Skin Deep [Hardcover]

Gary Braver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 2008

Someone is killing the most alluring women of Boston. Someone whose keen eye for beauty masks a twisted mind. Someone who insinuates himself into his victims’ lives and leaves them with nothing but an elegant black stocking knotted around their necks.

Homicide detective Lt. Steve Markarian must stop the killer before another vulnerable woman is sacrificed—possibly even his own estranged wife.

Beset with loneliness and addictions, Steve pursues leads all over greater Boston—from the haunts of blue-blooded Brahmins, to seedy strip joints, to mansions by the sea, to the halls of prestigious universities, to the offices of his own precinct—and to the recesses of his own heart, only to discover that he himself may actually be the killer.

In this stunning psychological thriller, bestselling author Gary Braver explores the nature of beauty, how women may strive to achieve it, and the forbidden yearnings that kill in its name.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Here’s a successful thriller from an author who gets better with each book. In Boston, someone is cleverly murdering some very beautiful women. Tasked with finding the killer is Detective Lieutenant Steve Markarian, whose normally razor-sharp mind may be just a little cluttered with his own personal issues, including a recent separation from his wife and a couple of very incompatible addictions. As he tracks the nameless, faceless killer, Markarian—this might sound flimsy, but Braver completely makes it work—begins to suspect that he could be the man he is chasing. Not only is this Braver’s best novel so far (it follows Flashback, 2005),it’s a gripping, twisty thriller that deserves a wide audience. And Steve Markarian, the deeply troubled hero, is a man we can’t help rooting for, even as we entertain serious doubts about his psychological stability. --David Pitt

Review

“Here's a successful thriller from an author who gets better with each book. In Boston, someone is cleverly murdering some very beautiful women. Tasked with finding the killer is Detective Lieutenant Steve Markarian, whose normally razor-sharp mind may be just a little cluttered with this own personal issues, including a recent separation from his wife and a couple of very incompatible addictions. As he tracks the nameless, faceless killer, Markarian--this might sound flimsy, but Braver completely makes it work--begins to suspect that he could be the man he is chasing. Not only is this Braver's best novel so far (it follows Flashback, 2005), it's a gripping, twisty thriller that deserves a wide audience. And Steve Markarian, the deeply troubled hero, is a man we can't help rooting for, even as we entertain serious doubts about his psychological stability.”--Booklist

“I read Skin Deep by Gary Braver in a single sitting. It is an outstanding medical thriller, sharply plotted, with crisp dialog, intelligent characters—and a premise that will freeze your blood. Gary Braver is a hell of a good writer. Wow!”—Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author of Blasphemy

“Put off that tummy tuck until you read Skin Deep.The latest from this medical mystery master will turn your spine into a Popsicle.”—Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author

“I can’t say enough about Skin Deep. Braver manages some clever twists and turns in this terrific new book.”—Anita Shreve, New York Times bestselling author

“A nerve-jangling thriller that combines the horror of The Silence of the Lambs with the medical terror of Robin Cook. As terrifying as it is ingenious, the book is destined to become a classic of suspense and horror.”—James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Judas Strain

“A fascinating, frightening tour de force—a riveting mix of medical thriller, forensic puzzler, and intense psychological drama.”—Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author of The First Patient

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (July 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765309750
• ISBN-13: 978-0765309754
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Braver is the award-winning and bestselling author of eight critically acclaimed psychological thrillers. His novels have been celebrated for their high-concepts, careful craftsmanship, well-rounded characters, and page-turning momentum. Some of his titles have a medical slant including ELIXIR, GRAY MATTER, and FLASHBACK, which is the only thriller to have won a Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction (2006). His latest novel, SKIN DEEP, about cosmetic surgery, was published in July 2008 and was called "a gripping, twisty thriller that deserves a wide audience" by Booklist.

His next novel, TUNNEL VISION, which centers on near-death experiences, will be published on June 21, 2011. Of that book, legendary author Ray Bradbury has said, "I have long believed that science will move us more toward God and give us proofs of His creations. With TUNNEL VISION, Gary Braver provides a wonderfully frightening and insightful tale on this theme that shatters my bones and leaves me to piece myself back together."

Three of Gary Braver's novels have been optioned for movies, including ELIXIR by director Ridley Scott. He is the only thriller novelist to have three titles listed in the top-10 highest customer reviews on Amazon.com at the same time.

