Skin Deep

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #16

by Jerome Preisler

A retired judge has been found brutally murdered on the outskirts of Las Vegas, complete with a macabre yet masterfully intricate tattoo on his face . . . the third seemingly random victim of the mysterious kidnapper dubbed by law enforcement as the “Tattoo Man.” The judge wasn’t the first person to have been abducted, drugged, and permanently altered with tattoos and body modification . . . but he was the first to wind up dead.

At the same time, several other deceased are turning up all over Sin City with their body art mercilessly removed—and the timing would seem to suggest to those in authority that all of these crimes are somehow related. But Las Vegas’s top crime scene investigators—Catherine Willows, Ray Langston, Nick Stokes, Sara Sidle, and Greg Sanders—aren’t jumping to any conclusions, as they attempt to connect the dots by entering the secretive and tight-knit body art community—one that is intensely wary of outsiders. . . .

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Media Tie In, Thriller

340 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 5, 2010

About the author

Jerome Preisler is the prolific author of almost forty books of fiction and narrative nonfiction, including all eight novels in the New York Times bestselling TOM CLANCY'S POWER PLAYS series.

His latest book is NET FORCE:DARK WEB (November 2019), the first novel in a relaunch of the New York Times bestselling series co-created by Tom Clancy. Forthcoming in May 2020 is the enovella NET FORCE: EYE OF THE DRONE.

Among Jerome's recent works of narrative history are CODE NAME CAESAR: The Secret Hunt for U-boat 864 During World War Two, and FIRST TO JUMP: How the Band of Brothers Was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company. His next book of nonfiction, CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing's Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle,will be published by Regnery Books in October 2020.

Jerome lives in New York City and coastal Maine.

Reviews

[Brigitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half/half spoilers, niet over de moorden of hoe het opgelost wordt.
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Ik geef dit boek 3,5 sterren.

Het verhaal is goed geschreven en vanaf het begin zijn er meerdere opties. Gaat het om 2 verschillende zaken of gaat het toch om maar 1 dader? Het gaat er wat rommeliger aan toe in het team vond ik, maar dat komt waarschijnlijk door het vele overwerken wat er vereist is om te werken aan deze zaak/zaken.

Ik vond het een goed verhaal, maar op een gegeven moment ging het opeens over een plaatsje en een kerk. Dat kwam erg onsamenhangend over op mij en de termen over de kerk en zo waren verwarrend voor mij aangezien er ook niks verder over werd uitgelegd. Hierdoor raakte ik wel uit m'n leesritme en dat vond ik niet fijn. Later in het verhaal wordt wel duidelijk hoe en wat.

Het eind vond ik leuk en had ik zeker niet verwacht.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book was dealing with 2 different criminal cases 1 was someone kidnapping and tattoing people and the 2nd one was someone killing innocent people and skinning the tatoos off them for art work to sell..I use 2 watch this show so was interesting to read a novel loosley written off one of their seasons and episode..if you like crime books then this is one u will like..they have to figure out and follow what clues they can to end these 2 crimes one got arrested and one dies in the end.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 16th book in the CSI series. Fast-paced and entertaining.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Thoughts: This is, clearly, a CSI novel so if you don't enjoy that show then you may not like this novel either. This novel, not unlike the other CSI novels, involve a very interesting killer. These characters, always with depth, remind me of the serial killers from Criminal Minds. It might as well be a Criminal Minds novel, other than the characters. This novel doesn't involve a crime of passion with a quick cover up. It has a very elaborate back-story. This novel requires a great deal of thinking and keeping up. You must be able to follow the story and keep up with the csi's as they solve the crime lest you get left behind which if a very big possibility with this novel. You must keep track of the regular characters as well as the ones related only to this particular novel. It was a lot of work. It required focus and time that, in the beginning, I wasn't willing to give it. I had to restart the novel (I started reading this novel once before but gave up. Finishing it the second time was also a struggle but not because it was boring. I just don't enjoy thinking too much.).

Obviously, this book involves science and big words which allows you to learn something while you read. I like that. I like knowing random fun facts about how things work and random big words that I can throw into my sentences to make me seem smarter than I actually am; it's a fault, I know. It also gave me a new view of tattoo artists and people with tattoos, not that I judged them before, you simply got an inside look.


One thing I must warn is that it is, though not the most graphic novel I've ever read, disturbing. The reader gets to see the world through the eyes of the criminal multiple times, as well as, through the eyes of the victim. This puts the reader in a position to understand motives and to, sometimes and not necessarily in this case, understand why the killer is doing what they are doing. It can help or hurt the book. In this case, it did neither really. It just spooked me out. It's worse seeing through the victim's eyes because I don't enjoy thinking about death never mind my own.

In Conclusion: Having read other CSI novels in the past, I can say that this is not my favourite. I finished it and enjoyed trying to figure out who the killer was but I find I'd rather watch my CSI on TV because it's easier to figure out the "whodunnit?" I like that aspect which is lost on me in the books. I won't be reading this novel again. I would recommend the CSI: Miami novels over regular CSI novels. If you are upset by crime novels or the description of dead bodies or crimes then this isn't for you. At times I did find it gross and upsetting and I watch all the crime shows on TV and have a strong stomach. You know what you like.

http://one-chapter-ahead.blogspot.ca/

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this as a TV Show, and reading to books are a good experience. They are a Good read.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, I kept reading, stopping, reading, stopping. It is not a real page turner. The closer you get to the end, the more predictable it gets. It's a good book to read on the train, nice to read, but it won't suck you in, so you will be able to hear the announcements :-)

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brain candy w/ a touch of violence and a hint of Nazis.

[Brianna Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. The killer took off other people's sacrifications & hung onto them. It's gross but very intriguing. I liked this book a lot.

[Jay O · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a tweener. It wasn't great and it wasn't bad. Early on you could tell where the plot was headed and who the killer or killers(?) were.

[Wan Ni]

Can't seem to be intrigued by the murder case! :(

[Ike · Rating 3 out of 5]

One word = graphic

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't barely start this book. I love the show, but this was too grotesque for me to read.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book based on the television series. This one features crimes having to do with the tattoo community. What could be crimes committed by one person is actually two different suspects.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 2 out of 5]

281 - 2015