I struggled to get into this one after trying a few times to pick this up. Each time, I just couldn’t connect to the characters or understand where the story was going. This needed a stronger beginning to really hook the audience and the characters felt too inaccessible, like they were incomplete.

Sadly, I did not have time to read this book before it was archived, however, I still believe it is a worthwhile read!

Thank you #netgalley and @polisbooks for this e-ARC in return for my honest review.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Siobhan O’Brien is forty-ish and has been working for a private investigator for the last two years. When he dies unexpectedly, Siobhan discovers that he has left the agency to her. But, before she has time to think about her new circumstances, she is approached by an old friend whose daughter is missing from her college campus. Soon, what began as a missing person case quickly evolves into an investigation of an enormous scandal involving college administrators and the beauty industry.

Skin Deep is Sung J Woo’s debut novel. The writing is sharp, the dialogue witty, and the premise is good. But, there’s a lot going on and at times I felt a little rushed or, maybe even lost in the story. For the most part, the characters weren’t believable and the story was implausible. I wasn’t crazy about the mystery itself, but, surprisingly, I really liked the touch of romance. It was nice and unexpected. There are elements in this book that could help it develop into a nice, fairly light mystery series.

Skin Deep is a bit rough around the edges but holds promise. I’m looking forward to the author’s next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Excellent. And surprising. With a protagonist who is 40ish and recognizes she isn't perfect. The chance of actual adult romance. A plot with unusual twists and turns. And a male author who can write women. I'll be looking for more by Sung J Woo.

“There’s that theory that as long as someone remembered you in this world, you weren’t allowed to move on.  Perhaps the unsolicited mailing lists were keeping a legion of the dead from ascending to the next plane of existence, which I suppose was a bad deal for the spirits.  But as a flesh and blood creature of this plane, I was glad for these envelopes with Ed’s name on them.  I wished he were here so I could tell him about all the nutty things I found out about this case so far.”*

Former reporter Siobhan O’Brien is coming up on her second year anniversary as an assistant private eye when her beloved boss kicks the bucket. She must decide whether to liquidate the agency or to go all in. Meanwhile, an old friend hires her to find her estranged daughter and the attractive lawyer who works in Siobhan’s office building extends a flirty offer to help,

While Siobhan frequently considers what her deceased boss would advise during the investigation, she competently follows every lead sending the case in a different direction than she anticipated. Her lawyer love interest assists her here and there, but she is the one ultimately in control of solving the case.

The plot covers a bunch of ground leading Siobhan from the college the missing girl attended to a yoga retreat. Siobhan makes a great likable protagonist, who readers will enjoy following for a series. At times she questions herself which humanizes her, but the other characters harbor no doubts about her detection abilities. I really liked her zen approach of going with the flow and how she interacts with the other cast members. Each character is extremely well drawn and fascinating.

Woo’s lovely writing style goes down like an top shelf cocktail, rich and fun and utterly consumable. Short chapters make of a comfortable brisk pace. I enjoyed the cultural elements. I’m hoping Siobhan’s loving family will make appearances in future books in the series. I devoured every reference to her Irish dad, Nordic mom, and Black brother. The romantic elements are light and fun, providing a bit of a subplot without shifting too much attention away from solving her case. I cannot wait for the next installment of this fabulous new mystery series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books, an imprint of Polis Books, LLC, for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

Skin Deep is the first novel in a sharp new American PI series by Sung J. Woo. Released 21st July 2020 by Agora, it's 325 pages (print version) and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a well written modern PI procedural with a strong intelligent female protagonist whose straightforward missing persons case turns into a tangled web of conspiracy and corruption. Interestingly there's no murder in this one, so it's can't precisely be called a murder mystery, but it is fast paced, moderately action filled, well written and with a convoluted plot of numerous interwoven threads. The author has also included a light romance subplot which, happily, doesn't threaten to overpower everything else which is going on (and it's a fair effort to keep the disparate threads and secondary characters straight, but the author does a good job).

The pacing is even and despite being a little over the average length for the genre, it never dragged and I finished it in one setting. It's an easy and engaging read, although the denouement was unexpected and not entirely satisfying. I'm looking forward to future installments to see what the author has in store. I liked that Siobhan is unexpected in a lot of ways and not some superwoman who figures everything out instantly. She's plucky and intelligent and a little bit sarcastic and I liked her very much.

