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Beneath the Skin
Taking a job in the studio of an Edinburgh taxidermist probably isn’t Walt’s wisest decision. Suffering from combat stress and struggling to outrun the demons from his past, he now finds himself confronted by the undead on a daily basis.
His enigmatic boss, Alys, and her sister, Mouse, have their own uneasy relationship with the past. Someone doesn’t want to let them go. Can Walt save Mouse’s eight-year-old son, William, from becoming the next victim? And can he save himself?
Deliciously disturbing, this psychological thriller peels back the skin of one modern family to reveal the wounds no one wants to see. It deals with the effects of trauma and how facing up to vulnerability is sometimes the only way to let go of the past.
His enigmatic boss, Alys, and her sister, Mouse, have their own uneasy relationship with the past. Someone doesn’t want to let them go. Can Walt save Mouse’s eight-year-old son, William, from becoming the next victim? And can he save himself?
Deliciously disturbing, this psychological thriller peels back the skin of one modern family to reveal the wounds no one wants to see. It deals with the effects of trauma and how facing up to vulnerability is sometimes the only way to let go of the past.
272 pages, Paperback
Published September 22, 2016
2 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Ireland
10 books116 followersSandra Ireland was born in England but lived for many years in Éire before returning ‘home’ to Scotland in the 1990s. She is the author of Beneath the Skin, a psychological thriller, which was shortlisted for a Saltire Literary Award in 2017. Her second novel, Bone Deep, a modern Gothic tale of sibling rivalry, inspired by an old Scottish folktale, will be published in the UK by Polygon in July, and in the US (Gallery) and Germany (Penguin) next year. She also writes poetry, often inspired by the seascapes of Scotland’s rugged east coast. Her poems have been widely published in anthologies, including Seagate III (Dundee), and New Writing Scotland. She won the Dorothy Dunbar Trophy for Poetry, awarded by the Scottish Association of Writers, in 2017 and 2018. Sandra is Secretary of Angus Writers’ Circle and one third of the Chasing Time Team, which runs writing retreats in a gloriously gothic rural setting.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 17, 2016
An absolutely tremendous read, unlike anything I have ever read before. The reworking of gothic elements into such a fresh and original setting is fantastic. The final 40 pages or so are some of the most breakneck, edge of your seat, cold sweat inducing words I have read in a long time. Amazing.
April 4, 2019
I'm not sure what to say about this one, the other reviews are great so I kinda feel like I must've missed something. I really liked the characters, they were great, an uptight woman and her 8 year old son, her weird, taxidermy obsessed sister and an ex soldier suffering from PTSD. It also had a good sense of place, I really got the depressing feel of the house they lived in and the feel of the gloomy Scottish weather, though the "mystery" aspect of the story I found somewhat underwhelming. The book just seemed to creep along until the last chapter when there was a flurry of frenetic activity, then suddenly it was the end. I left a bit of time to ponder before reviewing to see if my feelings changed but nah, still nothing. The book's definitely well written but it left me feeling a bit meh.
July 22, 2018
The thing that most impressed me with 'Beneath the Skin' was how deeply Sandra Ireland gets you to care about these characters. With a lot of novels, you're lucky to find one well-rounded, complex character. With this novel, there's at least four. The relationships between them feel real and the family dynamics, while not the norm, are believable. These felt like real people, and I have to admit I was sad to see them go at the end of the book. Would certainly read a sequel!
October 26, 2016
‘The scars of the past are more than skin deep’
Now this is a very different read.
Described as ‘Deliciously disturbing’, Beneath the Skin is the debut novel from Sandra Ireland.
With Mary Shelley’s writings being a strong influence on Sandra, I jumped at the chance.
Please continue reading to hear my full thoughts….
Robert ‘Walt’ Walton is a war vet after suffering a terrible trauma on duty in Afghanistan. Unable to cope with being back home, he packs his bags and heads to Edinburgh. With no plan in mind he finds himself in Stockbridge with his rucksack on his back, no accommodation and no job.
