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Skin | Deep
Detective Sergeant Lena Evans gets recognized on the streets of her hometown of West Joseph, Ohio. She’s a reluctant local celebrity, having defeated serial killer Lathan Collins. Now, as the one-year anniversary of the Collins case nears, four more women have been brutally murdered—and the killer is sending video footage of their deaths directly to Lena’s inbox. The investigation brings Lena face-to-face with her the Collins case, her celebrity status, her lingering PTSD—and the first woman she ever loved, Special Agent Cait Porter, who’s just been assigned to the case. The killer gives Lena five days to figure out who he is. But the closer she gets to finding him, the more likely it is that she’ll become his fifth victim.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 30, 2018
72 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Hanson
5 books91 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
MICHELLE HANSON is a writer, director, producer, and photographer. She writes detective novels so her degree in Criminology can be put to good use. Michelle is an avid fan of the horror genre, and spends most of her free time volunteering at a local theatre. Her photography has been published in newspapers and online magazines/blogs.
Michelle is the creator, director and writer of the supernatural lesbian web series, Red Rue. She also wrote and directed Gül Girl, and the upcoming psychological thriller, Veho (Fearopoly Films).
Michelle is married, and has two dogs and three cats. She hopes to see her novels turn into a movie or television show one day (Netflix, are you listening?).
Follow Michelle on:
Instagram: MLRED219
Follow her projects on:
Twitter: Fearopoly
Instagram: Fearopoly
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
MICHELLE HANSON is a writer, director, producer, and photographer. She writes detective novels so her degree in Criminology can be put to good use. Michelle is an avid fan of the horror genre, and spends most of her free time volunteering at a local theatre. Her photography has been published in newspapers and online magazines/blogs.
Michelle is the creator, director and writer of the supernatural lesbian web series, Red Rue. She also wrote and directed Gül Girl, and the upcoming psychological thriller, Veho (Fearopoly Films).
Michelle is married, and has two dogs and three cats. She hopes to see her novels turn into a movie or television show one day (Netflix, are you listening?).
Follow Michelle on:
Instagram: MLRED219
Follow her projects on:
Twitter: Fearopoly
Instagram: Fearopoly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 15, 2018
Edit: When I first read this book my copy had some formatting issues. Now that I know the issue is all fixed and if people buy a copy they don't have to worry, I'm bumping up my finale rating to reflect that.
3.75 Stars. This was a good serial killer mystery/crime book. I have never read this author before so I took a chance on this. The book is currently available from Amazon for only .99. I think this book is worth more than that price so it really is a steal.
This is lesfic and does have some romance. However, most of the book is about the main character Lena dealing with PTSD and trying to find the killer. Lena is a Detective Sargent, who was captured by a serial killer she was chasing. It has now been a year and she is still dealing with nightmares and anxiety attacks. When a new serial killer starts sending videos of murders to the police, Lena most overcome her fears to stop them.
This book is written in first person. There are a lot of details so you actually see, feel, and even smell what the main character is going through. The way this is written you feel like you are actually becoming the character of Lena seeing through her eyes. I think it is a cool way to read a book, but I know it’s not for everyone. I did think at times that details went a little overboard. That Hanson was overdoing it a bit, but for the most part I liked this different kind of writing.
The mystery was well written. Hanson gives out some clues that if you pay attention, you can actually figure out the killer before Lena does. I always like when a mystery writer does that, I think it makes the book more enjoyable. I do have to give a trigger warning. This book is violent and gory. Some of the descriptions of the murders that were caught on video, I had to skim because they were turning my stomach a bit. This is a hardcore serial killer case. On the other side, this book is also very exciting at times since you know you are dealing with someone so evil.
This book has some bumps, but it was a good exciting read that I am glad I read. I think this book will appeal to crime/mystery fans. It is tough to read in parts, but the overall story is well done.
An ARC was given to me by Netgalley for a honest review.
3.75 Stars. This was a good serial killer mystery/crime book. I have never read this author before so I took a chance on this. The book is currently available from Amazon for only .99. I think this book is worth more than that price so it really is a steal.
This is lesfic and does have some romance. However, most of the book is about the main character Lena dealing with PTSD and trying to find the killer. Lena is a Detective Sargent, who was captured by a serial killer she was chasing. It has now been a year and she is still dealing with nightmares and anxiety attacks. When a new serial killer starts sending videos of murders to the police, Lena most overcome her fears to stop them.
