Cover Image: The Girl Without Skin

The Girl Without Skin

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The Girl Without Skin is a murder mystery set in Greenland. It begins with journalist Matthew Cave investigating the discovery of a mummified Viking body.

If you do not like murder mysteries with gruesome crimes – murder, child abuse, and sexual assault- then this may not be the book for you. I would have also liked the book if it was actually about studying the Viking mummy and where he came from. Greenland has different cultural influences – Danish and Inuit

So the Viking mummy case was put on hold due to the murder of the police officer guarding the body. While Matthew was waiting for permission to publish the article, someone tells him to look into an old cold case from the 1970s. The case involves four men who were murdered and also were probably abusing their daughters.

The title refers to one of the main characters,
Tupaarnaq. She served time in prison for killing her parents and sisters. By the time she was released, Tupaarnaq was covered in tattoos. Her name means “wild thyme.”

It really is a good book, even with all of the gruesomeness. Honestly, there were so many twists at the end that I never saw coming.

I received this ebook from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

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Before I start talking about the book itself I feel like I need to say that this book contains graphic violence and involves childhood sexual abuse. If wither of those are dealbreakers, this isn’t the book for you.

But this is a powerful, powerful book. I really actually hated putting it down.

It takes place in Greenland in 2014. A mummified man is found but quickly disappears, the robbers leaving behind the disembodied police officer that was supposed to be guarding the artifact. The murder is eerily similar to to four unsolved murders from 1973. Journalist Matt Cave starts looking into the murders, but quickly finds himself stymied at every turn. The only person who appears to take him seriously is a reclusive young woman, recently released from prison for manslaughter.

I loved that this was set in Greenland. I knew almost next to nothing about that country so I really, really enjoyed getting to learn about there - I kind of want to visit at some point now! The author really incorporates Greenlandic culture and found myself looking things up and reading further about them.

The story itself was also so, so good. The mystery was twisted and reminded me of a great psychological thriller film. It starts out seemingly straightforward and then goes off the rails in the best way. There are some great twists and turns that really left me picking my jaw up off the floor.

Overall, if you love dark, insidious thrillers that will make you shiver, this is the book for you. This is definitely going in my “will read again” pile.

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This translated crime fiction from Danish author, Mads Peder Nordbo, falls squarely into the Scandi-Noir genre, it has all the dark and disturbing elements, grisly murders and a brutality that is the trademark of that genre, albeit it is set in the unusual setting of Greenland. It offers a social and political commentary on the dark history of the country. The grieving Matthew Cave has returned to Greenland from Denmark, he spent the first four years of his life here, coming after the traumatising death of his wife and unborn daughter in a car accident. He is based in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, working as a journalist on the local paper, Sermitsiaq, and looking to find out what happened to his father, an American soldier that used to be based at Thule air base. Lured by the possibility of a exclusive, Cave arrives on the scene at the ice fields, where the rare discovery of a mummified Viking has been discovered.

The following day, he returns to find the mummified body has disappeared and the police officer guarding it has been gruesomely murdered and eviscerated. His murder echoes the MO of 4 murdered men in Nuuk back in the early 1970s, flayed and gutted, all the victims were suspected of terrible crimes. An investigating Danish policeman, Jakob Pederson, disappeared, assumed murdered, leaving behind his notes on the case, and on the missing lost girls of the time, now long forgotten. Cave is given his notebook, and begins to look into these forty year old murders, only to find the past rears its ugly head in the present with more murders as powerful and ruthless forces look to silence any emergence of the shocking truths and secrets. Cave finds himself helped by a young Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, with her shaved head and tattooed body, recently released from a 12 year stretch in prison for the apparent murder of her family. She acts as guide to Greenlandic culture for Cave as he finds himself eating raw and bloodied seal liver on a seal hunt. Tupaarnaq is treated as a suspect for the murders by the police, which fuels her drive to find the real killers.

Nordbo does a terrific job in providing an excellent sense of location, from the heavy driving rain, mud, intense cold and ice, the geography of Greenland, Nuuq, its culture, the deprivations faced by the local communities, the sexism, and the politics and history of the country. In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, Norbo writes a riveting hard edged and heartbreaking story of child sexual abuse, secretive medical testing, political corruption and stomach churning murders. I loved the richly descriptive portrayal of the location, and found the novel atmospheric, so gripping, with plenty of tension and surprising twists. There is some wonderful characterisation in the diverse cast of characters presented in the book, I was particularly drawn to that of Tupaarnaq, a woman that faintly reminded me of Lisbeth Salander. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Text Publishing for an ARC.

