What do you think?
Rate this book
Grønland - Greenland #1
Pigen uden hud
Matthew Cave er en dansk journalist sidst i 20erne. Han har dag for dag sluppet sit tag i livet efter tabet af kæresten og deres ufødte datter i et trafikuheld. Flugten fra virkeligheden har drevet ham til Nuuk, ansporet af et 20 år gammelt postkort hans amerikanske far har sendt fra Thulebasen, inden han forsvandt. Matthew bliver sendt til kanten af indlandsisen for at dække opdagelsen af en mumificeret nordbo-viking, den første velbevarede viking, der nogensinde er fundet. Alt køres i stilling til en verdenssensation, og det lille, arktiske samfund holder vejret. Men kaos bryder løs, da mumien er forsvundet, og en betjent findes opsprættet og tømt for indvolde. Matthew kommer på sporet af fire identiske drab i 1973, som har forbindelse til to 11-årige pigers sporløse forsvinden. De to sager flyder sammen for Matthew, og han får hurtigt gravet fingrene dybt ned i både nutidens og fortidens blodige mord. Den eneste, han for alvor tør stole på, er en ung, grønlandsk kvinde, der som 14-årig dræbte sin far – ved at sprætte ham op og tømme ham for indvolde. Hendes krop er dækket af tatoveringer. Huden slidt af, da hun var barn. Hendes vilje stærk som fjeldene om Nuuk.
PIGEN UDEN HUD oplever stor interesse fra udlandet. Inden bogens udgivelse er der lukket aftaler med mere end ti lande.
PIGEN UDEN HUD oplever stor interesse fra udlandet. Inden bogens udgivelse er der lukket aftaler med mere end ti lande.
341 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2017
About the author
Mads Peder Nordbo
13 books150 followersMads Peder Nordbo is Danish but has lived in Nuuk for several years. Born in 1970, he hold degrees in Literature, Communications and Philosophy from The University of Southern Denmark and the University of Stockholm. Mads has lived in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Greenland. He works in communications at the Town Hall in Nuuk, where he amongst other things, writes for the mayor of the municipality, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, which stretches across the Greenland ice sheet. Mads Peder Nordbo is the author of three novels. THE GIRL WITHOUT SKIN is his debut as a crime writer.
Foreign Rights so far sold to: Norway (Gyldendal), Czech Republic (Dobrovsky), Italy (Einaudi), Iceland (Bjartur), Finland (Like), Sweden (Albert Bonniers), Germany (Fischer Verlag), The Netherlands (Ambo Anthos), Lithuania (Baltos Lankos), Slovakia (Ikar), Spain (Planeta), Poland (Burda Media), France (Actes Sud) and Australia/New Zealand (Text Publishing – World English Rights).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 459 reviews
August 5, 2019
An engrossing book that sees Matthew Cave, a Danish journalist, sent out to the ice fields of Greenland after the discovery of a mummified body. The mummy is believed to be from the Viking days, so a police guard is set up for the night, but the next day the body of the policeman is found viciously murdered, gutted and flayed, and the mummy gone. Matthew soon finds similarities to a series of murders from 1973, where the victims are gutted and flayed, the same as the policeman. After receiving a notebook belonging to a policeman investigating the 1973 murders Matthew is soon drawn in to a tangled web of deceit and intrigue, which starts to spiral out of control, putting him in mortal danger. For Matthew is getting too close to the truth.
I found myself rivetted to this book, racing through it quickly to find out the truth about the mummy and who had killed the policeman, but be warned, this is not an easy read. It contains some very dark themes, and many readers may find them disturbing. It's a gritty and sombre crime novel that wont appeal to everyone. I do, however, recommend it to anyone who likes their crime realistic, yet grim.
My thanks to Text Publishing for an advance copy. The opinions are entirely my own.
I found myself rivetted to this book, racing through it quickly to find out the truth about the mummy and who had killed the policeman, but be warned, this is not an easy read. It contains some very dark themes, and many readers may find them disturbing. It's a gritty and sombre crime novel that wont appeal to everyone. I do, however, recommend it to anyone who likes their crime realistic, yet grim.
My thanks to Text Publishing for an advance copy. The opinions are entirely my own.
March 13, 2019
This translated crime fiction from Danish author, Mads Peder Nordbo, falls squarely into the Scandi-Noir genre, it has all the dark and disturbing elements, grisly murders and a brutality that is the trademark of that genre, albeit it is set in the unusual setting of Greenland. It offers a social and political commentary on the dark history of the country. The grieving Matthew Cave has returned to Greenland from Denmark, he spent the first four years of his life here, coming after the traumatising death of his wife and unborn daughter in a car accident. He is based in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, working as a journalist on the local paper, Sermitsiaq, and looking to find out what happened to his father, an American soldier that used to be based at Thule air base. Lured by the possibility of a exclusive, Cave arrives on the scene at the ice fields, where the rare discovery of a mummified Viking has been discovered.
The following day, he returns to find the mummified body has disappeared and the police officer guarding it has been gruesomely murdered and eviscerated. His murder echoes the MO of 4 murdered men in Nuuk back in the early 1970s, flayed and gutted, all the victims were suspected of terrible crimes. An investigating Danish policeman, Jakob Pederson, disappeared, assumed murdered, leaving behind his notes on the case, and on the missing lost girls of the time, now long forgotten. Cave is given his notebook, and begins to look into these forty year old murders, only to find the past rears its ugly head in the present with more murders as powerful and ruthless forces look to silence any emergence of the shocking truths and secrets. Cave finds himself helped by a young Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, with her shaved head and tattooed body, recently released from a 12 year stretch in prison for the apparent murder of her family. She acts as guide to Greenlandic culture for Cave as he finds himself eating raw and bloodied seal liver on a seal hunt. Tupaarnaq is treated as a suspect for the murders by the police, which fuels her drive to find the real killers.
Nordbo does a terrific job in providing an excellent sense of location, from the heavy driving rain, mud, intense cold and ice, the geography of Greenland, Nuuq, its culture, the deprivations faced by the local communities, the sexism, and the politics and history of the country. In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, Norbo writes a riveting hard edged and heartbreaking story of child sexual abuse, secretive medical testing, political corruption and stomach churning murders. I loved the richly descriptive portrayal of the location, and found the novel atmospheric, so gripping, with plenty of tension and surprising twists. There is some wonderful characterisation in the diverse cast of characters presented in the book, I was particularly drawn to that of Tupaarnaq, a woman that faintly reminded me of Lisbeth Salander. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Text Publishing for an ARC.
The following day, he returns to find the mummified body has disappeared and the police officer guarding it has been gruesomely murdered and eviscerated. His murder echoes the MO of 4 murdered men in Nuuk back in the early 1970s, flayed and gutted, all the victims were suspected of terrible crimes. An investigating Danish policeman, Jakob Pederson, disappeared, assumed murdered, leaving behind his notes on the case, and on the missing lost girls of the time, now long forgotten. Cave is given his notebook, and begins to look into these forty year old murders, only to find the past rears its ugly head in the present with more murders as powerful and ruthless forces look to silence any emergence of the shocking truths and secrets. Cave finds himself helped by a young Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, with her shaved head and tattooed body, recently released from a 12 year stretch in prison for the apparent murder of her family. She acts as guide to Greenlandic culture for Cave as he finds himself eating raw and bloodied seal liver on a seal hunt. Tupaarnaq is treated as a suspect for the murders by the police, which fuels her drive to find the real killers.
Nordbo does a terrific job in providing an excellent sense of location, from the heavy driving rain, mud, intense cold and ice, the geography of Greenland, Nuuq, its culture, the deprivations faced by the local communities, the sexism, and the politics and history of the country. In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, Norbo writes a riveting hard edged and heartbreaking story of child sexual abuse, secretive medical testing, political corruption and stomach churning murders. I loved the richly descriptive portrayal of the location, and found the novel atmospheric, so gripping, with plenty of tension and surprising twists. There is some wonderful characterisation in the diverse cast of characters presented in the book, I was particularly drawn to that of Tupaarnaq, a woman that faintly reminded me of Lisbeth Salander. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Text Publishing for an ARC.
March 4, 2021
Publisher's description of the book:
When a mummified Viking corpse is discovered on Greenland ice sheet, journalist Matthew Cave is sent out to report on the finding. The next day, the mummy has disappeared. The body of the police guard lies on the ice naked and flayed, echoing a gruesome series of unsolved murders from many years earlier. With no faith in the police, the only person Matthew dares to trust is a young Greenlandic woman who, at fourteen years old, was charged with killing her father in the same shocking manner. Nordbo has staked out a new frontier in Nordic Crime, setting his story against the forbidding beauty of Greenland.
**********************************
A warning to anyone who is interested in reading this book...the number of flayed, gutted, bodies rises during this book and some of the deaths are told in great detail, from the point of view of the person being gutted. This is not a book for the faint of heart with human death, seal death, incest and rape of young girls. I rarely read books with this much violence but I was interested in the "mystery" part of the book.
The book jumps between the present (2014) and 1973 as a reporter in the present, Matt, and a police officer in the past, Jakob, investigate bodies, deaths, and more, that may be connected. You will feel the cold, the wet, the dreariness of the Greenland area where the book takes place. As the book goes from one timeline to the other, it's easy to not realize exactly how much takes place in such a short time span, in each timeline. The is a lot of action packed into short amounts of time.
Both timelines have a huge number of characters and places, with very unfamiliar names, to me, so it was often hard to remember who was who and what was what. The story is complex and there is a lot to remember from one timeline to the next. I would like to have felt clearer about everything that happened yet I know that my preference for less gruesome crime descriptions and unfamiliarity with most names, may have influenced my ability to enjoy the book more. I did enjoy the characters, especially the police officer Jakob and would have liked to have known more about him.