This book is written in first person. There are a lot of details so you actually see, feel, and even smell what the main character is going through. The way this is written you feel like you are actually becoming the character of Lena seeing through her eyes. I think it is a cool way to read a book, but I know it’s not for everyone. I did think at times that details went a little overboard. That Hanson was overdoing it a bit, but for the most part I liked this different kind of writing.
The mystery was well written. Hanson gives out some clues that if you pay attention, you can actually figure out the killer before Lena does. I always like when a mystery writer does that, I think it makes the book more enjoyable. I do have to give a trigger warning. This book is violent and gory. Some of the descriptions of the murders that were caught on video, I had to skim because they were turning my stomach a bit. This is a hardcore serial killer case. On the other side, this book is also very exciting at times since you know you are dealing with someone so evil.
This book has some bumps, but it was a good exciting read that I am glad I read. I think this book will appeal to crime/mystery fans. It is tough to read in parts, but the overall story is well done.
An ARC was given to me by Netgalley for a honest review.
November 8, 2018
After reading a few of the reviews of this novel I decided to give it a try but altered my expectations from lesfic to reading it as purely in the thriller genre with a lesbian lead. I think it made a huge difference to my reading experience knowing that I was, by all accounts, in for a for a fairly gruesome read with no assumptions on the ending.
Sergeant Lena Evans is struggling under her mantle of town hero combined with PTSD caused by her near-death experience in tracking a serial killer. When the police department receives a video of a murder in progress a specialist in cybercrime, Special Agent Cait Porter, is called in to assist Lena and the investigative team.
Written in first person from Lena’s point of view, what I found most powerful about this read was the descriptions. At any moment I could envision the surroundings because they were described with an accuracy that gave me an instant mental image. It wasn’t just the environment though. Lena’s physical sensations of something as simple as drinking a beer to the taste of blood in her mouth were visceral and tangible in the way they’re described. I could feel what she was going through when she had a panic attack. The downside to such explicitness is that gruesomeness of a murder scene can be difficult to get through.
I really liked Lena as a character because she wasn’t perfect. She didn’t always make the best choices, she wasn’t always in control and she certainly wasn’t particularly loveable at times. In spite of this I found I had empathy for her because her trauma and post-trauma was described with such clarity. I’m usually not a fan of excessive descriptions yet in this novel I loved how evocative they were and how much they drew me into the story.
This is a fantastic thriller with a powerful portrayal of PTSD.
Trigger warning: The violence is explicit.
Book received from Netgalley and Fearopoly for an honest review.
Sergeant Lena Evans is struggling under her mantle of town hero combined with PTSD caused by her near-death experience in tracking a serial killer. When the police department receives a video of a murder in progress a specialist in cybercrime, Special Agent Cait Porter, is called in to assist Lena and the investigative team.
Written in first person from Lena’s point of view, what I found most powerful about this read was the descriptions. At any moment I could envision the surroundings because they were described with an accuracy that gave me an instant mental image. It wasn’t just the environment though. Lena’s physical sensations of something as simple as drinking a beer to the taste of blood in her mouth were visceral and tangible in the way they’re described. I could feel what she was going through when she had a panic attack. The downside to such explicitness is that gruesomeness of a murder scene can be difficult to get through.
I really liked Lena as a character because she wasn’t perfect. She didn’t always make the best choices, she wasn’t always in control and she certainly wasn’t particularly loveable at times. In spite of this I found I had empathy for her because her trauma and post-trauma was described with such clarity. I’m usually not a fan of excessive descriptions yet in this novel I loved how evocative they were and how much they drew me into the story.
This is a fantastic thriller with a powerful portrayal of PTSD.
Trigger warning: The violence is explicit.
Book received from Netgalley and Fearopoly for an honest review.
October 15, 2018
This book is unavailable on KU/Scribd.
Kindle price 99¢.
"Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you"
The Police
Dear Ms.Hanson, what inspired you to come out with such unique lines? I enjoyed them immensely :)
- My chest was thick and heavy, like tar had been poured down my throat. Page 18
- A knot grew inside my stomach and traveled up my esophagus before it loosened. It broke into long tentacles that fastened along my throat and locked themselves around my vocal cords. Page 79
- and the blast would rise to the back of my throat, burning my esophagus as if I had taken a shot of battery acid. Page 217
The pacing of the story was good, it didn't cause my heart to go boom, boom, boom. I was okay to put it down and pick it up anytime. The cases were brutal, the investigation slow but escalated towards the end. Did I guess the perpetrator correctly? Yes, he was on my extremely short suspect list. The investigators, Lena was traumatized and barely functioning and Cait was just what a doctor would prescribed to Lena.
