This was a suspenseful, intriguing mystery. Matthew Cave, an investigative reporter, is brought in on a story about what appeared to be a perfectly intact mummy that was uncovered after a storm. It was soon determined that the corpse wasn't as ancient as they believed and part of a mystery from 40 years previous. This was entangled with Matthew's desire to try and move on after the sudden death of his wife and child in a car accident. The story was suspensful and unique. My biggest problem was the translation. The book needs to be tightened up and rewritten in many spots. It has great potential but needs some work. Would have been 5 stars.

Wow and double wow this book just blew me away totally it was everything you expect from a thriller engrossing, compulsive and a very clever, complex storyline. Set in the stunning and atmospheric Greenland and switching from two timelines and perspectives it made for a book that was impossible to put down and as the pages turned the two timelines began to weave together into a very impressive and absorbing read. I loved the characters especially Tupaarnaq, Matthew and Jakob who all seemed very believable, the story is a sad one dealing with sensitive issues and people determined to find the truth no matter what the cost may be and to put wrongs right …but to say too much would spoil this wonderful book. I hope we will see more books by the author translated as this book has become one of my favourite books of 2018 it was an amazing and I loved it from start to finish.
My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing Company for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

With plenty of gory content, this book is great for readers who love crime and mystery. The brutal murders had just enough detail to make you really cringe. Admittedly, I do not know much about Greenland or Nordic culture but I was able to learn a little bit from this book. Especially in regards to hunting and flaying.

Each character was well thought out and easy to remember. The number of links between each character were pretty wild. The author did a great job keeping tabs on them though so that you did not get muddled. I know that I would have had to literally draw out a graph to keep track. As for the pacing, it was great! There was just enough action to keep you reading but not so much that you found yourself getting lost in it.

I think the only flaw I came across was there were a few words that were used a little too often. "Groin" is one of them that really stuck out to me. There was some repetition (descriptions, phrases, and thoughts) that seemed unnecessary as well. However, overall I did find myself really swept up in the mystery and eager to find out what truly happened.

Fall foliage is beginning to transform into bare branches and blanketed snow, and the colder the weather gets, the more reason readers have for staying indoors with a cozy new read. Whether you're in the mood for a steamy romance, heart-pounding thriller, or riveting historical fiction, there's a book for everyone on this list. Check out our list of the best books winter 2018 has to offer, complete with publishers' descriptions.

A thriller set in Greenland. A journalist, Matthew Cave, is hopeful that he has a scoop when a mummified body, thought to be hundreds of years old, is found on a glacier. But the find sparks a chain of events which lead to more than one murder and Matthew finds himself drawn into a very old investigation involving several missing girls, child abuse, some gruesome murders and the disappearance of a police officer. Matthew is helped with his investigation by the feisty Tupaarnaq (who seems strongly reminiscent of Lisbeth Salander) and an old notebook.
There are many twists and turns in this novel, and the extent of the child abuse seemed a little unbelievable (in fact, you'll find yourself hoping it's unbelievable as it's so extensive - I can't imagine many Greenlanders will enjoy their home being portrayed as a place where almost all female children are abused). The murders are brutal - but on the whole the people who are murdered were pretty brutal too. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Scandi-noir (or crime novels in general).

This was excellent! I read this over two days, as it was just so engrossing! I got lost in the intense mystery of The Girl Without Skin.

I don't know much about the author, but I hope he has more for me to devour. The writing reminded me of another book I'm currently reading - The Craftsman, they are not similar in story, but the way the landscape is set and forms part of the story as much as another character would, reminded me of Sharon Bolton's writing.

We start with a mummified corpse, and move on, quickly, to a set of new murders which are subsequently linked back to some old ones. We get some twists and turns, and end with a satisfying conclusion. It's an excellent read. Fast paced and thrilling.

There is gore and blood, and historic crimes; people to love and those to hate. I got sucked in to the character development quickly, and appreciated the hopping back and forth to 1973.

This book was filled with tension and atmosphere, and reading it felt claustrophobic, which contrasted with the open setting of the Icelandic landscape. It felt like I was there with Jakob and Matthew, solving the crime and uncovering the gruesome truths alongside them, in their respective time periods.

