Skin by Mo Hayder - Review

 

Skin by Mo Hayder was the first book to break my non-reading habit that I'd got in to recently.

Ben's mum left the book on my shelf after she'd stayed with us and recommended giving it a read, she can read books in an afternoon and will read anything but I thought I'd give it a shot as the blurb intrigued me. 

On to the actual review...

This is the fourth book of Hayder's to feature Jack Caffery who is a Detective Inspector, there were a few points whilst reading where I was a little lost, but they may be covered in the previous three. I wouldn't say you have to read them...I haven't and we got on just fine.

Mo's writing is very clever, she keeps you hooked and desperately wanting to turn the pages faster than you can to find out what might happen next. There are twists are turns at every point in this book, it kept me on my toes, always wondering what might happen next. I'll be honest and say that I did feel lost on the odd occasion, but it may be down to picking up a book series on the fourth installment!

The characters are all interesting in their own rights, they're all completely different which makes them utterly compelling. They all have something going on in their lives that made me feel invested in them as individuals and left me craving to know more about them. 

Flea is a strong, independent female character, who only wants to do right by what she stands for a police woman. I felt her pain at her morals being tested by her emotions and family ties, the love she has for her brother is strong and you will want to punch him for his actions. If you read it, you'll know what I mean!

Jack, as a DI, is always second guessing and constantly noticing how people handle themselves in situations, spotting the little things that might go unnoticed by others. His past still haunts him, I'm guessing they're probably things mentioned in previous books, but the information you do get leaves you wanting to know what has gone on in his life. 

The story itself is quite a gruesome one, some parts did make me feel slightly queasy due to the nature of the criminal that was being hunted, the gory details are skimmed over nicely but Mo definitely makes sure you get a full grasp of what is happening. Other parts are downright creepy and had me checking under my bed and feeling like I was being watching during my time reading it. 

It doesn't take much to prompt me to check under my bed, but always worth a note...!

Overall I really enjoyed my first experience of Mo Hayder's books, I will definitely be picking up some more in the future. The reading was easy, the book never stood still and I used to read multiple chapters in one go and find myself a couple of hours later being surprised at the time. 

Have you read any of Mo Hayder's books? Which do you recommend?

Toodles.

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