What do you think?
Rate this book
Cutthroat
Newcastle, 1978. John is sleeping with Mary. Mary is married to Daniel. Both men work for her father, the Top Man. Daniel is his son-in-law, next in line to take over his little empire. John is muscle. The Top Man orchestrates robberies—banks, pay rolls, anything that will bring in some easy money. When Daniel discovers his wife’s illicit liaison, he wants John dead. The Top Man signs off on it.
But John’s a man you only get one shot at. When Daniel happens to botch that one shot, then everyone involved needs to watch their back. Because John will be coming for them, and he won’t stop until he’s taken revenge on every last one involved in leaving him for dead.
But John’s a man you only get one shot at. When Daniel happens to botch that one shot, then everyone involved needs to watch their back. Because John will be coming for them, and he won’t stop until he’s taken revenge on every last one involved in leaving him for dead.
206 pages, Paperback
Published June 19, 2020
118 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 27, 2020
When Thomas Hobbes said that life was "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short," it must have been after reading Heatley's latest Brit Noir selection, Cutthroat. It's a compelling short piece that might feature a love triangle like The Postman Always Rings Twice, but without all that messy moral quandary and guiltiness. Inspired by the fast staccato clipped pace of Westlake's Parker books, Cutthroat delivers an antihero who takes no gruff and won't stand for betrayals.
May 28, 2021
Sharp, violent, brutal.
Really dug this quick and violent, no-bullshit revenge tale. Another excellent Paul Heatley book.
Really dug this quick and violent, no-bullshit revenge tale. Another excellent Paul Heatley book.
November 25, 2020
The parts in this hardboiled revenge novel are familiar, but with CUTTHROAT, the sum somehow transcends the parts, and the result is a tight, nasty, thoroughly enjoyable novella with a little twist I haven't seen elsewhere.
John Riddell, left for dead after one of his heist partners learned that John was involved with his wife, heals up and comes back for bloody payback. But is Mary is on that list as well? Did she betray him to her husband ... and, more importantly, does John BELIEVE that she betrayed him? Sure, he's going to come after her husband in their home ... but will he decide to kill her as well? Will she get a chance to explain? Or will she feel she has to take preemptive action?
The answer to that question will keep you on the hook, and all credit to Paul Heatley, a stone pro, for stepping aside and letting this story spool out the way it wants. A top-notch British analogue to American novella-length noir masters like Preston Lang and Matthew Phillips.
John Riddell, left for dead after one of his heist partners learned that John was involved with his wife, heals up and comes back for bloody payback. But is Mary is on that list as well? Did she betray him to her husband ... and, more importantly, does John BELIEVE that she betrayed him? Sure, he's going to come after her husband in their home ... but will he decide to kill her as well? Will she get a chance to explain? Or will she feel she has to take preemptive action?
The answer to that question will keep you on the hook, and all credit to Paul Heatley, a stone pro, for stepping aside and letting this story spool out the way it wants. A top-notch British analogue to American novella-length noir masters like Preston Lang and Matthew Phillips.
July 15, 2020
This is a brilliant slice of ‘Geordie Noir’, if such a genre actually exists, where the main theme throughout is revenge. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away other than that John is a career criminal, who reveals little of his past or his present and is about to pull off a bank heist. He is having an affair with the ‘Top Mans’ daughter, who also just happens to be married to one of the guys who is going to be pulling off a job with John and there is no love lost between the two men as it is. Can John keep the affair secret and if not the consequences are bound to be fatal.
An absolute thrilling read that I just couldn’t put down till I was finished. It’s lean, mean and very violent but also full of dark gallows humour. The story culminates in a bloody violent climax, the outcome of which I found quite unexpected.
I loved this so much I’ve went straight on to reading another of Paul Heatley’s novels ‘Guillotine’ as I’ve got a lot of catching up to do !
An absolute thrilling read that I just couldn’t put down till I was finished. It’s lean, mean and very violent but also full of dark gallows humour. The story culminates in a bloody violent climax, the outcome of which I found quite unexpected.
I loved this so much I’ve went straight on to reading another of Paul Heatley’s novels ‘Guillotine’ as I’ve got a lot of catching up to do !