‘Wanted : Assistant. Must be STRONG and not SQUEAMISH’
A sign catches Walt’s eye and before he really has time to think he finds himself intrigued and enters the premises
‘Floor-to-ceiling shelves of sparrows and magpies and rooks dominated the space, and there were tiny, delicate things too – butterflies pinned to beams, a sharp-nosed shrew beside the till. The cold air smelled of death, but clinically so, as if all the decay had been leached out’.
He is met by the somewhat neurotic and darkly disturbed Alys.
Alys is a taxidermist with some extremely strange views on what she does. Completely immersed in delving ‘Beneath The Skin’ of the creature, Alys sees nothing strange with what she does but sees the beauty and art in all her creations.
Walt, while unnerved, is intrigued enough to take up the job, as accommodation is included and it solves his problems in the short term.
Alys lives with her sister Maura, ‘Mouse’ and Maura’s young son, William. Together the three of them have a very close relationship with secrets that Walt is no part of.
He settles into a routine of sorts in the household, revealing a little of himself and in turn discovering a little about the uneasy and strange atmosphere that exists within the home.
As the book progresses there is quite a Gothic feel from it.
There is something quite macabre in what Alys does:
‘The absence of life alarmed him – shelf upon shelf and row upon row of lifeless bodies, glassy eyes, reaching paws…….there were birds, of course, tiny ones: tits and robins and finches, spiky with claws and beaks and ruffled feathers. There were rats in tuxedos playing cards, stoats smoking cigars. A trio of toads dressed as Chelsea pensioners. But worst of all were the kittens. They took up a whole shelf of their own. It appeared to be a wedding party complete with Siamese vicar in a clerical collar. The ‘bride’, an emaciated tortoiseshell, was dressed in Gothic black lace and the groom sporting a black top hat and a piercing in his little pink nose, was frozen in the act of placing a tiny ring over one of her unsheathed claws’
Who wouldn’t want to read more of that??
Beneath the Skin is a novel that WILL get under your skin. The tense atmosphere leaks out of the pages. The hairs on the back of your neck will rise in anticipation of what is behind a closed door.
At the same time, the story of Maura and William is more of an emotional one. Maura seems almost frozen in time, in a situation she cannot extricate herself from. She remains loyal to her sister at all times, keeping feelings of guilt close to her chest. William, at eight years old, is so unsure of the world around him. He has adopted strange habits for one so young yet not so unusual for the surroundings he finds himself growing up in.
Walt arriving into the household is the catalyst that brings change. His relationship with both Alys and Maura is quite confusing to him, but his relationship with William is very sweet. They appear to have an unspoken respect for each other.
Beneath the Skin is the perfect read if you like something a little different in your psychological thriller. There is quite a dramatic close to the book as events come to a climax and you will find yourself turning the pages at speed.
Psychological thrillers are abundant on the bookshelves at the moment but Beneath the Skin brings something different as it has a Gothic angle to the storyline.
Now this is a very different read.
Described as ‘Deliciously disturbing’, Beneath the Skin is the debut novel from Sandra Ireland.
With Mary Shelley’s writings being a strong influence on Sandra, I jumped at the chance.
Please continue reading to hear my full thoughts….
Robert ‘Walt’ Walton is a war vet after suffering a terrible trauma on duty in Afghanistan. Unable to cope with being back home, he packs his bags and heads to Edinburgh. With no plan in mind he finds himself in Stockbridge with his rucksack on his back, no accommodation and no job.
‘Wanted : Assistant. Must be STRONG and not SQUEAMISH’
A sign catches Walt’s eye and before he really has time to think he finds himself intrigued and enters the premises
‘Floor-to-ceiling shelves of sparrows and magpies and rooks dominated the space, and there were tiny, delicate things too – butterflies pinned to beams, a sharp-nosed shrew beside the till. The cold air smelled of death, but clinically so, as if all the decay had been leached out’.
He is met by the somewhat neurotic and darkly disturbed Alys.
Alys is a taxidermist with some extremely strange views on what she does. Completely immersed in delving ‘Beneath The Skin’ of the creature, Alys sees nothing strange with what she does but sees the beauty and art in all her creations.
Walt, while unnerved, is intrigued enough to take up the job, as accommodation is included and it solves his problems in the short term.
Alys lives with her sister Maura, ‘Mouse’ and Maura’s young son, William. Together the three of them have a very close relationship with secrets that Walt is no part of.