Published June 11th 2019
I rated this book 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you to Text Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
When a mummified Viking corpse is discovered on Greenland ice sheet, journalist Matthew Cave is sent out to report on the finding. The next day, the mummy has disappeared. The body of the police guard lies on the ice naked and flayed, echoing a gruesome series of unsolved murders from many years earlier. With no faith in the police, the only person Matthew dares to trust is a young Greenlandic woman who, at fourteen years old, was charged with killing her father in the same shocking manner. Nordbo has staked out a new frontier in Nordic Crime, setting his story against the forbidding beauty of Greenland.
**********************************
A warning to anyone who is interested in reading this book...the number of flayed, gutted, bodies rises during this book and some of the deaths are told in great detail, from the point of view of the person being gutted. This is not a book for the faint of heart with human death, seal death, incest and rape of young girls. I rarely read books with this much violence but I was interested in the "mystery" part of the book.
The book jumps between the present (2014) and 1973 as a reporter in the present, Matt, and a police officer in the past, Jakob, investigate bodies, deaths, and more, that may be connected. You will feel the cold, the wet, the dreariness of the Greenland area where the book takes place. As the book goes from one timeline to the other, it's easy to not realize exactly how much takes place in such a short time span, in each timeline. The is a lot of action packed into short amounts of time.
Both timelines have a huge number of characters and places, with very unfamiliar names, to me, so it was often hard to remember who was who and what was what. The story is complex and there is a lot to remember from one timeline to the next. I would like to have felt clearer about everything that happened yet I know that my preference for less gruesome crime descriptions and unfamiliarity with most names, may have influenced my ability to enjoy the book more. I did enjoy the characters, especially the police officer Jakob and would have liked to have known more about him.
Published June 11th 2019
I rated this book 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you to Text Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
October 28, 2022
In Grönland wird im Eis eine mumifizierte Leiche entdeckt. Man geht davon aus, dass sie schon hunderte Jahre dort gelegen haben muss. Der Journalist Matthew soll über den spektakulären Fund berichten. Doch einen Tag nach seiner Ankunft ist die Leiche verschwunden und der Polizist, der Wache halten sollte, wurde ermordet.
*
Mein Leseeindruck:
Ein sehr rasantes Buch! Man wird sogleich in die Handlung geworfen; ist mittendrin. Dabei bleibt das Tempo auch durchgehend hoch.
Der Thriller ist sehr spannend, düster, beklemmend. Eigentlich so, wie man es von vielen Skandinavien-Krimis kennt. Dabei finde ich den Schauplatz "Grönland" besonders interessant. Dem Autor ist es gelungen, dass man sich während des Lesens immer bewusst ist, sich literarisch auf Grönland zu befinden.
Auch sehr gut hat mir gefallen, dass es eigentlich gleich zwei spannende Fälle gibt. Einmal sind wir in der Gegenwart unterwegs, im zweiten Handlungsstrang befinden wir uns in den 1970er Jahren, denn damals geschahen brutale Mordfälle, die irgendeine Verbindung zum jetzigen Fall zu haben scheinen.
Der Spannungsbogen wird so immer hoch gehalten.
Mir hat das Buch sehr gut gefallen. Spannend, bedrückend irgendwie, aber sehr gut!
*
Mein Leseeindruck:
Ein sehr rasantes Buch! Man wird sogleich in die Handlung geworfen; ist mittendrin. Dabei bleibt das Tempo auch durchgehend hoch.
Der Thriller ist sehr spannend, düster, beklemmend. Eigentlich so, wie man es von vielen Skandinavien-Krimis kennt. Dabei finde ich den Schauplatz "Grönland" besonders interessant. Dem Autor ist es gelungen, dass man sich während des Lesens immer bewusst ist, sich literarisch auf Grönland zu befinden.
Auch sehr gut hat mir gefallen, dass es eigentlich gleich zwei spannende Fälle gibt. Einmal sind wir in der Gegenwart unterwegs, im zweiten Handlungsstrang befinden wir uns in den 1970er Jahren, denn damals geschahen brutale Mordfälle, die irgendeine Verbindung zum jetzigen Fall zu haben scheinen.
Der Spannungsbogen wird so immer hoch gehalten.
Mir hat das Buch sehr gut gefallen. Spannend, bedrückend irgendwie, aber sehr gut!
April 24, 2019
3.5 Stars rounded up to a 4
When a mummified body is found in the crevasse on the edge of an ice sheet, the body is believed to be the rare find of a Viking corpse. Journalist Matthew Cave is sent to cover the story. He and his photographer are excited to be first on the scene and look forward to breaking such a huge story. But the next morning, the mummified corpse is gone and in its place is the body of the police officer guarding the corpse who has been flayed and gutted. This is a brutal one folks.
Matthew soon finds similarities between this case and the case of four men who were found murdered in the same manner i 1973. The Danish Police officer in charge of that investigation went missing - assumed to have been murdered - but his journal and information on the men and missing girls from the village was left behind.
Matthew and Jacob are both tragic figures. Matthew lost his pregnant wife and unborn daughter in a car accident. He suffers horrible nightmares and mourns their loss every day. Jacob's father abandoned him and his Mother when he was four years old. He has no answers why and has always wondered why his father never came home. Both are haunted by the brutality of the murders and their link to missing girls in the village.
Matthew soon receives help from a woman named Tupaarnaq who was recently released from prison for serving time for murdering her family - she has always claimed to be innocent of the crimes. The Character of Tupaarnaq reminded me somewhat of Lisbeth Salander (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ) with her tough and gritty nature. But Tupaarnaq takes it up a notch with her distrust and disdain at men.
The time jumps back and forth between the current day and 1973 as both men try to solve the case. Which one will solve it? At what cost does the truth come? Again, this is a brutal book which involves grisly murders, disturbing crimes against children and the search for the truth. Plus, those statistics given in the book - shudders - how one wishes they were not real. There is a lot to think about here. It had me thinking about the cold and the harshness of the environment and its possible effect on one’s mental status. Who would commit such murders? Who has the skill to flay and gut a man? Why? Who are the victims? Who took the missing girls? How are these crimes related, if at all?
This is a translated book and it may take readers in some places they do not want to go. It's dark, gritty and raw. This book is also very atmospheric. Make no mistake, the land is also a character in this book. The Author does a great job as describing the numbing cold, the landscape, the chill, and the characters reaction to the weather and landscape.
Not for the faint at heart but well worth it if you have the stomach for it.
Thank you to the Author, Text Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
When a mummified body is found in the crevasse on the edge of an ice sheet, the body is believed to be the rare find of a Viking corpse. Journalist Matthew Cave is sent to cover the story. He and his photographer are excited to be first on the scene and look forward to breaking such a huge story. But the next morning, the mummified corpse is gone and in its place is the body of the police officer guarding the corpse who has been flayed and gutted. This is a brutal one folks.
Matthew soon finds similarities between this case and the case of four men who were found murdered in the same manner i 1973. The Danish Police officer in charge of that investigation went missing - assumed to have been murdered - but his journal and information on the men and missing girls from the village was left behind.
Matthew and Jacob are both tragic figures. Matthew lost his pregnant wife and unborn daughter in a car accident. He suffers horrible nightmares and mourns their loss every day. Jacob's father abandoned him and his Mother when he was four years old. He has no answers why and has always wondered why his father never came home. Both are haunted by the brutality of the murders and their link to missing girls in the village.
Matthew soon receives help from a woman named Tupaarnaq who was recently released from prison for serving time for murdering her family - she has always claimed to be innocent of the crimes. The Character of Tupaarnaq reminded me somewhat of Lisbeth Salander (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ) with her tough and gritty nature. But Tupaarnaq takes it up a notch with her distrust and disdain at men.
The time jumps back and forth between the current day and 1973 as both men try to solve the case. Which one will solve it? At what cost does the truth come? Again, this is a brutal book which involves grisly murders, disturbing crimes against children and the search for the truth. Plus, those statistics given in the book - shudders - how one wishes they were not real. There is a lot to think about here. It had me thinking about the cold and the harshness of the environment and its possible effect on one’s mental status. Who would commit such murders? Who has the skill to flay and gut a man? Why? Who are the victims? Who took the missing girls? How are these crimes related, if at all?
This is a translated book and it may take readers in some places they do not want to go. It's dark, gritty and raw. This book is also very atmospheric. Make no mistake, the land is also a character in this book. The Author does a great job as describing the numbing cold, the landscape, the chill, and the characters reaction to the weather and landscape.
Not for the faint at heart but well worth it if you have the stomach for it.
Thank you to the Author, Text Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
May 7, 2019
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
Matthew Cave is a journalist in Nuuk, Greenland. He is sent to the scene of a mummified body discovered on the desolate Greenland ice sheet. After he sees the body and a news photographer take pictures, they return to Nuuk. The next day, the policeman who was left to guard the body is found gruesomely murdered and the mummified body is gone. Matthew soon realizes that the policeman's murder is similar to a series of unsolved murders in Greenland forty years earlier. He starts investigating and the person he trusts the most is Tupaarnaq, a woman recently released from prison for killing her family at the age of 14.
Together they uncover a coverup of murder, rape, incest and more. The book alternates between two narratives, one in 2014 and one in 1973. The 1973 narrative is based upon a diary of a policeman presumed dead. He was investigating the murders and incest, despite orders from superiors to stop investigating. The book moved slowly in the first half, while I tried to put all this together. The murders are resolved, and some of the abusers are exposed. The description of the dead bodies is graphic enough that cozy mystery fans are not going to want to read this. I have been to Nuuk, and I enjoyed the description of Nuuk.
Thanks to Text Publishing Company for sending me this book through NetGalley. #TheGirlWithoutSkin #NetGalley
Matthew Cave is a journalist in Nuuk, Greenland. He is sent to the scene of a mummified body discovered on the desolate Greenland ice sheet. After he sees the body and a news photographer take pictures, they return to Nuuk. The next day, the policeman who was left to guard the body is found gruesomely murdered and the mummified body is gone. Matthew soon realizes that the policeman's murder is similar to a series of unsolved murders in Greenland forty years earlier. He starts investigating and the person he trusts the most is Tupaarnaq, a woman recently released from prison for killing her family at the age of 14.