I would definitely recommend this to any thriller/Nordic suspense readers!

‘People up here have a habit of disappearing, but they pretty much always turn up again.’

This novel begins with two disturbing prologues. In the first, a man is being murdered. In the second, another man is in a nightmare reliving the car accident in which his wife and unborn daughter were killed. How are they connected? As the man wakes from his nightmare, he receives a telephone call. We learn that he is Matthew (Matt) Cole, a journalist for Sermitsiaq in Nuuk, Greenland, who is about to watch and report on a political debate. Matt is a Danish news reporter who took the job with Sermitsiaq after the deaths of his wife and daughter.

The following day, Matt and his Inuit photographer friend Malik are sent out to report on a mummified body found on the edge of an ice sheet. If the mummified corpse is from the Viking age, the discovery is hugely significant. The body cannot be moved until it is stabilised so is left in situ with Aqqalu, a police guard. Matt writes his article but overnight, Malik’s camera was stolen, along with all the photographs taken. The pair are able return to the ice sheet the next day where they hope to take more photographs. But they find that the mummified body is gone, and the policeman who was guarding has been murdered. He is found naked and flayed.

Matt’s story is on hold. He is unable to release any information about either of the bodies.

‘Less than twenty-four hours ago he had held a global scoop in his hands, only for it to slip through his fingers as it turned into a violent murder.’

His editor suggests that he have a look into some brutal murders which occurred in Nuuk during the 1970s: the death of Aqqalu has reminded him of them. Those murders, involving men suspected of abusing their daughters, were also flayed. And then there’s Tupaarnaq, an Inuit woman who has just been released from prison where she served time for murdering her entire family.

Matt starts investigating, and if you want to know more (surely you do) then you’ll need to read the novel for yourself. Be warned: it’s brutal, dark and graphic. It’s bleak, cold and horrifying. It’s also fast-paced, with a number of twists to keep you wondering.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Mads Peder Nordbo’s The Girl Without Skin is an interesting and chilling read that deals with gruesome murders and child sexual abuse. While the book is a thrilling read, the characters are flat, the transitions are choppy and the mystery could be better written.

In the tiny village of Nuuk, journalist Matthew Cave is sent to report on the discovery of a mummified Viking corpse found on an ice sheet. However, the next day, the mummy disappears. In its place is the butchered body of the policeman who was guarding it. The death is exactly like the brutal unsolved murders which occurred in the town in the 1970s. As Matt digs deeper and finds a journal written by the missing policeman who investigated the earlier murders, past and present intertwine. With the help of Tupaarnaq, a young Inuit woman who was jailed for murdering her family, Matt discovers the darkness lurking within the town.

I’ve never read a book set in Greenland so I was excited to check this one out. Nordbo crafts a bleak but compelling setting. The tense and gloomy atmosphere is excellently done and kept me on edge throughout. I also liked the glimpses into the fascinating local Inuit culture.

Nordbo skilfully weaves a tense mystery with relevant social criticism. The plot starkly and painfully presents child abuse, incest, and exploitation. It also deftly captures the claustrophobia of small towns as well as politics and corruption. The book is extremely dark and gory with gruesome murders and the horrifying treatment of young girls. Not everyone will be able to stomach it. However, the book is realistic and left me sad and shaken.

The mystery is intriguing and fast-paced with some good twists. However, I wish the book explored the murderer’s intentions more. Furthermore, the mystery plot could have been better written because things often got muddled. The transitions between the past and the present are choppy and confusing.

I’m not sure if it’s the translation or Nordbo’s writing but the characters are underdeveloped and I struggled to connect with them. While Matthew has a sad backstory and is a fairly likable protagonist, he is forgettable. Tupaarnaq’s history is devastating and evokes sorrow and horror. However, her development is limited with little focus beyond her “toughness” and Nordbo’s near-obsession with her physical description.

The Girl Without Skin is a great crime thriller that presents relevant issues. Although I think the plot and characters could have been much better written, this is an intriguing read and I would check out more of Nordbo’s work.