He settles into a routine of sorts in the household, revealing a little of himself and in turn discovering a little about the uneasy and strange atmosphere that exists within the home.
As the book progresses there is quite a Gothic feel from it.
There is something quite macabre in what Alys does:
‘The absence of life alarmed him – shelf upon shelf and row upon row of lifeless bodies, glassy eyes, reaching paws…….there were birds, of course, tiny ones: tits and robins and finches, spiky with claws and beaks and ruffled feathers. There were rats in tuxedos playing cards, stoats smoking cigars. A trio of toads dressed as Chelsea pensioners. But worst of all were the kittens. They took up a whole shelf of their own. It appeared to be a wedding party complete with Siamese vicar in a clerical collar. The ‘bride’, an emaciated tortoiseshell, was dressed in Gothic black lace and the groom sporting a black top hat and a piercing in his little pink nose, was frozen in the act of placing a tiny ring over one of her unsheathed claws’
Who wouldn’t want to read more of that??
Beneath the Skin is a novel that WILL get under your skin. The tense atmosphere leaks out of the pages. The hairs on the back of your neck will rise in anticipation of what is behind a closed door.
At the same time, the story of Maura and William is more of an emotional one. Maura seems almost frozen in time, in a situation she cannot extricate herself from. She remains loyal to her sister at all times, keeping feelings of guilt close to her chest. William, at eight years old, is so unsure of the world around him. He has adopted strange habits for one so young yet not so unusual for the surroundings he finds himself growing up in.
Walt arriving into the household is the catalyst that brings change. His relationship with both Alys and Maura is quite confusing to him, but his relationship with William is very sweet. They appear to have an unspoken respect for each other.
Beneath the Skin is the perfect read if you like something a little different in your psychological thriller. There is quite a dramatic close to the book as events come to a climax and you will find yourself turning the pages at speed.
Psychological thrillers are abundant on the bookshelves at the moment but Beneath the Skin brings something different as it has a Gothic angle to the storyline.
October 31, 2016
A well-constructed thriller which sends tingles down the spine
The book opens with Robert Walton, known to all as Walt, clearly trying to cope with the ravages of warfare and appearing to be suffering from PTSD. Wandering the streets of Edinburgh, he sees a sign in a window which says; ‘Wanted: assistant. Must be STRONG and not SQEAMISH.’ As he has nowhere to stay and not too much cash, he decides to find out more.
And so Walt enters the world of the strange pair of sisters, Alys and Maura, aka Mouse. Alys is a taxidermist and Mouse and her son William all live together in what is Alys’s house. To say that Walt finds the situation unusual and prickly would be an understatement. Just as he is obviously hiding something, the same can be said of Alys and Mouse, and the closer he gets to them the spookier it becomes.
The book is full of intrigue and creepiness and one of the telling lines is “She wanted the past to stay buried, but he was here to tell her it doesn’t work like that. The past is alive and living among us.”
I found the book to be almost hypnotic and it was difficult to put down, always a sign of a good plot and writer. However, the ending was somewhat of a disappointment.
I would also like to comment on the actual physical book. A lot of publications are on poor quality paper and are poorly presented. This one is of high quality, both the paper and cover.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
The book opens with Robert Walton, known to all as Walt, clearly trying to cope with the ravages of warfare and appearing to be suffering from PTSD. Wandering the streets of Edinburgh, he sees a sign in a window which says; ‘Wanted: assistant. Must be STRONG and not SQEAMISH.’ As he has nowhere to stay and not too much cash, he decides to find out more.
And so Walt enters the world of the strange pair of sisters, Alys and Maura, aka Mouse. Alys is a taxidermist and Mouse and her son William all live together in what is Alys’s house. To say that Walt finds the situation unusual and prickly would be an understatement. Just as he is obviously hiding something, the same can be said of Alys and Mouse, and the closer he gets to them the spookier it becomes.
The book is full of intrigue and creepiness and one of the telling lines is “She wanted the past to stay buried, but he was here to tell her it doesn’t work like that. The past is alive and living among us.”
I found the book to be almost hypnotic and it was difficult to put down, always a sign of a good plot and writer. However, the ending was somewhat of a disappointment.
