This book had me at the first sentence, and I couldn't put it down until I had finished! Mads Peder Nordbo is an author comparable to Jo Nesbo, and Steig Larsson. Follow the story clearly, as it can take you away on a fast train, very quickly. There are many interesting shady characters in it, but for me, it was Jakob all the way, as the ultimate hero. What transpires is a quick fantastical journey through Greenland, along with all the cold, ice and murder. Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing Company, for the perusal.

I've read a lot of Nordic/Scandi crime, but this was my first foray into Greendlandic fiction of any kind. While 'The Girl Without Skin' forced me to break my self-imposed ban on books with 'girl' in the title, I don't regret that for a moment. Nordbo's action-packed novel is full of insight into Arctic-politics and colonial history, and he quickly establishes a sense of place that absorbed my attention. I quite happily suspended disbelief at our reporter-protagonist's propensity to throw himself into dangerous situations without reason, with Nordbo providing a convincingly traumatic past to account for Matthew's disregard for his own future. I look forward to what comes next in this series, with some hope that Nordbo further teases out the gender-political theme he's begun to explore in this first instalment.

For no particular reason I didn't connect to the story. This one wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this title.

This is a wonderful example of Scandi crime: dark and bloody with twists and false leads keeping the pages turning and you guessing right up to the climax.

"The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo" gets a makeover in Greenland. Tupaarnaq is an Innuit, with a body encased in tattoos, hates men, can hack computers and can hack men with a local knife used to gut seals. Matt Cave is a reporter who becomes embroiled in a series of gruesome murders that seem to be related to a series of equally gruesome murders that occurred 40 year ago. Together they form a love/hate relationship to resolve the past and current murders that revolve around illegal medical experiments on humans, incest and child exploitation.

A dark & gory tale with disturbing details of child sexual abuse and horrific murders. Set in Greenland, the story opens with the discovery of what's believed to be the mummified body of a Viking. Danish journalist Matthew Cave is on board a helicopter which lands on an ice field so that museum experts can examine this incredible find.
A policeman is ordered to guard the body overnight, but when the archaeologists' helicopter returns next morning, the mummified corpse is gone and the policeman has been murdered, his insides gutted and his skin flayed. Matthew discovers a connection to the deaths of 4 men living in the same block of flats in 1973 and receives a notebook written by Jakob, one of the investigating officers from that time. It seems the men were sexually abusing their daughters and their deaths were the work of a revenge killer. Over 40 years a web of lies and deceit has kept more of the abusers from being caught and some are now in positions of great power. Corruption is rife in local government and the police force, past and present and Matthew's bid to discover the truth puts his life in danger.
Matthew - who moved to the Greenland's capital town of Nuuk after the death of his pregnant wife in a road accident - teams up with Tupaarnaq, a young woman recently released from prison. Matthew is utterly intrigued by Tupaarnaq who helps him understand Greenland's culture, including the hunting and killing of seals and whales. The language is very descriptive and parts of the story, which detail the landscape of Greenland, are almost poetic. But details of the murders and sexual abuse of young girls are very explicit and may be upsetting for some readers.
As the action switches between 1973 and the present day I found, at times, there's just too much information which overwhelms the plot so much that it becomes confusing, especially towards the climax of the story. Overall though, this is a fascinating read and a good example of the grittier side of what has been labelled "Arctic Noir".

My thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

I didn't know what to expect from this story, but I was pulled in to the storyline immediately. Matthew Cave in sent to Greenland to report on the mummified man found there. Believed to be a Viking, this story could give his career a real boost! Unfortunately, the policeman left to protect the body overnight is found murdered, with his skin removed and split open from top to bottom. This is only the beginning! This crime is very similar to crimes from the 1970's, when four men were found in the same condition. When Matthey is given a diary of a policeman from that time period, he is drawn even deeper into the mystery of what is actually going on and is in danger himself. Very realistic, and some grim death scenes, but I could not put it down!

