Stronger Than Skin

by Stephen May

Mark Chadwick is cycling home from work, eager to get back to his pregnant wife Katy and two children, when he sees the police calling at his house. He knows exactly why they are there and he knows that the world he has carefully constructed over twenty deliberately uneventful years is about to fall apart. He could lose everything.
A story of a toxic love gone wrong, with a setting that moves easily between present day London and 1990s Cambridge, Stronger Than Skin is compulsively readable, combining a gripping narrative with a keen eye for the absurdities of the way we live now.

Genres: Fiction

362 pages, Paperback

Published March 16, 2017

About the author

I am a writer, living in the North of England.

Reviews

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I started to read this book and thought ok sounds like this bloke has a lovely little family. Mark Chadwick, who is telling the story, is trying to reclaim some of the fitness that he once had, by riding a bike bought for him by his pregnant wife. She is at home with their two children but as he rounds the corner he sees police going to his house. My first thought was something has happened to his family, then I was thrown because Mark did not speed up to get to the police officers, no, he sped up to get past as quickly as he could without being seen. What the hell, I thought, what has he done?
Well talk about a book getting your attention, because I soon realised that I would only find out as the past caught up with the present when the story dropped back to the 1990's to shuffle back and forth with present day until they became one.  Mark Chadwick had been sat on a time bomb and someone had lit the fuse!  I was hooked and going nowhere. This was like book Cluedo, I knew something had happened, I didn't know who was involved or where it had all gone down, but I was determined that I would find out!
Stephen May didn't over crowd his novel with lots of bystanders, each character had a purpose, a past, the present and shockingly not always a future. It was fascinating to see how the different roles of people in Mark's life altered his character when he was with them and how quickly circumstances could change what really mattered to him.  This is a story of lust, love and betrayal, where emotions run high and circumstances are not always of ones own making. An awesome read.

[Linda Boa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing novel, hugely talented author I'm glad I've discovered. Join me on the Blog Tour on Wednesday 22nd March at https://crimeworm.wordpress.com/

[Deborah Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book but felt the ending was quite abrupt. Full of very flawed characters, with hidden lives. Worth a read

[Stephanie Ressort · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gripped from start to finish by a fresh, unpredictable plot and compelling characters. I was sad when I came to the end and I close it for the last time, or at least until the next time. I suspect I'll be revisiting this book, because it isn't just the plot that hooks you, it's beautifully written and gives authentic and sensitive portrayals of love and family.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book blog: http://publishedmoments.co.uk

Stronger Than Skin was intriguing from the offset, Mark is on the run from the police and you have absolutely no idea why and you have no idea for about 80% of the book - amazing how a book that revolves around the Mark man-hunt doesn't give anything away but somehow manages to keep you turning the pages and reading on.

Stephen May writes about the characters of Stronger Than Skin throughout various stages of their life, it helps you form a connection with the characters as you feel you've grown with them. This evokes strong emotions within the reader and makes the shocking parts of the story more hard-hitting. You really get a sense of the love and pain within Marks life and it this kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know more.

I loved the way Stronger Than Skin ended, it took me by surprise and without giving away too much it's not something you see in every book - in fact it's rarer than I would like. I wish I could say more but if I did I would be taking the excitement of the book away from you - it's unpredictable to say the least, the whole book is!

[Michael Rumney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did want to like this book but I couldn't despite its good start when Mark Chadwick cycles home, sees the police and decides he'd better go pass. The police have caught up with him for a serious historical crime. From here on the book meanders in both time and keeping to the story. The ending is unsatisfactory in that the police don't care after taking their time to find him. It's a small point I know but May has a line 'I put some toast in the toaster' No it's bread. Small details like this irked me and added to my not liking this novel. Should have been 200 pages shorter.

[Morena · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

[Ian Kirkpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen May’s new novel “Stronger Than Skin” is an absolute belter, and continues his ongoing theme of obsession with the male psyche. The plot grabs you by the throat from the outset and is relentless in its intensity. May is a master of first person narration, and he gives his protagonist Mark Chadwick an authentic voice which is both engaging and beautifully constructed.