July 9, 2020
Heatley returns leaner and meaner than ever with this nasty noir inspired by the Parker novels. John is a mysterious, hard lifetime criminal and has started an affair with his colleague's wife. Already at odds with Daniel over their respective styles, things will escalate if the affair is discovered.
Heatley continues to show his mastery of the genre and is skilled at building his characters through their words and actions. This tale takes a turn for the unexpected early on and it allows Heatley to get deeper into the narrative and characters than you might otherwise get in this type of book.
Heatley is as prolific as he is good, so thankfully I still have a few more of his to get to.
Heatley continues to show his mastery of the genre and is skilled at building his characters through their words and actions. This tale takes a turn for the unexpected early on and it allows Heatley to get deeper into the narrative and characters than you might otherwise get in this type of book.
Heatley is as prolific as he is good, so thankfully I still have a few more of his to get to.
July 18, 2020
John lives in a small house that has nothing in it, bar the absolute essentials and his boss's wife, Mary. She likes to get under the covers with her lover, a Geordie who has appeared on the scene from nowhere like some mythical beast, whenever she can. He's big and hard and scared of nobody.
There’s a job on soon and the tensions are mounting. Mary’s husband gathers his crew and warns them to keep a low profile. John isn’t one who finds that easy to do. He goes out with his mate and ends up in a bar brawl that gets terribly out of hand (no pun intended). A quick visit to the local underworld doctor and things are back to normal. Well, almost normal. The driver for the heist is now incapacitated and Jock is brought into the team by Mary’s father who oversees everything. Jock and John are cut from the same kilt and their testosterone and pride ensure that there’s an edge between them that could only be settled in a fight to work out who is the top dog.
The ripples caused by the tensions within the group soon turn into waves when not everyone is happy with the outcome of the job. To complicate things further, we soon realise that the main motivation for the whole thing has been something else entirely. Revenge becomes the new thrust of the story and we know that there’s going to be nowhere to hide. For some of those involved, the world is about to come crashing down with fists of thunder and not all of them are going to be able to survive the pounding.
I really enjoyed this read. The prose is stripped bare just like John’s flat. The characters feel very genuine and their motivations are rooted in their histories as much as in their circumstances. There’s an edge of menace throughout and when action is called for, it’s as strong and powerful as those involved. The Newcastle setting really works and there’s a terrific seventies feel which is all the more authentic because the detail is kept to a minimum. I also liked the way the dialect comes through in the conversation – it might take a while for some to get used to, but the meaning is always clear.
My only reservation comes in relation to the structure. We begin in 1978, shift back to a couple of years earlier and then back to 1978 to where the opening left off. The first difficulty I had with this is one relating to my memory (mine isn’t great) and I found myself rushing back to the start to remind myself when it was set (sure, it was clear, but I don’t think I registered it at the time and just placed it in the seventies). The second is that it was so well put together that a lot of the middle section adds a layer of back-story that I don’t feel was entirely necessary. I’d like to read it again and simply go with the opening and final parts to see if that would work alone – I reckon it would stand up nicely and.
The ending here is as satisfying as it was unexpected. Its a perfect fit and somewhere lurking amidst the surprise and the elements of disappointment was a pleasing burst of triumph.
Cutthroat is top quality noir fiction of the Brit Grit variety. Sparse, dark, tense and action-packed, there are no heroes, no frills and no dull moments. Another belter from All Due Respect - put it to the top of your list.
There’s a job on soon and the tensions are mounting. Mary’s husband gathers his crew and warns them to keep a low profile. John isn’t one who finds that easy to do. He goes out with his mate and ends up in a bar brawl that gets terribly out of hand (no pun intended). A quick visit to the local underworld doctor and things are back to normal. Well, almost normal. The driver for the heist is now incapacitated and Jock is brought into the team by Mary’s father who oversees everything. Jock and John are cut from the same kilt and their testosterone and pride ensure that there’s an edge between them that could only be settled in a fight to work out who is the top dog.
