The Butcher of Belle Vue’ has struck again. Like the others, the third victim has been partially skinned and dumped on waste ground, her muscles, tendons and ligaments exposed to view. Only this time her face has also been removed. Whoever the killer is, it appears he has a good knowledge of surgery.
Jon Spicer and his new partner, Rick Saville, are on the investigating team. The case is waiting for its first breakthrough, and it seems to come when Jon finds a blood spattered latex glove in the vicinity of the third victim. When it’s discovered the sales rep for the glove manufacturer has been reported as missing only that morning, it appears the case could be close to being cracked.
Then a woman approaches Jon insisting that she heard ‘The Butcher’ claiming his third victim in the next room of a run down motel in Belle Vue. But all she has to back up her story is a business card she recovered from the empty room the next morning. It is from a local escort agency and the name ‘Alexia’ has been scrawled on the back. Jon’s investigation takes him into the twilight world of Manchester’s escort agencies and the unscrupulous cosmetic surgery industry – ultimately forcing him to confront the propensity for violence that is in every man, even himself.
I was born and brought up in rural Sussex, three miles from the nearest shop. Childhood holidays – which lasted for weeks as my dad was a teacher – were spent in a secluded spot in the heart of Exmoor. Sitting round the campfire at night, the haunting cries of owls floating in from the blackness beyond the flames, he would read me the ghost stories of MR James. The short walk to the safety of my tent was always taken at a sprint. Books that interested me growing up? Plenty of mysteries – especially the Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators series. I also loved Roahl Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected and read plenty of Pan Horror Stories, too. Later, it was novels that gave insights into unusual minds: the twisted desires of Frederick in John Fowles’, The Collector; the tormented thoughts of Scobie in Graham Greene’s, Heart of the Matter; the violent urges of Francie in Patrick McCabe’s, Butcher Boy all had a major influence. After school and university came a series of abysmal jobs punctuated by travelling. Quite a lot of travelling, actually. Then, just after my 30th birthday, the idea for my first novel came to me. I was broken down on the hard shoulder of a motorway in the early hours of the morning, waiting for a rescue vehicle to arrive. It’s about the driver of a van who roams the roads in the dead of night, looking for stranded motorists to murder… Ideas for subsequent novels have occurred at all sorts of odd moments: glimpsing a derelict church from the window of a moving train; browsing a newspaper report about a walker who claimed he’d been attacked by a panther; half-reading a doctor’s surgery article on how some tinnitus sufferers don’t hear whistles or buzzes – they’re tormented by birdsong; listening to a radio program about a flotilla of yellow ducks that fell from a cargo ship and floated slowly across the Atlantic.
Manchester, in the north of England, and a killer known as the ‘Butcher of Belle View’ has claimed his latest victim. ‘The Butcher’ skins his victims leaving their ligaments, tendons and muscles exposed, but with his third victim, he’s taken it one step further and removed the skin from her face too. There’s clearly a message behind the gruesome methods used, and it’s up to DI Jon Spicer to find out what that is, but more importantly to find out WHO it is!
Spicer (despite the feeling that he’s from another era, with some very dated thoughts) is a character that I found easy to like, although he’s a bit of a loose cannon, and his temper is his Achilles heel! DS Rick Saville has been assigned as Spicer’s new partner and he’s also new to the team, having been transferred from another posting. They’re completely different personalities, but somehow it works - Ying and yang.
What a surprisingly thrilling police procedural this was, and with expert use of smoke and mirrors, I never guessed who the killer was. The author has a very down to earth style of writing, I loved both protagonists, and it was a really gripping read. Chris Simms is an author I haven’t read before - silly me!
I got bored by this and packed it in at 40%. He has this REALLY irritating habit of never using any paragraph breaks and consequently skips from one place and people to another with no notice so you're re-reading portions to figure out what on earth is going on and I'd had enough of it !! There were also random hyphens dropped in here and there-watch-ing/con-cerned then he misses one with Vegasera Elvis !! Most of my issues appear to be formatting ones as he also starts new sentences for no reason whatsoever as well......like this: "Morning. Martin Appleforth, please. It's Detective Inspector Spicer". I've never heard of a receiver in the police force either and can't really find the meaning on Google, either. He did go with proper English spellings this time which was better although we still got a little too much of Manchester, to be honest. I don't need to know so much about it. I've been there-it rains. A lot. I'll be giving up on this series now.
Follow DI Jon Spicer in this crime thriller set around Manchester.
Although this is the second book in the DI Jon Spicer series, each novel can be read as a stand-alone. I have not read any of Chris’s books before and found Shifting Skin very easy to get into.
What I liked most about this novel, was it’s balance. There is a lovely mix of character development, workplace dynamics, crime scene and detection, current trends moving through society and a very good plot. It fitted in well with my work day life, going to work and reading some in my rest break followed by reading some more when I got home. It was like how people follow others on Facebook or Twitter - we get our newsfeed on what has happened next to DI Jon Spicer and his partner DI Rick Saville.
