by HarperCollins (first published January 1st 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Novels Of 2011

84th out of 292 books — 973 voters

Kirkus Best Books of 2011

18th out of 88 books — 150 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,981)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 04, 2011 Trish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: british, fiction, mysteries

This ripping great genre-smashing yarn is set 300 miles northwest of London in the mountainous Cumbrian region of England. Bordered on the north by Scotland, and on the west by the Irish Sea, the location itself gives a cold, hard, craggy feel to the formative youth of our hero. His return, in later years, to this rugged place for the dénouement makes a pleasing symmetry that reinforces the chill we feel when contemplating the brutality of his life.

Our hero is born of a woodcutter, falls in love...more

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 25, 2010 Dana Stabenow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Three stars is not my normal grade for a Reginald Hill book. I adore Hill, I revere him, and I learn from him every single time I read him. But I am really puzzled by this book. The characters are so exaggerated it's difficult to like any of them, except maybe McLucky, and this 'revenger's tragedy' of a plot is way over the top.

One thing I do love is his descriptions of the Cumbrian countryside, as in:

...in the darkness of a cold December night with scorpion tails of sleet riding on the back of...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Lizzie Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars

‘The Woodcutter’ by Reginald Hill
Read by Jonathan Keeble
Published by Whole Story Audio Books. ISBN: 978-1-40746-569-2
(15 CD’s – 16.75 Hours playing time)

Wolf Hadda, rich and successful married to his childhood sweetheart, has everything he wants, but an early morning knock on his front door and that life is over. Arrested and jailed, Wolf, is confused at exactly what has happened. Although he protests his innocence his family and friends desert him. Lashing out at all around him, he eventually m...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Gloria Feit rated it 4 of 5 stars

The son of a woodcutter on an estate where a young girl has attracted his attention, Wilfred (“Wolf”) Hadda sets his sights on marrying her. She challenges him to refine himself and become rich. He goes away for seven years and performs many mysterious functions, eventually returning with the necessary social graces and a small fortune. So they get married, and Wolf leads a charmed life in the City, amassing more money and a title. Then the fairy tale ends.

A police raid one early morning results...more

like · see review

Jan 01, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

In a sense, The Woodcutter is a fairy tale. Not a cute Disney fairy tale, but one of those old Grimm Brothers’ tales, with heartbreak and revenge and bad folks meeting nasty ends. Even while parts of the story have a very modern feel, there are still ties to its more mythic underpinnings. I really enjoyed that part of the story.

Wolf Hadda is a successful businessman who describes his life as a fairy tale. His father was a woodcutter, the groundskeeper for a castle, and he grew up in a cabin in t...more In a sense, The Woodcutter is a fairy tale. Not a cute Disney fairy tale, but one of those old Grimm Brothers’ tales, with heartbreak and revenge and bad folks meeting nasty ends. Even while parts of the story have a very modern feel, there are still ties to its more mythic underpinnings. I really enjoyed that part of the story.

Wolf Hadda is a successful businessman who describes his life as a fairy tale. His father was a woodcutter, the groundskeeper for a castle, and he grew up in a cabin in the woods. He fell in love with the daughter of the castle’s owner and eventually won her hand. But everything changes when he is accused of a shocking crime and gets swept up in accusations and investigations. In typical Wolf fashion, he doesn’t wait for the wheels of justice to grind him up. In a bid for freedom (more stubborn than desperate), there is an horrific accident that leaves Wolf crippled, disfigured, and near death. He wakes up to a world in which his friends have deserted him, his wife is divorcing him and he has been all but convicted of child pornography. His fairy tale is over.

Years later, he agrees to see the prison psychiatrist, Alva (from the Swedish for “elf”) to talk about his conviction. Their talks lead to acceptance and recognition of his crimes and, eventually, to parole. That’e when the fun begins.

The most interesting part of the book for me was Wolf’s prison interviews with Alva. The reader, of course, begins by assuming that Wolf is innocent; Alva is convinced he is guilty. Everything he says is proof of denial, every aspect of his childhood lays the groundwork for his future perversions. She takes nothing at face value. It was both fascinating and frustrating to me as a reader — you want to shout at Alva that she is being unfair to Wolf, but, of course, her reactions are perfectly normal for someone working with convicts — I’m sure most of her patients insist that they are innocent.