The ripples caused by the tensions within the group soon turn into waves when not everyone is happy with the outcome of the job. To complicate things further, we soon realise that the main motivation for the whole thing has been something else entirely. Revenge becomes the new thrust of the story and we know that there’s going to be nowhere to hide. For some of those involved, the world is about to come crashing down with fists of thunder and not all of them are going to be able to survive the pounding.
I really enjoyed this read. The prose is stripped bare just like John’s flat. The characters feel very genuine and their motivations are rooted in their histories as much as in their circumstances. There’s an edge of menace throughout and when action is called for, it’s as strong and powerful as those involved. The Newcastle setting really works and there’s a terrific seventies feel which is all the more authentic because the detail is kept to a minimum. I also liked the way the dialect comes through in the conversation – it might take a while for some to get used to, but the meaning is always clear.
My only reservation comes in relation to the structure. We begin in 1978, shift back to a couple of years earlier and then back to 1978 to where the opening left off. The first difficulty I had with this is one relating to my memory (mine isn’t great) and I found myself rushing back to the start to remind myself when it was set (sure, it was clear, but I don’t think I registered it at the time and just placed it in the seventies). The second is that it was so well put together that a lot of the middle section adds a layer of back-story that I don’t feel was entirely necessary. I’d like to read it again and simply go with the opening and final parts to see if that would work alone – I reckon it would stand up nicely and.
The ending here is as satisfying as it was unexpected. Its a perfect fit and somewhere lurking amidst the surprise and the elements of disappointment was a pleasing burst of triumph.
Cutthroat is top quality noir fiction of the Brit Grit variety. Sparse, dark, tense and action-packed, there are no heroes, no frills and no dull moments. Another belter from All Due Respect - put it to the top of your list.
April 26, 2021
All-round Newcastle hardman John Riddell works for local crime boss Steven aka The Top Man. John lives a simple basic life with no complications until he starts an affair with the boss’s married daughter Mary. When Mary’s husband Daniel finds out he plots a cruel revenge. Viciously attacked and left for dead John somehow survives and escapes to plot his own deadly retribution. As John begins to stalk those who planned his demise events build to a bleak noir conclusion. Cutthroat is another gripping crime thriller by talented author Paul Heatley. The narrative covers multiple character points of view to give a wide scope of events and deepen the emotional impact of the story. The obvious inspiration is The Hunter by Richard Stark and the subsequent cult film Point Blank but Mr Heatley gives Cutthroat a gritty British flavour that makes this novel truly his own vision. I’m a big fan of his work and this novel is no exception. Enjoy.
February 25, 2022
Cutthroat by Paul Heatley (2020) is a quick (186 pgs.) roller-coaster of a read...Takes place in Newcastle, England, in 1978, it's mostly a gangster soap-opera with a huge dose of ultra-violence. I guess you could call it noir but I'll stick with soap-opera...I read it in two sittings, enjoyed the slam-bang elements and so will you..Oh yeah, the ending is very similar to the ending of Heatley's Bad Bastards where the female character, ahhh, errr...well, don't want to spoil.....3.5 outta 5.0!
December 26, 2024
Ok but nothing I enjoyed!
It may be just me and because of the other similar books I have been reading, but this one was not one I really enjoyed. To me it was slow going, the characters did not stand out for me, and the plot was way too simple. I’m not going to say that folks might enjoy this book. I personally did not.
It may be just me and because of the other similar books I have been reading, but this one was not one I really enjoyed. To me it was slow going, the characters did not stand out for me, and the plot was way too simple. I’m not going to say that folks might enjoy this book. I personally did not.
August 17, 2020
A dark, broody crime novel that I read in one sitting. I loved that it was set in the 70’s in Newcastle. Great read.
Whey aye man!
Whey aye man!
Read
March 3, 2022Not a fan of this book. I liked the other Paul Heatley books I read, but not this one.
June 25, 2022
An early ending, Dialogue in English Cockney or something, and not much depth for characters or plot.
May 3, 2024
Liked the story but bummed on the ending.
July 7, 2021
What was the Twist? What was Unforeseen?
It was a good Crime Noire Novel that was Telegraphed from a third of the way in.
It was a good Crime Noire Novel that was Telegraphed from a third of the way in.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews