I've been meaning to read more Nordic crime, so when I saw this title popping up I just couldn't resist. That cover does look kind of daunting, doesn't it? I went in The Girl Without Skin full of expectations and they were more than met. The first thing that stood out for me was the setting. It shows that the author knows Nuuk and Greenland from his own experience living there, because he is able to describe it in a way that makes it truly come alive. I also like that the main character Matthew is a Danish 'outsider' like the author himself. Being able to see both Nuuk and Greenland through his eyes was truly insightful, and I feel like I've learned a bit about the life there as well as having read a solid crime thriller. Because solid it was. Bloodcurdling, twisted, disturbing and bodies piling up as you turn the pages... Oh yes, The Girl Without Skin isn't for those who don't like to see their crime thrillers bloody. But if you, like me, don't mind things getting messy, you will have a great time with this little shocking story. I really liked the writing style, which was engaging and made me keep reading until I suddenly reached the last page. The pace is good and I liked how the plot was constructed, which 1973 flashbacks as well as the current (2014) storyline. It was interesting to see how the author slowly tried to link both point of views and there is one thing for sure: The Girl Without Skin will have some shocking surprises for you in store!

I was without doubt more than pleasantly surprised by The Girl Without Skin. I like my crime thrillers dark and disturbing, and an interesting international setting is always a bonus for me. This story isn't for those with a weak stomach, as there are a lot of graphic scenes involved including violence, bloodcurdling murder scenes and abuse. The Greenland setting is excellently executed and it felt like I were there myself along with the main characters... The story itself chilled me to the bone. If you like dark crime thrillers, you should definitely give this one a go!

I am a huge fan of Nordic mysteries and loved this one.
I loved the setting and it had a fast paced plot and believable characters.
Kept me guessing till the end

My only impression of Greenland is an indirect one absorbed from "Smila's Sense of Snow", which, although the protagonist is from Greenland, is set in Denmark proper. Thus Mr. Nordbo's setting here is almost entirely new to me.

Matthew is a dead man walking, a man for whom there will be no recovery from the loss of his wife and unborn daughter in a car crash. In his numbness he has come to Nuuk, Greenland, a town he lived in briefly as a child, as a stringer for a Danish newspaper. He has no goals, no ambition. He survives.

Matthew's Danish editor has ambition for him though, and pushes him to report on everything, giving the paper stories from a reporter on the ground. When a mummified Viking shows up in a cave, it's a big deal and Matthew is right there on the job. He's there too when a cop is murdered and a body tied in a bag is found by a fishing crew. Suddenly a sleepy coastal town is the scene of multiple murders.

The story is tied to the past, which is presented in flashbacks. These flashbacks are fairly short and to the point so they aren't too bad. They tie nicely to the present, which makes them feel less like stuffing. I got a bit lost during the story of Matthew's father, a US serviceman, and the reasons why he abandoned his wife and child.

This is not the best of the Nordic thrillers, but the unusual location and the details of Greenlandic life, make it particularly interesting.

A frozen man is discovered in the ice near Nuuk in Greenland. There is a great stir when scientists opine that it could be a mummified Viking, and local journalist Matthew Cave is despatched by his editor to cover the story. Things change very quickly however when the eviscerated corpse disappears and the cop that was guarding it is found dead, with the same eviscerations. Soon there is a third such killing.

Cave, a newcomer to Nuuk, is asked to look into similar killings that happened in the 1970s, to see if there is a connection. In the process he runs into Tupaarnaq, a recently-released prisoner who was convicted of such a killing and is an immediate suspect.

The plot, which shifts between Matthew's contemporary investigation and the investigation of 70s policeman Jacob, is nicely paced and there are a few surprises. I have to say that I felt that the 1970s setting worked better. I'm afraid that the contemporary plot elements of an investigating Scandinavian journalist assisted by a non-conformist tattooed woman into crimes involving abuse was just a little, dare I say, too familiar.

I really enjoyed this thriller - the first book I've ever read which is set in Greenland. Matthew Cave, a journalist, is in the town of Nuuk, on the Arctic Circle when a frozen body is discovered - it's believed to be an ice age Viking so the story could be big news. A police man is left to guard the body overnight, but the next day, he is found dead and the body has disappeared. Matt receives a tip that this killing could be related to four unsolved murders from 4o years ago. He is given the diary of the police officer who was investigating those murders by his source. As he reads through the diary, Matt believes that these two sets of murders are definitely related and comes to realise that he might be in danger. I'll look forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Mads Peder Nordbo , and Text Publishing Company for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

While I quite enjoy Scandinavian murder mysteries, there are certainly degrees of quality, as with any genre. I stumbled upon this piece by Mads Peder Nordbo and liked the dust jacket blurb, hoping it would live up to the synopsis. Learning that Norbdo works in Greenland offered me some hope that he would be able to shed some unique light on the setting, as well as the story’s development throughout. Danish journalist Matthew Cave is sent to Greenland to cover their upcoming elections. However, there is a sensational story coming out of the small community of Nuuk, which demands Cave’s attention. A man is found on the ice, his organs removed in a brutal manner. While it surely could be one of the many wild animals in the region, the cuts seem to precise and clean to be anything but that of a knife blade in a human’s hand. As Cave begins to investigate a little more, the body count increases and the severity of the attacks seem to be growing as well. Cave pokes around and discovers a connection to a set of crimes from back in 1973, where small children were kidnapped. As the community is reeling, Cave’s editors are demanding answers and sensational coverage, which he is not yet ready to offer. Following the trail, Cave discovers that some of the missing children have reappeared, as though they were dropped from the sky decades later, with no past and for no known reason. As he wrestles with his own personal demons, Cave must follow this case through to the end, even if the results are anything but satisfying. An interesting story that Nordbo makes his own, though there was some element missing to make it stellar. Those who like Scandinavian mysteries may find something worthwhile herein, though I felt the flow and entire premise fell a bit flat for my liking.

What is it that defines a Scandinavian mystery? Must the author hail from that region to be given this classification? Perhaps the story must take place within those countries defined as ‘Scandinavian’? I ask this because the story takes place entirely in Greenland, which may be part of the Danish territories, but the flavour of the novel is definitely unique. Nordbo uses this unique approach to flavour his novel in such a way to allow it to stand out, as well as some of the biographical information I provided above. Much of the setting and the societal norms differ greatly from those used in the numerous Scandinavian novels I have read, though this uniqueness is not entirely unwelcome. Matthew Cave is an interesting character and proves to be a worthy protagonist. Receiving his surname from his father, a member of the American military stationed in Greenland, Cave left the area at the age of four to settle in Denmark. This strain from any father figure proves to be a recurring issue throughout the novel, as does the loss of his wife and unborn child, thereby erasing his chance to be a father. Nordbo uses this thread to push the story along, as Cave seeks to piece together some of the happenings to those children from 1973 and the resulting murders in more modern times. Cave proves to be an effective journalist, but I did not feel a connection to him, which may be more to do with the style of writing that Nordbo offers. Many of the other characters who grace the pages of this book are a mix of gritty members of the police or community members, who mix a Danish and local indigenous culture into their daily lives. Nordbo tosses names and terminology around with ease, leaving a reader not entirely adept with either to flounder. Still, I was able to make some general connections and limped my way through the piece. The story’s premise was decent and I am pleased to have been able to follow it, but it was also weakened by a lack of flow and jilted writing. A mix of short and longer chapters, the story seemed to sputter along and I could not entirely tell if it was the translation that was causing me such distress or a lack of cohesive writing in whatever language. I have often said that Scandinavian novels seem to offer a seamless transition when translated, but this was surely an exception. I noticed that this was the first in what might be an upcoming series, so I am not sure if I want to continue when the next piece surfaces. That being said, I am forewarned and forearmed, should I choose to continue. Other readers preparing for this undertaking should be as well.

Kudos, Mr. Nordbo, for a decent effort, though it missed the mark for me. I can only hope that others find something stellar in this writing, as it did not meet by, admittedly, high expectations.

I generally really like Scandinavian mysteries- the dark and cold, the intense inward personalities and conflicts. The entire genre is fascinating, moody, atmospheric and generally interesting stories.

I have noticed that as colder and further north we get, the more violent some of the crimes are. Iceland is pretty tough that way and this is my first book from Greenland. As intriguing as the writing is, the cruelty and violence towards kids and critters were too much for me and I didn't finish the book.

While of course I want to know the outcome, these depictions of vile and cruel acts can stay in my brain.
I would love to read another book by this author with a little less bloodiness and horror.

I did not finish the book... it did not grab me and after about 100 pages I had to give up. Too many books, too little time. Sorry

Wow!! How to I even start to describe this book!! To be honest, this was my first attempt at reading a Scandinavian thriller and I had hear previously that they can be really dark, and this book was dark but it was exceptional. The way this book was written was so fluid and so easy to read, And the way he did the time jump from the present to the past through the diary was so seamless and easy, I fell in love with the book from the page one and it kept me hooked and gripped throughout. The characters in this book were so well created and written. Tuparnaaq was such a wonderful and complex character whom you cannot help but fall in love with. I sincerely hope that the other books in this series are translated to English as well as I'm really looking forward to reading his other books. A well deserved 5 stars from me. Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the chance to read this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was beautifully well written.

It was quite gruesome and not for the feint hearted but I really enjoyed the plot. The ending felt a little rushed but I thought overall it was a really enjoyable read which had me gripped right to the end. I also loved the different times and thought this was done well.

I wanted to say I found this hard to follow, but that's not necessarily true since I did finish the book. I've not read much fiction or even non-fiction out of this region, so the Inuit names and culture were unusual and eye-opening to me.

I don't know if it's the translation or the style or just the general layout of the ebook, but it feels like reading a half-worked manuscript. This won't be the first time I read a translation of a novel that was wildly popular in its original language, but didn't come off half as well in English.

The story itself was probably what kept me going, but it could have been executed better.

Gripping! Unputdownable! Read it!

I read this book in two days and it's the best book I've read this year so far. I will definitely re-read it one day and I would recommend it to as many people as possible. Reliable characters and stories. Good job!

Journalist Matthew has left his Danish home after with wife and their unborn daughter died in an accident. In Greenland he tries to make a new start. When an old, in ice conserved body is found, he believes to have found the story of his life: a new iceman just like Ötzi might be the scoop of his career. But it soon turns out that the body isn’t several hundred but only forty years old. His first deception leads him to old Greenland murder cases that were never solved. Four men had been killed and sliced open. When he starts to investigate, he doesn’t know what kind of hornets’ nests he is stirring up with his questions.

At first, “The Girl Without Skin” attracted me since the description sounded like a typical Scandinavian thriller set in the Greenland ice. As it turns out, there is much more to it than just brutal murders that need to be unravelled. Apart from the suspense and the clever story about these long time unsolved cases, it gives insight in a hardly known culture and the way the small community works – which is even worse than any of the violent killings.

I liked how the story slowly unfolds, one thing leads to another and you end up somewhere completely other than expected. All steps are well motivated and the highly complex case is solved satisfactorily. There is just one aspect that was a pity a bit: the protagonists, the Danish journalist, and his Greenlandic female helper resembled by far too much Stieg Larsson’s characters. The fearless investigative reporter who is eagerly ready to risk his life for a story and the inscrutable tattooed woman who is said to be a murderer and who easily hacks into official and highly protected computers – we have read that before. However, the parallels did not diminish any of the story’s appeal and suspense.

OHHH MYYY GODDDD!!! THIS BOOK IS AHHMAAZINNGG...!!!

Its been a long time that a book has come by which has captured my attention. I was unable to keep it down. I actually put my other book on hold to finish this one and I just loved it!! The Girl Without Skin has the feel of Girl With Dragon Tattoo mixed with White out. It is a totally unique reading experience. I was right on the edge wanting to know what next will happen.

The Girl Without Skin started awesome but I was hoping for a little more at the end, it ended rather abruptly. Nevertheless, this is one book I would definitely recommend people to try it.
The characters were intense, the plot line tight but the best part was the scenic description. I could literally imagine the cold they felt, the mountains looming ahead.

I don't write very long reviews, I just write what I felt while reading the book.

All in all, my readometer gives it 5/5!!!

A fresh new take on the Scandinavian crime thriller. Nordbro skillfully crafts a tale that spans 40 years, following the murder of a man who is then flayed and dumped in a crevasse. Equally horrifying and gripping, this book ticks off all the boxes for me. Edge of your seat? Check. Historical significance? Check. Cold climate? Check. Fast-paced? Check. I could go on for hours. It's definitely a fast read and one that will stick with you for a while afterwards. Don't hesitate, pick this guy up today!

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one has a high body count. If reading about people being murdered in very gruesome ways is not to your taste then you probably will not make it past the prologue.

The Greenland setting makes a very atmospheric background to this first rate thriller. Bodies are found in the ice, blood stains the surrounding snow scarlet, thick fogs help prevent people being found - it all adds to the suspense. Towards the end I thought the author might have included a few less bad guys and a few less deaths as I felt overloaded with it all.

Then we reached the end and it was great with several surprise twists and a tiny touch of romance to round things off. All in all an excellent read but definitely not for the faint hearted.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book.