Together they uncover a coverup of murder, rape, incest and more. The book alternates between two narratives, one in 2014 and one in 1973. The 1973 narrative is based upon a diary of a policeman presumed dead. He was investigating the murders and incest, despite orders from superiors to stop investigating. The book moved slowly in the first half, while I tried to put all this together. The murders are resolved, and some of the abusers are exposed. The description of the dead bodies is graphic enough that cozy mystery fans are not going to want to read this. I have been to Nuuk, and I enjoyed the description of Nuuk.
Thanks to Text Publishing Company for sending me this book through NetGalley. #TheGirlWithoutSkin #NetGalley
August 26, 2019
The novel is a solid thriller set in Greenland and with two timelines. A journalist gets involved in a mystery that has its roots 40 years earlier. To me it was a decent read although I would like to warn future readers that there are some rather graphic descriptions and the child abuse in the centre of the story which is quite a sensitive issue.
*Many thanks to Mads Peder Nordbo, Text Publishing and Netgalley for ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
*Many thanks to Mads Peder Nordbo, Text Publishing and Netgalley for ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
May 26, 2019
I love mysteries that take place in new to me settings. And Greenland definitely fits that bill. Nordbo does a fabulous job of setting the scene, so that I felt I could see everything in detail.
Matthew Cabe is a Danish reporter assigned to Greenland after the death of his pregnant wife in a car accident. When a mummified Norseman is found in an ice crevice, Matthew and his photographer are sent to report on it. Overnight, the photographer’s camera and files are stolen. And the soldier guarding the mummified body is killed and the body stolen. Matthew’s editor has him research similar murders that happened in 1973 and he is given the diary of the policeman that investigated those murders.
The book tells its story from the viewpoint of both Matthew and Jakob, the original policeman. Be prepared for gruesome scenes. This is considered Scandinavian Noir and it is as dark as a Greenland winter.
It’s a fast paced book and kept me in its grips for its entirety. I had no idea how it would play out. I’m adding Nordbo to my list of authors to read again.
My thanks to netgalley and Text Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
Matthew Cabe is a Danish reporter assigned to Greenland after the death of his pregnant wife in a car accident. When a mummified Norseman is found in an ice crevice, Matthew and his photographer are sent to report on it. Overnight, the photographer’s camera and files are stolen. And the soldier guarding the mummified body is killed and the body stolen. Matthew’s editor has him research similar murders that happened in 1973 and he is given the diary of the policeman that investigated those murders.
The book tells its story from the viewpoint of both Matthew and Jakob, the original policeman. Be prepared for gruesome scenes. This is considered Scandinavian Noir and it is as dark as a Greenland winter.
It’s a fast paced book and kept me in its grips for its entirety. I had no idea how it would play out. I’m adding Nordbo to my list of authors to read again.
My thanks to netgalley and Text Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
October 20, 2018
Most impressive. Outside, the sun had set fire to the evening sky over Nuuk. The orange light from the flaming clouds cast a glow so strong that it looked as if the living room walls were burning. This book is full of writing like this. Also, the translation appeared seamless, it felt flawless, nothing felt like it didn't have its place, or did not fit.
I did not know that there was such a thing as Nordic crime, but I will keep an eye out for more, as I will this author who appears to have five other books to be read.
This is a book full of gory content, but it fit well and I was not bothered by it. My dictionary got a great workout, as did Google for all the cultural references and pronunciations. Set in Greenland, this is an area I know nothing about so it was a very interesting and brutal read. A crime thriller set in freezing conditions with characters to love, and ones to despise. Very well written, no holds barred, dark, bleak and tough. Despite this bleakness I was engaged for every moment. Very much recommended reading.
With grateful thanks to the the Text Publishing team for my hard copy to read and review, and for furnishing us with their generous Goodreads giveaways.
I did not know that there was such a thing as Nordic crime, but I will keep an eye out for more, as I will this author who appears to have five other books to be read.
This is a book full of gory content, but it fit well and I was not bothered by it. My dictionary got a great workout, as did Google for all the cultural references and pronunciations. Set in Greenland, this is an area I know nothing about so it was a very interesting and brutal read. A crime thriller set in freezing conditions with characters to love, and ones to despise. Very well written, no holds barred, dark, bleak and tough. Despite this bleakness I was engaged for every moment. Very much recommended reading.
With grateful thanks to the the Text Publishing team for my hard copy to read and review, and for furnishing us with their generous Goodreads giveaways.
October 15, 2019
This is Nordic Noir at its darkest and grittiest with some very grisly murders amidst the ice and bitter winds of arctic Greenland.
Matthew Cave, a Danish journalist has recently moved to Greenland to work for the local paper after the deaths of his wife and unborn child in a horrific car crash. When a mummified corpse in a crevasse in the glacier, possibly that of a Norseman who died 600 years ago, Matthew's paper sends him to report on the find. However, the next morning the mummy has disappeared and the policeman guarding it overnight is found horribly murdered, flayed and eviscerated on the ice. Matthew's editor is reminded of similar gruesome murders from forty years ago in 1973 and suggests that he look into the similarities and he soon finds himself embroiled in a scandal that someone is still keen to keep quiet.
In parallel with Matthew's investigation, the events of 1973 are told through the voice of Jakob Pedersen, the policeman who originally investigated the murders. Although Jakob disappeared during the investigation, Matthew has been given his notebook with details of his discoveries. It's a gruesome tale of child abuse and corruption and Matthew soon finds his own life in danger.
The descriptions of the bleak, forbidding landscape, the harsh lives of the Greenlanders and the culture of sexism and corruption in the 1970s all lead to a very atmospheric novel. The characters are diverse and interesting, including a feisty young Innuit women, Tupaarnaq who befriends Matthew. Covered in colourful tattoos she has just been released from prison after serving time for murder. Overall, it's a brutal story with thrilling twists and a high degree of tension maintained throughout. 4.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for a digital ARC to read.
Matthew Cave, a Danish journalist has recently moved to Greenland to work for the local paper after the deaths of his wife and unborn child in a horrific car crash. When a mummified corpse in a crevasse in the glacier, possibly that of a Norseman who died 600 years ago, Matthew's paper sends him to report on the find. However, the next morning the mummy has disappeared and the policeman guarding it overnight is found horribly murdered, flayed and eviscerated on the ice. Matthew's editor is reminded of similar gruesome murders from forty years ago in 1973 and suggests that he look into the similarities and he soon finds himself embroiled in a scandal that someone is still keen to keep quiet.
In parallel with Matthew's investigation, the events of 1973 are told through the voice of Jakob Pedersen, the policeman who originally investigated the murders. Although Jakob disappeared during the investigation, Matthew has been given his notebook with details of his discoveries. It's a gruesome tale of child abuse and corruption and Matthew soon finds his own life in danger.
The descriptions of the bleak, forbidding landscape, the harsh lives of the Greenlanders and the culture of sexism and corruption in the 1970s all lead to a very atmospheric novel. The characters are diverse and interesting, including a feisty young Innuit women, Tupaarnaq who befriends Matthew. Covered in colourful tattoos she has just been released from prison after serving time for murder. Overall, it's a brutal story with thrilling twists and a high degree of tension maintained throughout. 4.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for a digital ARC to read.
December 20, 2018
This one has a high body count. If reading about people being murdered in very gruesome ways is not to your taste then you probably will not make it past the prologue.
The Greenland setting makes a very atmospheric background to this first rate thriller. Bodies are found in the ice, blood stains the surrounding snow scarlet, thick fogs help prevent people being found - it all adds to the suspense. Towards the end I thought the author might have included a few less bad guys and a few less deaths as I felt overloaded with it all.
Then we reached the end and it was great with several surprise twists and a tiny touch of romance to round things off. All in all an excellent read but definitely not for the faint hearted.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Greenland setting makes a very atmospheric background to this first rate thriller. Bodies are found in the ice, blood stains the surrounding snow scarlet, thick fogs help prevent people being found - it all adds to the suspense. Towards the end I thought the author might have included a few less bad guys and a few less deaths as I felt overloaded with it all.
Then we reached the end and it was great with several surprise twists and a tiny touch of romance to round things off. All in all an excellent read but definitely not for the faint hearted.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 16, 2022
I want to thank Text Publishing, the author, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book. All for the measly price of a review. I'll be honest right from the start and tell 'ya that by the time I went to Netgalley to review this story that it was already absent. Gone. Normally I'd just say to heck with it and move on. This dang story though...it stuck with me. Two weeks after reading it, I finally realized why I was so bummed out. It wasn't the ending, and it had nothing to do with how the story played out. Truth is that I loved this book. I loved the characters. The location. The freaking creepy tale of abuse, neglect and revenge. Thing is that I wanted this, all of this, to go on. No not this story, but another. With the same Cop from the past, and the same reporter and tattooed woman from now. I adored these people. Damnit. They were threatened, damn near killed, and yet they cared so much! This author made me feel. The feels! I've always wanted to visit Greenland. It's just a thing with me. I love cold, snow, glaciers....blah de blah! Then when I was reading this I saw that there are no roads leading out from towns in Greenland. You actually have to take a boat "no problem" or take a freaking tiny, itsy, bitsy plane from one town to another. That may have been the most terrifying thing in this story! O.K., maybe that's an exaggeration, because flaying is awful too. But, a deathmobile? Oh no. Man, I really loved the story and characters. But, because it's a tale that's told in two different timelines, I see that I won't be reading from one characters P.O.V., and I will miss him. Yet, I do hope that this author sticks with Greenland in his books. Honestly, it's really a character unto itself. I've heard they have ferocious mosquitoes there. Heck, skeeters themselves are a skeery bunch! Oh, dear me. Lame, Lisa. So lame. Yes, obviously I would recommend this book and author. Also, I've already looked for other books from Mr. Norbo, and none were yet translated, but he is now on my radar, and I'm ready for more.
