Monday, January 27, 2014

Under Your Skin: A Novel by Sabine Durrant Review

I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads.


"Gaby Mortimer is the woman who has it all. But everything changes when she finds a body on the common near her home. She is shaken and haunted by the image of the lifeless young woman, and frightened that the killer, still at large, could strike again. 

Before long, the police have a lead. The evidence points to a very clear suspect. One Gaby never saw coming . . . 

Full of twists and turns, this is a dark and suspenseful psychological thriller that will make you second guess everything. Because you can never be too sure about anything, especially when it comes to murder."

I knew it!

Sorry, I can't explain fully what I just said, but I can explain that I suspected the killer halfway through the book. Oh, the number of suspects started to rise and red herrings started popping like flowers in springtime, but I managed to figure it out. (I had two suspects. Two, and only one is...)

*Squeals*

Under Your Skin is definitely creepy. Not as creepy as a Ghost town during Halloween, but nearly as creepy. This book is probably inspired by American Psycho, or at least for some parts. Words like ax murderers made me slightly suspicious of a certain character. And no, I will not be telling you who that is. It's only January, far before the publication date, which is February 4, 2014. If you want to know who did it, read it off someone else's review, because I'm not saying a word. If I said a mere syllable, it will ruin everything. (But I might give you hints). 

The plot is strong, with a few convenient plot holes. Of course, everything will explain itself eventually. It will explain everything in the last few chapters. (Oh, I just told you where the identity of the murderer is discovered and confirmed). 

The murder of the body, which is the very same body Gaby found, is a crime of passion. Let's simply say it that way. This book and problems remind me of The False Prince, but with a murder instead of a missing prince. 

Gaby Mortimer isn't right in head. When she tells her POV, you know instantly that something is off about her. Maybe it's because she just discovered a dead body or maybe because she knows something even darker. (I know the truth, but I'm just talking this way on purpose). In an unhappy marriage and surviving a mundane job, she's thrust into the world of law and creepiness, without a warning. (Heh...without a warning). 

One character seems to be quite unusual. Jack Hayward? Or something like that, correct? Anyway, he threw me off the path. A very good trick created by the author. I was momentarily distracted by the red herring. But after careful evaluation, I manage to cross him off the list, leaving only two major suspects in the murder. Readers, who already read this book, probably can guess who are my top suspects. One is a man. One is wife.

The ending. Oooo! I want to know what will be the fate of the killer. I think karma will see a bit of action, but I don't know. The ending of Under Your Skin is throwing me into a loop.

Rating: Four out of Five

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