Woodcutter

I received an e-copy of Woodcutter  by Shaun Baines for review.

A dark, grisly, intricate tale of a mafia-type family. Full of action, violence, brutality, familial intrigue and peripheral sex. Pretty much what a reader expects from this genre. Not to say it is predictable or mundane. It is able to still be full of surprising twists and turns.

The problem for me? No body was sympathetic! The main character Daniel tries but just can't pull off likability.  Every character had such unforgivable flaws that it was difficult to root for any. Just when you are ready to sympathize with a character, they participate in something that destroys their humanity and connect-ability. After finishing Woodcutter I decided, "I don't like any of these people". But that is okay because the story is interesting and engaging and well written. It held my interest and kept me guessing (wrongly as usual).

If you like good ol' shoot'em up violence, extreme brutality, mafia-esque honor and loyalty, all inflicted by unlikable characters, Woodcutter is the ticket. It wasn't a problem that it was set in England rather than a more mafia style location like New York or Chicago. A good read all around by Shaun Baines. Enjoy!

Mike