The epilogue for the hs was perfect and I love the cover.
Kindle price 99¢.
"Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you"
The Police
Dear Ms.Hanson, what inspired you to come out with such unique lines? I enjoyed them immensely :)
- My chest was thick and heavy, like tar had been poured down my throat. Page 18
- A knot grew inside my stomach and traveled up my esophagus before it loosened. It broke into long tentacles that fastened along my throat and locked themselves around my vocal cords. Page 79
- and the blast would rise to the back of my throat, burning my esophagus as if I had taken a shot of battery acid. Page 217
The pacing of the story was good, it didn't cause my heart to go boom, boom, boom. I was okay to put it down and pick it up anytime. The cases were brutal, the investigation slow but escalated towards the end. Did I guess the perpetrator correctly? Yes, he was on my extremely short suspect list. The investigators, Lena was traumatized and barely functioning and Cait was just what a doctor would prescribed to Lena.
The epilogue for the hs was perfect and I love the cover.
October 13, 2018
WOW, what a creepy and unsettling read. I know it is just a story but a very descriptively graphic thriller with enough detail to make this reader feel unsettled. Detective Sergeant Lena Evans is a reluctant local celebrity struggling with PTSD. Special Agent Cait Port is the potential solid person Lena needs in her life. Written in the first person, Lena shares how she is feeling and why she is doing what she is doing. Both Cait and Lena are good and likable people working hard to do the right thing. This read provides quite a good look at a person struggling with PTSD.
ARC provided by Fearopoly via NetGalley
ARC provided by Fearopoly via NetGalley
October 23, 2018
Warning: This book contains violence, murder, blood and a lot of psychopathy. If you can't handle this then don't subject yourself to this book.
I've been in a bit of a reading slump, what with college and life in general.i guess this book can finally get me out of that block.
I was thoroughly impressed by this book. It feels like Dexter meets Hannibal meets Castle. As is evident from the blurb the book is about serial killers. And not your average creepy ones, these are the scary ones they show in movies and documentaries.
The book starts off with the protagonist Lena recalling how she faced a serial killer. Fast forward a year and she's suffering from PTSD and hates the attention she gets from people. But her life is not getting any easier, with her own issues to deal with and a new serial killer popping up, seemingly more psychotic than the previous one.
I am a huge fan of anything Psychopathy related. It's a fascinating subject, right from how it's genetic, how the brain function is altered and how they perceive the world etc. This book just fuelled my interest some more. And add to it some amazing writing and great characters and you have a winner in your hand. Every plot point seemed to make sense, and the ending was perfect. And the fact that there's a lesbian romance interwoven is the cherry on top.
My only complaint was that at times the description was really really verbose. This was distracting to me because I easily loose track of what's happening. And the blood and gore is honestly scary. It took me a lot of days to get through this book. But in the end it was worth it. Certainly this is a book worth spending time with. :)
I've been in a bit of a reading slump, what with college and life in general.i guess this book can finally get me out of that block.
I was thoroughly impressed by this book. It feels like Dexter meets Hannibal meets Castle. As is evident from the blurb the book is about serial killers. And not your average creepy ones, these are the scary ones they show in movies and documentaries.
The book starts off with the protagonist Lena recalling how she faced a serial killer. Fast forward a year and she's suffering from PTSD and hates the attention she gets from people. But her life is not getting any easier, with her own issues to deal with and a new serial killer popping up, seemingly more psychotic than the previous one.
I am a huge fan of anything Psychopathy related. It's a fascinating subject, right from how it's genetic, how the brain function is altered and how they perceive the world etc. This book just fuelled my interest some more. And add to it some amazing writing and great characters and you have a winner in your hand. Every plot point seemed to make sense, and the ending was perfect. And the fact that there's a lesbian romance interwoven is the cherry on top.
My only complaint was that at times the description was really really verbose. This was distracting to me because I easily loose track of what's happening. And the blood and gore is honestly scary. It took me a lot of days to get through this book. But in the end it was worth it. Certainly this is a book worth spending time with. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2022
4,5 stars
Why the hell do I always pick the scariest stuff before going to sleep!?!?
Ok, now seriously
It was well written, the pacing was good (= scared the crap out of me) and I also liked the MCs (but feel the need to warn people, that it's less of a lesfic and more of a thriller/horror with a lesbian lead). So no complaints there. Can't say it is something I'm ever willing to re-read, but that's mostly because I'm still recovering from a near heart-attack. May change later
Side note: it's pretty gruesome, most crime books don't go to such hard core levels of detail, so if you have a weak stomach and/or heart, can't exactly recommend it.