Wolf takes up residence in his old family home, adjacent to the grounds of the castle where his in-laws still live. The rustic cabin, the isolation, the disgust of his neighbors — it would be a very difficult existence for most men, but Wolf seems to thrive. After all, he is a man with a purpose…

This is really a terrific story. Some of it requires some suspension of disbelief, especially in the later chapters, but it is a modern-day crime mystery set against a fairy-tale backdrop of castles and woods and cliffs. Wolf is a fascinating character and I was not at all surprised that Alva became somewhat obsessed with him; it would be easy enough to do. The differences between Wolf’s family and that of his “princess”, Imogen, are startling and play an important role in the story, both the modern plot and the myth behind it. It’s a thick book — 500+ pages — but the story draws you in and keeps you turning pages throughout. Definitely worth the reading time and effort.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 22, 2011 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe mysteries, but this one is a stand-alone masterpieece. It is engagining and engrossing and I couldn't put it down. Reminiscent of Count of Monte Christo and Jeffrey Archer's A Prisoner of Birth, but so much more. The characters of Wilf/Wolf and Alva/Elf are well developed (though I had trouble picturing Elf: a Swedish-Nigerian with dark skin and blond hair...) There are some lovely, quintesentially British characters: good-natured Lord Leon, who sees pas...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 Tony rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers

Hill, Reginald. THE WOODCUTTER. (2011). **.
Mr. Hill is probably one of the best writers working today. He has a huge following for his novels featuring Superintendent Dalziel and DCI Pascoe, a joint investigative team that cleverly solves crimes with intelligence and humor. This is not a novel featuring those characters. This novel’s plot turns around “the wrong man” concept. The main character is Wolf Hadda (from his name Wilfred, later slurred to Wilf, then, finally, to Wolf). Wolf has led a...more Hill, Reginald. THE WOODCUTTER. (2011). **.
Mr. Hill is probably one of the best writers working today. He has a huge following for his novels featuring Superintendent Dalziel and DCI Pascoe, a joint investigative team that cleverly solves crimes with intelligence and humor. This is not a novel featuring those characters. This novel’s plot turns around “the wrong man” concept. The main character is Wolf Hadda (from his name Wilfred, later slurred to Wilf, then, finally, to Wolf). Wolf has led a charmed life. From his origins as a woodcutter’s son, he has turned himself into a highly successful entrepreneur, married to his childhood sweetheart. One morning, a knock on his door brings in the police. Suddenly he finds himself reviled by the rest of the world as he is accused of being a pedophile. His computers are found to contain loads of kiddy porn. Of course, he denies all of these accusations, but public outcry – plus an attempted escape while in custody – assure him of a conviction. When in prison, Wolf retreats into silence – no longer even affirming his innocence. After seven years, he meets with a new prison psychiatrist, Alva (Elf) Ozigbo, who makes a breakthrough into Wolf’s mind. He begins to feed her written manuscripts describing himself and his thoughts from his childhood onward. Elf is not sure of his guilt or innocence, but keeps probing into his mind. After a decision has been made that he has been rehabilitated, he is paroled, and returns to his rural home in Cumbria. In the meantime, his wife has divorced him and remarried to his first attorney. His business interests are in a shambles. He is practically bankrupt. Suddenly, Wolf disappears. It is up to Elf to find him before he finds out who has framed him and why, and seeks his revenge. His primary weapon is the axe that he learned to use as a child. The story line is OK – although a bit stultified by Hill’s usual standards – but the plot is extremely diffuse. This is not a book that you would read in bed. It is 519 pages long, and weighs a ton. It was really in need of a good editor prior to publication.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 21, 2011 Dee rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Another great R. Hill mystery. As usual, Mr. Hill draws the reader in immediately into mysterious bits. When the story starts in earnest, we already know that bad things had happened to Wolf Hadda, and he loses no time in letting us know what they are. Hadda seems to take longer to realize that he has been set up by his friends than would ordinarily occur, but he appears to be one of those good people who believes most people, or at least his longest friends can be trusted. The fly in the oinmen...more

like · see review

Aug 15, 2011 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wilford Hadda began life as the son of a Cumbrian woodcutter on the Ulphingstone estate. Sir Leon Ulphingstone gave him the nickname of Wolf. At one stage in his life, Wolf Hadda held the title Sir Wilford Hadda.