May’s second novel “Life, Death, Prizes” was much lauded, sweeping all before it as it scooped up a nomination for the Costa prize. His third novel “Wake Up Happy Every Day” was less commercially successful, despite a strong premise and a great line in self-deprecating humour. “Stronger Than Skin” is a far more satisfying read, with a great cast of characters, and a sweeping visual sensibility that probably owes much to May’s experiences as a screenwriter.

At the outset of the novel Mark Chadwick’s carefully constructed life takes a sudden left turn, and May deftly plots out a twin storyline as the reader slowly learns the parallels between the toxic relationship from his past and the domesticated order of his current life. May slowly teases out clues, drawing the reader into Chadwick’s intricately fashioned and convoluted world.

I particularly enjoyed the depth of characterisation within the novel. Even the minor characters are sharply delineated. When Chadwick meets an overly self-confident ex-pupil May gives his protagonist the telling line “I’m not a big fan of certainty. I don’t trust it.” I smiled for the rest of the chapter.

Like much of May’s work “Stronger Than Skin” defies simple categorisation. It is a carefully constructed high-wire act, balancing a psychological thriller with a romantic character study. Yet it works brilliantly, and May delivers it with his trademark wit and charm. Comparisons with Nick Hornby and David Nicholls are probably inevitable, but to my mind they are simply lazy reviewing. May has a better ear for dialogue than either of them, and he pulls no punches when it comes to emotional impact. He also doesn’t over-write, so whilst the ending satisfactorily resolves the main plot threads, not everything is neatly parcelled into a pat conclusion. I have a feeling May would approve of a suspended chord at the end of a song, much like The Who’s “Pinball Wizard”. Stephen May compared with Pete Townshend – I think he’d approve of that too.

[Anne Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stronger Than Skin is an story of wounds and scars, of the families that make us and those we make in our turn, of secrets, growing up, and failing to, and of youth out of its depth. It’s also about modern manhood …
Full review
Youth’s Scandalous Secrets Brought to Light http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/1/post/...

[Ali Al-Makhzomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hi, I’m a 16-year-old boy named Ali, and I’ve always been interested in discovering refreshing new books.

You can never judge a book by its cover they said, but the cover of ‘stronger than skin’ written by Steph-an May really incited me to buy the book. The book looked very mysterious to me when I bought it and my gut feeling was eventually right.

The story starts with a man named Mark who is cycling home from his work, when he sees the police call-ing at his front door. When Mark started stressing I immediately assumed that he had done something wrong.

Throughout the story you will, step by step, learn about his life as a student and about his life as a grown up dad, who his lovers were and why he was chased by the police.

Stephen May definitely kept the tension throughout the book since he waited so long for me to finally discover why he had been chased by the police. That encouraged me to keep on reading, despite the many pages that still had to be read. The book is beautifully written with lots of creative highlights. As the book progressed, I got kind of entangled in the much time traveling. This was a disadvantage, but when I discovered the history of the crime it was already forgotten.

Although, the sometimes confusing flashbacks, I definitely recommend this book. It’s 358 pages full of tension and excitement.

[Simon Maene]

I really like how this book is written from the view of Mark Chadwick, the main character. The two timelines work very well together. His fled from the police and how he fell in love with the wrong person. They build op the tension in the book. I also liked the well detailed and worked out characters. There were not too many characters, so it was not hard to understand who is who. Its easy to get under the skin of one of the characters while you are reading. it feels like you are there to. You can feel the tension while you are reading. Once you are reading you do not want to stop, you want to keep turning pages. The author uses simple words which make this book even more easy to read. I personally think that it was slightly predictable what he could have done. But I was never sure about it until is discovered it. I am also not the biggest fan of an open ending. But you can imagine your own if you would want to. The book does also describe the different emotions that the characters feel. The anger and fear that Mark feels during his search for Anne. The other timeline tells you about the love between Mark and Anne. It also tells us about the guilt feeling Mark has because he knows about Anne’s murder. The moment that Mark realises that Dr Sheldon is dead is the best part of the book. ‘He looked like a man sleeping. A man with no worries and clear conscience. Then I wasn’t confused. Then I knew’.