December 26, 2018
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Mads Peder Nordbo , and Text Publishing Company for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
While I quite enjoy Scandinavian murder mysteries, there are certainly degrees of quality, as with any genre. I stumbled upon this piece by Mads Peder Nordbo and liked the dust jacket blurb, hoping it would live up to the synopsis. Learning that Norbdo works in Greenland offered me some hope that he would be able to shed some unique light on the setting, as well as the story’s development throughout. Danish journalist Matthew Cave is sent to Greenland to cover their upcoming elections. However, there is a sensational story coming out of the small community of Nuuk, which demands Cave’s attention. A man is found on the ice, his organs removed in a brutal manner. While it surely could be one of the many wild animals in the region, the cuts seem to precise and clean to be anything but that of a knife blade in a human’s hand. As Cave begins to investigate a little more, the body count increases and the severity of the attacks seem to be growing as well. Cave pokes around and discovers a connection to a set of crimes from back in 1973, where small children were kidnapped. As the community is reeling, Cave’s editors are demanding answers and sensational coverage, which he is not yet ready to offer. Following the trail, Cave discovers that some of the missing children have reappeared, as though they were dropped from the sky decades later, with no past and for no known reason. As he wrestles with his own personal demons, Cave must follow this case through to the end, even if the results are anything but satisfying. An interesting story that Nordbo makes his own, though there was some element missing to make it stellar. Those who like Scandinavian mysteries may find something worthwhile herein, though I felt the flow and entire premise fell a bit flat for my liking.
What is it that defines a Scandinavian mystery? Must the author hail from that region to be given this classification? Perhaps the story must take place within those countries defined as ‘Scandinavian’? I ask this because the story takes place entirely in Greenland, which may be part of the Danish territories, but the flavour of the novel is definitely unique. Nordbo uses this unique approach to flavour his novel in such a way to allow it to stand out, as well as some of the biographical information I provided above. Much of the setting and the societal norms differ greatly from those used in the numerous Scandinavian novels I have read, though this uniqueness is not entirely unwelcome. Matthew Cave is an interesting character and proves to be a worthy protagonist. Receiving his surname from his father, a member of the American military stationed in Greenland, Cave left the area at the age of four to settle in Denmark. This strain from any father figure proves to be a recurring issue throughout the novel, as does the loss of his wife and unborn child, thereby erasing his chance to be a father. Nordbo uses this thread to push the story along, as Cave seeks to piece together some of the happenings to those children from 1973 and the resulting murders in more modern times. Cave proves to be an effective journalist, but I did not feel a connection to him, which may be more to do with the style of writing that Nordbo offers. Many of the other characters who grace the pages of this book are a mix of gritty members of the police or community members, who mix a Danish and local indigenous culture into their daily lives. Nordbo tosses names and terminology around with ease, leaving a reader not entirely adept with either to flounder. Still, I was able to make some general connections and limped my way through the piece. The story’s premise was decent and I am pleased to have been able to follow it, but it was also weakened by a lack of flow and jilted writing. A mix of short and longer chapters, the story seemed to sputter along and I could not entirely tell if it was the translation that was causing me such distress or a lack of cohesive writing in whatever language. I have often said that Scandinavian novels seem to offer a seamless transition when translated, but this was surely an exception. I noticed that this was the first in what might be an upcoming series, so I am not sure if I want to continue when the next piece surfaces. That being said, I am forewarned and forearmed, should I choose to continue. Other readers preparing for this undertaking should be as well.
Kudos, Mr. Nordbo, for a decent effort, though it missed the mark for me. I can only hope that others find something stellar in this writing, as it did not meet by, admittedly, high expectations.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
While I quite enjoy Scandinavian murder mysteries, there are certainly degrees of quality, as with any genre. I stumbled upon this piece by Mads Peder Nordbo and liked the dust jacket blurb, hoping it would live up to the synopsis. Learning that Norbdo works in Greenland offered me some hope that he would be able to shed some unique light on the setting, as well as the story’s development throughout. Danish journalist Matthew Cave is sent to Greenland to cover their upcoming elections. However, there is a sensational story coming out of the small community of Nuuk, which demands Cave’s attention. A man is found on the ice, his organs removed in a brutal manner. While it surely could be one of the many wild animals in the region, the cuts seem to precise and clean to be anything but that of a knife blade in a human’s hand. As Cave begins to investigate a little more, the body count increases and the severity of the attacks seem to be growing as well. Cave pokes around and discovers a connection to a set of crimes from back in 1973, where small children were kidnapped. As the community is reeling, Cave’s editors are demanding answers and sensational coverage, which he is not yet ready to offer. Following the trail, Cave discovers that some of the missing children have reappeared, as though they were dropped from the sky decades later, with no past and for no known reason. As he wrestles with his own personal demons, Cave must follow this case through to the end, even if the results are anything but satisfying. An interesting story that Nordbo makes his own, though there was some element missing to make it stellar. Those who like Scandinavian mysteries may find something worthwhile herein, though I felt the flow and entire premise fell a bit flat for my liking.
What is it that defines a Scandinavian mystery? Must the author hail from that region to be given this classification? Perhaps the story must take place within those countries defined as ‘Scandinavian’? I ask this because the story takes place entirely in Greenland, which may be part of the Danish territories, but the flavour of the novel is definitely unique. Nordbo uses this unique approach to flavour his novel in such a way to allow it to stand out, as well as some of the biographical information I provided above. Much of the setting and the societal norms differ greatly from those used in the numerous Scandinavian novels I have read, though this uniqueness is not entirely unwelcome. Matthew Cave is an interesting character and proves to be a worthy protagonist. Receiving his surname from his father, a member of the American military stationed in Greenland, Cave left the area at the age of four to settle in Denmark. This strain from any father figure proves to be a recurring issue throughout the novel, as does the loss of his wife and unborn child, thereby erasing his chance to be a father. Nordbo uses this thread to push the story along, as Cave seeks to piece together some of the happenings to those children from 1973 and the resulting murders in more modern times. Cave proves to be an effective journalist, but I did not feel a connection to him, which may be more to do with the style of writing that Nordbo offers. Many of the other characters who grace the pages of this book are a mix of gritty members of the police or community members, who mix a Danish and local indigenous culture into their daily lives. Nordbo tosses names and terminology around with ease, leaving a reader not entirely adept with either to flounder. Still, I was able to make some general connections and limped my way through the piece. The story’s premise was decent and I am pleased to have been able to follow it, but it was also weakened by a lack of flow and jilted writing. A mix of short and longer chapters, the story seemed to sputter along and I could not entirely tell if it was the translation that was causing me such distress or a lack of cohesive writing in whatever language. I have often said that Scandinavian novels seem to offer a seamless transition when translated, but this was surely an exception. I noticed that this was the first in what might be an upcoming series, so I am not sure if I want to continue when the next piece surfaces. That being said, I am forewarned and forearmed, should I choose to continue. Other readers preparing for this undertaking should be as well.
Kudos, Mr. Nordbo, for a decent effort, though it missed the mark for me. I can only hope that others find something stellar in this writing, as it did not meet by, admittedly, high expectations.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
November 11, 2018
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?
Yes, it was 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.
For more reviews check out my:
Blog
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
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?
Yes, it was 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.
For more reviews check out my:
Blog
April 11, 2019
I have very mixed feelings about this book. It took me awhile to get into the story. Even then I was more interested in the flash back murders that took place 40 years prior. But there was enough that kept me reading until the end!
This story is not for those with weak stomachs ... The murders are described in explicit detail and there is discussion of past child abuse which I found disturbing. This is balanced with the rather simple relationship between the reporter, a recently released felon, and a policeman who investigated the original murders.
There was a huge twist towards the end of the book and the mysteries were all eventually solved. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free book in exchange for my honest review.
This story is not for those with weak stomachs ... The murders are described in explicit detail and there is discussion of past child abuse which I found disturbing. This is balanced with the rather simple relationship between the reporter, a recently released felon, and a policeman who investigated the original murders.
There was a huge twist towards the end of the book and the mysteries were all eventually solved. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free book in exchange for my honest review.
October 23, 2018
Journalist Matthew Cave and his photographer Malik were on the helicopter, heading for the mummified corpse that had been found on the pack ice. The discovery was exciting archeologists as they expected it to be a Viking – a discovery which would resonate around the world. With everything done, the helicopter returned to Nuuk, leaving a policeman overnight to guard the corpse. But the return next morning showed them all much more than they bargained for. The corpse was gone – the policeman was dead; murdered in a gruesome manner.
With that story on hold, Matthew began to investigate a series of brutal murders back in 1973 which had never been solved. The horrors of what he uncovered were accentuated once he met with the enigmatic Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, who had served jail time for murdering her entire family. She was just out of prison, but Matthew felt something wasn’t right. And when danger headed their way, he knew he was close to discovering something that he wouldn’t be allowed to uncover. His, and Tupaarnaq’s lives were in danger…
Set in two timeframes – 1973 and 2014 – The Girl Without Skin is dark, gritty and intense. It is also gruesome and violent, showing that “they” would stop at nothing to keep secrets hidden. This is my first by author Mads Peder Nordbo (and the first of his to be translated to English) and although bleak and gory, I enjoyed this crime thriller and recommend it highly.
With thanks to Text Publishing for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
With that story on hold, Matthew began to investigate a series of brutal murders back in 1973 which had never been solved. The horrors of what he uncovered were accentuated once he met with the enigmatic Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, who had served jail time for murdering her entire family. She was just out of prison, but Matthew felt something wasn’t right. And when danger headed their way, he knew he was close to discovering something that he wouldn’t be allowed to uncover. His, and Tupaarnaq’s lives were in danger…
Set in two timeframes – 1973 and 2014 – The Girl Without Skin is dark, gritty and intense. It is also gruesome and violent, showing that “they” would stop at nothing to keep secrets hidden. This is my first by author Mads Peder Nordbo (and the first of his to be translated to English) and although bleak and gory, I enjoyed this crime thriller and recommend it highly.