Chris tells his story very well and you feel as though you are working alongside Jon and Rick as they try to capture the Butcher of Belle Vue. You also feel as though you are best friends with Fiona Wilson and want to guide her away from danger. But this is not all crime scene investigation, it is about living life as an adult. Characters have friends and family that are important, Jon has a dog who he adores.
I got a lot of pleasure from reading Shifting Skin. There are no dull bits or padding in this book, it is all quality stuff. It got me guessing about what was going on, if the Police were getting it all wrong and would they catch the Butcher of Belle Vue.
Shifting Skin was a great book for me. I felt as though I was getting the whole picture which enabled me to feel I was living the book. There was even the mention of a National Express coach departing from Chorlton Street Station to make me feel at home! I was very comfortable reading this book and it gave me all I wanted for my daily reading fix. I had forgotten how much things had moved on since 2003 when this story was set. It was before smoking in enclosed public spaces was banned and Jon went proudly to the bar with only £5 in his pocket but came away with two drinks!
I was very impressed with the quality of Shifting Skin, so it gets the top score of 5 stars from me. I look forward to reading more from Chris Simms and joining DI Jon Spicer drinking plenty of beer in the pubs of Manchester.
I enjoyed this book! But, like other reviewers, I struggled with the language and descriptions of minorities being portrayed, leaving me with a slightly guilty aftertaste for having enjoyed it so much!
I could not work out if we were reading the character's viewpoint (Jon) or the author's viewpoint.
I wanted to give the author the benefit of the doubt, so as Jon comes to terms with the fact that his partner Rick is gay, I hoped that the author was narrating a slightly cliched journey; macho heterosexual male realizing that not all gay people are effeminate stereotypes. The problem with this is that like saying gay people are ok so long as they aren't effeminate. I don't like gays, but Rick's alright. Jon's wife is the counter-argument on the subject, but not portrayed strongly enough for that to feel balanced.
The author attempts to navigate his way through areas he seemingly has no understanding of, the transgender community, and transvestism. I don't know any transgender people or any men who like to wear women's clothes (that I know of) but I do understand they are not the same thing and they don't just go hand in hand.
I guess if you are going to write about these matters you should come from an informed place, understanding how different these areas are, and so describe them accurately instead of perpetuating the confusion many people have because we can't deal with two or three words that start "trans" but have different meanings.
ALL that aside the book was easy to read and I sped through it in 3 days (which is very fast for me!) Will I read any more of DI Spicer? Yeah, for sure I will.
Shifting Skin was a pretty good book. I finished it long enough ago that I don't remember enough detail to write a competent review but my gut feeling was that it was engaging, generally well plotted although, occasionally unrealistic and very grisly. I would have it somewhere between a three and a four and rounded up because it's a nice day. I will read another of Simms' books before I decide if he is a keeper.
This was one of those rarely found free gems. I’ve had it for a while but decided to give it a shot and it was very good! It’s a fascinating mystery mixed with a good sense of humor. I especially enjoyed the scene where Jon and Alice are at the health meeting with other expectant parents and watch the birthing video. There are a couple different stories running parallel to each other, each possibly related to a serial killer that skins their victims. A page-turner right down to the last pages. I will not hesitate to read another from this series.
DI Jon Spicer with the Greater Manchester Police is investigating the murder of a woman whose body was found in a park with large chunks of her skin cut off.
He’s been assigned a new partner, DS Rick Saville, though Jon suspects his boss is pairing him up with Rick so he can keep tabs on him and report back to their boss.
This is my second book by this author, again liked the investigation, loved the new character of Rick however Spicer as a person within his family just doesn’t gel for me
This is the second book I have read by this author. Jolly good read - to use the English vernacular. I enjoyed reading a book that is written with the everyday colloquial language we know as British English. I am thankful that I use a Kindle so that I can quickly look up the myriad of unknown wordsThe author does a very good job of providing descriptions that are interesting without overdoing it. This could be a great British detective story on BBC that they could export to us - or better yet, we should grab the rights ans make the series here on a minor cable channel. I also enjoyed the characters a great deal. This is a series well worth reading.
The Belle Vue butcher is terrorising Manchester by killing his victims and removing their faces. Jon Spicer is assigned a new partner, Rick who attempts to rein in some of Spicer's more maverick tendencies.
Fiona Wilson finally runs away from her abusive husband but whilst she is seeking refuge at a motel is convinced she hears a prostitute being killed. She makes it her mission to seek out the truth of what happened in the room next door to her, ignoring the dangers she faces. Spicer has pressures at work as well as trying to deal with his partner, Alice who is late in pregnancy. A fast paced story which had a bit more depth than some murder mysteries.
This is an interesting and engaging tale which is marred somewhat by the jumping from place to place, character to character or time to time with nothing by way of typeset differences, chapter numbers or even just separate paragraphs to help the reader keep things straight. Good book though, and worth the occasional hiccup in continuity. This review may make better sense if you read the book. I recommend it
I have not read book 1 but didn’t feel I had to have read that to enjoy this. I found the main character to be somewhat naive. Some of the interactions between him and his partner seemed designed to highlight the fact that the partner is gay which had no real relevance to the story apart from a knowledge of the Canal Street scene. Would a senior police man really be so ignorant? Generally enjoyed this.
This is a story that will get you thinking about the way our society looks at people today. About all the empathise on the outward appearance and not what is underneath. The main characters are well written and very believable. I will be looking forward to reading the next book with this main character.
This was a really unusual murder mystery. I was gripped to find the outcome and found myself making theories throughout. The characterisation was great and the plot really stood out from the average crime novel. Great stuff, a bit gruesome in places but I really liked that about it; a book that wasn't afraid to shock.
Some old-fashioned ideas about being gay, women and the transgender community which made me surprised that it was actually written in 2005. Maybe I am just incredibly naive which could well be the case but it grated when reading it. Two separate violent crimes that interwine and there was one good twist. A decent enough mystery but the hero feels like he is from a different time period.
This is a police procedural that keeps the reader guessing until the end. Set in Manchester, UK dead women are turning up having been skinned. DI Spicer and his new partner are trying to solve the crime. There are plenty of false leads to keep the reader guessing.
Yet another book that had potential that I rate one star because of transphobia. A very poorly written trans character, a very poor knowledge of the system for trans health care and a story that perpetuates the believes that trans women are just violent men dressing up. Disgusting.
Good story, nice characters, gory murders. Don't read it on a black screen in Android Kindle. Some editing/formatting mistakes will fail to let you see the transition from a scene to another, but on some places only. An update for this would be great. Will definitely read other DI Spencer novels!
The author did a wonderful job keeping the suspense and excitement going. Well developed characters and a very good storyline, and an ending I didn't see coming!
This is actually a pretty decent book if you are into this sort of thing. Skinned women are getting dumped all around. I can see this being turned into a feature film.
The second story of DI Jon Spicer, Shifting Skin finds our hero, rugby-fanatic, detective inspector and soon-to-be dad, Jon Spicer on the hunt for a killer in Manchester who flays his victims and leaves their bodies in the area of Belle Vue.
Meanwhile, Fiona Wilson, a friend and co-worker of Jon’s girlfriend, Alice, finds herself in a shabby motel room in Belle Vue, having left her violent husband. But when Fiona hears choking sounds and a heavy thud from the next room, could it be that she’s stumbled upon the murderer and his latest victim? And will Spicer find the time to follow her leads when he’s trying to chase his own?
A clever, psychological crime drama, this. I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, particularly Spicer and new partner, university-educated, fast-track promoted DS Rick Saville.
The story proffers an intriguing, if uncomfortable, insight into inclusive hiring and how admittance of minority groups into the police force might just jar with older attitudes. The story, however, was well-written, with shades of Silence of the Lambs, and the observations regarding the more ghoulish aspects of human curiosity struck a chord with this reader.
“‘Has someone been killed?’ A council worker in a shiny grey suit called through the fence. The eager note in his voice riled Jon. ‘It looks like a corpse.’ “Jon paused and stared at the man, took in his pallid skin and fish-like eyes. ‘So do you.’ He carried on, leaving gasps of shock behind him. “Without turning his head, Rick murmured, ‘Please, don’t mince your words.’ “He smiled to indicate sarcasm but Jon’s face remained stormy. ‘One thing I hate is members of the public getting a thrill from this sort of thing.’ “As they reached the rendezvous point in the outer ring of tape Jon noticed a young man nearby lining up the crime scene in the viewfinder of his camera phone. ‘If I hear that click, I’ll impound your phone as evidence.’ “The man lowered his phone, an uncertain expression on his face. A uniform stepped over and, as he noted down their names, Jon nodded towards the man with the phone. ‘Take his name and address.’ Then, louder, “The perpetrator of a crime often returns to where he committed it.’ “The man looked as if he wished he’d stayed home.” 12% in, Chapter Three, Shifting Skin by Chris Simms
Brilliant. Absolutely loved it. A very clever and intriguing plot. It kept me entertained right to the end. Jon Spicer gets a new partner and he is unsure if he can trust him. Together they investigate the killings of young vunerable woman who have been found in a grusume state, strangled, skinned and dumped. But what is the motive? Meanwhile, Fiona, a friend and collegue of Jons' pregnant girlfriend believes she overheard a murder taking place while staying in a local hotel. She is not being taken seriously and tries to investigate putting herself is extreme danger. We see Jon and his new partner going into some really dodgy places and Slicer is trying hard to reign in his well known temper. An exciting and nailbiting read. Bloody and gritty....a real page turner.