I would also like to comment on the actual physical book. A lot of publications are on poor quality paper and are poorly presented. This one is of high quality, both the paper and cover.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
October 1, 2016
Beneath the Skin had me completely captivated from the very first page. The story is deliciously dark and disturbing but it's the characters who reel you in and won't let go. While ex soldier Walt and manic taxidermist Alys that had me turning pages in the dead of night, Mouse and her timid son William were busy stealing my heart. I'm not going to give any of the books twists and turns away, instead I'm just going to urge you to read it - you won't regret it. Sandra Ireland is a terrific writer and I can't wait to read more of her work.
November 20, 2016
Sandra Ireland has taken elements of the Gothic and deftly applied them to a contemporary familial setting in Edinburgh. The characters backgrounds and plot development brings an originality to the genre which kept me hooked throughout. I’m not the fastest of readers, I usually sneak in some reading at the end of the day when there’s a little bit of quiet in my house but I finished Beneath the Skin in a week. It’s highly readable, suspenseful, creepy, dark and thought-provoking. If you’re looking for a quintessential page-turner you won’t go wrong with Sandra Ireland’s Beneath the Skin.
October 14, 2016
A wonderfully dark and addictive read. Never has the word compelling been so apt.
June 27, 2020
Firstly: this is a very straight, white, middle class book. The only potential character of colour I could identify is a young guy with dreadlocks who the main character immediately wants to get into a fight with, which is a bit... yikesy. It's not clear if he's Black or if he's just a white guy with dreadlocks (in which case - Walt, deck him all you like), but yeah. Everyone is, as far as I could tell, straight. There are however a number of disabled characters whose disabilities are written with respect and clear research: the main character is an amputee with PTSD and two characters are Autistic-coded, one of which is a CSA survivor.
This book starts off SUPER promising. It's got a lot of in-depth exploration of veteran PTSD which is clearly well-researched and takes real PTSD sufferers' experiences into account, which I enjoyed. Alys is an absolute mystery at the beginning and I found her fascinating for the first half of the book - until the point where she's revealed as most likely autistic and starts being written a little more... childishly than before. That threw me off a bunch.
The main character, Walt, tends to tiptoe the line between remarkably likeable and far too "laddish" for my tastes. In the first half of the book especially, it seems like every other line is about his (straight) sexuality; how sexy Alys is, how Mouse's ass looks in her trousers, or whatever else. It's jarring and downright annoying to read when the story has such good potential as a psychological/mystery type book. I found myself desperately wanting to know more about Alys instead of constantly being interrupted by the "will they won't they" between her and Walt. Mouse and Walt were much more of a pleasant pairing to read, largely because the focus was less on her sex appeal than her emotional appeal to Walt, but I digress.
The pacing of the book is a bit off. It's definitely compelling as a mystery read, but everything seems to spill out and rush over the last 20-40 pages or so, which is in stark contrast to the fairly slow beginning and the nicely-paced middle. I'm not sure if I really like the resolution in the end, nor the way Alys is characterised once the reader is informed that she's autistic and traumatised, but I'm still glad I read the novel.
Overall, it's a good read. Pacing's a bit off, Alys is more compelling than any other character in the book and I wish the focus had remained on her, but I'm glad I read this and I really do want to commend the portrayals of veteran PTSD and the aftereffects of trauma depicted in the book. Less so for Alys and Mouse, whose trauma I feel was sort of 'told' rather than shown, but Walt's was very well done and just, yeah. It's a good read.
This book starts off SUPER promising. It's got a lot of in-depth exploration of veteran PTSD which is clearly well-researched and takes real PTSD sufferers' experiences into account, which I enjoyed. Alys is an absolute mystery at the beginning and I found her fascinating for the first half of the book - until the point where she's revealed as most likely autistic and starts being written a little more... childishly than before. That threw me off a bunch.
The main character, Walt, tends to tiptoe the line between remarkably likeable and far too "laddish" for my tastes. In the first half of the book especially, it seems like every other line is about his (straight) sexuality; how sexy Alys is, how Mouse's ass looks in her trousers, or whatever else. It's jarring and downright annoying to read when the story has such good potential as a psychological/mystery type book. I found myself desperately wanting to know more about Alys instead of constantly being interrupted by the "will they won't they" between her and Walt. Mouse and Walt were much more of a pleasant pairing to read, largely because the focus was less on her sex appeal than her emotional appeal to Walt, but I digress.
