Where do I even begin to describe this novel? I'll start out by admitting to being an avid fan of Ms. McKenna's books since I read her first novel, and, just like all her other novels, this one, the third novel in her Obsidian Files series, is one spectacular thrill ride from beginning to end, and it gets 5 stars from this reader.
If you're a fan of romantic suspense, you'll find this novel and this series to be so much more than that, because it also fits right into the realm of science fiction, thrillers, a touch of horror, some paranormal and action adventure. The heroes and heroines in these novels, have been genetically, physically and psychologically enhanced and controlled to varying degrees, making them in many ways superhuman. But, just as in the movie Robocop, they didn't bargain for any of this. They were, for the most part, abducted as children or teens and became unwilling participants in the torturous process, turned into cyborgs to become super-soldiers for Obsidian, a secret and nefarious group of depraved megalomaniacs. There'd been a rebellion at the Midlands facility where their enhancements/torture took place, and some of these damaged, tortured souls fought for and gained their freedom, but the search to reclaim the Midland Rebels is still ongoing.
The hero in the preceding novel was Zade, who was actively searching for his missing brother, Luke, both had been abducted, and In My Skin is Luke's story. When we first meet him he only knows his first name--during his recent year-long recapture/torture/enhancement, he built impenetrable mental walls and blocked off his memories to keep those he loved and cared about safe, but now that he's free, although being actively hunted, he needs his memories back but so far has been unable to retrieve them.
The heroine in this story is Daniela (Dani) LaSalle, a nurse in California who grew up in the system and on the streets without family, and with only one close friend, Naldo, who disappeared years ago and hasn't been seen since, but that's about to change when one night, while relaxing at home, she answers a knock on her door, and into her home falls Naldo, broken and bleeding and not making much sense as he tries to explain what his life has been like while bleeding to death in Dani's living room. He's covered with scars and with his last breath hands Dani a capsule that he's dug out of his own chest. This connection is what leads Luke into Dani's life, and from that point on, hang onto your hats, because this novel takes off like gangbusters and never lets up until the very end.
If you're new to this series, I strongly suggest you start at the beginning and read these novels in the order they were written because many of the characters in this novel and their experiences and interrelationships have already been established in the previous two novels, and will certainly enhance your enjoyment and make this one more comprehensible to you. The previous novels, Right Through Me and My Next Breath, are all groundbreaking and excellent reads, and this is one series you don't want to miss a minute of. One advance warning, there's graphic sex and violence in all three of these novels, so while I highly recommend it, it's definitely for mature readers.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.