The Woodcutter

By: Reginald Hill

Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble

Wolf Hadda's life was a fairytale - successful businessman and adored husband. But a knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven years later Wolf begins to talk to the prison psychiatrist and receives parole to return home. But there's a mysterious period in Wolf's past when he was known as the Woodcutter. Now the Woodcutter is back, looking for truth and revenge...

©2010 Reginald Hill (P)2010 WF Howes Ltd

One of my favorite Reginald Hill books!

I always expect quality from Reginald Hill, and have loved every book he's ever written.

The Woodcutter surpassed even my high expectations with an engaging story, great characters and a study in justice that leaves a lasting impression. To me, Hill's greatest talent is to remain completely invisible as the story unfolds. Too often I read stories that, while interesting and thought-provoking, feel like a message from a writer on his soapbox. The Woodcutter is filled with moral ambiguity, and leaves the reader with much to contemplate, but, at least for me, my reaction was to events and aspects of Hill's characters. Not once during the entire book did I feel the presence of Hill's hand as the story progresses through bad acts committed by good people and surprising kindness from some "bad guys." There is suspense throughout, but it didn't feel dark ... occasional humor and never forcing the pace of action keeps the tragic elements of the story from overwhelming the reader. Highly recommended!

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf!

Even if you read all of the "Best Sellers", the Man Bookers, the Edgars, the Hugos, the Pulitzers, Staff Favs, and the readers suggestions in your constant pursuit of good and/or entertaining reading material, this award winner's latest book may have sneaked by you--and what an epic MISS. Thanks to consistently high marks by Audible reviewers, I was schooled, and spent 16 engaging hours hanging on to a rollicking, smart, psychological thriller where the big bad wolf is the heroic axe-wielding woodsman, and sets out to prove that unconventional fact. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the breakneck pace, and I would've been thoroughly satisfied with a nicely tied up ending at about the 12 hour point, but neither little personal gripe diminishes the experience. My first Reginald Hill--and from what I've heard from other readers, one of his best. A great choice...Thanks-previous reviewers.

a great pleasure

People who are already familiar with Reginald Hill won't need to be told what they already know: that he is a master storyteller, mixing a suspense story with deep insights into the human psyche and a powerful ability to make the landscapes come alive. The Woodcutter is thoroughly enjoyable, and at a lenght of 15+ hours it really draws you into the cleverly plotted story. Enjoy!

WoW!!

I haven't written a review for a long time, because the audios I have chosen haven't been all that noteworthy.
This book is the exception, prompting me to write a review.
First off, I had never heard of this author. (shame on me)
Second, I only purchased this on the good reviews, and the storyline intriqued me.
It is the first book since Game of Thrones, that I absolutely did NOT want to stop listening to. (btw, game of thrones is a completely different genre, however, both the writing, storyline, and readers are excellent!)
This is a book that I am glad I listened to, rather than buy the hard copy to read.
The reader was exceptional. I could picture this entire book in my head as he read along.
I researched this author, and found that sadly, he had passed on last year I believe.
The literary world has lost a wonderful writer.
Fortunately for me, I listened to this one.

Reginald Hill's not just about Dalziel and Pascoe

Sadly, Reginald Hill died recently and it's hard to believe there will be no more of his wonderful writing to enjoy. I'd always read every title in his Dalziel/Pascoe police procedural series as it was published. But I wasn't as thorough in my reading of his non-series books. I decided that I should turn to The Woodcutter, his last book, to say goodbye to Hill----and I'm so glad I did.

Wolf Hadda is the son of a woodsman who falls in love with Imogen, the daughter of the local lord. Just as in mythology, she agrees to accept him if he performs three impossible tasks. He leaves and returns a few years later, rich and accomplished, and wins his bride. Sound like a fairy tale? Well, it is, at first. But it all comes crashing down when Wolf is accused and convicted of appalling personal and professional crimes.

Abandoned by his wife, friends and business colleagues, Wolf has nothing to do but spend his long years in prison plotting how to get out, find out who engineered his downfall, and exact a fitting revenge. As with a good fairy tale, there is more to the story than the superficial story line.

This is a melange of epic myth, mystery, thriller, love story and just flat-out virtuoso storytelling. Reginald Hill has always had a way with characterization; of drawing a full-fledged person with just a few words. His Wolf Hadda is a larger-than-life personality and it's a joy to read about his dealings with those in his life, from his prison psychiatrist, Alva Ozigbo, to his cockney lawyer, to his second-in-command at his company, and so many more.

A completely engrossing tale by a masterful storyteller, whose like we won't be seeing again.

Jonathan Keeble's narration is terrific. It requires him to voice both men and women and accents from Cumbrian to received pronunciation to Cockney. He does it all quite well, especially Wolf Hadda's gravelly Cumbrian.

Brillant story and narration!!

This book had it all! No plot has ever had that much depth and ability to absorb the reader into it!! My choice of this book was partly because I love Reginald Hill, and partly because someone reviewed it as the best book he had written. I'll go further... it was the best book, period, that I have listened to, and I have listened to many! I loved it and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a compelling story with a reader who seems to dwell right in the book itself.

Still thinking about these characters!

What made the experience of listening to The Woodcutter the most enjoyable?

The narrator was fantastic! There were times when I would find myself thinking about the characters as if they were real people - the narrator just made the experience so realistic!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I was not on the edge of my seat from a suspense standpoint, but definitely eager to continue listening. You definitely want to see that justice is obtained, but there is always a question as to what might happen next.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Keeble’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I would like to listen to him again. He was one of the best narrators, maybe the best, that I have listened to thusfar (I have listened to maybe 15-20 books)

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

While I was very interested in it and sometimes stayed in the car longer to keep listening, I think I preferred it spread out. It is sort of a journey with the main character.

Any additional comments?

I found the beginning to be a little slow, or maybe I was just particularly distracted that day. But I WISH I had paid more attention or gone back to the beginning. The introductions in the beginning are a little confusing but later they are connected, and I kept wondering as I was listening how they were connected. Had I paid more attention to those first chapters, it would have been even more interesting. Also, the style of this story with all the other literary references and the way the book was split up into sections is probably better appreciated by those who read/listen much more than I do. However, I kind of liked this change in my typical experience. Overall, this book was very well done and one that lingers long after you finish it! I recommend it highly!

Vegas buffet of mystery/suspense. Has it all

This book should show up in the 'Hidden Gems' sale. Excellent writing and superb performance. There really was a bit of everything in this book. Betrayal, innocent man convicted of heinous crime, murder, romance, revenge.

The Publishers summary blurb, does not do the book justice, nor intrigue a reader further. BUT.... it might be a better read to not know too much going in. The first few chapters were slow, but wow! once it came together and the story started flowing, it was a like roller coaster ride with highs, lows, and plenty of twists and turns.

Well crafted characters and lovely scenery.

Great ending! with a final shock.
Will look for more from this author and narrator

A lot of buildup

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was a story. That's it. A lot of tantalizing mystery and dangling clues and the promise of a satisfying resolution, but in the end, a very ordinary tale.

What was most disappointing about Reginald Hill’s story?

I wanted the protagonist to really be made whole for all the trouble he was put through, but that didn't happen. His enemies were more or less 'accidentally' punished.

What about Jonathan Keeble’s performance did you like?

Excellent character vocalizations and accurate accents.

Was The Woodcutter worth the listening time?

To fill a long roadtrip, yes.

Excellent Read! Highly recommended!

Couldn't put the book down because the narrator was so great at keeping the story alive.