Why the hell do I always pick the scariest stuff before going to sleep!?!?
Ok, now seriously
It was well written, the pacing was good (= scared the crap out of me) and I also liked the MCs (but feel the need to warn people, that it's less of a lesfic and more of a thriller/horror with a lesbian lead). So no complaints there. Can't say it is something I'm ever willing to re-read, but that's mostly because I'm still recovering from a near heart-attack. May change later
Side note: it's pretty gruesome, most crime books don't go to such hard core levels of detail, so if you have a weak stomach and/or heart, can't exactly recommend it.
October 6, 2018
3.75 stars, written in main character POV. I found it an interesting take, let's you come to the big reveal of the story with the main character or before, depending on your puzzle skills. Great price point [1$], the main character Lena is a survivor of a previous serial killer. She's trying to put her life &career back together, whilst dealing with justifiable PTSD. A new killer takes up on the 1 year anniversary of killings. Solid read.
November 6, 2018
Skin Deep by Michelle Hanson is a truly gripping crime novel/murder mystery/horror story that readers of those genres will love. The shocking tale grabs you from the first page of the prologue and won’t let you go until the very last page.
The novel is told in the first person through the eyes of the main character, Detective Sergeant Lena Evans, an officer with a horrific past who suffers from PTSD so badly it affects every part of her life. The crimes she must solve in this story will not make her life any easier either. She is faced with catching a soulless murderer who enjoys killing his victims with extreme gruesomeness. The story is well told with surprises throughout and holds your interest until the very end.
I had no problem with the story itself. My biggest problem came with an element that usually is a must for a story told in first person narrative. The problem I had was the excessive descriptions. The author went to great lengths to show the reader what Lena was thinking, feeling, seeing, hearing, and tasting. In places in the story, the descriptions became almost too much. They overwhelmed the plot, at least for me. I actually found myself skimming in places which I hate doing, especially in a mystery. I was afraid I would miss elements I needed to know. It became a distraction from the story for me and is the reason I gave the story three stars instead of four, which I believe the story itself deserves.
If you like gory murder mysteries and want a lot of descriptions in your tale, this is the book for you. I will mention if you suffer from PTSD or severe depression, there might be triggers in this story that could bother you.
I received an ARC from Net Galley for an honest review.
The novel is told in the first person through the eyes of the main character, Detective Sergeant Lena Evans, an officer with a horrific past who suffers from PTSD so badly it affects every part of her life. The crimes she must solve in this story will not make her life any easier either. She is faced with catching a soulless murderer who enjoys killing his victims with extreme gruesomeness. The story is well told with surprises throughout and holds your interest until the very end.
I had no problem with the story itself. My biggest problem came with an element that usually is a must for a story told in first person narrative. The problem I had was the excessive descriptions. The author went to great lengths to show the reader what Lena was thinking, feeling, seeing, hearing, and tasting. In places in the story, the descriptions became almost too much. They overwhelmed the plot, at least for me. I actually found myself skimming in places which I hate doing, especially in a mystery. I was afraid I would miss elements I needed to know. It became a distraction from the story for me and is the reason I gave the story three stars instead of four, which I believe the story itself deserves.
If you like gory murder mysteries and want a lot of descriptions in your tale, this is the book for you. I will mention if you suffer from PTSD or severe depression, there might be triggers in this story that could bother you.
I received an ARC from Net Galley for an honest review.
December 4, 2018
Thriller
The book’s outstanding writing deserves everyone’s attention. It will expand the way you see the world and hopefully impress upon you that no matter our lot in life we all want to be loved, respected and accepted for who we are and we all have gifts to share with the world. It is a believable story with the perfect amount of true life situations. I suffer from PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks. So I could relate to how Lena felt. I hope to see more books from this author I would read them. I definitely recommend this book.
The book’s outstanding writing deserves everyone’s attention. It will expand the way you see the world and hopefully impress upon you that no matter our lot in life we all want to be loved, respected and accepted for who we are and we all have gifts to share with the world. It is a believable story with the perfect amount of true life situations. I suffer from PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks. So I could relate to how Lena felt. I hope to see more books from this author I would read them. I definitely recommend this book.
November 30, 2018
This was a great crime book. I kept pushing it back on my " to read" list for a while, glad I gave it a go. Good story, great plot. I will be reading more of Ms. Hanson's books.