Mysteries set decades apart yet intertwined brilliantly carry through this suspenseful novel. Set in Greenland, The Girl Without Skin does a good job shining a light on enduring issues that plague indigenous populations in the interaction with colonizing forces. All of this is set in a thrilling mystery that draws the reader into the web connecting the characters across the decades.

The Girl without Skin
Set in Greenland, the land, culture, myths, legends and environment are alien to someone from urban Europe. The magical beauty of this cold and dramatic climate is vibrantly described by the author and brought to mind fond memories of trips to the Icelandic glacier for this reader.

The story is gripping (if gory) and the themes may not suit readers sensitive to the darker side of humanity. Sadly, I think something has been lost in translation when it comes to character development. In addition, the transitions from the present time frame to the earlier history are handled badly and are confusing. I found myself getting lost and eventually caring little about the outcomes for the main character.

I will try others by this author whose makes the setting of Nordic Noir so beautifully evocative.

This is a marmite book for me. I loved certain parts and really didn't like others. The Scandi setting, the writing and the premise all good. Top notch characters and writing. Love the idea of a Greenland setting and a series of murders in and around the arctic.

Did it have to be so graphic? uncomfortably so at times. Think most of it would have been just as effective ' off the page' as it were. There are troubling sections about all kinds of abuse,(child abuse) skinning people etc and well, you really should into read this when going to sleep or eating..

The writing and scene setting though - brilliant:
“Everything was swallowed up by this grey North Atlantic blanket, whose moist breath licked the houses and the mountains and caused everything to run together in a foggy, cold cloud”

There's not that many books set in Nuuk and the author has captured a white and unknown area and stuck his very own crime fiction flag in it.. It's in the vein of The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo - sharp and hard hitting.

I just wish he'd stayed away from child abuse and using it in this way to further the plot. The rediscovered Viking, the Norse traditions, the heritage and everything else worked brilliantly.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Text Publishing for a review copy of The Girl Without Skin, the first novel to feature reporter Matthew Cave, set in Greenland.

Matt is sent to report on the discovery of a mummified Norseman found in the ice outside Nuuk but his exclusive disappears overnight along with the body and his photographer’s pictures. All that remains is the gutted body of the policeman guarding the mummy. The body’s condition is reminiscent enough of four unsolved murders from 1973 to set Matt investigating, ably assisted by Tupaarnaq, an enigmatic Greenlander with her own troubled past.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Girl Without Skin which is a novel full of twists and turns and firmly rooted in its location. The novel is told from two perspectives and timelines, Matt in the present (2014) and Jakob Pedersen’s 1973 investigation. These are linked by Matt obtaining Jakob’s notebook from that time and I think the switch to Jakob’s experiences at the time gives the events more impact and immediacy than a simple interpretation from Matt’s point of view ever could. It works well.

The plot has plenty of twists and mysteries from the disappearance of Jakob to what links the 1973 victims to the present day victims because the policeman, Aqqalu, is only the first. I found it riveting as Mr Nordbo slowly pulls all the pieces together, throwing in even more twists as he does so.

At first pass it seems overly coincidental how frequently the characters seem to have unknown links to others but then you put it in context - Greenland is a vast, sparsely populated country with little in the way of organised historical data so it’s little wonder there are so many links and nobody makes the connections. I really enjoyed these details and the descriptions of the physical landscape which seems to come alive as a dangerous character in some situations. I love reading about places I know nothing about and this novel is extremely satisfactory in that respect.

Matt Cave is an interesting protagonist. He lost his wife and unborn daughter in a car crash in Denmark so he has returned to his birthplace of Greenland for a fresh start, perhaps to look for the father who abandoned him, but that, I suspect, is for another novel as all the ingredients remain mostly unexplored. He is a good, honest man. His sidekick Tupaarnaq is fresh from serving 12 years in prison for murdering her family as a 14 year old. Her story is explained over the course of the novel.

The Girl Without Skin is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending (even if the title is too deep for me to work out).

