I was hooked on this book. It had great twists and turns and a fabulous ending!~ Hayley’s Honest Book ReviewsWhere is Hannah?When Kyle’s wife Hannah goes missing, the whole town is out in force to try to find her. One person knows where she is. One person is keeping a secret.Detective Inspector Simon Peters and Detective Kerry Lawlor have been brought in to investigate the case, but Hannah has … in to investigate the case, but Hannah has left no traces and Kyle has no clues.
Local Belfast resident Julia Matthews joins the #FindHannah campaign and becomes friendly with Kyle, sympathising with his tragedy. As Julia becomes more involved in the case than she bargained for, she begins to uncover more secrets than the Police ever could.
Julia was only trying to help, but has she become drawn into a web of mystery that she can’t escape?
Discover a gripping thriller that has you on the edge of your seat!
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I was bowled over by this psychological thriller. The writing is superb and the novel is cleverly plotted so that you’re kept guessing.
Domestic violence is a difficult topic to tackle, but one that needs to be highlighted. Well done to Rose McClelland for doing that so well.
There are minor typos and tense errors, which bothered me but probaby won’t bother you.
Highly recommended.
This book is a domestic thriller. It opens with a husband, (one of the narrators), reporting his wife is missing and setting up a social media campaign to #FindHannah. The second chapter has Hannah as the narrator and she is telling us she is locked in the basement. Other players, some of whom are narrators are: Guy who works with Hannah, Kate who is Guy’s girlfriend, Julia who becomes romantically involved with the husband while searching for his maybe missing wife, Kerry the female rookie cop, Simon the lead detective and Mary from the women’s aid shelter. The story revolves around the search for Hannah along with what has happened in the marriage. The chapters are clearly marked so you know exactly who is the narrator.
I was glued to this book. I was reading it during a 24 consecutive hour readathon and had decided I would read each book about halfway then rotate to the next book. When it came time to stop reading this, I could not. I absolutely needed to know what was going on. It was a twisty tale indeed. The ending was a little less than I wanted but it was still good and not one I would have guessed exactly as it was. As a survivor of domestic violence I appreciated the author touching on the part that I feel gets the least attention but lasts the longest. The psychological abuse repeats in your head long after the abuser is no longer in the picture. I was happy to see that the author didn’t downplay that. For those worried about heavily graphic scenes, the author kept those scenes brief and gave only what was necessary for the story. The book is set in Belfast, Ireland and does use slightly different language but I was able to easily understand everything.
A missing wife turns into much more in this story that looks at domestic abuse and the shortcomings of society to protect women from their husbands. McClelland develops each character in layers to uncover the lies and secrets. The heroine and others behave intelligently and logically but that doesn’t guarantee her safety.
It had great promise with its storyline. Yhe story was developed through chapters identified for each of the key characters. Each of the narratives in those chapters moved the facts forwarded but they all sounded the same. The characters lacked thedistinction that they should have.
Good Book!
Page turner but blah ending. Still loved it!
A story that way too many of us can relate to. I liked that it wasn’t long and drawn out with ridiculousness, and while some would argue that the outcome was complete fantasy I’d counter that it is not. I’d also argue that the end of this story is what the “too many of us” need to hold in our hearts. Sure, it’s not a NYT best-seller, but I still say Bravo, Ms McClelland.
I brought Rose McLelland’s “Under Your Skin” with me on my hiking holiday, hoping that I would read it at my leisure, a few pages at a time, when it was raining and I was held hostage indoors. Not a chance! The book got right under my skin and I just had to keep reading through the many twists, surprises and mysteries until I reached its very satisfying conclusion.
“Under Your Skin” is a captivating, brisk and irresistible read. Get started and you will be instantly gripped with tension, rooting for Julia and gasping at every turn and twist of the story.
It all starts so simply, with Kyle Greer reporting his wife missing to the Belfast police.
Unsatisfied with the efforts of Detective Kerry Lawlor and her partner, he takes to social media with a #FindHannah campaign. On advice from her therapist to be more social, Julia Matthews joins the search of an area in Belfast and finds herself attracted to Kyle, flattered when he turns to her for a listening ear and more. Meanwhile, Hannah’s friend and co-worker Guy proposes to his girlfriend Kate and is turned down – again.
But that is the surface, and what this work of domestic suspense focuses on is the way in which all of these lives are intersecting and splintering. It isn’t long before the cracks begin to show.
Primarily written in the voices of the four women, Under Your Skin is at turns deceptively mundane and disturbing, but a riveting read throughout. This is a well written psychological thriller that leaves the reader slightly off-kilter, with twists and turns that are so well executed that even those that the reader expects are quite effective – in part due to the structure of multiple first person points of view.
Definitely a read I would recommend to friends who enjoy domestic suspense and psychological thrillers, but not without mentioning that the story does include domestic abuse and sexual violence.
I voluntarily received and read a paperback copy of this book through Smith Publicity. A positive review was not required. This review contains only my own honest opinions.
On the surface, it’s the story of a missing woman and the search to find her before it’s too late (but what does that really mean?) Underneath, however, it’s a commentary on the relationships between men and women, gender roles, misogyny, and a host of other things. There were some very strong moments, but also some questionable points. A few characters did not come across strongly, and one in particular made some horrifically bad choices that made it difficult to like her. The author also seemed to rely on a few stereotypes too heavily. But it was an interesting study on male/female interactions. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Damp Pebbles for a digital copy of the book.