Reginald Hill takes the reader through the various stages of the life of Wolf Hadda and Wolf has led a very interesting life. As a boy, he charmed Sir Leon’s daughter and left Cumbrian to earn his fortune. Wolf became a very wealthy man and returned to marry Imogene Ulphingstone. The co...more Wilford Hadda began life as the son of a Cumbrian woodcutter on the Ulphingstone estate. Sir Leon Ulphingstone gave him the nickname of Wolf. At one stage in his life, Wolf Hadda held the title Sir Wilford Hadda.

Reginald Hill takes the reader through the various stages of the life of Wolf Hadda and Wolf has led a very interesting life. As a boy, he charmed Sir Leon’s daughter and left Cumbrian to earn his fortune. Wolf became a very wealthy man and returned to marry Imogene Ulphingstone. The couple had a daughter that Wolf doted on but one morning a knock on the door brought a screeching halt to Wolf’s charmed life.

The police entered his home with a search warrant and arrested Wolf. To say that Wolf was surprised by the visit would be putting it mildly. He did not take well to being pushed around by the Officer in charge and so Wolf decided to make his exit from the police station. Wolf wound up in a traffic accident that left him badly injured and in a coma. As he started to come out of the coma in the hospital, the only bright spot in the day was Davy McLucky, the man in charge of guarding his hotel room.

Wolf recovers from his injuries to find he has lost all of his money, his wife has left him and she is planning to marry his lawyer. Wolf is sentenced to a long term in prison and marked as a pedophile. When Alva Ozigbo the prison psychiatrist begins treating Wolf, he is reluctant to talk about his crimes. Wolf eventually opened up to her and she was convinced that he was rehabilitated and should be released from prison.

Once released Wolf went back to his childhood home and began to put his life back together. Although the locals were against Wolf even being in the neighborhood the local minister felt he should at least visit Wolf. After a few visits, the two men became friends. Alva also began to visit Wolf. The visitors were seeing a different man than the one that had been committed to prison for such horrible crimes. Did he actually commit the crimes he was accused of or was he set up in a complicated scheme to take the fall for others?

This stand-alone is an exciting and interesting book that keeps the reader guessing.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 15, 2011 Marci Glasgow-Haire rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hold psychiatrists and psychologists in high esteem. They are not real people, are they, removed from the emotional experience of being human, seeing psychological motive everywhere (existent or not). How can anyone with this profession have real interpersonal relationships? The filter for mental healthiness creates, in my mind, a person who is always "on" and who cannot just be.

This book somewhat reinforces that viewpoint. I was fascinated by the look inside Dr. Ozigbo's psyche, though I won...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-audio-books, 2011-mysteries

The Woodcutter, by Reginald Hill, B-plus, Narrated by Jonathan Keeble, produced by Whole Story Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

Wilfred Hadda, commonly known as Wolfe, was the son of an estate manager. He fell in love with the landowner’s daughter, Imogene. She said that for her to consider him for marriage, he would have to learn manners, learn how to act rich, and become rich. Four years later, Wolf returned having fulfilled all of these goals and married Imogene. Wolf Hadda's life was a fai...more

like · see review

Jul 18, 2011 Tammy Dotts rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery

When an early morning police raid meant to uncover evidence of financial fraud also uncovers involvement in child pornography, Sir Wilfred Hadda resists arrest and ends up in a coma for nine months. He awakens to find a rock-solid case against him and divorce proceedings initiated by his wife. Sir Hadda – Wolf to his friends – spends the next seven years in jail while his ex-wife marries his lawyer and denies Wolf any contact with his daughter.

Wolf meets regularly with psychiatrist Alva Ozigbo....more When an early morning police raid meant to uncover evidence of financial fraud also uncovers involvement in child pornography, Sir Wilfred Hadda resists arrest and ends up in a coma for nine months. He awakens to find a rock-solid case against him and divorce proceedings initiated by his wife. Sir Hadda – Wolf to his friends – spends the next seven years in jail while his ex-wife marries his lawyer and denies Wolf any contact with his daughter.

Wolf meets regularly with psychiatrist Alva Ozigbo. At first, he denies the child pornography charges, but after several sessions, Dr. Ozigbo breaks through to her patient and he claims responsibility. Granted an early release, Wolf returns to his childhood home in Cumbria and begins an investigation into what really happened.

The question of Wolf’s guilt isn’t fully answered until near the end of Reginald Hill’s latest pageturner The Woodcutter. And the answers involve a shadowy government agency, personal betrayals, hidden motives and lots and lots of secrets.