With thanks to Text Publishing for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2020
This book gave me the impression i was going to read about a fossilized Viking several years old, which was an exciting concept and full of lovely potential because i am fascinated with The Vikings! (Oh yes, I binge watch the show on Prime!!) So when the book started out in the arctics in the Greenlands with the "perfectly preserved Viking" found, I couldn't be more excited! But as with all great mystery thrillers the book took on a totally unexpected turn. You see, this fossil was gutted like a seal,and then the officer assigned to guard it overnight was found gutted in the same manner and then several more bodies turn up gutted the exact same way. This , of course, leads to lots of detective work in a search for a killer. Not to mention a journalist named Matthew who is the main protagonist is leading his own investigation and makes an unlikely ally with a young lady named Tuparnaq, who has recently been released from prison where she spent 12 years at the young age of 15 for murdering her family and killing her father in the same manner. She is the police forces number one suspect in the rash of new killings. One clue, one lead at a time,eventually concludes with solving this extremely well written mystery thriller that you definitely will not see coming!
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK! It was a very interesting, fast paced book. The characters of Matthew and Tarpanaq were very well written and likeable.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for ARC of this good read!
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK! It was a very interesting, fast paced book. The characters of Matthew and Tarpanaq were very well written and likeable.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for ARC of this good read!
March 20, 2019
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Labelled as ‘The Master of Arctic Crime’ Mads Peder Nordbo has released The Girl Without Skin, a 2018 Text publication. Originally published in 2017 in Denmark, my edition is a translated text from Charlotte Barslund. The Girl Without Skin offers a slick combination of thrills, chills, crime, culture, secrets and mystery, all within a distinct cold climate setting.
On an isolated ice sheet, a mummified corpse is discovered, believed to be a Viking. First on the scene is journalist Matthew Cave. But before Matthew has had the time to write the exclusive story, the body has vanished. The designated police officer guarding the scene is also discovered naked and splayed out. It doesn’t take long for Matthew Cave to connect the dots. He uncovers a link between the mummified corpse and a set of murders that occurred back in the 1970s. The further secrets come to light when Matthew probes into the murders. Then, Matthew’s connection to the case draws him to a Greenland local, a woman who plenty of weight to bear on a case that has backed him into a corner he cannot escape from.
Scandi crime noir is rarely a genre that I read, however, this book landed on my review pile and I have to say I was intrigued by the title and the blurb. With no expectations, I willingly surrendered to The Girl Without Skin and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my introduction to the Nordic crime genre.
Initially, what grabbed me about this book was the overwhelming sense of place. As I sit typing up this review it is quite humid here, but as soon as I opened The Girl Without Skin, it was like a cold arctic draft engulfed me. I could sense the cold oozing from the pages of this book, it was a refreshing change and I appreciated being placed in the shoes of an investigative journalist located in Europe.
The main protagonist of The Girl Without Skin is a complex and troubled man, with a very sad past. This is covered in the first heartbreaking scenes. I felt my heart tear in two for Matthew. However, the experience seems to drive him to work harder and he completely immerses himself in the mummified corpse case. I have to say Matthew was a character that I had full confidence in for the entire duration of the novel, I wanted him to get to the bottom of this case. Working alongside Matthew is a strange Greenlandic woman, Tupaarnaq. The combination of these two very different souls worked well within the novel. The rich characterisation provided by Norbo, draws us further into these characters and the unfolding story.
There are plenty of harsh and icy plot lines to keep the reader engaged in The Girl Without Skin. A number of chilling moments added to the thrill side of this book. There are some graphic moments, so if you are squeamish, be warned! I did think that this aspect was in keeping with the overall tone of the book and the direction of the narrative. Mads Peder Nordbo knows how to keep up the line of suspense and he leaves the reader hanging, while timing his big reveals at just the right moment. I was pleased with the wrap up of this novel too, excellent work on behalf of the author, who I hope to revisit at some point in the future.
*I wish to thank Text Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Labelled as ‘The Master of Arctic Crime’ Mads Peder Nordbo has released The Girl Without Skin, a 2018 Text publication. Originally published in 2017 in Denmark, my edition is a translated text from Charlotte Barslund. The Girl Without Skin offers a slick combination of thrills, chills, crime, culture, secrets and mystery, all within a distinct cold climate setting.
On an isolated ice sheet, a mummified corpse is discovered, believed to be a Viking. First on the scene is journalist Matthew Cave. But before Matthew has had the time to write the exclusive story, the body has vanished. The designated police officer guarding the scene is also discovered naked and splayed out. It doesn’t take long for Matthew Cave to connect the dots. He uncovers a link between the mummified corpse and a set of murders that occurred back in the 1970s. The further secrets come to light when Matthew probes into the murders. Then, Matthew’s connection to the case draws him to a Greenland local, a woman who plenty of weight to bear on a case that has backed him into a corner he cannot escape from.
Scandi crime noir is rarely a genre that I read, however, this book landed on my review pile and I have to say I was intrigued by the title and the blurb. With no expectations, I willingly surrendered to The Girl Without Skin and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my introduction to the Nordic crime genre.
Initially, what grabbed me about this book was the overwhelming sense of place. As I sit typing up this review it is quite humid here, but as soon as I opened The Girl Without Skin, it was like a cold arctic draft engulfed me. I could sense the cold oozing from the pages of this book, it was a refreshing change and I appreciated being placed in the shoes of an investigative journalist located in Europe.
The main protagonist of The Girl Without Skin is a complex and troubled man, with a very sad past. This is covered in the first heartbreaking scenes. I felt my heart tear in two for Matthew. However, the experience seems to drive him to work harder and he completely immerses himself in the mummified corpse case. I have to say Matthew was a character that I had full confidence in for the entire duration of the novel, I wanted him to get to the bottom of this case. Working alongside Matthew is a strange Greenlandic woman, Tupaarnaq. The combination of these two very different souls worked well within the novel. The rich characterisation provided by Norbo, draws us further into these characters and the unfolding story.
There are plenty of harsh and icy plot lines to keep the reader engaged in The Girl Without Skin. A number of chilling moments added to the thrill side of this book. There are some graphic moments, so if you are squeamish, be warned! I did think that this aspect was in keeping with the overall tone of the book and the direction of the narrative. Mads Peder Nordbo knows how to keep up the line of suspense and he leaves the reader hanging, while timing his big reveals at just the right moment. I was pleased with the wrap up of this novel too, excellent work on behalf of the author, who I hope to revisit at some point in the future.
*I wish to thank Text Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
October 7, 2018
The Girl Without Skin is the fourth novel by Danish author, Mads Peder Nordbo, the first book in the Greenland series and the first to be translated into English. Danish journalist Matt Cave has a great story he can’t publish: the mummified corpse of a Norseman found on Greenland’s ice cap could give him a world-wide scoop, but his photographer’s shots have all been stolen, and the corpse has gone missing.
On top of that, the policeman guarding it has been brutally murdered, and authorities have directed his boss at Nuuk’s leading paper, Sermitsiaq, to suppress the story. So Matt’s editor sends him to the archive to research a spate of murders from the early seventies. There are similarities and some differences, but before Matt learns much, the body of a possible witness, again butchered, turns up.
Matt’s a bit mystified by the journal he’s acquired, written by Jakob Pedersen, a cop who disappeared without trace at the same time, but a tattooed and tough young Greenlandic woman, Tupaarnaq seems to know something. However, as the old archivist says: “…if we’re going to rake over this old case, we need to go about it quietly. A brutal murder like this one has only remained unsolved because someone important wanted it that way.”
In November 1973, Danish cop Jakob Pederson has lived in Nuuk for some years and is determined to rid the city of its child sexual abuse problem. His covert research has shown him many homes where he suspects young girls are being abused, but in four of them, he is virtually certain of it. But, within a few short days, these four men are viciously murdered: their skin flayed and their organs removed in the manner of a hunted seal.
This is a marvellous dose of Scandi crime: dark and blood-thirsty with twists and red herrings keeping the pages turning and the reader guessing right up to the heart-stopping climax. Nordbo wraps his tale in some beautiful prose: “Everything was swallowed up by this grey North Atlantic blanket, whose moist breath licked the houses and the mountains and caused everything to run together in a foggy, cold cloud” and he draws attention to some shocking statistics on sexual assault of children.
This first in the series is flawlessly translated from the original Danish by Charlotte Barslund, and English-speaking readers will be hoping the translation of the second Greenland book is published soon.
On top of that, the policeman guarding it has been brutally murdered, and authorities have directed his boss at Nuuk’s leading paper, Sermitsiaq, to suppress the story. So Matt’s editor sends him to the archive to research a spate of murders from the early seventies. There are similarities and some differences, but before Matt learns much, the body of a possible witness, again butchered, turns up.
Matt’s a bit mystified by the journal he’s acquired, written by Jakob Pedersen, a cop who disappeared without trace at the same time, but a tattooed and tough young Greenlandic woman, Tupaarnaq seems to know something. However, as the old archivist says: “…if we’re going to rake over this old case, we need to go about it quietly. A brutal murder like this one has only remained unsolved because someone important wanted it that way.”
In November 1973, Danish cop Jakob Pederson has lived in Nuuk for some years and is determined to rid the city of its child sexual abuse problem. His covert research has shown him many homes where he suspects young girls are being abused, but in four of them, he is virtually certain of it. But, within a few short days, these four men are viciously murdered: their skin flayed and their organs removed in the manner of a hunted seal.
This is a marvellous dose of Scandi crime: dark and blood-thirsty with twists and red herrings keeping the pages turning and the reader guessing right up to the heart-stopping climax. Nordbo wraps his tale in some beautiful prose: “Everything was swallowed up by this grey North Atlantic blanket, whose moist breath licked the houses and the mountains and caused everything to run together in a foggy, cold cloud” and he draws attention to some shocking statistics on sexual assault of children.
This first in the series is flawlessly translated from the original Danish by Charlotte Barslund, and English-speaking readers will be hoping the translation of the second Greenland book is published soon.