The pacing of the book is a bit off. It's definitely compelling as a mystery read, but everything seems to spill out and rush over the last 20-40 pages or so, which is in stark contrast to the fairly slow beginning and the nicely-paced middle. I'm not sure if I really like the resolution in the end, nor the way Alys is characterised once the reader is informed that she's autistic and traumatised, but I'm still glad I read the novel.
Overall, it's a good read. Pacing's a bit off, Alys is more compelling than any other character in the book and I wish the focus had remained on her, but I'm glad I read this and I really do want to commend the portrayals of veteran PTSD and the aftereffects of trauma depicted in the book. Less so for Alys and Mouse, whose trauma I feel was sort of 'told' rather than shown, but Walt's was very well done and just, yeah. It's a good read.
November 26, 2022
Meet Walt. He is a army veteran verging on a life crisis after seeing things only soldiers these days have to deal with. He wants an end to it all.
He wants /the/ end.
So how he found himself in the grips of a uniquely challenged family is beyond him. From the first moment he met Alys he knew there was something wrong and not just from her profession but she warmed to him quickly, was okay with his status and silent approach to his past life; just like her. It was Mouse who regarded him with indifference and it was her he ultimately needed, wanted, had to prove himself too.
But with so many family secrets spilling their skeletons out of the closets. How can he cope when his own skeletons taunt him still?
Once again an amazing read by Sandra Ireland.
He wants /the/ end.
So how he found himself in the grips of a uniquely challenged family is beyond him. From the first moment he met Alys he knew there was something wrong and not just from her profession but she warmed to him quickly, was okay with his status and silent approach to his past life; just like her. It was Mouse who regarded him with indifference and it was her he ultimately needed, wanted, had to prove himself too.
But with so many family secrets spilling their skeletons out of the closets. How can he cope when his own skeletons taunt him still?
Once again an amazing read by Sandra Ireland.
April 23, 2019
Sandra Ireland has written an atmospheric book that is hard to categorise but is definitely creepy. Walt, a traumatised ex-army officer, arrives In Edinburgh and gets a job in a taxidermist’s studio. It quickly becomes apparent that Alys, who runs the business, is eccentric and psychologically damaged and that her sister Mouse is preoccupied with her own problems.
This is an unusual and highly engaging tale but frustratingly the publishers, Polygon, included in their back cover blurb a spoiler about a key event that happens in the final section of the story.
This is an unusual and highly engaging tale but frustratingly the publishers, Polygon, included in their back cover blurb a spoiler about a key event that happens in the final section of the story.
June 29, 2020
A gripping read. believable characters, taut plot.
This is dark story about childhood abuse, PTSD, Survivor Guilt. The issues are deftly handled, slowly revealed through the story of the characters, Mouse, Alys, Walt, William, Mr Morrison. There’s something malevolent here from the outset and its exposure forms the backbone of the novel.
Above all, it is a well crafted and compelling story, which will hook you for the start. There is always the possibility of hope and redemption because there is a,ways the possibility of human’s choosing to love.
This is dark story about childhood abuse, PTSD, Survivor Guilt. The issues are deftly handled, slowly revealed through the story of the characters, Mouse, Alys, Walt, William, Mr Morrison. There’s something malevolent here from the outset and its exposure forms the backbone of the novel.
Above all, it is a well crafted and compelling story, which will hook you for the start. There is always the possibility of hope and redemption because there is a,ways the possibility of human’s choosing to love.
November 13, 2021
God this book was boring. Dragged on for ages, then a burst of action at the very end, before an abrupt stop. There were so many frustrating moments as well. The protagonist spots the abducted child he’s been trying to find being pulled along by a pedophile and instead of giving chase he stops to ask his adult companion if she’ll be ok on her own for a bit. Priorities mate! She can look after herself, the child can’t! The mysteries in this book are weak and unengaging. It looked so promising from the blurb but didn’t live up to it at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2025
Ireland crafted an unusual setting, a handful of credible characters who we quickly come to care about. As their backgrounds were revealed, slowly the plot developed, and the pace increased. I enjoyed this novel a great deal – my only disappointment was towards the very end, which felt rushed, as if the author had to tie everything up quickly, perhaps to fit a word count or time deadline. Such care had been taken to build things to that point, that it felt like it unravelled too quickly which left me a little unsatisfied.