Hill begins the novel with a quote from The Count of Monte Cristo, which should clue readers about the levels of deception from all sides. Three quick scenes follow, each depicting a different time and what appear to be turning points for the nameless characters. The scenes are riveting but quickly forgotten as the main novel picks up speed. Hill returns to the opening later, and clever readers will pick out connections.

Once in prison, the novel focuses solely on the cat-and-mouse game between Wolf and Alva. Wolf provides Alva with written pieces of his backstory until he achieves a breakthrough and ends what Alva sees as self-denial.

Upon Wolf’s release, the novel switches gears. Characters viewed only through his prison writings take their own turn center stage. McLucky, the policeman who guarded Wolf in the hospital, is now a private investigator Wolf hires to look into the crimes. A Russian mobster who fancies Imogen, Wolf’s ex-wife, becomes a tool for Wolf to use. Imogen and her monied family have their own secrets to hide.

The novel changes from a psychological thriller to a hardboiled crime story, with all the high and low points of the genre. Alva discovers she’s sexually attracted to Wolf, despite believing he’s a pedophile. Coincidences make for convenient plot points. The final plot twist delivered by Imogen seems to come out of nowhere and isn’t necessary.

But the overall writing is well done, and Hill takes his time setting up the final unraveling of the mysteries. Every character serves a purpose and moves Wolf closer to not only finding his answers but to revenge.

Hill knows how to create a complicated plot that doesn’t lose the reader’s interest. Even readers who figure out the mystery before the end will want to keep reading to see how all the seemingly disparate pieces fit together and how Wolf and Alva handle the answers they uncover.

The Woodcutter isn’t a book that will change your life or open your eyes to a truth about the human condition. It is, however, an entertaining mystery that you won’t be sorry you spent time with.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 18, 2011 Barbara Mitchell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a stand-alone novel by the author of the Dalziel and Pascoe series. It's a psychological thriller about a mysterious, disfigured but mesmerizing man from Cumbria in England. His name is Wilfred Hadda but everyone knows him as Wolf which is much more fitting. Wolves can be vicious killers, but they are also tender toward members of their pack, i.e. the ones they love.

Wolf Hadda is the son of the estate manager at Ulphingstone Castle. His father teaches him to be a woodcutter so that he'll...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 06, 2011 Rosalind rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, thriller, fiction, crime, lake-district, cumbria

Reading the last couple of Reg Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe books has left me wondering, has the old boy lost his touch? Hill has such a delicacy of touch in his writing that a slight loss of it doesn't mean that the results aren't a terrific read but as I reel somewhat and pause for breath on finishing The Woodcutter then I can only say that in any case the answer is a resounding NO!

This standalone novel is a tour-de-force. In so many ways it's unlike anything else he's attempted. For one thing th...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2011 SenoraG rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to SenoraG by: netgalley

Shelves: 2011, ebook, fiction, mystery-thriller, netgalley

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 nev...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 09, 2012 Sally rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really loved this big sprawling fairy tale of a book. Reginald Hill was always a persuasive writer, and while I listened to the incomparable Jonathan Keeble reading this book he had me utterly persuaded. The characters managed to be archetypes as well as individuals and the style was lovely. Mr Hill was clever and not afraid to show it in his use of dozens of folktale riffs I recognised and probably dozens more I missed. It's a pity, from my point of view, that he wrote my favourite among his...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 05, 2012 Selaine Henriksen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was truly sorry to hear of Reginald Hill's death earlier this year. I love the Dalgleish novels and love the Cumbrian accent. The accent is full on here. It took me a few chapters to realise what he was doing, cutting back and forth between what the main character wrote and what the psychiatrist thought of it and once I did see it, I realised why. I enjoyed the story and liked the main characters, although fairly straightforward. I ended up reading it all in one sitting, which shows the story...more

like · see review

Jun 08, 2011 Sheila Beaumont rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries-suspense-thrillers

This stand-alone psychological thriller by Reginald Hill was a terrific read, even better than the best of his Dalziel & Pascoe series. The Woodcutter is a dark, real-life fairy tale, set in England in the present day and near future. Most of the action takes place from 2015 to 2018. It's the story of a peasant boy, the son of a Cumbrian woodcutter, who completes three impossible tasks so that he can attain his heart's desire, the hand in marriage of the woman he loves, the daughter of the l...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2011 Robin Spano rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime

This is crime fiction at its best. Reginald Hill took a bold departure from his usual Dalziel/Pascoe stories, and it paid off big time. I lost sleep because I could not stop turning pages.

