Customer Reviews

Beneath the Skin

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have been a fan of Nicci French's since reading last year's "Killing Me Softly", and was wondering how the author could top herself. "Killing Me Softly" was a chilling exploration of sexual obsession, and was one of my favorite reads of 1999.

Nicci French's new novel, "Beneath the Skin", is even better. The new novel deals with three individual women who are threatened by a faceless killer who sends each woman "love letters" which grow progressively more menacing.

Miss French tightens the suspense with each chapter, until you find yourself bleary-eyed after staying up all night to finish this exquisite page turner.

Each section of the book is devoted to one of each of the 3 women. Miss French develops each character flawlessly, until the reader feels as if he has known these troubled women all of their life. I fell in love with each of these strong, female characters, and actually cared deepy what would happen to each one.

Some readers have complained that Miss French reveals the killer at the end of the second section of the book... however, there is one additional shock that Miss French saves for the last chapter. This novel is thoroughly engaging, and will definitely make my top 10 list for 2000.

Husband-and-wife team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French have outdone themselves in this really scary psychological thriller, which gives a whole new dimension to the crime of stalking.

As we follow three seemingly disparate women, each of whom is taunted by a sexually sadistic letter-writer, we begin to almost literally crawl beneath THEIR skin. We feel their initial annoyance, their reluctant acceptance that they have some kind of problem--and eventually, their bone-melting terror.

The novel works on several levels, as the authors carefully and concisely unravel the plot in the same way that the stalker psychologically unravels his victims. Our emotions are torn between disgust and anger at the inept police, to pity for the women, to almost unbearable suspense. This is the book you can't put down...the one you read until your eyes scream for mercy.

The authors' previous book, "Killing Me Softly," was a superb thriller; this one is better. And one of the things that makes it so is the lack of hyperbole. They write in such a carefully controlled way that it only serves to heighten the already unbearable suspense. Only once do they indulge themselves, in what has to be a self-mocking tribute to the 40s and 50s crime genre: "The heat was like a big old fat smelly mangy greasy farty dying dog..." That sentence is on page one, and made me laugh out loud. It was the last time I laughed...and the last time I could put the book down.

It has been more than half a year since i read "Beneath the skin", and i still remember the main characters in this novel as if they were real people. To me, this is quite unique for a thriller, as in this genre the character is usually subordinate to the plot. On top of this, the plot itself is original, as the story unfolds from the point of view of three victims of a stalker. The atmosphere is oppressive right from the start, and, as a good thriller should, i had a really difficult time putting the book away before it was finished. The Nicci French novels are among the best in its genre, and "Beneath the skin" is the best of 4 books by Nicci French.

I marvel at Nicci French's attention to detail and ability to write a great thriller. I have read Killing Me Softly -- one of my favorite thrillers -- and she has managed to awe me again with Beneath the Skin.

This is the story of Zoe, Jennifer and Nadia. Three women who have only one thing in common: they are targeted by a sadistic and very clever killer. He sends them "love" letters in which he explains in gruesome detail what he would like to do with them. He inflicts fear and emotional distress on his victims and enjoys it. What will happen to these women? And will the police be of any help? More importantly, who is the killer? Of course, everyone is a suspect.

What struck me most when reading this book was the fact that the story was told from the victims' point of view. You can feel the fear, confusion, anger and hopelessness that the female characters go through -- so much better than third person narration.

What an amazing book! I still can't get it out of my mind. Nicci French is an amazing storyteller. I look forward to reading her other books. I don't think I have to tell you that you should read this book, do I?:)

In different parts of London, several women begin receiving anonymous love-hate letters. Besides their home city, the women involved have little in common except they are petite and have been involved in a bad relationship. The women react identically by initially ignoring the correspondence, but the letter writer begins to personalize the notes. His actions frighten the women, who turn to the police for protection.

The cops place guards around the stalker's victims, but somehow he gets through their protection and starts killing them. The police begin to investigate the targets to attempt to find a link. Relationships fray quickly as the unknown foe seems to know more about his prey than the women's so called loved ones. The women begin to mentally unravel under his increasing pressure, knowing he could murder them any time he wants.

BENETH THE SKIN is Nicci French's second published American novel even though the talented author seems as if she has been around forever. Like her first tale (see the fabulous KILLING ME SOFTLY), this tale is an incredible psychological thriller that will be on everyone's best list. Readers gain insight into the lives and motives of the victims and that allows the audience to understand why they react the way they do. In a dark, lurking manner, the stalker seems very real, adding to the overall frightening feel of the taut story line. Fans will clamor for the release of Ms. French's other two novels not published in the States as well as more chilling thrillers.

Harriet Klausner

I thought this book was great. Not only did it keep my undivided attention, it also had great charater developement. At least the main characters were well developed. I felt I knew what they looked like on the inside as well as the out.

I'm a first time reader of this particular author and I just happened to pick the book up because it looked interesting and I needed something to read this past weekend. I'm happy to say that I sped through the story in less than 2 days and was thoroughly satisfied by the author's character definition - she made the characters interesting and not boring at all.

Zoe is a 23 year-old orphan, naïve and unsure of herself. She is dating a man who is not everything she hoped he would be. Jenny is in her late 30's, a mother and wife but seemingly trapped by her own demons and an unhappy marriage. Nadia is a free spirit, older and wiser than Zoe but not as hopeless as Jenny. She is at the time in her life where she thinks she knows what she wants but just isn't quite sure how to get the ball rolling. These three women have nothing in common except that they all live in and around London and become the victims of the same stalker.

I really have to go now and find another of Nicci French's books!

From the first short-story excerpt that I read in a popular monthly magazine, I couldn't wait to read this book. The 2-page excerpts had me spellbound, so that I immediately wanted to read this book. From the moment I began reading, Zoe, Jenny, and Nadia captivated me. Each of their stories had me reading faster than I've ever read before. The suspense building around what is happening to them, the people involved in their lives, to awaiting the arrival of their daily mail, I couldn't put this book down - and didn't until nearly 24 hours after I began reading. I haven't read this good of a book in a long time. The 3 1/2 star rating from reviews is understated. This book is definitely a 5-star. Great plot, with one's mind digging in it's recesses to try to figure out "who's doing this" to these women, to thinking "thank you for this not happening to me or anyone I love".

This is a great book for those who are into thrillers without the gore factor. I could not put this book down - the ending is very good.

I enjoyed Nicci French's 'Killing me Softly' but not as much as this masterpiece. French has grabbed to suspense genre and shaken it to the core. He writing is clear but stylish and the plot is gripping and terrifying.

Three women with one thing in common - but what? Who will live and who will die - and why? That's the premise and you don't find out till the very last pages. Don't buy this book if you're looking for a bit of quiet beach reading. This is a read page-gripper.