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I really enjoyed this book. Mathew Cave is a journalist from Denmark who is new to Nuuk, Greenland. He is sent to cover an amazing archeological find of a mummified corpse. The next day the mummy disappears, the policeman who was guarding it is found dead and a witness has also been murdered. Mathew is intent on getting the story and in the meantime uncovers some similar murders that took place more than 40 years before. The story has been buried and many are unwilling to let it's secrets emerge. Brutal murders, child sexual abuse and abuse of government power run rampant throughout. It's a thrilling yet dark tale. I was previously unaware of the amount of sexual abuse and rape in Greenland so this was a little eyeopening. I didn't know anything about Greenland before reading this and I enjoyed looking up real places on Google Maps and being able to see where the the story was taking place, while reading the book; it added a lot to the story. I enjoyed Mr. Nordbo's writing style and his portrayal of the brutality of some men and the ultimate kindness of others was quite refreshing. I liked this book and will read more from Mr. Nordbo. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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I must admit I haven't read any Nordic mystery, though I consume alot of it through televison and film. So I decided to read my first Nordic mystery through Netgalley, which provided me an ARC for The Girl without Skin from first time author Mads Peder Nordbo, translated from Danish to English.

The story starts with an archeological find, a mummy hidden in the crevice of an Greenlandic iceberg. A policeman is placed on the iceberg overnight to guard the mummy but he is brutally murder and the mummy goes missing. The manner in which the policeman gets killed is similar to a series of unsolved murders from 1973. This leads our main protagonist, a journalist named Matthew Cave, into investigating the connection between the 1973 murders to the current murder and missing mummy. Along the way he meets a troubled young lady, covered in tattoos except for her head, hands and feet, who might be the key to solving the past and current murders.

The Girl without Skin is not for the fainthearted. The novel has depictions of murder, mutilation, child abuse, and incest. Even though the content of the novel made me uneasy. The context of these violent acts are rooted in socioeconomic problems plaguing Greenland. Without spoiling the plot, I won't go into detail regarding those problems. But this book was a total eye opener for me on Greenland culture and politics, which is why I enjoyed this book so much. The smattering of tidbits on Greenland intersperse within the story made it an interesting read. The author has already written two other novels in this series which I look forward to reading once it gets translated into English

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Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers fro the opportunity to read an ARC in return for a honest review.
Really looked forward to reading this, the first crime novel set in Greenland I would have read..
Certainly didn't disappoint, a cracking story which I found both well written and also provided me with a greater insight into Greenland, it's culture and ways of life. Recommended.

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A fabulous, fast-paced crime novel with a cast of wonderfully complex characters and a truly unique setting.

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I really enjoyed this book. The author did really well with the plot of the story. He also painted a vivid picture of the landscape which really added to the story. Recommended.

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Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This concept of this was amazing and it can say it did not disappoint. I think it is a good read and I highly recommend this book.

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Matthew is a journalist who after a devastating event in Denmark returns to his home country. Greenland. While writing for the local paper Matthew is offered a story of a lifetime.. a body has been found which is thought to be a mummified corpse of a Viking.
However, the next day the body is missing and a police officer is dead. While Matthew begins to investigate he discovers a link between the prime suspect and the unsolved murders of four men killed in the 70’s.
Matthew sets out to clear the suspects name ..............

An enjoyable book

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I have found the Nordic authors I have read are like heroin use and addiction, imo [perceived as have never tried it]. They are dark, horrible, intense and you barely make it through the books alive but then after uncurling from your fetal ball are blown away with how good they are [or at least commanding and thought provoking] and want more after you catch your breath. Mads is up there with Stieg Larsson with complex, dark characters, details, settings and outcomes you can't guess ahead of time. This book is a can't put down roller coaster of emotions thriller of grisly murders present and past, social issues, how they are handled and cover ups. First one Viking mummy discovery in a desolate area of Greenland that leads to a pile up of heinous murders past and present that have to be tied together somehow, though 40 years apart. It also shows the Danish concept of order and surface sameness that can hide the basest actual actions and desires and how little that culture can be transposed onto another. How easily the crimes against women and children can be glossed over rather that dealt with still in today's society as has been evidenced in how centuries of cover ups and continued allowances of sexual abuse of children are now coming out from the Vatican. If you are into pitch noire thrillers this is for you.