Under his own name, Gary Goshgarian, he is an award-winning professor of English at Northeastern University where he teaches courses in Modern Bestsellers, Science Fiction, Horror Fiction, and Fiction Writing. He has also taught fiction-writing workshops through out the United States and Europe for over twenty years. He is also the author of six popular college writing textbooks, now in 34 editions.
He lives with his family outside of Boston. His website: www.garybraver.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty Is Only... SKIN DEEP!, July 9, 2008

By 

Kyle Kerr (Blakeslee, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Skin Deep (Hardcover)

There are certain expectations with every genre: with romance you expect passion; in literary novels it should be all about the characters arcs; and in sci-fi, it should all be out of this world. In a thriller, you want there to be a mystery to unravel, you want a villain so evil that s/he's almost inhuman, and you want it all at a pace that could burn out your heart. Gary Braver, my friends, has done it again, and he's hit every mark without fail. He's even hit a few marks that you'd never expect in a thriller...

Steve Markarian is troubled. He's in hot water with his job at the Boston PD, he's separated from his wife, and he's suddenly caught up in the biggest case of his career. They find a beautiful woman who appears to have accidentally killed herself during a scarfing session, but could it be more than that? The more they search, the more the clues lead them to murder, but the suspects are few. Maybe it's the college professor... or the bouncer at the strip club. Could it really be his partner? Or could it possibly be... himself? Steve spirals into darkness as he searches for the killer, and comes face-to-face with some terrifying personal demons in the process.

Dana is Steve's wife and unsatisfied with her looks. She's not as young as she used to be and, in the course of switching professions, comes to the conclusion that she needs a little help to battle the beautiful twenty-something's who will be her competition in the workforce. At the urgings of a friend, Dana books an appointment to see the best plastic surgeon in Boston, and there's no turning back. Everything seems to be going fine, until Steve starts to see connections between the steadily mounting victims and Dana, connections that have him fearing for her life.

Where Braver really stretches his legs is in a parallel storyline that takes place almost forty years in the past, the story of a boy and the strange hold his aspiring actress of a stepmother seems to hold over him. It's enthralling, it's disturbing, and it really showcases Braver's talent as a writer. If he weren't so good at writing thrillers, I'd hope to see a literary novel from him at some point...! I'd say it's worth reading the book just for these scenes, but the rest of the book is equally worth your time!

This one will have you guessing almost until the very end. The reveal of the killer's identity comes a little sooner than the regular thriller, but then there's nothing normal/ordinary about this book. Not only will the killer's identity shock you, but the REAL twist is WHY the killer is murdering these women. And, believe me when I say, you'll have to pick your jaw up from the ground.

Gary Braver's best novel to date. I don't really know how he's going to top this one, but I have no lack of faith that he will!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My new favorite, August 2, 2008

By 

J. Freeman "lover of music you don't hear on... (Hingham, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Skin Deep (Hardcover)

As a fan of Gary Braver, I've read all his books, but I think this one may be the best, because it's so multidimensional. The psychological suspense is excellent, and the characters compelling. Who is choking the beautiful redheads in a manner reminiscent of the Boston Strangler? Could it be the lead detective and main character, Steve Markarian? This plot line is almost Dostoeveskian. The English professor? This character's an inside joke for those of us who know Braver is a college English teacher. Or is Markarian's tempermental partner the villian?)

Then you've got the medical subplot, about plastic surgery, which Dana, Markarian's separated wife (who he still loves), is pursuing. The details here are well researched and informative for those of us curious about the practice. And as the book progresses, what appeared to be a subplot twines neatly into the main murder mystery plot.

And finally, there's the fascinating back story of one of the male characters - presented in alternating chapters - about their twisted relationship with their stepmother - but which one is it? Markarian? His partner? The professor? Though we figure it out before the climactic scene, as I think Braver intended us to, it's still quite delicious.

This is Braver's most sexually explicit book, but he handles it in classy way. There are shades of greatness here and it's wonderful to see a favorite author upping his game instead of letting things slide, as so many do.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great read!, October 5, 2009

By 

Beth Howard "Bethy" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skin Deep (Mass Market Paperback)

I am an avid mystery reader. This book rates at the top of my list. It holds your interest until the end. Interesting characters. I want to read more Braver books.