Taking place in Greenland, a mummy is found on the ice; the next day the mummy is gone and the policeman that was tasked to guard it is found dead; gutted in a way that reminds the police of a series of murders from years back. Are they connected. Reporter Matthew plans to find out, which puts him in jeopardy.

This book was very well written, but with a disturbing subject matter (child abuse). The murders themselves were handled well, almost lyrically. Things that I thought were obvious were not real, and there were surprises and twists throughout. The only thing that keeps it from 4 stars was the angle around treatment of young girls. This became an integral part of the story (it was not gratuitous) but disturbing nonetheless.

Grittier than my usual thriller choices, and with some scenes completely off the charts in terms of gore, I really enjoyed this book by Mads Peder Nordbo; his first to be translated into English.

In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, journalist Matthew Cave has returned to Greenland, the land of his birth. As the story opens, Matthew is on the verge of obtaining a worldclass scoop. Hunters have found a mummified Norseman on the edge of the icecap. The body could answer so many questions - scientific, historical, anthropological - about why the Norsemen suddenly disappeared from Greenland after centuries of settlement. But Matthew is denied his scoop when the mummy disappears and the police officer guarding it is murdered.

Matthew's editor has an idea that the murder's signature is similar to a string of unsolved murders in the mid-70s, and sends him off to investigate in that direction. He doesn't have a lot to go on until a local policeman unofficially provides him with the personal notebook of the detective who was investigating the original murders. And then things get very grim indeed...

And I do mean grim. There probably should be a trigger warning on this book, as it deals with some very disturbing themes including child abuse and incest. But if you can stomach that, it is a cut above the usual thriller fare, with the plot going off in very unexpected directions from time to time. Even with hindsight, there is no way I could possibly have guessed at how the story would be resolved, and I really admire that.

Matthew Cave is a damaged but dogged investigator, and I'll look forward to reading the next instalment of his story. Tupaarnaq, his unlikely Inuit ally, is angry, gruff and yet so vulnerably appealing, that I hope she returns too. Finally the Greenland setting is just so atmospheric, and Nordbo describes it so beautifully - I want to become more familiar with it.

This book is a perfect example of what is happening nowadays in the book industry. In the past, editors worked with novelists to perfect their work. Not that many books were published. In fact it was a great honor to be published. Now, hundreds and thousands of books are published each year, sans guidance and corrections and deletions from an editor.

This book has a good and unusual plot, but poorly executed. Too many details, unneccesary, that totally slow down the story (whole paragraphs, and pages even, that need cutting) plus poorly written dialogue, very stilted.

Now someone in Hollyood is/was able to see the core story (and did in this case) and ferret out the bones of it to make a film. I’m betting that this film is 10 times better than the book. And then, when the film becomes popular, everyone wants to read the book, And voila! a best seller is born from a perfectly mediocre book.

And, of course it doesn't hurt that this book is Scandinavian, given the great success of the trilogy of The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, which was a tremendous read. This is a wanna be sequel and it fails.

My thanks to Text Publishing for an ebook edition of this novel via NetGalley. It is currently available as an ebook in U.K. and USA and will be released as a paperback edition in U.K. on 28 February and in USA on 11 June 2019.

Matthew Cave is haunted by the death of his wife and unborn daughter in a tragic car accident. He has relocated from Denmark to Nuuk, Greenland and is working as a correspondent on a newspaper there. Following the discovery of a mummified body in an ice crevice he is quickly drawn into an investigation involving a series of gruesome murders which appears similar to unsolved murders that took place q40 years previously. Both his editor and the police prove quite obstructive. Along the way he meets the troubled young Greenlandic woman Tapaarnaq, recently released from prison.

The narrative moves between the present (2014) and the events of 1973. It is a well written and gripping story though is brutally graphic in terms of violence. Nordbo does not shy away from depicting political and social issues impacting on life in Greenland. It makes for a powerful, if at times, disturbing narrative.

He does also offer rich descriptions of the landscape, the sea, and the weather that creates a strong sense of place throughout. Against this backdrop the story unfolds with many twists. I became quickly invested in Matthew and Tapaarnaq.

Certainly there are echoes of Lisbeth Salander in Tapaarnaq given her background, attitude towards men, hacking skills and tattoos. The title furthers this association with ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. And indeed why not?

As a lover of Nordic Noir and a great admirer of Stieg Larsson’s ‘Millennium Trilogy’, I am happy to have my attention brought to a novel (and new series) that is unflinching in examining the darker aspects of a society while providing a solid crime thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and now eagerly awaiting more.