[G.L. Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently met Stephen May at an author's publicity meeting and his book seemed intriguing. It was. I started reading it and became engrossed. His writing style rips along and for me, this is the sign of a good writer - you don't skim anything. I read all his words. They were all necessary and added to the story. I liked the way it went back and forth - to his youth, then his later predicament. It was always clear which era we were in. At the author's meeting, someone asked if he needed to write descriptions like 'walls the colour of low-fat spread' and I thought yes, absolutely! His descriptions are spot-on, his story was good, his characters real with their good and bad sides.
Why four stars instead of five? I don't think the protagonist's crime was so terrible. If he'd faced up to it, it would have been one person's word against another. He was a nice guy. They would have believed him, I reckon. But then, there wouldn't have been a story.
Anyway, aside from that, I thought it was a cracking read. Finished it in 3 days. The ending left me sad, but hopeful. I'll definitely look for more books by this author.

[Snoakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven May's novels just get better and better. At the start of this one Mark & Katy seem to have the perfect life. But it quickly becomes apparent that something is amiss - Mark's past is back to haunt him and tear his settled life into pieces.

The story of Mark's younger self as an undergraduate at Cambridge is slowly revealed, alongside his current life as a fugitive from justice. As this dual narrative progresses we start to discover that he isn't the person we thought he was.

One of the strengths of May's novels is the characterisation. Mark isn't as perfect as he initially seems and as we get to know him better we are increasingly made aware that he can be weak and selfish. It makes him less likeable maybe, but definitely much more like a real person - he makes bad decisions and screws things up - just like the best of us. In fact this holds true for most of the characters in the book - as we know them better, so we know their faults and frailties.

It's a novel about love, loss and regret. The mistakes of the past have a habit of creeping back into your life to trip you up. Highly recommended to anyone who like a good story.

[Eli Goldenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Stronger than Skin' is an excellent book about the life course of Mark Chadwick, the main character. He's a perfectly normal man at first sight, but as the book progresses it becomes clear that he's hiding a dark secret. In the first scene of the book, we see Mark driving home on his new bike, which he got from his pregnant wife. It seems like an ordinary day until he realizes that there is police at his front door. This is the start of a blood-curdling chase by the police, in which Marks' past threatens to emerge. All the different characters that Mark encounts have their own problems, that makes them very recognizable. They're also described in a very detailed and realistic way. The book is divided into many short chapters, in which the dark secret that Mark carries with him step by step is unraveled with a mesmerizing climax as result. Because the book is divided into small chapters, it reads very smoothly. After this enormously exciting and moving story, in which both the good and the bad aspects of human being are shown, I will definitely read a lot more books that are written by Stephen May. I would highly recommend this novel, because it’s a real piece of art.

[Kasim · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I read the novel of Stephen May "Stronger Than Skin. The beginning had me really interested, because I couldn't understand what's happening, it was very intriguing to find out what's happened. The author describes a life of Mark, who at first seemed as an ordinary man, but after a while you realise that he is completely crazy, the way he handles things, his decisions are really insane. I could feel the ambiance while reading a book, but all these flashbacks made it a little bit uncomfortable to follow. But I liked the way the author described Mark, a guy who just met the wrong person, and fell in love with her. He just wanted to show us, that sometimes one person can have a huge impact on your life, maybe if he'd never met Anne, nothing would ever happen to him. What I really thought was amazing, is that every character in the novel, had an impact on Mark, so it was interesting to read how he's growing during the storyline. Nothing can be perfect, so there is a big drawback in my eyes, it the ending. But it's because I hate open endings. The novel teaches us to be aware, it tells us that sometimes we can lose everything because of something.

[Mitras Peeters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stronger than skin is a very exciting story where you see Mark Chadwick, the protagonist, getting chased down by his rough past. When I started reading this book I was immediately drawn into the story. The story line is really good, I wanted to know from the start what Mark did al those years in the past and what happened to his sister at the beginning of the book. I really liked the mysterious beginning of this book because you know something had happened with Mark but you had to read the whole book to know what. I think this book was very original because there where different timelines in the book and you can really see the story coming together at the end. The author of this book, Stephen May, really used good descriptions of the people and situations. You can imagine everything you read in your head. The tension in this book builds up as you read on, thats why it was so addictive to read the book. I was constantly trying to think of what Mark did and why he was running from the police. The two timelines explained everything at the end of the book, I also think above all that this book has an emotional side because of his sister who committed suicide. This is a very profound social issue which many people struggle with, especially now with Corona. Although the book didn't end as i expected, i don't really like open endings i wanted mark to be back with Katy and his family.
Overall i think this is a great book the novel really teaches us to be aware that you can lose everything from just doing something really stupid in your past.