Thank you NetGalley and Text Publishing for the eARC.
I was excited about reading a book set in Greenland, but was turned off by the extremely graphic content. The vivid feel of the landscape, weather and population is excellent and so is the characterization of the people. However, the flaying and disembowlment of people and animals, plus the rape and medical experimentation of young girls, turned my stomach
and made me very uncomfortable.
The book has great reviews, so I'm in the minority - the story is good, but the subject matter too stark and the details just too painful to read about for me.

I have long been a fan of Scandinavian mystery writers and this is an author I am adding to my list. This is a dark and disturbing story told in very graphic and often gory terms but it never felt gratuitous or out of place as if the author were merely trying to shock. These scenes were integral to the storyline. And what a storyline it is. Well plotted and fast paced. The descriptions of Greenland made me feel as though I were there. I really liked the main character and his actions and reactions felt realistic to the situation making him believable and sympathetic . I would love to read more of him. This story jumps back and forth in time but does it in a way that doesn’t lose you or the suspense of the story. This was one of those mystery novels that kept me in suspense until the end. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for review.

A wonderful thriller set in Greenland. It's dark, I usually don't like Scandinavian mystery but this one was wonderful, atmospheric and enthralling.
A very good read, a book that you cannot put down.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

Matthew Cave, a budding journalist gets handed the scoop of the century! A man is found mummified frozen in ice!

Matthew’s editor wants him to break the story immediately but a series of events prevents him from doing this for a while and Matthew ends up on a completely different story.

In 1973 four men were murdered, the case remained unsolved and the investigating officer had gone missing.

He receives a note book which contains the notes of the case made by Jakob the investigating officer.

As Matthew delves into the past, the chapters rotate backwards and forwards, telling both sides of the story. We, the readers are desperate to put the story together until eventually everything unfolds.

As the case progresses Matthew suspects that whoever committed the murders was quite high up in the political rank and as he struggles to prove it, an ex convict who agrees to help him, becomes his only hope.

A great story but not for the faint hearted as some of the descriptions are quite gruesome, however I did enjoy this story, I like books who can offer me something different and not the same. The Girl Without Skin definitely delivered.

One of the things that the author does really well is to describe the Greenlandic area beautifully, it’s like I’m there.

I love the characters, they all seem realistic and some contrast each other very well, for example Matthew and Turnnapaq develop an unlikely friendship. She is stubborn, headstrong and an ex convince wgereas Matthew has a good heart and will do anything for you if you need help. I can also sense chemistry between them

So, is this the end or the beginning for Matthew? Can he solve the mursers before it’s too late?

hank you NetGalley for the free ARC.
Good thriller with spectacular background of Greenland. I feel I get involved in the story, but also learn so much about Greeenland's history! Great!

journalist, law-enforcement, international-crime-and-mystery, suspense, horror

Very dark. If you enjoy reading about the hard truths of man's inhumanity on a small scale, rather than war and that kind of high body count, this may be for you. There is a lot of blood, personalized torture, and apparently meaningless violence in a story that is of a particular species of horror to law enforcement anywhere in the world. The visualization of the countryside is beautiful, getting inside the murderer's head is disturbing, and the whole thing gives suspense a new depth. The writing is beyond very good, but the subject matter is quite disturbing.
Charlotte Barslund (Translator) needs to be loudly recognized for her work as well!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Text Publishing Company via NetGalley.

Well, the blurb warned me that this wasn't a story for the faint-hearted, and it was right. I did not enjoy the story. Nonetheless, I did enjoy discovering a new writer with a new setting (Greenland) and a multi-dimensional main character. The prose was repetitive at times, which may be a disadvantage of reading in the translation. Overall, it was well structured and had a good narrative style. I think we will be hearing much more from this author.

I like this book even though It is a very sad story. This is a creepy, violent, gruesome and a very graphic novel. The setting is frigid Greenland. The authors description of the location is truly awesome. I experienced the chill, the darkness and the dampness as if I was there physically while reading this book. The plot is complicated and thrilling but well written. I enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. Advance reader copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Girl Without Skin is a creepy dark thriller that takes place in Greenland. The first murders took place in 1973 and now in 2014 there are new ones. This book is a intense thriller that I had to read in one sitting. It was well written and the characters are great. This is a must read.