September 16, 2018
There was a lot of feeling in this book. Which is somthing i like as it otten helps me connect with the characters more. There was somthing about the character of mouse that made me wish we known more about her. Its the reason this book lost a star. She was the carater i connceted most with but still dont feel like i knew anything about her.
The plot was well written and i enjoyed the pace of it though i so so wish we'd found out what happened to coby.
The plot was well written and i enjoyed the pace of it though i so so wish we'd found out what happened to coby.
July 17, 2019
Good read, well written and nicely characterised. Ending felt a bit rushed and I thought some more subtle clues could have been embedded much earlier in the story. Handles the debilitation of PTSD but characterisation felt a little functional - especially Alys, around who, essentially, the plot revolves.
September 12, 2020
I've read other books by the author and enjoy her writing a lot. I can take or leave thrillers but I think she creates creepy and interesting characters which you actually care about which feels fairly rare. This was probably my least favourite of her books so far - the plot was a little odd for me and was a bit slow. Will definitely read more by her though.
June 13, 2017
A little boring at the start but picked up during the last few chapters.
February 19, 2018
This is a very quirky book - quite dark in tone but intriguing never the less and the chapters are quite short, so I found it, personally, an easy read.
February 9, 2017
At first the location of the taxidermy shop slightly disturbed me, I find them creepy in real life too, but this just helped me empathise with the main character, Walt, even more. You can tell something bad has happened to him right from the start and only discover slowly just what happened to him that lead him to Edinburgh.
In fact all the characters appear to be going through a traumatic time but you start to care about them very quickly and keep turning the pages. The character development is my favourite thing about the book and something I think Sandra Ireland had done exceptionally well.
I wouldn't believe anyone that said they saw the twist coming at the end. I certainly didn't and had to stay up into the night to find out what happened to Walt, Alys and Mouse. If thrillers are your cup of tea I'd recommend Beneath the Skin anytime. I can't wait to see what the future Sandra Ireland books look like.
In fact all the characters appear to be going through a traumatic time but you start to care about them very quickly and keep turning the pages. The character development is my favourite thing about the book and something I think Sandra Ireland had done exceptionally well.
I wouldn't believe anyone that said they saw the twist coming at the end. I certainly didn't and had to stay up into the night to find out what happened to Walt, Alys and Mouse. If thrillers are your cup of tea I'd recommend Beneath the Skin anytime. I can't wait to see what the future Sandra Ireland books look like.
April 20, 2020
I'm sure I've read this at least once since 2017 - it has become one of my top five must-re-reads and never fails to enthral and move me. So nuanced and layered and lovely.
This will rank among my top five 'Unexpected Treats of the Year' for its spellbinding qualities. Billed as a thriller, probably of a domestic ilk, it felt light years away from the current deluge of those marketed as such, so delicately did the tension unravel. And it was so particular to the characters as to not feel in the slightest stereotypical; the characters themselves so individual yet so real.
Having read it for the story, to know how it will end, I now want to re-read so as to see how it was done.
This will rank among my top five 'Unexpected Treats of the Year' for its spellbinding qualities. Billed as a thriller, probably of a domestic ilk, it felt light years away from the current deluge of those marketed as such, so delicately did the tension unravel. And it was so particular to the characters as to not feel in the slightest stereotypical; the characters themselves so individual yet so real.
Having read it for the story, to know how it will end, I now want to re-read so as to see how it was done.
January 24, 2020
What a fabulous story! This gathering of dysfunctional people suffering from a range of mental health issues resulting from past stresses is a grIpping read which encouraged me to finish it over three sittings in one day - a real page turner. The characters are well-drawn (including the physical settings around Edinburgh). It’s quite a thought-provoking story that doesn’t rely on psychological twists or too-clever denouements, but does deliver the notion of a just and ‘proper’ ending. Read! Enjoy! And look out for Ms Ireland's next work!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews