This is my first taste of a Liz Nugent book and found this psychological thriller an addictive read that left me wanting to read more of her work. I found this book strangely captivating and although non of the characters were appealing or likeable in the slightest, I just had to read on.
There is nothing to like about the lead character Cordelia Russell, she is cruel, selfish and ruthless but her story is intriguing. A well written novel that is thought provoking and different from a lot of books I read personally. This is the story of Cordelia's life that I found truly fascinating.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Skin Deep is strangely compelling and utterly addictive. Distressing at times, there were moments when I questioned why I was reading this, but I found that I could not stop. The story follows Delia and the journey of her life which brought her to the stage where she is stuck in a flat with a dead body. Skin Deep is less about what happens to Delia though and more about Delia herself.

Her ability to make everything about her is staggering and the book is a fascinating insight into the working of her mind. She genuinely sees nothing wrong in the way she treats and uses people. Seeing those around only as commodities and looks for ways they can help her get to where she wants to be.

You will not like Delia. In fact, you will actively dislike her and hope that she truly gets what's coming to her. Her soul is no doubt blackened and there is a darkness and malice in her that I've never encountered in a character before.

Dark, disturbing but a compelling read that will have you turning page after page.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for granting me an eARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Now, after reading all 3 of this author's novels, I need to start by quite simply saying, for me, Liz Nugent is at the VERY top of her genre! I read Lying In Wait at the very beginning of 2017 (it was in my top 5 books of that year) and to this day I can still so clearly see my reaction when I was unravelling what was about to happen towards the end - it's one of those reactions that will never leave me! Therefore, I was SO excited to read Skin Deep and my expectations were incredibly high, but I can safely say, Liz, you've smashed it again!

If you've read the author's previous novels Unravelling Oliver and Lying In Wait then you'll know that their beginning sentence instantly pulls you in, shocks you, makes you not just want more, but need more - Skin Deep is no exception! Only when we get towards the end of the book does the author bring us back to that very first chapter and we find out what went on.

I'm not going to say too much at all on the plot, other than, this is quite simply Cordelia's story - we follow her from birth, throughout her whole life. The story feels very authentic with Irish mythology thrown in, and with an ending that sits perfectly well alongside that. Skin Deep isn't just a psychological thriller, it's more a real in depth character study of this one character. She is one of the most despicable characters I've ever come across, you think Lydia in Lying In Wait is bad, wait till you meet our Cordelia! She's wicked, seductive, selfish and nothing but a user; she uses her beauty to just manipulate and scheme her way through life, and no matter who she comes across she manages to somehow destroy their lives - yet she doesn't feel a single flicker of remorse and there is no emotion in her at all, but my god, I just couldn't get enough of her! It takes great skill to keep a reader hooked when a book is so centred around only one character, never mind a character who is so utterly appalling, but Nugent so easily does - and she makes that appalling character equally fascinating to the reader with writing that's so addictive it completely lures you in.

Skin Deep is my book of the year so far. I'd been waiting for something with that punch, which gave me the so called 'book hangover' and this was it! As I say, the author's characters and my reactions to them and their stories are always so memorable to me, and with so many books out there, that's quite something. This is very bleak, and at times rather uncomfortable reading due to some of it's content, but it's brilliantly crafted and really lives up to it's title, proving that beauty really is, sometimes, only just Skin Deep!

Nugent really is the queen of writing such wicked characters! Oliver, Lydia, Cordelia... I'm more than a little bit excited for who is going to be alongside them next!

I'd like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

Another great read by Liz Nugent. The main character, Delia is horrid but strangely addictive. The book was well written, fast paced and dark. My only negative is that I thought it slowed down towards the end, hence the 4 stars.

Skin Deep by Liz Nugent is a highly original psychological thriller which centres around the most cold-blooded, unfeeling and damaged individual I’ve ever come across!

After the opening pages show a blood-soaked body, and a panic-stricken observer, we go back to the beginning to a small Irish island named Inishcrann where Delia lived with her parents and brothers; through to the beauty of the French Riviera, where Delia was Cordelia Russell. Living and deceiving everyone she came in contact with, she was obsessed with her beauty - the darkness inside her only lightened by thoughts of her Daddy who loved her. The past wouldn’t leave her, but she wouldn’t acknowledge it either.

Manipulative, obsessive, appalling – Cordelia Russell is a character you should run from; do not let yourself know her as she is only skin deep and aims to use you....

This is my second novel by this author and it is so different to anything I’ve ever read before! I don’t think I liked any of the characters – I know I wished someone would knock Delia off early in the proceedings! (Though of course we wouldn’t have a story then, would we!) I would have to say Skin Deep is one of the best, most horrifying psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time and recommend it to fans of the same!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.

Cordelia Russell is a woman who drinks too much, perhaps because her life is, to put it mildly, complicated. Throw in the dead body in her apartment and the word ‘complicated’ no longer even begins to cover it.

How has Cordelia ended up here and how can she get out of this mess? These questions are at the heart of Liz Nugent’s latest novel Skin Deep. From the present, the novel rewinds as we learn about Cordelia’s childhood on a remote Irish island, the tragedy that befalls her family and its aftermath. But Cordelia feels the world owes her, well, everything and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Skin Deep is a devilishly good read about a woman who appears not to have a caring, or a likeable, bone in her body!

The initial premise of this new release from Liz Nugent certainly drew me in. Indeed, the first few pages were especially promising despite the realisation, very early on, that we were looking in at a truly disturbed and, perhaps, despicable individual. From there, however, as we are suddenly transported into the main characters' past history, it read like an 'Aga Saga' - albeit of the bleakest, darkest kind. There was, thereafter, nothing that was remotely appealing about this read. Bleak, bleak and bleaker. Some may well enjoy this.....but (sadly!?!) not for me.

The reader is drawn in from the start. The novel is full of twists and unlikeable characters. Very well written and plotted, the story keeps you guessing until the very end.
With thanks to Net Galley and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing book. The main character, Delia/Cordelia is totally amoral and lacking in even a smidgen of humanity. However, this makes for a compulsive read. Superb characterisation. I read this over one weekend and enjoyed it immensely. Interested in reading more by this author.

I’ve never read anything by Liz Nugent before and the premise to “Skin Deep” was brilliantly dark and intriguing, and I didn’t hesitate long before hitting “request” button. And this book started marvellously. It had me glued to the pages and the more I was reading the more I couldn’t believe what I’m seeing and with what a manipulative character we’re dealing with. Then the second part came and it was as if I’ve just started reading a different novel. Totally different in tone, felt too flat, somehow weird and I wasn’t sure what about.

It started with a murder, which is really not a spoiler, as it literally happens on the first pages. Then it quickly takes us back in the past and we get to know Delia’s background and history, and so I was guessing it’s taking us slowly to the act of the murder itself. But guys, it was mentioned again only on the last few pages. So the whole drama just simply disappeared, it didn’t feel in any way important and significant, it was something that happened and so what? It didn’t make me sad, or teary, it was then immediately explained who the victim is (though I’ve almost immediately guessed it) – as it wasn’t ever mentioned through the whole story, which is understandable, you just haven’t thought about it, so there was no tension and no questioning yourself who and why. It was really confusing and I’m still not sure what to do with it.

Liz Nugent has, of course, excelled here in the character’s portrayal and its development. She has created a manipulative and self – absorbed Delia that you just can’t warm to throughout the whole story, but I guess it was intended. I’ve never felt sympathy nor empathy to Delia and yes, I do understand where she was coming from, what with her dotting father all the time telling her she’s “The Queen” and that she’s gorgeous, and I mean when you hear it all the time as a child you’re prone to believe it, but then you grow up and heck, you start to think for yourself, right? And Delia O’Flaherty didn’t. Using and abusing people only because of the fact that you’re beautiful? Delia was like a reverse Midas – whatever she’s touched turned not into gold but into tragedy and drama. She was destructive and her actions were awful.
Delia was of course not the only character in the book but she has dominated the whole story. The other characters were more or less likeable but almost all of them fell quickly under her spell.

Altogether, “Skin Deep” was a bleak, disturbing read but I’m really glad I’ve read it. It was a read with a difference, and Liz Nugent’s writing style is vivid and addictive. This powerful read pushing the boundaries, evoked many dark emotions in me, as it itself was a dark, sinister tale.

Wow. All I can say is wow- I have just this moment finished this book and every emotion is flooding through my veins- sadness, horror, shock, sympathy and satisfaction. This is one of the best, most absorbing, most real books I have ever read. I was really excited to receive and advanced copy of this book having really enjoyed Liz Nugent's other books Unravelling Oliver and Lying in Wait. I can see just how much work has gone into this book but also how utterly talented Liz is at telling a story, making a character come to life and feel so real and believable. The book starts with a dead body and ends with a horrific and heartbreaking conclusion, which I won't spoil- but the beauty of this book is that, unlike other books from a similar genre, I never once was tempted to even think about guessing what would happen at the end. Delia/Cordelia is a sociopath, portrayed almost sympathetically and she is always very upfront about her failings. We see her both through her own eyes and through small snippets of information from others, making it seem more reliable and believable. It's a wonderful portrayal of a girl damaged by her own childhood and going through life doing anything to survive. We see her go from her tiny island of Inishcrann near Ireland, to London, Nice,Paris, Dublin, mostly alone but almost always using her beauty and her wits to survive. By the end I started to believe that she was actually born faulty. I am sorry if this review seems vague and disjointed, but I would urge anyone to read this book. I flew through this in a few days (you need to read every word). I very rarely give a book 5 stars but I will be hard-pressed to find a better read this year.

At the centre of this miserable read is a sociopathic, narcissistic narrator. Born into a dysfunctional family living on a tiny barren island somewhere off the Irish coast, Delia arrives on the mainland aged ten, an orphan already skilled in manipulative behaviour and hugely self-impressed. Adopted by well-meaning people she eventually becomes pregnant by cheating on her boyfriend with his brother. Once married she carries on down her self-destructive path, eventually causing life-changing burn injuries to both her little boy and herself. Divorced, she heads for France alone having abandoned her child, takes on poorly paid work and becomes embroiled in various loveless relationships.
By this point in the novel the reader doesn’t really care what happens to Delia – sometimes authors will fashion disreputable characters in such a way that they will charm, amuse or entertain. Not so here. Delia has nothing going for her. This is a real problem for the novel; I was very tempted just to give up reading several times as yet again we were presented with another episode in which the anti-heroine cheats/steals/is aggressive/feels sorry for herself. Occasionally we are treated to others’ views of the protagonist but they add nothing to the narrative as they only serve to reinforce what we have already deduced. This device felt very clunky indeed – almost as if the author had contemplated, ‘What can I do to make this a bit different?’ rather than thinking through its purpose carefully.
The novel ends bleakly and, given all that has happened, it would have been ill-judged to have introduced a more upbeat note. What do we learn from ‘Skin Deep’? Nothing other than the suggestion that nasty people get their just desserts – and of course they don’t always. The manner of the ending is also awkwardly fashioned. It’s not quite, ‘And then I woke up and it was all a dream…’ reminiscent of the worst kind of children’s stories but it’s not far off! Given that Liz Nugent’s earlier work has been highly praised, I was very disappointed with this latest offering.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for an e-copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

This was my first Liz Nugent book but I will be reading more of her work in the future.

This story tells the story of Cordelia, who is the perfect example of the saying that beauty is only skin deep and when the beauty is gone the manipulation remains.

Cordelia is a truly awful, selfish individual who has a natural talent to manipulate those around her and has a complete lack of redeeming qualities.

Despite the lead character being hideous, the twists and turns made it impossible to walk away from this book.

An excellent, dark, well crafted, psychological thriller.

Every Liz Nugent book has a passage where I actually gasp out-loud and have to re-read a few times.
This book is no different. It comes out of no-where to hit you like a sledgehammer.

Delia/Cordelia is the main character. Her sense of self importance and the "notions" she has of herself make her one of the most despicable people I have ever read about.

Her story takes you from a small island of the coast of Ireland struggling with a dwindling population to the Bright Lights of London and the French Riviera. Her actions either direct or indirectly have consequences on everyone she comes into contact with and yet she still seems to have this ability to believe she is not at fault for any of it.

The ending comes out of no-where and once again Liz Nugent delivers a dark exciting book that I couldn't put down.

I have read and enjoyed both of Liz's other books so was really excited to be approved for this one.

