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Common wisdom remembered brain paste. The old ladies of Silvertown would tell you.  The porters at Smithfield market would tell you. No doctor would tell you, but what do they know?’....With an opening paragraph like that you know you’re not reading a cozy set in a picturesque country village with a sweet little old lady figuring out who left the letter opener in the vicar’s back.

 

PRIMAL CUT is violent.There are themes in the book that many probably couldn’t stomach; dog fighting, and bare-knuckle fighting two name just two. It’s a very dark world Alison Dexter inhabits.

 

The character of Bartholomew has shades of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber about him.  Only Bartholomew is the Demon Master Butcher who enjoys butchering and cooking meat. In fact, you could say he is something of a gourmet.  

 

Ed O’Connor’s real strength is being able to ratchet up the tension.  This is what kept me turning the pages. I found O’Connor’s habit of referring to Alison Dexter by her surname a little disconcerting for some reason. Perhaps it is because I usually associate that with males.  

 

Despite the suspense, I found some of the plot elements to be predictable.  I can’t say “enjoy” is a word I’d use to describe PRIMAL CUT, but if you do fancy a walk on the dark side then this book will well and truly satisfy that desire.