June 12, 2019
I am usually a fan of Scandinavian Noir, but this book was kind of a middle of the road read for me. I gave it 3.5 stars, but rounded down to 3 stars. Three stars in the NetGalley rating system is a ‘Maybe’ for recommending to others, and that is where this book falls for me. I’d recommend it if you have a strong stomach for violence and thinly veiled scenes of sexual abuse of girls. I’d recommend it if you’re willing to start a less than stellar first book in a new series to see how the story arc develops in the next book of the series. I’d recommend it if you like reading about the landscape, weather, and social structure of Greenland as I did. It was fast paced, and suspenseful.
The hero, Matthew Cave, has recently moved to in Greenland to work as a journalist on the local paper. For me, he jumped into the deep-end of a newly resuscitated 40-year-old murder mystery much more quickly than I would have expected that a newcomer would. His character was a bit over blown in the sleuth role for my taste. He worked hard in the face of local opposition and continued even after he finds another dead body that has been horribly mutilated. Personally, that would give me pause about my level of involvement.
Some parts of the mystery were expertly resolved. They developments surprised me, which I always want in a mystery. The dual storyline was a good way to go back and forth in time. I think that I actually liked the 40 year-old storyline better than the current one. Based on the description of Greenland and its societal structure, I realized that it isn’t a place that I would find very inviting or habitable. It would take a strong constitution to move as outsider to this often bleak and unforgiving land.
‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Text Publishing Company; and the author, Mads Peder Nordbo; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The hero, Matthew Cave, has recently moved to in Greenland to work as a journalist on the local paper. For me, he jumped into the deep-end of a newly resuscitated 40-year-old murder mystery much more quickly than I would have expected that a newcomer would. His character was a bit over blown in the sleuth role for my taste. He worked hard in the face of local opposition and continued even after he finds another dead body that has been horribly mutilated. Personally, that would give me pause about my level of involvement.
Some parts of the mystery were expertly resolved. They developments surprised me, which I always want in a mystery. The dual storyline was a good way to go back and forth in time. I think that I actually liked the 40 year-old storyline better than the current one. Based on the description of Greenland and its societal structure, I realized that it isn’t a place that I would find very inviting or habitable. It would take a strong constitution to move as outsider to this often bleak and unforgiving land.
‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Text Publishing Company; and the author, Mads Peder Nordbo; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2018
4.5 stars
Grittier than my usual thriller choices, and with some scenes completely off the charts in terms of gore, I really enjoyed this book by Mads Peder Nordbo; his first to be translated into English.
In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, journalist Matthew Cave has returned to Greenland, the land of his birth. As the story opens, Matthew is on the verge of obtaining a worldclass scoop. Hunters have found a mummified Norseman on the edge of the icecap. The body could answer so many questions - scientific, historical, anthropological - about why the Norsemen suddenly disappeared from Greenland after centuries of settlement. But Matthew is denied his scoop when the mummy disappears and the police officer guarding it is murdered.
Matthew's editor has an idea that the murder's signature is similar to a string of unsolved murders in the mid-70s, and sends him off to investigate in that direction. He doesn't have a lot to go on until a local policeman unofficially provides him with the personal notebook of the detective who was investigating the original murders. And then things get very grim indeed...
And I do mean grim. There probably should be a trigger warning on this book, as it deals with some very disturbing themes including child abuse and incest. But if you can stomach that, it is a cut above the usual thriller fare, with the plot going off in very unexpected directions from time to time. Even with hindsight, there is no way I could possibly have guessed at how the story would be resolved, and I really admire that.
Matthew Cave is a damaged but dogged investigator, and I'll look forward to reading the next instalment of his story. Tupaarnaq, his unlikely Inuit ally, is angry, gruff and yet so vulnerably appealing, that I hope she returns too. Finally the Greenland setting is just so atmospheric, and Nordbo describes it so beautifully - I want to become more familiar with it.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review.
Grittier than my usual thriller choices, and with some scenes completely off the charts in terms of gore, I really enjoyed this book by Mads Peder Nordbo; his first to be translated into English.
In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, journalist Matthew Cave has returned to Greenland, the land of his birth. As the story opens, Matthew is on the verge of obtaining a worldclass scoop. Hunters have found a mummified Norseman on the edge of the icecap. The body could answer so many questions - scientific, historical, anthropological - about why the Norsemen suddenly disappeared from Greenland after centuries of settlement. But Matthew is denied his scoop when the mummy disappears and the police officer guarding it is murdered.
Matthew's editor has an idea that the murder's signature is similar to a string of unsolved murders in the mid-70s, and sends him off to investigate in that direction. He doesn't have a lot to go on until a local policeman unofficially provides him with the personal notebook of the detective who was investigating the original murders. And then things get very grim indeed...
And I do mean grim. There probably should be a trigger warning on this book, as it deals with some very disturbing themes including child abuse and incest. But if you can stomach that, it is a cut above the usual thriller fare, with the plot going off in very unexpected directions from time to time. Even with hindsight, there is no way I could possibly have guessed at how the story would be resolved, and I really admire that.
Matthew Cave is a damaged but dogged investigator, and I'll look forward to reading the next instalment of his story. Tupaarnaq, his unlikely Inuit ally, is angry, gruff and yet so vulnerably appealing, that I hope she returns too. Finally the Greenland setting is just so atmospheric, and Nordbo describes it so beautifully - I want to become more familiar with it.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review.
July 16, 2019
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
The Girl Without Skin by Mads Peder Nordbo. (2017 in Danish, 2018 in English).
Journalist Matthew is sent to the edge of an ice sheet to write about the discovery of a mummified corpse thought to be a Viking. But the next day the mummy has disappeared and the policeman who was watching it is found naked and flayed.
Matt soon realises that the body is connected to a series of unsolved murders from the 1970s. As he delves deeper into this investigation, he finds shocking connections to the present. Then he meets Tupaarnaq, a young Greenlandic woman, and he discovers more and more shocking information...
A bit mixed feelings about this book. Overall I liked it but I'm not sure it flowed well enough for me. I can't imagine the difficulties of translating however some sentences just didn't sound quite right to me. As others have commented, it is fairly gruesome in parts. On the other hand, I found the gruesome sections a bit repetitive as it was the same descriptions used each time. The storyline includes some pretty dark subject matter: horrific murders, sexual assault of children, illegal experiments and dodgy politicians amongst other things. Matthew was a great lead character; the intelligent, damaged man looking for the truth. Tupaarnaq was a fascinating second lead; the strong yet emotionally damaged woman who suffered too much as a child. This is a series in Danish, and I would definitely be open to reading book 2 in English when it is published.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
The Girl Without Skin by Mads Peder Nordbo. (2017 in Danish, 2018 in English).
Journalist Matthew is sent to the edge of an ice sheet to write about the discovery of a mummified corpse thought to be a Viking. But the next day the mummy has disappeared and the policeman who was watching it is found naked and flayed.
Matt soon realises that the body is connected to a series of unsolved murders from the 1970s. As he delves deeper into this investigation, he finds shocking connections to the present. Then he meets Tupaarnaq, a young Greenlandic woman, and he discovers more and more shocking information...
A bit mixed feelings about this book. Overall I liked it but I'm not sure it flowed well enough for me. I can't imagine the difficulties of translating however some sentences just didn't sound quite right to me. As others have commented, it is fairly gruesome in parts. On the other hand, I found the gruesome sections a bit repetitive as it was the same descriptions used each time. The storyline includes some pretty dark subject matter: horrific murders, sexual assault of children, illegal experiments and dodgy politicians amongst other things. Matthew was a great lead character; the intelligent, damaged man looking for the truth. Tupaarnaq was a fascinating second lead; the strong yet emotionally damaged woman who suffered too much as a child. This is a series in Danish, and I would definitely be open to reading book 2 in English when it is published.
September 27, 2019
Lo primero que me llamó la atención de este libro, es el lugar donde está ubicado, no se nada sobre Groenlandia ni de la gente que vive ahí, para mí es solo un lugar frío y con hielo, por supuesto eso no es correcto, pero también es verdad que como todos los lugares lejanos su población es pequeña y con formas de vida muy peculiares y a eso habrá que unirle los cambios que tuvieron que sufrir sus originarios al pasar ser parte del gobierno Danés.
Vamos conociendo esta parte del mundo gracias a un periodista que se ve involucrado en unos asesinatos que al parecer tienen alguna relación con otros no esclarecidos que sucedieron en los años 70’s, de una manera inesperada Mathew, recibe un viejo diario del que fuera un oficial de policía y que había estado investigando los crímenes sucedidos en aquella época.
Así que de esta manera el libro transcurre en dos tiempos, el primero a mediados de los años 70’s donde se investiga una serie de asesinatos horribles y la desaparición de una niña y por otro lado en la época actual, donde Mathew investiga tanto los asesinatos ocurridos recientemente y trata de esclarecer el caso del pasado.
Honestamente me ha parecido interesante y también con una narrativa tal vez algo diferente a lo que estoy acostumbrada, el ritmo es francamente lento, pero no necesariamente de manera negativa, pero sí que es verdad que me cuesta leer libros así, que me obliguen a ir despacio me cuesta mucho, sin embargo el libro está bien escrito, tiene una historia muy intrigante y tiene su punto, además habrá que sumarle que no me imaginé quien o quienes eran los culpables ni en el caso antiguo ni en el actual, así que me ha sorprendido.
Lo cierto es que este libro toca temas que además me cuestan mucho trabajo, creo que también por esa razón me llevó más tiempo de lo normal leerlo, sin embargo, lo recomiendo ampliamente para quienes aman el género, es una historia que tiene de todo y no solo me refiero a los asesinatos, es una de esas tramas que juegan presentando diferentes tipos de crímenes y eso me ha parecido muy interesante
Vamos conociendo esta parte del mundo gracias a un periodista que se ve involucrado en unos asesinatos que al parecer tienen alguna relación con otros no esclarecidos que sucedieron en los años 70’s, de una manera inesperada Mathew, recibe un viejo diario del que fuera un oficial de policía y que había estado investigando los crímenes sucedidos en aquella época.
Así que de esta manera el libro transcurre en dos tiempos, el primero a mediados de los años 70’s donde se investiga una serie de asesinatos horribles y la desaparición de una niña y por otro lado en la época actual, donde Mathew investiga tanto los asesinatos ocurridos recientemente y trata de esclarecer el caso del pasado.
Honestamente me ha parecido interesante y también con una narrativa tal vez algo diferente a lo que estoy acostumbrada, el ritmo es francamente lento, pero no necesariamente de manera negativa, pero sí que es verdad que me cuesta leer libros así, que me obliguen a ir despacio me cuesta mucho, sin embargo el libro está bien escrito, tiene una historia muy intrigante y tiene su punto, además habrá que sumarle que no me imaginé quien o quienes eran los culpables ni en el caso antiguo ni en el actual, así que me ha sorprendido.
Lo cierto es que este libro toca temas que además me cuestan mucho trabajo, creo que también por esa razón me llevó más tiempo de lo normal leerlo, sin embargo, lo recomiendo ampliamente para quienes aman el género, es una historia que tiene de todo y no solo me refiero a los asesinatos, es una de esas tramas que juegan presentando diferentes tipos de crímenes y eso me ha parecido muy interesante
January 2, 2022
Akıcı ve ilgi çekici bir hikaye. Oraların havasından mı suyundan mı bilmem, iskandinav coğrafyasından çok acayip kanlı cinayet romanları çıkıyor. Bu da aynen öyleydi, cinayetler cidden okuduğum en kanlı cinayetlerden olabilir. Ve ayrıca Grönland'da geçen okuduğum ilk hikaye sanırım bu oldu. Yine okumaktan hoşlanmadığım iğrenç bir konuyu içeriyordu - ve sanki o kısmın işlenişi yetersiz geldi. Bir de bana çok fazla Ejderha Dövmeli Kız havası verdi. Tüm bunları elersek sıkılmadan okuduğum bir hikaye oldu. Devamı çevrilir mi emin değilim, okumak istesem son kitabın ingilizce çevirisi dahi yok. Ama ikinci kitabın konusu gerçekten ilgi çekici, belki ona el atarım.
November 11, 2018
Such a fabulous book. I loved getting a crime story set on Greenland and to top it all, with a dual storyline. Just what I love. So, what happened back in the 70s? Who killed all those men? And, what has it to do with the finding of a dead man in the present time? I listened to the audio version of the book and it was great.
I highly recommend this book!
I highly recommend this book!
December 18, 2018
First of all thanks to Text Publishing Company and Netgalley for allowing me access to this book, I enjoyed it so much. I really must say that it was riveting from the first page to the last.
The opening was brutal and at the same time mesmerizing - you simply have to turn the page and continue.
This novel fits perfectly into the realm of the Nordic Noir genre and hits all the best elements of what you would expect. The dark and light themes, the influences of the tribal cultures, the clash of the Westernised ideals and the indigenous belief systems. The harsh landscape and its strong people. I have loved this style of writing and cinema for quite some time due to its realistic and functional style of story-telling. Mads Peter Nordbo writes with clarity and beauty - it is stark but vivid and his descriptions are moody and atmospheric. The landscape is both fearful and welcoming, I am so drawn to the Greenlandic city of Nuuk through his story that I feel the need to book a ticket to explore and experience it for real. The story is graphic in parts but not offensively so it is realistic and all the descriptions are necessary, it is in no way gratuitous in any way - everything is as it is in reality and therefore should be. Reality is always easy to deal with.
This story follows the life of Matthew Cave a ‘damaged’ journalist with demons from a tragic past that stumbles into the story of his career whilst trying desperately to vanish from the world. His story is woven together with the story of Jakob Pederson as they follow the same path and clues just 41 years apart. The narrative glides seamlessly between 2014 and 1973 and you don’t get lost in the movements in fact each section ‘bleeds’ perfectly into each other. The story is thrilling and the crime and the subsequent investigations are at the forefront but Nordbo includes a few subsections into the plot line that allow for some softness - the burgeoning relationships both platonic and romantic between the main protagonists and their respective peers is well done. I also enjoyed the fact that there were direct connections between the two eras in the characters as well as the events.
I am eagerly awaiting the few more works to be translated from Nordbo and will definitely keep my eyes pealed for the next installment in this series. It states Greenland #1 so I will await #2 with anticipation.
If you like Nordic Crime and enjoy reading about unusual places and their idiosyncratic cultures and beliefs this is the book for you. It is both dark and light in just the right amounts. #girlwithoutaskin #textpublishingcompany #netgalley #madspedernordbo
The opening was brutal and at the same time mesmerizing - you simply have to turn the page and continue.
This novel fits perfectly into the realm of the Nordic Noir genre and hits all the best elements of what you would expect. The dark and light themes, the influences of the tribal cultures, the clash of the Westernised ideals and the indigenous belief systems. The harsh landscape and its strong people. I have loved this style of writing and cinema for quite some time due to its realistic and functional style of story-telling. Mads Peter Nordbo writes with clarity and beauty - it is stark but vivid and his descriptions are moody and atmospheric. The landscape is both fearful and welcoming, I am so drawn to the Greenlandic city of Nuuk through his story that I feel the need to book a ticket to explore and experience it for real. The story is graphic in parts but not offensively so it is realistic and all the descriptions are necessary, it is in no way gratuitous in any way - everything is as it is in reality and therefore should be. Reality is always easy to deal with.
This story follows the life of Matthew Cave a ‘damaged’ journalist with demons from a tragic past that stumbles into the story of his career whilst trying desperately to vanish from the world. His story is woven together with the story of Jakob Pederson as they follow the same path and clues just 41 years apart. The narrative glides seamlessly between 2014 and 1973 and you don’t get lost in the movements in fact each section ‘bleeds’ perfectly into each other. The story is thrilling and the crime and the subsequent investigations are at the forefront but Nordbo includes a few subsections into the plot line that allow for some softness - the burgeoning relationships both platonic and romantic between the main protagonists and their respective peers is well done. I also enjoyed the fact that there were direct connections between the two eras in the characters as well as the events.
I am eagerly awaiting the few more works to be translated from Nordbo and will definitely keep my eyes pealed for the next installment in this series. It states Greenland #1 so I will await #2 with anticipation.
If you like Nordic Crime and enjoy reading about unusual places and their idiosyncratic cultures and beliefs this is the book for you. It is both dark and light in just the right amounts. #girlwithoutaskin #textpublishingcompany #netgalley #madspedernordbo
November 12, 2018
Arctic Fiction. I think I love it. Greenlandic fiction? Even better.
The Girl Without Skin is a darkly delicious crime novel, utterly gripping with a tension filled storyline and a strong emotional core.
The story is set over two timelines- in the first, Matthew Cave is drawn into an old murder case whilst covering a supposedly Viking corpse…but this ain’t no Viking…
In the other, Jakob Pederson investigates the brutal murder of four suspected child abusers..with political pressure on one side and dangerous men on the other, one day, Jakob is gone…
This is brilliantly absorbing, casually brutal and has a lot to say both socially and politically about many currently relevant issues. At the same time it has a poetic sense of place and draws on that to create an atmospheric and absolutely riveting mystery tale with cleverly drawn, engaging characters and an unexpected direction.
It is edgy and unpredictable and randomly rage inducing but intelligently plotted and a superb read first page to last.
Re commended.
The Girl Without Skin is a darkly delicious crime novel, utterly gripping with a tension filled storyline and a strong emotional core.
The story is set over two timelines- in the first, Matthew Cave is drawn into an old murder case whilst covering a supposedly Viking corpse…but this ain’t no Viking…
In the other, Jakob Pederson investigates the brutal murder of four suspected child abusers..with political pressure on one side and dangerous men on the other, one day, Jakob is gone…
This is brilliantly absorbing, casually brutal and has a lot to say both socially and politically about many currently relevant issues. At the same time it has a poetic sense of place and draws on that to create an atmospheric and absolutely riveting mystery tale with cleverly drawn, engaging characters and an unexpected direction.
It is edgy and unpredictable and randomly rage inducing but intelligently plotted and a superb read first page to last.
Re commended.
October 27, 2018
This is Nordic Noir at its finest, and also its darkest and most disturbing. It is a complex and thrilling story with social, political and historical implications. The author is a Danish man who has lived in Greenland. This is his first crime novel which will be published n English, and the first of a future series. The translation is impeccable.
The writing is intense, atmospheric, and visual which immerses the reader in the setting which is the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, and surroundings. The sense of place is awesome. You can feel the chill, the darkness, the frigid icy waters, icy pellets hitting the skin when it rains and people shivering in the cold. The capital and landscape are well described in visual prose.
The intricate plot focuses on some gruesome murders in the early 1970’s which have been all but forgotten and some similar murders close to present time.
Matthew is a Danish reporter assigned to cover a story of scientific and historical importance. The mummified body of a probable Viking man who died centuries ago has been discovered in an ice crevice. His story reporting the find would be of worldwide interest. During the night the body is stolen. The policeman guarding the site was dead and his body eviscerated. The photographer’s equipment and film had been stolen. Matthew’s story is thereby killed by the newspaper on orders of higher ups. This does not stop him from investigating similar killings which took place in early 1970s. He suspects prominent politicians may have been involved in their coverup.
Matthew meets a young Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, who has just been released from 12 years in prison. She was charged with killing her parents and two younger sisters when she was 15. Her father had been gutted and the others shot. She was found dripping with blood. Their uneasy alliance is a pleasure to read. Tupaarnaq is covered with tattoos, her head is shaven and is a lethal hunter with her rifle. Matthew suspects she has information that she is not revealing.