A challenging read, the Icelandic names and place names coupled with the historical police investigation and Mathew's investigation means you need to read carefully. The Tapaanuq character reminded me of Lisbeth Salander from Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Abusive practices and their covering up is perhaps not so uncommon in isolated small island communities. The identity of the killer was unexpected. I enjoyed the spiritual and lyrical aspects of the Greenlandic nature.

I'm beginning to really love Danish authors, as they have the rare ability to portray both the best and worst humanity has to offer. This book is no different. Tough, unblinking examination of murder most foul, with excellent 3-dimensional characters and believable plots. Highly recommended!

Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys the Scandinavian detective genre. This was dark and dreary at times but the plot was intriguing. The author goes back and forth in time and for the most part it is clear but it did make the story drag for me.

Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

A mummified corpse is found on an ice cap in Greenland, which is initially thought to be that of a Viking dating back centuries. On the second day of covering the story, journalist Matthew Cave is shocked to witness a bloody spectacle at the site of discovery. The corpse is missing, and the spot where the mummy was kept is glistening with red. The lifeless, naked body of the police officer who was guarding the mummy during the night was lying there, and it was “gutted from groin to breastbone”. Simultaneously, all the pictures of the corpse taken by the photographer disappear, and Matthew’s editor asks him not to report anything citing pressure from higher-ups. To keep himself occupied, Matthew starts digging into four unsolved, brutal murders that happened in 1973. Little does he know his investigation will open a Pandora’s box of lies and secrets. On top of this, he meets Tupaarnaq, a young woman released after being twelve years in prison for murdering her parents and two sisters. Is Tupaarnaq somehow related to these murders?

The premise seemed interesting, and the book cover offered the hint of a gruesome murder mystery. Thus, I selected this book. However, contrary to my expectations, The Girl without Skin failed to grip me in the gut. Like Stieg Larson’s Millenium Trilogy series, here too, an investigative journalist, Matthew, strikes an unlikely relationship with a brilliant but traumatized girl, Tupaarnaq. The similarity ends here since this book does not match up to the brilliance of the aforenamed series.

The book started out well enough. It sucked me into the action from the first page. But as it progressed, the story became slack. The seamless transition between the past and present notwithstanding, I pushed myself to continue reading. I was far more fascinated by the events of the past than the present. Every time Matthew’s story came up, I would be impatient to progress to the parts of 1973.

The quality of the prose is nothing to write home about. It’s impassive. The same can be said about the way the breathtaking beauty of Greenland has been described. I don’t know if this is because the essence of the novel was lost in translation. I also failed to connect to Tupaarnaq – an important character in the novel. Her all-black clothing, her tattoos, her angry demeanor—all of these I can understand. But I wanted to know her beyond her physical description. I wanted to know what she was feeling.

The book’s saving grace is its plot. It’s credible and undoubtedly intriguing. You will have no choice but to read till the last to solve the whodunit. I honestly did not see the twist coming. The unembellished prose does a great job in bringing the action sequences to life. The plot is the sole reason why I am rating this book 3 stars. If the story would have been taut from start till finish, I would have rated it higher. First-time readers of Nordic crime will like this book. There are violent scenes in this novel so, select it only if you can handle dark themes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Without Skin is full of twists and turns that I actually didn’t see coming!

This book is a suspenseful story that begins with a reporter traveling to cover a story about a discovered body, but turns into a much bigger mystery with life or death consequences.

I mostly enjoyed this book, although some of the somewhat sexist language was a bit off-putting. I also found the female characters to be a bit unoriginal and they frequently made me think of a character from another series who I won’t name here to avoid potential spoilers.

Overall I thought this was a good story and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful mystery.

I recently saw this book at my local library translated into my mother tongue. I was intrigued and when I saw it again on NetGalley, I knew, I wanted to pick it up. I am a newbie at reading Scandinavian crime thrillers but since I am from a nearby country I always feel a weird sort of a connection.
Obviously, I did not feel connected to this plot, but the atmosphere, the weather, the people - it is all familiar.
"The Girl Without Skin," tells the story of a young reporter living in Greenland. This novel is gritty, sometimes painful and if not realistic plot-wise, then definitely portrayed very realistically.

It feels weird to say I enjoyed it, but it definitely kept me engaged and I wanted to find out more about this story, the history, the characters. There is a lot going on and quite a few plot twists. I would recommend this book to people who love Nordic noir.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions are my own.