December 26, 2018
Lena Evans is a police detective in a small town where, one year ago, a prolific serial killer rampaged. Lena saved the day, but ended up with deep running scars that have taken over her life. Then, new victims start propping up, victims that seem to be killed by the same person. Lena has to work through her PTSD, relationship, and find the killer before he gets really good at what he does. When Lena's first love, Caitlyn, is assigned to the case, Lena must also deal with reemerging feelings for her ex.
This book is a lot. The horror/ thriller elements are really good - the stakes are high in this one, and I could feel it at times. Lena Evans is a great main character, not only because the author took the time to unpack Lena's dealing with her PTSD, but the mystery feels like Lena needed to solve it in order to heal. Both the mystery and Lena's journey are highlights of the book for me.
What really got me was there were too many times where the pacing was really slow. This was especially true for the quiet moments with Lena and Cait. Sometimes it felt too clinical - almost as if Lena (who is the narrator) was detached from everything, even in the love scene. Like she was feeling things, but the description of what was actually happening was methodical, so I couldn't really felt the same things as Lena. Which is tough to deal with in first person Point of View.
Overall, though, I think this is a decent book, with a lot of things for people to like about it. The mystery is weighty, there's a good push and pull between Lena and Cait, and Lena's emotional journey. I just wished the pacing was better, and some of the descriptions could be less clinical at times.
I received this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for my honest opinion.
This book is a lot. The horror/ thriller elements are really good - the stakes are high in this one, and I could feel it at times. Lena Evans is a great main character, not only because the author took the time to unpack Lena's dealing with her PTSD, but the mystery feels like Lena needed to solve it in order to heal. Both the mystery and Lena's journey are highlights of the book for me.
What really got me was there were too many times where the pacing was really slow. This was especially true for the quiet moments with Lena and Cait. Sometimes it felt too clinical - almost as if Lena (who is the narrator) was detached from everything, even in the love scene. Like she was feeling things, but the description of what was actually happening was methodical, so I couldn't really felt the same things as Lena. Which is tough to deal with in first person Point of View.
Overall, though, I think this is a decent book, with a lot of things for people to like about it. The mystery is weighty, there's a good push and pull between Lena and Cait, and Lena's emotional journey. I just wished the pacing was better, and some of the descriptions could be less clinical at times.
I received this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for my honest opinion.
October 5, 2018
Twists & Turns
Really good enjoyable thriller with twists & turns. DS Evans comes across as a flawed police detective due to what happened with a serial killer, she try’s to come to terms professionally & personally with the consequences but, all in all just wants to be a good cop & try and get on with her life. Unfortunately someone who regards the original killer as a hero and not her has other plans....... Enjoy.
Really good enjoyable thriller with twists & turns. DS Evans comes across as a flawed police detective due to what happened with a serial killer, she try’s to come to terms professionally & personally with the consequences but, all in all just wants to be a good cop & try and get on with her life. Unfortunately someone who regards the original killer as a hero and not her has other plans....... Enjoy.
September 25, 2018
3.5 Overall this was a good read. The story is gripping and I was definitely involved. There were a good number of typos which were mildly annoying but not so many that it was distracting. There was one grammatical error that occurred repeatedly; the past tense of “lie” (to recline) is “lay”. It is not “lied”. Whew, thanks for letting me get that off my chest! Seriously though, I did enjoy this book and it’s worth far more than the 99 cents I paid for it.
December 4, 2018
I gave this a 4 because it kept me wanting to keep reading and to see where this was going. It wasn't crazy outlandish and it was a believable story. Great character development, but I feel like there were some smaller parts that were not answered, other than that I'd recommend anyone to read this, whether you like hot, strong female leads, or just a nice read that doesn't take too much effort to read than this would be a good one. Overall a good, solid book.
October 5, 2018
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Goddess Fish Promotions for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
I have never read author Michelle Hanson before and her book Skin | Deep sounded like something right up my alley, plus it’s a serial killer book set in Ohio, how could I not want to read it?
This book is written in first person, which at times felt a little overwhelming considering the mindset of the main character, Lena Evans. But, before I get into that, let’s start at the beginning. The prologue of this book, a must read… do people not read prologues? Anyway, the prologue was absolutely crazy! You are thrown right into the story from the very first page. It’s fast-paced, gory, heart-stopping action. I realized when I got to the end of the prologue I’d been holding my breath. I stopped to immediately post about the book on social media. Seriously, that’s how much just the prologue caught me by surprise.