[Keano Van Laer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello I am Keano. A Belgian 5th grade student who had to choose 1 of 2 books to read for school and i have chosen this book.
First I didn't look forward tho read this book because it has 320 pages and I don't like to read at all and certainly not long books. But from the beginning of the story I was surprised. Because it started immediately with some action. Mark had seen police at his door but my thought was that he would immediately sprint tho his house. But suddenly he turned back and it turned out that he had done something wrong. From then on I wanted to know what he had done and hoped that the next page would finally tell me what he had done. But that did not happen immediately and that kept me reading and so it became clearer and clearer what he had done throughout the story in little bits and that is what I liked about the story because it really keeps the reader reading.
so overall I'm pleasantly surprised by this book because I liked it anyway and i didn't notice much of the many pages because you got so sucked into the story. that's why I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

[Ali Hamidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning I had no idea what I had to expect. So, when I started reading, I saw that he was running from the police. What made the book really enjoyable was the fact that you didn’t know what he is being persuaded for. You eagerly want to know what happened, but instead of telling you, the main character takes you to relive his past in the nineties in Cambridge.
You relive his past while reading what is happening in the present as well. This continues until the story of his past and present become one. This aspect I really liked, because it made the story exciting and you got to know the main character better. You also saw the evolution of the main character if you compared his past with his present.
What was a bit weird for me was reading the intimate scenes, but I guess that is just the lack of experience on my part. A last factor that made the book exciting as well in my opinion was the fact that you couldn’t guess what the main character had done or who was involved until you read what had happened. It is a story of a wild youth, growing up, secrets, love and mistakes. Definitely a good read.

[Jeroen Mast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stronger than skin written by Stephen May is about an average UK citizen that has a job as a teacher has 2 children with his wife Katy. But one morning when he returns from work the police is in front of his house and he decides he has to flee. We don’t know why.

But because of how the book is constructed of different narrative perspectives, the story also takes place at different times because of this you steadily get to know more information on why he’s running and you get to know the characters better. The book was clearly written and even though the book is 359 pages long, you want to continue reading and before you know you get surprised by the captivating plot.

Overall it is an all round great book, with fascinating characters. I would recommend this book to everyone who can enjoy it to pick up a book from time to time. I would also recommend it to people who have English as their second or third language, because everything was clear and I had no problem understanding the story.

Overall, a good book with interesting characters and a surprising plot twist. 5/5

[Ellen Nijs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stronger than skin tells a realistic story of a man who has done his utmost to keep him and his family a step ahead of the police. When they finally find out where he lives, he has no choice but to leave his wife and children.
The reader gets to know all characters in detail. Through the book each and every person is described precisely and you either like or dislike them. As the information is being given gradually, you really want to continue reading in order to find out more about them. The same goes for the story in itself. Here too, the author works towards a climax by revealing more detailed information in a slow and steady manner.
While reading you feel the anxiety of Mark and although you realize he must have done something terrible, you feel sorry for him. The opposite goes for Jake. From the very first moment he appears in the book, the reader fears he will become the bad guy again.
Stronger than skin is touching and thrilling until the end.

[Pieter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started to read this book and I noticed that the writer (Stephen May) described everything very detailed. In the beginning I found it was nice to read. I could perfectly imagine what Stephen meant but after a while it became a bit prosy. The book started exciting. Mark was just riding home and uncontemplated there were some cops at his house. I thought there was something wrong with his family but when Mark passed his house like it wasn’t his house it gave the story a whole other twist. From that moment I knew there was something wrong. The whole book is actually about that one crime he once committed but you don’t get to know what exactly he has done until the very end. So, the nescience makes everything a bit more exciting and makes you stay reading. But because the style of writing of the author is so detailed the novel becomes a little bit boring. There are a few good plots and twists in the book but the complete story could also written in the half of the pages.