Four stars. This one will appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels and similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I haven’t read many books about the beauty industry. What Siobhan encounters throughout her PI cases made me wonder what was in the beauty products I might be using! This was an interesting mystery novel about an Assistant PI who inherits her bosses business on her two year anniversary with the company. Throw in some awkward post 30 dating and it could have been romcom gone wrong. I wasn’t a big fan of this novel because there were too many threads to follow in my opinion. Luckily Siobhan is a good PI because I never would have been able to solve this case and I’m still shocked she didn’t get hurt in the process. All in all this was an interesting book if you like complex, dry mysteries, with a lot happening.

This book is an ok read, not great, but it isn't terrible, either. The premise of Siobhan O’Brien being a Korean-American private detective was interesting, as that is typically an Irish name. There was too much going on in this book to really get into it. Siobhan inheriting the business she works for, navigating romance AND working a missing person case was a bit much. The author should have focused on one thing and it would have been a better read.

*Review will be published on July 29th*

Hello Fellow Readers,



There's just something about Siobhan, yes she has a very Irish name, yes she is a Korean-American adoptee and yes she's a 40 year old PI, but its more than that. I was not sure what to think going into this book, but I feel in love with Siobhan. Her inner ability to read a situation and act accordingly astounded me. It's hard to find a mystery heroine who actually acts logical in situations, plus her snarky humor, honestly was refreshing. The book is pretty humorous despite the very serious mystery that unfolds throughout the book, its pretty much why I read the book in one sitting.


The mystery itself was a little hard to grasp, what started out as a straight-forward missing persons case evolved into this huge scandal that was a little hard to keep up with. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of, some of which I barely remembered their names, I don't know how Siobhan kept up. There was also a lot of things to keep track of in terms of events and exposition, some of which I felt was unnecessary, all of which happened in what seemed like a couple of days. Another thing that was interesting was the fact that you pretty much know the who of the mystery but needed to know the how or why to have it finally settled.


I did enjoy the little snippets of romance that seemed to blossom in the book, while not needed it was a little refresher from the main plot in the book and I can't wait to see where it goes. The mystery didn't seemed to be as wrapped up as I would have liked, and I wanted to see more payback to the "bad guys" but I did like the way it ended setting up another case for Siobhan which made me think about where the series would go, which is a great thing. I can't wait for the next book so I can continue Siobhan's journey.


Overall, a pretty good mystery with a great character.

The Honest Review - Do you want to read a cozy mystery with lots of humor, no corpses and undercurrents of social satire. If yes, then 'Skin Deep' by Sung J. Woo is perfect. A breezy mystery which will make you laugh and exercise your grey cells. 💖
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Siobhan O'Brien is a transracial adoptee who works as an assistant PI. Her boss suffers a major coronary and leaves his agency to Siobhan. She gets her first solo case finding the daughter of her best friend's sister Josie. In this comedy of errors, Siobhan gets more done due to sheer luck and sympathy of strangers than because of her real skills. 💖
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Her case takes her to Llewellyn college - a women-only college transitioning to co-ed. Here instead of getting clues she finds herself embroiled in another top secret project of college President Vera Wheeler - to find an elixir for permanent beauty. So Siobhan keeps on running from college to Yoga retreats, finding clues, getting stymied, getting hurt, meeting Yoga gurus and conducting her investigation with all the finesse of a linebacker. 💖
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The writing is witty and sharp and the fact I loved most was the satire on how much importance we place on names, cultural identities, physical attributes and race. The author cunningly inserts dialogues to emphasise these points and the reader must marvel at the dexterity of writing. It was a fresh, honest and witty story which I enjoyed a lot. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for honest review.

Really enjoyed this, and am always interested books involving adoption. Liked the mystery, but some of the writing was a little bit mechanical -- she did this, then this, then that... Lots of intrigue and a promising start to a series with an interesting detective.

Skin Deep was good for a debut. I liked the story well enough and the characters. I did grapple with the author going on about the main characters name. Siobhan is not that rare and if ya go to Ireland indeed th British Isles you will see lots of people from different ethic groups with Irish names. That was my only complaint really.

Siobhan O’Brien is the unlikely name of the Korean-American private detective at the heart of this book. Sioban takes on a missing persons case involving a family friend that comes with a multitude of complications. She gets frustrated by all the obstacles she encounters while trying to unravel the mystery, but she falls back on the words of her mentor, Ed Baker, who told her, “Getting to the end of a case is never a straight line.”

It touches on themes of interracial adoption, family dynamics and the power of wealth and beauty.

There is a little light romance going on, but it doesn’t overwhelm the plot.

The book was a quick read and evenly paced. It kept you guessing and the characters are believable.

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of Skin Deep from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Despite her über-Irish name, Siobhan O’Brien is a Korean-born adoptee; she drifted into private investigating when her job at the local newspaper gave out. Just two years in, the boss dies, leaving the business to her. Unsure whether she’s up to taking over, Siobhan takes on a case brought to her by a girlhood acquaintance with a Korean adoptee daughter of her own. One that’s gone missing.

In searching for the daughter, Siobhan stumbles into a bigger crime — and real danger. I was really torn as to what to think of Skin Deep, obviously the debut of a mystery series. Entering middle age, with little direction, Siobhan’s a likeable protagonist with edge and humor; I definitely want to see more of her8uyhgbg bv. But the mystery at the heart of the novel is completely implausible, and the characters, other than Siobhan, are two dimensional at best. It’s disappointing because author Sung J. Woo wrote some wonderful first-personal articles for The New York Times, particularly a touching piece about his widowed mother. I hope Woo can recover that deft touch in the sequel.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Agora Books in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Skin Deep.

I was intrigued by the premise of a female Korean American P.I. so I was excited when my request was approved.

Siobhan O'Brien is working as a P.I. when her mentor and friend, Ed, dies unexpectedly. When he wills her his agency, as she debates on the next step in her life, a case involving the sister of a dear friend arrives at her doorstep.

What appears to be a straightforward case of a missing college student turns into something more when Siobhan uncovers money mismanagement, dirty academic machinations and just how much power an elite and privileged family can wield.

I really liked Siobhan; she's funny, smart, resourceful. She's not aggressive or pushy; she cuts to the chase and gets the job done.

I didn't care much for the plot itself, but I did like that there's no outright violence or gore.

No one dies (except Ed and that's due to natural causes). There's a lot of running and hiding and snooping around but that's Siobhan's job.

Siobhan is a great character, and the writing is good, the prose flows and is easy to read.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to the author, Polis Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a quick read, destined to be the first of a series, with middle-aged Korean-American adoptee Siobhan O’Brien as the main character. She unexpectedly inherits the PI business where she has been working for not all that long, when her boss and mentor dies. Part of my enjoyment of this book came from the fact that Siobhan doesn't get everything right, at least not the first time around, and I liked her smart and self-aware inner voice.

I also enjoyed the way the author explored issues of identity and beauty, without beating the reader over the head with the "issues" he's tackling. For example, again and again Siobhan explains the discrepancy between her Korean appearance and her Irish name, and the author lets us see how vast the difference can be between who our names tell us to be, how others perceive us, and how we see ourselves. Same holds true for the question of outward appearance and perceived beauty standards.

Although the storytelling didn't always flow all that smoothly, it's a great beginning and I look forward to following Siobhan's further adventures!

Good start to a new series A female Korean American detective with an Irish name a solid mystery that drew me right in.I will look forward to the next book in the series#netgalley#polisbooks

A pretty light and friendly mystery and with a little different take on what is almost, but not quite a cozy mystery. The writing is solid and it mostly held my interest. Seems like a good start to a series.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

Siobhan O’Brien is not Irish. She’s not red headed and freckled. In fact, she is Korean. Her parents adopted her as a child and her real name is a Korean one.
Now an adult, Siobhan is a private detective. When a friend comes to her for help in locating her own missing, adopted child (really — an 18 year old), Siobhan comes to terms with the missing pieces of her heritage like a puzzle.
This book is a great addition to your library if you like mystery, culture and a plot twist.