A 40 year old mystery that jumps back and forth and a seamless translation (often this is NOT THE CASE) that I think will earn this author many fans.

The story is very, very gruesome and violent, but so is murder and the lengths humankind will go to protect what they THINK is a secret!! Like I said earlier this is my first from Nordic author Mads Peder Nordbo but I doubt it will be my last. I recommend it highly.

So so chilling set in Greenland a frozen body a frozen body that goes missing.One of the best written multi layered atmospheric thrillers I’ve read this year .Highly recommend this is an author to watch. #netgalley #Girl Without Skin #textpublishing,

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book contains discussions of childhood sexual abuse

This is a very tense, well-plotted thriller that managed to surprise me quite a few times!

It's the story of two men, Jakob in 1973 and Matthew in 2014. Both deal in some pretty gruesome murders and they're fates are linked when a mummified corpse is discovered.

Matthew is living in Greenland as a reporter when he gets a call from his editor to check out a body frozen in the ice-is it from thousands of years ago? The next day when he goes back to find it it is missing and the body of a young man is found flayed and hacked apart in the same spot. There is a lot of suspense and mystery in this book but sometimes a bit graphic as far as how the murders are done.

Journalist Matthew Cave and his photographer Malik were on the helicopter, heading for the mummified corpse that had been found on the pack ice. The discovery was exciting archeologists as they expected it to be a Viking – a discovery which would resonate around the world. With everything done, the helicopter returned to Nuuk, leaving a policeman overnight to guard the corpse. But the return next morning showed them all much more than they bargained for. The corpse was gone – the policeman was dead; murdered in a gruesome manner.

With that story on hold, Matthew began to investigate a series of brutal murders back in 1973 which had never been solved. The horrors of what he uncovered were accentuated once he met with the enigmatic Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, who had served jail time for murdering her entire family. She was just out of prison, but Matthew felt something wasn’t right. And when danger headed their way, he knew he was close to discovering something that he wouldn’t be allowed to uncover. His, and Tupaarnaq’s lives were in danger…

Set in two timeframes – 1973 and 2014 – The Girl Without Skin is dark, gritty and intense. It is also gruesome and violent, showing that “they” would stop at nothing to keep secrets hidden. This is my first by author Mads Peder Nordbo (and the first of his to be translated to English) and although bleak and gory, I enjoyed this crime thriller and recommend it highly.

With thanks to Text Publishing for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is Nordic Noir at its finest, and also its darkest and most disturbing. It is a complex and thrilling story with social, political and historical implications. The author is a Danish man who has lived in Greenland. This is his first crime novel which will be published n English, and the first of a future series. The translation is impeccable.

The writing is intense, atmospheric, and visual which immerses the reader in the setting which is the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, and surroundings. The sense of place is awesome. You can feel the chill, the darkness, the frigid icy waters, icy pellets hitting the skin when it rains and people shivering in the cold. The capital and landscape are well described in visual prose.

The intricate plot focuses on some gruesome murders in the early 1970’s which have been all but forgotten and some similar murders close to present time.

Matthew is a Danish reporter assigned to cover a story of scientific and historical importance. The mummified body of a probable Viking man who died centuries ago has been discovered in an ice crevice. His story reporting the find would be of worldwide interest. During the night the body is stolen. The policeman guarding the site was dead and his body eviscerated. The photographer’s equipment and film had been stolen. Matthew’s story is thereby killed by the newspaper on orders of higher ups. This does not stop him from investigating similar killings which took place in early 1970s. He suspects prominent politicians may have been involved in their coverup.

Matthew meets a young Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, who has just been released from 12 years in prison. She was charged with killing her parents and two younger sisters when she was 15. Her father had been gutted and the others shot. She was found covered with blood. Their uneasy alliance is a pleasure to read. Tupaarnaq is covered with tattoos, her head is shaven and is a lethal hunter with her rifle. Matthew suspects she has information that she is not revealing.

Events in 1973 were investigated by a young policeman, Jacob. He believed crimes were related to child abuse and covered up by authorities. Young girls, aged about eleven, were suspected of being raped by their fathers. 3 of the girls vanished. Four of the suspected fathers were murdered, flayed, and their internal organs removed. Jacob managed to rescue and hide the 4th young girl putting both their lives and career in danger. Jacob is brutally attacked in his home and disappears. The girl he was hiding has been abducted and probably murdered before she can reveal what she knows.

Recommended to those who enjoy well written, Nordic Noir with a thrilling and complicated plot. Readers missing Lisbeth Salander may have a new girl to take her place. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

One of the best slow burning thrillers I've read since the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. This book reminds me of the Millennium Trilogy but brings its own unique pleasures.

The writing is superb, the setting is divinely creepy and the characters are all incredibly well written. Each character acts true to his or her nature and no character does something for the sake of advancing the plot. It is well crafted, beautifully written and achingly sad.

My favourite book of 2018 for sure!

Full comprehensive review on www.notesandanovel.com in the next 2 weeks.