Events in 1973 were investigated by a young policeman, Jacob. He believed crimes were related to child abuse and covered up by authorities. Young girls, aged about eleven, were suspected of being raped by their fathers. 3 of the girls vanished. Four of the suspected fathers were murdered, flayed, and their internal organs removed. Jacob managed to rescue and hide the 4th young girl putting both their lives and his career in danger. Jacob is brutally attacked in his home and disappears. The girl he was hiding has been abducted and probably murdered before she can reveal what she knows.
Recommended to those who enjoy well written, Nordic Noir with a thrilling and complicated plot. Readers missing Lisbeth Salander might have a new girl to take her place. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
The writing is intense, atmospheric, and visual which immerses the reader in the setting which is the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, and surroundings. The sense of place is awesome. You can feel the chill, the darkness, the frigid icy waters, icy pellets hitting the skin when it rains and people shivering in the cold. The capital and landscape are well described in visual prose.
The intricate plot focuses on some gruesome murders in the early 1970’s which have been all but forgotten and some similar murders close to present time.
Matthew is a Danish reporter assigned to cover a story of scientific and historical importance. The mummified body of a probable Viking man who died centuries ago has been discovered in an ice crevice. His story reporting the find would be of worldwide interest. During the night the body is stolen. The policeman guarding the site was dead and his body eviscerated. The photographer’s equipment and film had been stolen. Matthew’s story is thereby killed by the newspaper on orders of higher ups. This does not stop him from investigating similar killings which took place in early 1970s. He suspects prominent politicians may have been involved in their coverup.
Matthew meets a young Inuit woman, Tupaarnaq, who has just been released from 12 years in prison. She was charged with killing her parents and two younger sisters when she was 15. Her father had been gutted and the others shot. She was found dripping with blood. Their uneasy alliance is a pleasure to read. Tupaarnaq is covered with tattoos, her head is shaven and is a lethal hunter with her rifle. Matthew suspects she has information that she is not revealing.
Events in 1973 were investigated by a young policeman, Jacob. He believed crimes were related to child abuse and covered up by authorities. Young girls, aged about eleven, were suspected of being raped by their fathers. 3 of the girls vanished. Four of the suspected fathers were murdered, flayed, and their internal organs removed. Jacob managed to rescue and hide the 4th young girl putting both their lives and his career in danger. Jacob is brutally attacked in his home and disappears. The girl he was hiding has been abducted and probably murdered before she can reveal what she knows.
Recommended to those who enjoy well written, Nordic Noir with a thrilling and complicated plot. Readers missing Lisbeth Salander might have a new girl to take her place. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
June 13, 2019
Não há como não dar nota máxima a este livro...
Mais uma estreia e mais um livro que apenas fez com que goste deste género literário cada vez mais. Eu! Que só lia romances fofinhos e queridinhos... onde isto já chegou!!(...) Ao contrário de alguns livros que já li, este, mal o comecei agarrou-me logo. Quanto mais não seja pelas descrições pormenorizadas das montanhas, do gelo que eu adoro, das tradições de quem lá vive, crenças e mitos e a forma como o passado está sempre ligado ao presente... o autor conseguiu incutir-nos uma curiosidade enorme, pelo menos a mim, por esta cultura ainda pouco conhecida, e acreditem que já começo a saber alguma coisa sobre este lugar esquecido pelos demais.
Pegando numa atrocidade bastante actual hoje em dia, violência e abusos a crianças, Mads Peder, cria uma história cheia de altos e baixos e achei soberba a forma como, a partir de uma certa altura, temos acesso a tudo o que havia acontecido há quarenta anos atrás e que derivou na descoberta daquela suposta múmia e dos crimes que aconteceram a partir daí.
Opinião Completa no Sinfonia dos Livros
https://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.co...
Mais uma estreia e mais um livro que apenas fez com que goste deste género literário cada vez mais. Eu! Que só lia romances fofinhos e queridinhos... onde isto já chegou!!(...) Ao contrário de alguns livros que já li, este, mal o comecei agarrou-me logo. Quanto mais não seja pelas descrições pormenorizadas das montanhas, do gelo que eu adoro, das tradições de quem lá vive, crenças e mitos e a forma como o passado está sempre ligado ao presente... o autor conseguiu incutir-nos uma curiosidade enorme, pelo menos a mim, por esta cultura ainda pouco conhecida, e acreditem que já começo a saber alguma coisa sobre este lugar esquecido pelos demais.
Pegando numa atrocidade bastante actual hoje em dia, violência e abusos a crianças, Mads Peder, cria uma história cheia de altos e baixos e achei soberba a forma como, a partir de uma certa altura, temos acesso a tudo o que havia acontecido há quarenta anos atrás e que derivou na descoberta daquela suposta múmia e dos crimes que aconteceram a partir daí.
Opinião Completa no Sinfonia dos Livros
https://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.co...
May 23, 2020
Jau ne kartą ir ne du esu minėjus, kad mane domina viskas, kas skandinaviška. Detektyvai vienas iš tų dalykų, kurie dar labiau pakyla šio sąrašo viršuje. Šį kartą dalinuosi savo įspūdžiais apie knygą "Ledynų alsavimas".
Pasakojimas mus nukelia į atšiaurią Grenlandiją. Manoma, kad buvo atrasta senojo skandinavo mumija. Tai atveria naujus kelius tyrinėjimams ir natūralu, kad kyla didžiulis susidomėjimas. Aprašyti neeilinio įvykio atsiunčiamas žurnalistas Metjus. Deja deja, straipsnis nepasiekia laikraščio puslapių ir plačios auditorijos, mat mumija dingsta, o ją saugojęs žmogus randamas nužudytas. Metjus įsisuka į tyrimą ir viskas įgauna dar didesnį pagreitį, kai sutinka jaunutę inuitę merginą, kuri ilgą laiką praleido kalėjime. Ši mergina parodo, kad viskas gerokai sudėtingiau nei iš pirmo žvilgsnio atrodo. Taip pat ir pavojingiau.
Skaitant pradžioje tikrai teko sukaupti visas susitelkimo pastangas. Mintys vis klaidžiojo. Pirmiausia kliuvo tai, kad pagrindinis veikėjas blankus ir niekuo neišsiskiriantis. Jis nevientisas ir visiškai neorginalus. Tiesiog eilinis vaikinukas. Intrigos įneša autoriaus įvedama nauja figūra - mergina Tupranak. Bėda tame, kad vėl skaičiau ir galvojau - kur man tai matyta? Ir prisiminiau - "Mergina su drakono tatuiruote" pagrindinę veikėją Lisbetą Salander. Žodžiu, ši veikėja įnešė šiek tiek intrigos, kūrinys įtraukė, bet pabaiga nuvylė. Per daug buvo bandoma apžioti ir istorija tapo per daug komplikuota. Neįtikino incesto problema, nes lyg ir bandoma parodyti, kad Grenlandijoje ant kiekvieno kampo yra tėvas, kuris nori išnaudoti savo vaikus, kas, tikiu, nėra tiesa.
Kas patiko? Nuskambės keistai, bet keiksmažodžiai. Pirmą kartą skaičiau vertimą, kuriame necenzūrinė kalba buvo visiškai organiška ir įtikinanti. Komplimentai vertėjai. Taip pat įdomu buvo sužinoti apie vietos papročius, kaip, pavyzdžiui, ruonių medžioklė. Na, ir negaliu nepaminėti gamtos. Aprašymai verti dėmesio ir tikrai išjudina vaizduotę.
Kam skaityti? Detektyvų mėgėjai turėtų pabandyti, o ypač tie, kuriems patinka daugiau smurto bei kraujo. Gero skaitymo.
Pasakojimas mus nukelia į atšiaurią Grenlandiją. Manoma, kad buvo atrasta senojo skandinavo mumija. Tai atveria naujus kelius tyrinėjimams ir natūralu, kad kyla didžiulis susidomėjimas. Aprašyti neeilinio įvykio atsiunčiamas žurnalistas Metjus. Deja deja, straipsnis nepasiekia laikraščio puslapių ir plačios auditorijos, mat mumija dingsta, o ją saugojęs žmogus randamas nužudytas. Metjus įsisuka į tyrimą ir viskas įgauna dar didesnį pagreitį, kai sutinka jaunutę inuitę merginą, kuri ilgą laiką praleido kalėjime. Ši mergina parodo, kad viskas gerokai sudėtingiau nei iš pirmo žvilgsnio atrodo. Taip pat ir pavojingiau.
Skaitant pradžioje tikrai teko sukaupti visas susitelkimo pastangas. Mintys vis klaidžiojo. Pirmiausia kliuvo tai, kad pagrindinis veikėjas blankus ir niekuo neišsiskiriantis. Jis nevientisas ir visiškai neorginalus. Tiesiog eilinis vaikinukas. Intrigos įneša autoriaus įvedama nauja figūra - mergina Tupranak. Bėda tame, kad vėl skaičiau ir galvojau - kur man tai matyta? Ir prisiminiau - "Mergina su drakono tatuiruote" pagrindinę veikėją Lisbetą Salander. Žodžiu, ši veikėja įnešė šiek tiek intrigos, kūrinys įtraukė, bet pabaiga nuvylė. Per daug buvo bandoma apžioti ir istorija tapo per daug komplikuota. Neįtikino incesto problema, nes lyg ir bandoma parodyti, kad Grenlandijoje ant kiekvieno kampo yra tėvas, kuris nori išnaudoti savo vaikus, kas, tikiu, nėra tiesa.
Kas patiko? Nuskambės keistai, bet keiksmažodžiai. Pirmą kartą skaičiau vertimą, kuriame necenzūrinė kalba buvo visiškai organiška ir įtikinanti. Komplimentai vertėjai. Taip pat įdomu buvo sužinoti apie vietos papročius, kaip, pavyzdžiui, ruonių medžioklė. Na, ir negaliu nepaminėti gamtos. Aprašymai verti dėmesio ir tikrai išjudina vaizduotę.
Kam skaityti? Detektyvų mėgėjai turėtų pabandyti, o ypač tie, kuriems patinka daugiau smurto bei kraujo. Gero skaitymo.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 459 reviews