[Jordi Verbruggen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I began to read the book I knew very quickly that I would find it a good book. I liked the mysterious beginning, I knew that something had happend and I wanted to absolutely know what it was. I had and wanted to read the book. When I started reading further and further I got enough information about all the characters. The author never went too fast, you understand each step what happend in the book. The author also makes quite a lot of time jumps in the book but those are also very easy to follow. The reading of the book goes also very fast forward. The author used no or little difficult words. The book is a mix of tension, love and humor. All the 3 themes are perfectly combined in the book. To the end of the book is everything more clear. The past and the present come together into 1 story. The end is very poignant, I as reader had certainly not expected. Stronger than skin is the best English book I’ve read so far.
A real suggestion !

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen May’s novel is an absolute must have in your library. The story started off a little boring but once you give it a little time it starts to get more interesting. Personally, I like the frequent use of flashbacks. It does not only make the story more interesting, but it also makes it clearer. I like Ste-phen May’s writing. It's well written and the story flows amazingly. Each character has its own quali-ties, and the plot is slowly exposed which kept me interested and wanting to read until the end. I recommend this novel to people who like action combined with unusual and fascinating characters.

I would also like to give some well-founded criticism: first of all, I think that the book could be short-ened. In my view some of the chapters do not add much to the story. Second of all, the tension builds up towards the end but then there is a rather disappointing end.

[Maxim Janssens]

When i first started reading the book I didn't think much of it I even thought it was kind off boring, But when i was introduced to all characters and knew what the book was going to be about (the "big" crime Mark committed) I was invested in the story and wanted to know the ending. I read it as an e-book and because of that there where no page numbers only chapters and that's why I noticed the division in chapters wich I really liked, the way that after a chapter you went back in the past or to the future was great. Although I really liked the story I didn't like the sad ending , I really hoped my Mark would reunite with his fammily instead of Katy and the kids just leaving him for another man.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling start: the narrator, a teacher, cycles home to see the police are at his house… and he keeps on riding. So begins his attempt to keep out of the law’s reach, even if it means being away from his wife and young children. So we know he’s done something terrible, but not what, and just what could be so bad to trigger this extreme response isn’t revealed for quite some time. There’s a lengthy recollection of his days as a student at Cambridge so we suspect this must connect to the crime somehow, eventually. Unfortunately there is a lot of water tread before the big revelation finally comes, and even then it’s a letdown as far as fictional skeletons in the closet go. The author didn’t make enough of the enticing premise he concocted at the outset, sadly.

[Mohsen Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a usual plot which starts with a twist. Each character is well developed and the plot is gradually revealed which keeps the readers interest and a desire to the end.

Well written a good story.

Mark is so very vulnerable in this crisis and you feel for him all the way. I loved all the characters especially Lulu. There is a plot but that is secondary to his former life as a family man. Ending with a text “love you to the furthest thing in the universe and back” from his son.

KING CROSS READERS GROUP

[Tony Lawrence]

The latest fab offering from SM with a lot of familiar locations in East Anglia; Ipswich, Felixstowe, Colchester, Cambridge and the A12! I loved the story about Mark ‘Marko’ Chadwick, his college amour, and the event which comes back to haunt him some 20 years later. There are some implausibilities in his attempt to escape the police, but well paced and well written, particularly the Bonny-and-Clyde flight to Felixstowe and interchange between Mark and Lulu. It ends rather sadly for Chadwick, not a great advertisement for middle-aged mankind or enduring love :(

[Annie Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Stephen May’s writing style but overall did not find this to be a satisfying thriller. The tale of the narrator’s old affair with a university tutor seemed cliched, and the descriptions of his current marriage felt incomplete. While the tale of his experiences as a fugitive was engaging I didn’t feel that this situation was fully resolved. I would read another book by the author but felt that Stronger Than Skin didn’t quite hit the mark.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another half-price punt from Sandstone books that paid off in spades. A couple of typos, at least one unforgiveable mis-spelling and the back cover blurb gave too much away, but not having read it until well on, my enjoyment was nor spoilt.
And enjoyed I did. Beginning with the likelihood of something too predictable, it quickly became not so. And continued thus for the rest of the book.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsure

This book was a little disappointing, it was anti-climatic, with characters that weren't particularly likeable. Not my usual type of book, I felt it was a little 2 dimensional, with no pace. Just my opinion.