It's the story of a woodcutter - a rugged loner who falls in love with the modern day princess of the castle in a small English town. She sets him three impossible tasks, which he goes off and performs so that she might marry him. Turns out, not such a wise choice.

This book is actually so modern that it starts...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 15, 2012 Brenda Margriet rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy FH Dalziel and Pascoe books best, although The Stranger House was really good, too.

This novel spans decades, and in fact ends up somewhere around 2017. Wolf Hadda is a brilliant businessman with a murky past who is accused of being part of a child pornography ring (even taking part in the filming), as well as business fraud and other bad stuff. He tries to escape, only to get hit by a bus. After he recovers (missing an eye, three fingers on one hand, and a badly healed leg) he spends yea...more

like · see review

Jul 07, 2011 Wendi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Woodcutter
By Reginald Hill
Published by Harper, An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

A first-rate psychological thriller, The Woodcutter explores one mans twisted journey through opulence, deprivation, survival and revenge. Wolf Hadda’s mysterious past earned him a fairy tale life with the woman of his dreams, a thriving career, a coveted title, and a jet setting lifestyle to be envied. All lost in the blink of an eye.

What happened? Finding out is part of the pilgrimage. Prison Psychiatrist A...more

like · see review

Oct 06, 2011 Natalie Salmon rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the Woodcutter. It is a modern fairy tale with twists and turns and many layers but at its heart it is really an ageless story of a hero overcoming a set of trials. I really loved Reginald Hill's book the Stranger House but the woodcutter some how lacked something that the Stranger House had. I can't quite put my finger on it, but don't let that put you off, the Woodcutter is a fantastic thriller packed full of memorable characters, locations and suspense. There's some interesti...more

like · see review

Oct 02, 2011 Jennine Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I started the book I was afraid it was going to be another one of the frustrating "innocent man can't convince the world" epics. And it did start out with the main character, who is a very smart and clever man, doing some extraordinarily stupid things which land him in his predictament. Once you get past this smart man behaving stupidly, it gets very interesting. For one thing the issue of his innocence is not settled one way or another until late in the book, and in some cases not settled...more

like · see review

Jun 20, 2011 J.R. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers

Like the master he is, Reginald Hill has taken themes from a couple familiar classics and transformed them into a captivating novel of transfiguration and revenge set in modern times.

Like Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, the young Wolf Hadda is dazzled by the local squire’s daughter. Though she seems equally attracted to him, Imogene refuses to marry him unless he can meet standards of class, bearing and wealth. He disappears for a time, then returns educated, polished and with the beginning of...more

like · see review

Jul 29, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 1 of 5 stars

The Woodcutter is the most tedious book I’ve ever read (okay, maybe not, but it’s up there). The perspective shifts from person to person and I had to reread large sections of the book to get a grasp on what was actually happening – is this a flashback, a new development in the plot, or the back of my eyelids? I was also not impressed with the plausibility of certain relationships in the book, not because I cared about the likelihood of these particular people hooking up, but because I couldn’t...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 19, 2012 Dot rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dot-s-booklist-2012

I've been a big fan of Reginald Hill for some time now and I was sad to hear of his death last year. This is his last novel and does not disappoint. His novels are usually complex stories and very literate. I almost always come across 2 or three words I am not familiar with
in each book and have to scurry to the dictionary to find out the meaning.

The first few pages of this book introduce the main characters and can seem a bit confusing at first. It is well worth getting through this and as the s...more

like · see review

Dec 13, 2010 Shirley Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-5-star-reads

This book is very difficult to classify, although not difficult to rate. It is a wonderful book and fully deserves 5 stars. Is it a mystery, psychological thriller, espionage story or a study in human psyche? I think it's a bit of each actually. Hill has done a marvelous job here and I couldn't put it down. His protagonist -Wolf Hadda is a wonderful creation. Hadda is a self-made millionaire with a beautiful wife and daughter and at the top of his career when an early morning pounding on his doo...more