I read a lot of serial killer books, murder mysteries, etc. These books range in goriness from nothing to whoa. This is a whoa book. Sometimes in other books of this genre, it feels like the author is taking the easy way out, or maybe just making the story more mainstream by leaving out the truly horrible parts about a serial killer. Not Michelle Hanson. She put every detail, no matter how shocking, on page and I respect her for that. There was no taking the easy way out for her, she put it all out there. And that became obvious in the prologue when I about jumped out of my skin when Evans came face to face with the serial killer for the first time.
The character of Detective Sergeant Lena Evans was a difficult one. She was smart, strong, weak, reckless and all over the place. Because this story is told in first person, the reader gets to know Lena. We experience everything with her, we’re inside her mind A LOT and it’s not a comfortable place to be. Evans is struggling in her personal life, in her mind, and at work. She’s struggling to live in a town that worships her and acts like she’s a hero for her actions against a serial killer. She’s struggling as that story just continues to grow and won’t die. She is not a perfect female lead. I liked her but at times I didn’t. She was very self-centered and didn’t pay attention to how her actions affected others. But my biggest complaint was she didn’t learn from past mistakes. Her actions put others at risk and that just pissed me off.
At times there was just too much detail in the writing, I know, weird, right? But, when you go through every step of a character brushing their teeth, for me it just distracts from the story. Reading that she brushed her teeth would have sufficed. Instead, it was every minute detail. Evans was in a relationship that was crumbling, due to her actions and inactions. I spent too much time worrying that she was going to cheat on her partner and really tank the book for me. That did not happen, but it really distracted me from the story. I’ll reread this book again, knowing that cheating doesn’t happen, so I can focus on the other parts of the story that were overshadowed for me.
There is a lot of relationship drama in this book, and Evans falls out of love with one woman and in love with another in just a few pages. Based on the danger she put her love in, I don’t know if I really believe that she’s in love, but for me, the relationship aspects are not the important parts of this story!
The serial killer and everything that happens along that storyline was very well done, but I absolutely knew who the serial killer was. Frankly, if Evans wasn’t having all her personal drama, she’d probably have seen the signs earlier of who the killer was. It was obvious. And the same could be said about the retired police detective. I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to give anything away, but there was nothing shocking for me in this storyline.
Overall this is a terrific serial killer book. The story is well-written for the most part, fast-paced, action-packed and brutal. If you enjoy serial killer, murder mystery books this is definitely one you’re going to want to read immediately! If you’re picking this book up for a romance book, you may be a little disappointed. I wasn’t, so it was perfect for me! If you’re looking for strong, imperfect female leads this is perfect for you. I highly recommend this one!
Rating: 4.5 stars!!
I have never read author Michelle Hanson before and her book Skin | Deep sounded like something right up my alley, plus it’s a serial killer book set in Ohio, how could I not want to read it?
This book is written in first person, which at times felt a little overwhelming considering the mindset of the main character, Lena Evans. But, before I get into that, let’s start at the beginning. The prologue of this book, a must read… do people not read prologues? Anyway, the prologue was absolutely crazy! You are thrown right into the story from the very first page. It’s fast-paced, gory, heart-stopping action. I realized when I got to the end of the prologue I’d been holding my breath. I stopped to immediately post about the book on social media. Seriously, that’s how much just the prologue caught me by surprise.
I read a lot of serial killer books, murder mysteries, etc. These books range in goriness from nothing to whoa. This is a whoa book. Sometimes in other books of this genre, it feels like the author is taking the easy way out, or maybe just making the story more mainstream by leaving out the truly horrible parts about a serial killer. Not Michelle Hanson. She put every detail, no matter how shocking, on page and I respect her for that. There was no taking the easy way out for her, she put it all out there. And that became obvious in the prologue when I about jumped out of my skin when Evans came face to face with the serial killer for the first time.
The character of Detective Sergeant Lena Evans was a difficult one. She was smart, strong, weak, reckless and all over the place. Because this story is told in first person, the reader gets to know Lena. We experience everything with her, we’re inside her mind A LOT and it’s not a comfortable place to be. Evans is struggling in her personal life, in her mind, and at work. She’s struggling to live in a town that worships her and acts like she’s a hero for her actions against a serial killer. She’s struggling as that story just continues to grow and won’t die. She is not a perfect female lead. I liked her but at times I didn’t. She was very self-centered and didn’t pay attention to how her actions affected others. But my biggest complaint was she didn’t learn from past mistakes. Her actions put others at risk and that just pissed me off.
At times there was just too much detail in the writing, I know, weird, right? But, when you go through every step of a character brushing their teeth, for me it just distracts from the story. Reading that she brushed her teeth would have sufficed. Instead, it was every minute detail. Evans was in a relationship that was crumbling, due to her actions and inactions. I spent too much time worrying that she was going to cheat on her partner and really tank the book for me. That did not happen, but it really distracted me from the story. I’ll reread this book again, knowing that cheating doesn’t happen, so I can focus on the other parts of the story that were overshadowed for me.
There is a lot of relationship drama in this book, and Evans falls out of love with one woman and in love with another in just a few pages. Based on the danger she put her love in, I don’t know if I really believe that she’s in love, but for me, the relationship aspects are not the important parts of this story!
The serial killer and everything that happens along that storyline was very well done, but I absolutely knew who the serial killer was. Frankly, if Evans wasn’t having all her personal drama, she’d probably have seen the signs earlier of who the killer was. It was obvious. And the same could be said about the retired police detective. I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to give anything away, but there was nothing shocking for me in this storyline.
Overall this is a terrific serial killer book. The story is well-written for the most part, fast-paced, action-packed and brutal. If you enjoy serial killer, murder mystery books this is definitely one you’re going to want to read immediately! If you’re picking this book up for a romance book, you may be a little disappointed. I wasn’t, so it was perfect for me! If you’re looking for strong, imperfect female leads this is perfect for you. I highly recommend this one!
Rating: 4.5 stars!!
September 26, 2018
Lena is a detective/ sergeant is famous in her hometown for taking down an infamous serial killer named Lathan Collins. A year later she is still haunted by her time spent in the killers lair. With the anniversary of Lathan's death fast approaches, a killer is sending video of his kills to Lena. The investigations brings Lena's ex back into her life as her partner to catch him. The killer give five days for Lena to figure out who he. There are already four victims. Will Lena be the fifth?
Lena is a very complex character. She is still very broken by her horrific experience. and feels completely isolated from those around her. This was one of those books that I hated to have to put down throughout the day. Lena is a character that I cant help but like and want to root for. Fast paced and a bit creepy. In a good way! There are two different killers talked about in this book and both give me chills.
Lena is a very complex character. She is still very broken by her horrific experience. and feels completely isolated from those around her. This was one of those books that I hated to have to put down throughout the day. Lena is a character that I cant help but like and want to root for. Fast paced and a bit creepy. In a good way! There are two different killers talked about in this book and both give me chills.
September 29, 2018
Got on net galley for a honest review.
great read. I really enjoyed it. The PTSD so spot on and the romance really got me hooked on the characters. It might be too gory for those who can't sit through a typical horror movie but for me it was just enough textual gore. I don't know why some reviews are complaining about format and grammar. Maybe it was fixed since the early reviews. there was no format or grammar issues on my copy.
Highly recommend if you like LGBT murder mystery and PG-13 horror movies.
great read. I really enjoyed it. The PTSD so spot on and the romance really got me hooked on the characters. It might be too gory for those who can't sit through a typical horror movie but for me it was just enough textual gore. I don't know why some reviews are complaining about format and grammar. Maybe it was fixed since the early reviews. there was no format or grammar issues on my copy.
Highly recommend if you like LGBT murder mystery and PG-13 horror movies.
September 30, 2018
Couldn't put this down
So, this was a page turner from the very beginning. It is written very well...almost too well...I am a very visual reader and could see this very well from how she described the rooms, etc. This is her first book and I look forward to more. I hope to read more with Lena and Cait. They make great partners and can catch the bad guys.
So, this was a page turner from the very beginning. It is written very well...almost too well...I am a very visual reader and could see this very well from how she described the rooms, etc. This is her first book and I look forward to more. I hope to read more with Lena and Cait. They make great partners and can catch the bad guys.
October 1, 2018
This book was everything I didn't Expect it to be and I loved it.
Detective Sergeant Lena Evans takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. However, it would be wise to note that this book might be a little too graphic for some readers.
The book is written in first person and, although not my favourite, it did a great job at describing everything that was happening. Something that i find a bit hard to do, especially if you only have one point of view.
I would recommend this book to everyone that likes to be on the edge of their seat throughout the entire book. The suspense and mystery were great. I also really like the little touch of romance the author added.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Detective Sergeant Lena Evans takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. However, it would be wise to note that this book might be a little too graphic for some readers.
The book is written in first person and, although not my favourite, it did a great job at describing everything that was happening. Something that i find a bit hard to do, especially if you only have one point of view.