Horrendous crimes involving child abuse, revenge, political corruption, a novel set in Greenland. With a young Danish journalist following a story, aided by a female character reminiscent of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Intriguing Scandinavian crime thriller.

The Girl Without Skin. Mads Peder Nordbo

I have found myself getting more and more into Scandinavian Noir, both in books and in TV Series.

I have to say this is one of the best I’ve read so far, and hopefully will make it to the screen because the plot is fantastic.

Matthew Cave is a Danish journalist living in Nuuk, Greenland.

Sent to cover the discovery of a mummified body in the wilds outside the city he finds a body that may be of historical significance. So why, when it is left in-situ, does it disappear overnight; and why is the Police Officer that is left to guard it killed in a grizzly manner that reflects four murders which occurred 4 decades earlier.

Matthew and his photographer, Greenland Native Malik, begin to look into both sets of murders and it soon become obvious to Matthew that there is some connection.

Nuuk may be the capital of Greenland but it’s like a small town, everybody seems to know everybody, there are no roads in or out of the city. Secrets and alliances abound, as do illicit relationships which encourage abuse.

Then there’s Matthews own past, his American Father that disappeared when he was young, and whose presence always seems to be a shadow in the background.

When Matthew forms a partnership with a young woman, who has just been released from prison for Killing her family, when she was only 11, his life comes under more scrutiny from the Police and Politicians.

Is somebody trying to stop him from getting to the bottom of the murders? Or is it just that they don’t like outsiders.

This book has everything I like about Scandinavian Noir; crimes in close communities, introvert characters, fantastic settings, and hideous crimes.

The book had me reaching for the internet on more than one occasion. The City of Nuuk was an unknown to me, the use of a special tool for skinning whales and seals was new to me, the Greenland folk law was new to me.

So as well as being very entertaining this book educated me. What more can you ask from a good read.

Pages: 352
Publisher: Text Publishing
Available now.

A multiple murder mystery with gruesome details and graphic depictions of child abuse.
A novel where the climate and surrounds are as much of a charade as the people are. Fans of Stein Larson will love this book.

4 stars

****Please be aware that this book is very gruesome and also contains situations of the sexual abuse of young girls.

Matthew Cave is still trying to get past the deaths of his wife and unborn daughter in a car accident when he receives a telephone call about a mummified Viking found. He and his cameraman take a helicopter to the site.

When they return the next day, the mummy is gone and the police officer left to guard the scene is dead – murdered and flayed. Matthew is told of a series of killings that occurred several years earlier that were eerily similar to the policeman’s death.

The mummified Viking’s body shows up later. The body has also been flayed. Someone has been arrested for the murder. It is a woman named Tupaarnaq. Later released, she teams up, somewhat reluctantly, with Matthew. Together they begin to investigate not only the current flayings but also those from the early 70’s.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. It was well written Mads Peder Nordbo and well translated by Charlotte Barslund. While the story alternates between the earlier and later murders, it was easy to follow. There w3ere some surprising twists to this story and I was pleasantly surprised when I came across them. There was sufficient background information given about Matthew and Tupaarnaq that fleshed them out quite a bit, but it wasn’t so much that it detracted from the story. There were some real surprises in Tupaarnaq’s story. Delicious. This is my first book by Mr. Nordbo, and I am looking forward to seeing more of his works translated to English so that I may read them.

I want to thank NetGalley and Text Publishing/Text Publishing Company for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read, enjoy and review.

Thank you net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book The Girl Without Skin is a creepy suspense thriller that takes place in Greenland. The first murders took place in 1973 and decades later in 2014 there are new ones. This book is a intense thriller that I had to read in one sitting.

Suspense, horror, crime and journalism.
This book has it all.
Matthew Cave returns to Nuuk in Greenland as a journalist after losing his wife and unborn child in a car accident. He was hoping for a slower pace of life but in Nuuk anything can happen and it does.
When he goes to investigate a mummified viking corpse which goes missing the following day and a police officer who was watching over the mummy is found naked and flayed. Matthew has to go back to 1973 where four unsolved murders took place to find the answers here is looking for.