The Girl Without Skin – Mads Peder Nordbo
They were near the edge of the glacier. The sea beneath the helicopter was dense with pack ice. In front of them, the endless whiteness stretched as far as the light could reach. It hurt his eyes. Millions of white crystals. Except in one place. One spot. Right where the mummified Norseman had been found and Aqqalu had kept watch. There, the ice was glossy red.
When a mummified Viking corpse is discovered in a crevasse out on the edge of an ice sheet, journalist Matthew Cave is sent to cover the story. The next day the mummy is gone, and the body of the policeman who was keeping watch is found naked and flayed—exactly like the victims in a gruesome series of murders that terrified the remote town of Nuuk in the 1970s.
As Matt investigates, he is shocked by the deprivation and brutal violence the locals take for granted. Unable to trust the police, he begins to suspect a cover-up. It’s only when he meets a young Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, convicted of killing her parents and two small sisters, that Matt starts to realise how deep this story goes—and how much danger he is in.
My Review of The Girl Without Skin
(4 / 5)
I was so excited to get this book in the mail! I thought the premise was just really fascinating and I have never read any book set in the Arctic before. The Girl Without Skin has only recently become available in Australia after being translated into English. I had to do a lot of googling the places in this book. It is set in Greenland and I don’t know much about Greenland at all! Looking at the pictures of Nuuk helped me imagine the setting and helped me grasp this different atmosphere.
In 2014, journalist Matthew goes with the authorities when they find a mummified body in the ice, believed to be from a very long time ago. But when the security guard is murdered and the body disappears, Matthew finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy. Back in 1973, Investigator Jakob is investigating the gruesome murder of some men in an apartment building and what he uncovers puts his life in danger. What do these men and these murders have in common? 
I really enjoyed this translated Arctic crime fiction book. It was quite gruesome at times but I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Considering I don’t know much at all about Greenland or Denmark, it was interesting to read about the culture and the way things work over there. I was thinking throughout that it reminded me of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at times, although other than a little similarity they are extremely different books. Although The Girl Without Skin also deals with some triggering topics, and is extremely graphic in parts. It also reminded me vaguely of my absolute favourite author Sharon Bolton’s novels, just with the dark atmosphere that was created, and how the city almost seemed like a character in itself.
I really enjoyed the layout of the book, the shorter chapters and the flipping back and forth in time.
I loved the characters, especially Michael and Tupaarnaq. It was so interesting to read about the native Greenlandic population, and the seal and whale hunting in the area and how it fit into the culture.
There were a few twists and turns, some were slightly predictable, some were not and took me by surprise. I enjoyed the climax and the ending. I thought the whole thing was well written and translated well so that it really captured the chilling (literally and figuratively) atmosphere!
Would I recommend The Girl Without Skin?
Absolutely! A great thriller! It was interesting and engrossing. I managed to get through it quite quickly in a couple of sittings. Highly enjoyable for any thriller fan! Especially those who want to read a different, Euro style!
Many thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of The Girl Without Skin for me to read and review.
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