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I really thought this was great. It may also be the first book I have ever read that was based in Greenland. This was complicated and engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It actually made me so intrigued that I sat still for long stretches of time. A mummy turns up in a crevice,which leads Matt to investigate some murders that happened in the 1970s that were never solved. There is so much stuff going on in the present and the past that you will have a tough time figuring out everything before the reveal happens. I challenge you to try.

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Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
What an intriguing book first time reading this author and won't be my last an extremely cleaver plot that held your attention through out the whole book I can highly recommend this book to family and friends

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** spoiler alert ** Everything came together in Mads book. Not the way you were expecting but it came together with the main people, Matthew, Tupaarnaq, Ottesen, the Faroe Islands Man, Abelsen, Jakob, Lisbeth and Paneeraq. Everything took it's time happening such as Lisbeth, Jakob and Paneeraq disappearing for over 40 years. Matthew and Tupaarnaq appearing after 40 years, Matthew from Denmark and Tupaarnaq from prison. Everything happens for a reason, so I would hate to write spoilers so you're going to have to read this book. You won't regret it, it's captured my interest right from the start. We have killings, small girls being abused by their fathers, being raped by their physician, being tested with drugs without their parents knowing, covered up by politicians. Everything is hidden, that's all I'm saying. I rated this book 5 stars it was up there with Stieg Larrson's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo."

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I am an avid mystery reader and have been for years. This books is smart, complicated with good character development and impossible to guess the ending. I so hate it if I can easily guess the whole plot. . I eagerly await the next book. Excellent writing!!!

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The first in a new thriller series, 'The Girl without Skin' reads like an experienced Scandinavian thriller, with the exception that this one takes place in Greenland. The story was interesting enough, but I thought there were several carefully built but unbelievable coincidences. E.g. I found it hard to believe how easily Tupaarnaq, the mysterious Inuit woman, came to help Matt Cave with his investigation, instead of keeping her distance when he first encounters her.

The most fascinating part of the story were the bits of Greenland history described in this book. I was intrigued by the deadly puzzle pieces Matt Cave uncovered and put together. Now that I'm finished I don't feel as enthusiastic about it as at the beginning, but I'm far from being disappointed either.

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Greenland is a cold place full of dark secrets. Matthew, a journalist is sent to look into a mummified Viking man found on Greenland ice sheet and he finds himself dragged into an old mysterious murder.
Thank you Netgalley for this great adventure.

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Really enjoyed this book, the characters were believable and the plot plausible. It was a great story and would recommend book.

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Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for thew opportunity to read this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was the second book in the series and I did not read the first book, I felt that I might have enjoyed a the book a little more if I had but altogether I don't think it was necessary as I still enjoyed the book, I just would have liked to have had more of Zoe's back story but that being said, I was hooked right from the first chapter.

When a girl is taken in to the ward in a catatonic state, Zoe takes on the case to help her, she cannot or will not tell them her name and Zoe does everything she can to help her. We learn quite a bit about mental illness in this book and I felt that it seemed really well researched and informative without ruining the story part of the book. When the medicine doesn't help, Zoe throws herself into the case with gusto and becomes obsessed with finding out who this girl is and how she can help her. She uncovers a web of lies and secrets and finds herself in over her head. Can she help this girl before it is too late? The ending of the book was a surprise and left me hanging. Cannot wait for the next book in this series.

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This novel was hard to read. Its plot is very dark and full of all kinds of violence: child abuse, gruesome murders, rape and blood. I’ve read a lot of Nordic books but I’d never read one set in Greenland (is Greenland even part of the Nordic countries? Since it was founded by Danes and part of the conflict arises from the prejudice of Danish citizens against the natives, I will consider it so). The atmosphere and the plot are also very similar to those written in Scandinavia, but the culture is very different. Greenland is a vast country, but the villages are small and everybody knows each other. An influential person can control many, many things, as journalist Matthew Cave finds out when trying to investigate the mummified remains found in the ice and a series of unexplained murders in 1973. The plot in the present combines with the contents of the diary of the cop who investigated the events in the seventies, and the story doesn’t go where I was expecting it to. Trigger warning for animal lovers: there is a lot of seal hunting going on. Considering there are abused children and horrifying human remains it shouldn't have bothered me that much, but it did and I had to skip several parts, so be forewarned. This is not an easy book to read, but it’s worth it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Text Publishing!

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