Cover Image: The Girl Without Skin

The Girl Without Skin

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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I have very mixed feelings about this book. It took me awhile to get into the story. Even then I was more interested in the flash back murders that took place 40 years prior. But there was enough that kept me reading until the end!

This story is not for those with weak stomachs ... The murders are described in explicit detail and there is discussion of past child abuse which I found disturbing. This is balanced with the rather simple relationship between the reporter, a recently released felon, and a policeman who investigated the original murders.

There was a huge twist towards the end of the book and the mysteries were all eventually solved. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free book in exchange for my honest review.

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I found this book very graphic, very intriguing and dark, this kept me engaged and guessing about what was to happen next. Absolutely loved this story as I enjoy dark thrillers. I think this was very well done as its hard to write a good thriller and keep the readers engaged.

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This was a solid thriller but keep in mind it’s quite graphic and dark. Highly recommended for fans of dark thrillers. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

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A decent suspense mystery. The book is quite graphic which I wasn't really expecting but nevertheless didn't put me off reading. The translation is fantastic and still managed to hold on to the character of the book.

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I ended up DNFing this book half way through. More a personal thing than anything, I did find the story confusing but I was intrigued. However, the story is quite vivid and gory and it became too much for me unfortunately.

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This book was a hot mess. So many dead bodies, so much running around. A girl covered with tattoos, where have we seen THAT before! Skinning dead people with an ulo (aka ulu), ok; but an ulu is NOT a tool that could be used to KILL someone. Can not recommend. Based on arc from netgalley.

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History is repeating itself with another series of brutal murders and lost girls. Set in a bleak winterscape on the endless stretch of Greenland's snowy mountains this is a top notch thriller.
Moving at great pace, exhilerating, leaving nothing but pain and gore in its wake. Breathtaking.

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This intriguing scandi noir tale from Mads Per Nordbro is an atmospheric and tense read. The subject matter is something very different.

Matthew is a interesting character who carries a tragedy with him.

The plot is quite confusing and almost too complicated and convoluted and I think possibly due to the translation I found the pacing a little off and at times struggled to followed the writing style and a series I will be unlikely to follow up.

Nevertheless an interesting and twisted read and my thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC

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3.5 stars
Finding a mummified body in a crevice in ice is the start of a story that propels journalist Michael Cave into a world of mystery, mayhem, and murder. However, the next day this mummified corpse has disappeared and another body, that of a policeman, has been left in its place flayed and gutted.

Matthew, a bewildered and suffering soul, with the loss of his pregnant wife and unborn child in a car accident. The book is brutal and gritty in its descriptions and definitely not one for the faint of heart. When Matthew, who eventually teams up with a native woman, Tupaarnaq, who also carries a world of nightmares around being just released from prison for the murders of her family, things seem to have a grisly throwback to murders that occurred in 1973.

As the dots are connected and the girls that went missing are explored for their connections, we find a harrowing story of murder most foul. The story has two timelines, 1973 and 2014 and it alternates between the two.

As previously mentioned this book is definitely a shocker covering rape, incest, and murder. It certainly is savage in its telling.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this story.

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I've been low key obsessed with Norse and Viking stuff for years, and it has not gotten better since I went to Iceland in March 2020. I also love murder mysteries and folklore and basically, everything in this book. I'm glad that I liked the plot, too! I'm looking forward to more by this author!

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The synopsis hooked me but the story and writing did not. Even the title was a bit much, but I felt it deserved a fair chance.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

This twisty tale takes place in Greenland with some connections reaching back to Denmark.
A journalist is sent by his editor to investigate how an unsolved cold case involving 4 macabre murders may relate to current crimes.

The more he discovers, with the help of an old journal, and a strange tattooed woman, the more his life becomes endangered. Believing that the murders are tied to child sexual abuse, he is surprised to find that there is much more to the forty year old crimes.

This complicated story is well written and you are thoroughly engrossed in it in order to find out how the murders relate to each other. The reader is also surprised at how people in the story are related to one another and what a difference it makes.

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This book got lost in my TBR pile and for that i apologize.

I loved this book - the 2 timelines and the complexity of the characters all coming together. I believe this is a really great read.

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My first exposure to "Greenlandic Noir," a topic I've been anticipating since I discovered the beauties of Icelandic Noir, GIRL WITHOUT A SKIN is intensely Greenlandic, AND intensely Noir. I caution ahead of time: I found the novel riveting, with several characters I very much admired. However, for those with Sensitive dispositions and/or those readily triggered: this Mystery is drenched in gore, and is descriptive of it; AND the background story is heartwrenching, heartbreaking, infuriating, and deals with Child Abuse in multiple aspects. So be forewarned.

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*****NETGALLEY READ*****

A mummified body shows up out of now wear and then disappears the next morning and more bodies soon follow.

What Matthew thought was going to be a National Geographic type story soon unfolded into a ID Discovery cold case and current murder case.

Set in Greenland and told between two time lines, the story is fast paced but not confusing. You would think in a small community it would not take 40 years to solve a crime.

I enjoyed this, once I was able to sit and pay attention the story was great. The two different perspectives and the switching of time lines is not confusing and worked brilliantly.

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When journalist Matthew Cave receives a call telling him that a mummified body has been found near a glacier he sets off with his photographer to cover the story. The next day however, the body has disappeared and the policeman who was guarding it is discovered gruesomely murdered with his body flayed and naked. The murder is frighteningly similar to a set of murders that took place in the town of Nuuk in the 1970’s and as Matthew starts to look into the past, things begin to come to light that some would like to keep hidden.

It took me a good while to read this novel as I felt that although the storyline was promising, it was spoilt by having too many characters and spin-off plots. The writing was overly detailed for my liking with some descriptions being unnecessary to the story. On a positive note, I did like most of the people in the book and have learnt a lot about Greenland.

Huge thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my opinion.

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I found this story confusing in parts, but i think that is me and my inability to remember all of the Danish and Greenland names.

The premise of the story is great - bodies being discovered as the ice melts due to global warming. With concurrent investigations into both these deaths and current deaths makes for an interesting read, though it must be said that the murders were particularly gruesome.

Having said this i do look forward to reading other books by this author.

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The Girl Without Skin by Mads Peder Nordbo. I reviewed this book a couple of months ago.
I loved it. Where did the review go??? I also asked if he'd written other books.
I hope you find my review.
Sara Somers

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Absolutely loved this book. Loved the characters, the setting (Greenland), the storyline. Loved it so much, I'm immediately reading the next book, Cold Fear.

Marvelous writer. Extremely talented.

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