My goodness me! The book starts with a bang. A dead body and someone who didn't care about the victim. We don't know who has died but we do immediately realise that the narrator doesn't seem to care about him. In fact she showers, puts on her dancing togs and goes out to a party. Leaving him on the floor.

Delia O'Flaherty, a middle aged Irish woman living on her wits and maintenance payments in the South of France.

Delia, or Cordelia as she is sometimes known as, is the main character. And what a dislikable character she is. One thing I like about Liz Nugent's writing style is she is not afraid to put contemptible characters at the centre of the plot. The novel traces Delia O'FLaherty's journey from a remote Irish island, to the French Riveria. Its impossible to like Cordelia/Delia. She is perhaps the cruelest character I have read in a novel.

I felt really sorry for some of the people she hurts. Especially for the body at the start of the novel when we find out who it is.

Definitely recommend.

Wow. What a fantastically tense and tremendously gripping read from author Liz Nugent this turned out to be.

Addictive is one word that I'd use to describe this novel. Unputdownable. Thrilling. Shocking. Unbelievable.
I raced through the book, horrified at the turn of events but eager to see how it would all play out. Liz Nugent is incredibly talented, the characters were superbly crafted, this is a story that stayed with me days after completing. Haunting and compelling, Highly recommended.

An absolutely amazing book. Liz Nugent is a very talented writer and I couldn't put this book down. A must read. Highly recommended!

I have enjoyed Liz Nugent’s previous novels, “Unravelling Oliver,” and “Lying in Wait,” and so was looking forward to her new book. It begins with us being introduced to Cordelia (Delia), a middle aged woman living on the Côte d'Azur. Delia was famed for her beauty, but she is now ageing, she drinks too much and her life is complicated by the corpse currently dead in her apartment…

During this novel, we hear the story of Delia’s life; from her childhood on an isolated, remote Irish island, with her domineering father, Martin O’Flaherty, through her life and up to the point where we re-discover her, down and heel, virtually penniless and in an extremely difficult situation. We learn how she was idolised by her father, who worshipped her, while virtually ignoring his wife and sons. How she grew up to see herself as special and expected to be given everything that she wants – and, if this is not forthcoming, she will take it for herself, regardless of the consequences.

Delia is selfish, cruel, self centred and lacking empathy. In those terms, she is an extremely unsympathetic character. However, as the novel progresses and events unfold, you do have some grudging respect for her, as she constantly reinvents herself. The finale of the book is extremely shocking as we learn who the corpse lying on her floor is.

The centrepiece of this novel is, undoubtedly, the character of Delia. Malevolent, selfish, cruel, beautiful and deeply flawed. Nugent has created an excellent central character, who is unusual for being female and, in a way, both the victim and the villain of the story. This is a really well written, compelling psychological thriller, which is full of surprises. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Skin Deep by Liz Nugent a thrilling four-star read. This is my first read by this author and I’m sure it won’t be the last, Cordelia Russell is a character that you will struggle to like as some people you just can’t get behind. But much like the story with its twists and turns galore her character will keep you on your toes. It is a psychological thriller but there is more to the story that we would normally get. The author has done a great job, with Delia you may not care about her character but you care about the story and what will happen in the end, the way the author has done the story in a great way by giving us the main plot in the beginning and then working the story back, it plays with what you know and what you think you know and is done in a very good manner.

Another cracker from one of my favourite authors Liz Nugent! I was delighted to receive this as an arc as I loved her first two books. Cordelia Russell is a faded socialite living in France who has to deal with a dead body lying in her hallway. From that beginning, we go back to her childhood as Delia O'Flaherty who was brought up in poverty on a remote Irish island. Tragedy follows Delia throughout her life and although she is a true sociopath, there are times I did feel some sympathy for her (only sometimes)!
There are some truly horrific characters in this book, and there is a strong sense of the macabre throughout. I loved the island setting too, it was so atmospheric and unsettling. I do love a good family type saga set in Ireland, although Delia is certainly not your typical Irish mammy! You are never quite sure where the story is going to go and there are quite a few surprises along the way. Just fantastic storytelling, the way a book should be written and I would encourage everyone to read all of Liz Nugent's books.