like · see review

May 18, 2012 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: recentlyread

With Reginald Hill's death January 12th from a brain tumor, we've lost one of the best British crime fiction writers of the last forty years, in my humble opinion. Never conventional, yet fully conversant with the conventions, Hill began his most famous books, the Dalziel and Pascoe series, as fairly straightforward police procedurals featuring an intriguing new duo (rude, whiskey-supping Fat Andy Dee-ell and polite college boy Pete Pascoe), but never stopped experimenting with form and variatio...more With Reginald Hill's death January 12th from a brain tumor, we've lost one of the best British crime fiction writers of the last forty years, in my humble opinion. Never conventional, yet fully conversant with the conventions, Hill began his most famous books, the Dalziel and Pascoe series, as fairly straightforward police procedurals featuring an intriguing new duo (rude, whiskey-supping Fat Andy Dee-ell and polite college boy Pete Pascoe), but never stopped experimenting with form and variation as the series grew to a couple dozen installments. Set in an evocative Yorkshire and mixing fine comic verisimilitude with layered psychological observation, the Dalziel and Pascoe novels were successfully adapted to BBC TV for eight seasons in the 90s. Hill wrote another detective series about Joe Sixsmith, a black machinist-turned-PI, as well as some 30 books outside of the two series, many of them under pen-names.

As with the best detective fiction, Hill's writing is stylistically sophisticated and highly intertextual. I mean that it is evident in his books that Hill is extremely well-read and that his reading seasons and informs his work. His last novel, The Woodcutter, is not a letdown. I'm not absolutely sure it's the final new work we'll see from him, since there's a rumor that another Dalziel and Pascoe was in the can. But if Woodcutter is the swan song, then it's a sweet one. Superbly structured and paced, this stand-alone tells the story of a lowly hewer of wood whose quest for power and wealth wins him the princess he desires, the commanding daughter of his father's employer, a country squire in the Lake District. He will then lose her and everything in an apparent high-tech frame job. Only Wolf, the woodcutter, can unravel this tangle and get justice. The novel subtly satirizes the persistence of class and race attitudes, the simplicities and possibilities of psychoanalysis, assumptions about justice and political ethics.

It may not turn out to be a classic and maybe few readers will call it a masterpiece, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Woodcutter, and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Reginald Hill's books, however imperfect or (gasp, shudder) "popular" they may have been. May his books long stay in print!
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 16, 2013 P.A.Baines rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is basically The Count of Monte Cristo "up north". Set in Cumbria, the story follows Wilf Hadder, a self-made man who is framed for fraud and of possessing child pornography. At first he pleads innocence, but spends seven years in jail after changing his plea and admitting guilt under the guidance of his psychiatrist. Shortly after his release, bad things start to happen to the people responsible for his downfall.

What I liked:
- There's nothing like a good revenge story, and The Woodcutter p...more

like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Virginia Walter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

I love the Dalziel and Pascoe mysteries -- this novel not so much. (Nonetheless, I did stay up last night until I finished it.) A young boy, a woodcutter's son, becomes a British millionaire with a title, a beautiful wife, and a mysterious past. It all falls apart when he is arrested and convicted of pedophilia and business fraud. What follows is a labyrinthine plot with many twists and turns and surprises -- and a fairy tale ending. In fact, the whole novel reads a bit like a fairy tale, with t...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
A masterpiece	1	2	1 de Jun 17:28

combine
Other Editions (17)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

57 users

Mystery > Crime

22 users

Thriller

19 users

Suspense

7 users

European Literature > British Literature

7 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

6 users

Romance

3 users

Mystery > Murder Mystery

2 users

Adventure

2 users

Novels

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

The Lewis Man
by Peter May
The House at Sea's End
by Elly Griffiths
Collecting Cooper: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave
The Retribution
by Val McDermid
The Complaints
by Ian Rankin

About Reginald Hill

Reginald Charles Hill is a contemporary English crime writer, and the winner in 1995 of the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement.

After National Service (1955-57) and studying English at St Catherine's College, Oxford University (1957-60) he worked as a teacher for many years, rising to Senior Lecturer at Doncaster College of Education. In 1980 he retired from...more

More about Reginald Hill...

Books by Reginald Hill

A Clubbable Woman (Dalziel & Pascoe, #1)

On Beulah Height (Dalziel & Pascoe, #17)

Death Comes For The Fat Man (Dalziel & Pascoe, #22)

A Killing Kindness (Dalziel & Pascoe, #6)

Bones And Silence (Dalziel & Pascoe, #11)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Woodcutter

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Woodcutter
avg rating	preview: The Woodcutter Goodreads rating: 4.01 (1636 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8162346-the-woodcutter?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329503240l/8162346.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8162346-the-woodcutter?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill[/url]

The Woodcutter

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website