I’m still buzzing about this book! Incredible! I’d heard so many great things about this one before I had the chance to review, so when the opportunity came up, I jumped at it.
This book has been a first for me – I bought the paperback before I’d even finished reading! It’s one of those stories that leaves you sitting in silence long after reading, coming to terms with everything you’ve just experienced. I’ve been in awe from start to finish, the plot is so unpredictable and the characters so believable and perfectly created. The author has stunned me with this book and I hope there will be many other thrillers to come. I can’t wait to check out more of her published work! I’d love to give this book more than five stars – times like this I wish the scale was bigger. I’d recommend this one to lovers of crime and thriller, but also those who love a heartfelt, emotional read too.
I recently made a journey to London by train. I was meant to have my husband’s company, but he was unwell and not able to travel, so I took Rose McClelland’s new novel, Under Your Skin with me. I was not disappointed.
Under Your Skin tells the story of the seemingly perfect couple, Kyle and Hannah. Of course there is no such thing as a perfect couple and when Hannah goes missing, the police suspect foul play by Kyle.
He is adamant he knows nothing of her whereabouts and even leads a campaign to find her. Their whole town comes out in force to try to find her. But one person knows where she is and that one person is keeping a secret. Hannah has left no traces and Kyle says he has no clues.
Local Belfast resident Julia Matthews joins the campaign to find Hannah and becomes friendly with Kyle because she sympathises with his plight. As Julia becomes more involved in the case, and Kyle, than she bargained for, she begins to uncover more secrets than the Police.
This mystery gets deeper and darker as the novel progresses and I was gripped by it. I did not see the twist coming and found the end of the novel satisfying and thrilling.
I think this book would make an excellent read for a book group. I enjoyed it very much and definitely recommend it.
Under Your Skin is a quite striking, evocative story. Very well-crafted from multiple points of view, Rose moves the fluid story at a quick pace. The character’s flaws are many times uncomfortable but vividly real. 5 stars and my recommendation to read this story for a current day dark crime thriller.
Kyle and Hannah seem the perfect couple, their romance a whirlwind that quickly turns into marriage. One day Hannah doesn’t return home and Kyle is beside himself. He calls the police but feels they aren’t doing enough and ends up starting his own #findhannah campaign.
Julia sees the news and decides to pitch in and join the #findhannah campaign. During a search she meets Kyle and they quickly become friends. Julia soon learns secrets the police could only guess at as she becomes close to Kyle.
Where is Hannah? Who would want to hurt her? Will she be found in time?
This was a very quick read! I finished this in a few hours. This was well written and had me captivated throughout. I figured everything out pretty early on but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. If you’re looking for a good domestic drama that is quick and interesting this is a good one to get lost in.
I appreciate the author providing me with a copy of the book for a honest review. All views expressed herein are mine and mine alone.
This is a rollercoaster of a read where you are certain you know what’s happening one minute and then the next you’re off pursuing a different line of enquiry. There are great dynamics between the characters so whilst it’s a gripping page turner, at the same time all the people stay real; flawed and grounded. I devoured it.
DI Simon Peters and DS Kerry Lawlor are answering a husband’s call about his wife, who seems to be missing.
After talking to the husband, her work colleagues, friends, etc,, they find no clues. No one seems to know where she is, who would have abducted her. Someone has to know something. Her husband, perhaps, since he is automatically primary suspect?
Residents gather together to form searches, looking for anything that might give them some clues. Julia Matthews meets the husband and a friendship is quick to form. And then it becomes more than friendship. Would a grieving husband grow this attached to another woman so soon?
The longer Julia is involved, the more she grows to suspect that something isn’t quite right.
The book is narrated by several characters …. the missing wife who wakes in a basement and tells about her life with her husband …. a work colleague who professes to know nothing, but does he? …. the police …. the husband’s version of his life with his wife … and the husband’s new girlfriend.
The first part of the book was good .. suspenseful, mysterious. But then there are other parts that seem to have no bearing on the case. The female detective fantasizing about her married superior…. the work colleague and his girlfriend who won’t agree to marry him …. seems like some things were just thrown in willy-nilly.
Many thanks to the author / Darkstroke / Netgalley for the digital copy of UNDER YOUR SKIN. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Psychological thriller that will have you wondering what’s going on, and who you can trust.
Kyle is angry that the police won’t do anything to find his missing wife. She didn’t come home from work and he has no idea where she could be. The police won’t help because she hasn’t been missing long enough to begin a search. Kyle will organize a search and things get more questionable at the end of the day.
Hannah is surprised that Kyle is interested in her. She just started this job and she’s quiet and shy. Kyle and Hannah have a good relationship until after they get married. Hannah isn’t sure what caused the change, but she’s wary of everything now and walks on eggshells.
I enjoyed this book, but I found that there were some gaps as to what was happening and how things progressed. The story is told mostly in the female character perspective. Only the first chapter is in Kyle’s perspective. Which I found interesting and different. I loved the plot and the way that the story was done in the sense that it kept me wondering what was going on, where Hannah was, how she got to where she was, was she being mistreated, was she in danger, and how things would turn out. I love a mystery in a story like this, and the way that the story kept my mind working while reading the story. I enjoy the guessing of a story to figure out the who, what, when, or why, but I want the challenge of multiple characters to have to think about, not being able to figure it out right away and this story definitely challenged my brain. I give this book a 4.5-star review and if you like psychological thrillers, the mystery of figuring out the bad guy, and strong women characters, this book is a perfect choice.