I would recommend this book to everyone that likes to be on the edge of their seat throughout the entire book. The suspense and mystery were great. I also really like the little touch of romance the author added.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 27, 2018
Interesting read
Interesting crime plot regarding serial killer. Believable main character struggles with PTSD. Heavy on crime plot and light on romance angle. I was hooked on the storyline and found it to be an enjoyable read even with knowing the identity of the killer before the reveal. I would read the other books in this series.
Interesting crime plot regarding serial killer. Believable main character struggles with PTSD. Heavy on crime plot and light on romance angle. I was hooked on the storyline and found it to be an enjoyable read even with knowing the identity of the killer before the reveal. I would read the other books in this series.
September 18, 2018
What a thriller !
I love Lena and Cait work and personal relationship . They make a great couple . This book had a lot of twist and turns . Great thriller !
I love Lena and Cait work and personal relationship . They make a great couple . This book had a lot of twist and turns . Great thriller !
October 3, 2018
Cbird
I finished it but way too dark for my taste. I think the nightmares are on the horizon and I should stopped the five pages.
I finished it but way too dark for my taste. I think the nightmares are on the horizon and I should stopped the five pages.
September 23, 2018
This is a good book, with a strong plot, story and characters. The only problem is the dead meat. Details about parking a car or how to brush your teeth have nothing to do with the story, so why waste my time with them?
November 9, 2018
Skin Deep
This psychological thriller is one of the best books i've read in a long time. It's about a detective who caught a serial killer and killed him and saved one his victums. She also suffers with PTSD. She returns to work and becomes involved with another serial killer but this time gets a partner Special Agent Cait from BCI who was her first lover.
To .know more just read it and enjoy it like I did. Trust me it's worth it
Author Michelle Hanson did a brilliant job writing this book. Hopefully there will be !it's by this author real soon
This psychological thriller is one of the best books i've read in a long time. It's about a detective who caught a serial killer and killed him and saved one his victums. She also suffers with PTSD. She returns to work and becomes involved with another serial killer but this time gets a partner Special Agent Cait from BCI who was her first lover.
To .know more just read it and enjoy it like I did. Trust me it's worth it
Author Michelle Hanson did a brilliant job writing this book. Hopefully there will be !it's by this author real soon
November 9, 2018
An intriguing book the writing was okay it was graphic in the violence department though. Although I figured out a lot of the book early on not everyone will it does have twists and turns. Which I think is the best part of the book. The plot was entertaining and it was steady throughout the book. Lena and Cait are the MC’s of this book. I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book for an honest review.
October 12, 2018
I'm very torn about this book. On one hand the writing was really frustrating. I understand that the author was going for a lot of description, but the description was over the top. There were a million smilies and so many of them just didn't make sense. They would be very odd, which would make me have to read them over several times to see if I could understand what she was getting at. This really me out of the story and it was hard to form a connection with the story and hard to keep reading. There were several grammar errors and typos in this book as well. However, the plot overall and the crime story kept me going - it was really well plotted story and terrifying. I loved that. It's pretty cheap on Amazon so I'd say it's worth the price if you can let the writing go and enjoy the story. With some intense editing this book could be worth a heck of a lot more because the thriller was top notch.
November 18, 2018
Skin Deep was a surprising thriller to read. It keep you guessing to as who the killer was. The dynamic between Cait and Lena was great. The race to save the victims was exciting and how Lena tended to be a target for the killers. I found it hard to put this down so that I could do the daily things I needed to do. I think it’s a great book and have no problem recommending it to others.
November 17, 2018
Just wow, this a really charged psychological thriller. Ms. Hanson story telling is great. What do you do when you have caught the bad guy and his copy cat is after you. I guess you will have to read to find out.
October 30, 2018
(3.75 stars, rounded up).
I really enjoyed reading this - I love the crime thriller genre, and I don’t think it’s a genre where wlw are represented enough. What’s more, there was no real reference to Lena’s sexuality - nobody mentioned or judged her; her relationships were handled in exactly the same way a straight relationship would be, which was incredibly refreshing.
My main issue with this book was purely based in editing. I found it irritating how many tiny, preventable mistakes I came across, not so much grammatically, but literal errors like the same word twice, or changing a character’s surname accidentally. All things that should have been fixed through a more thorough edit. It also bothered me that some characters were referred to by surnames and others by first name, in a way that wasn’t consistent.
Those problems aside, this was a great read, and one that kept me guessing right through to the end.
I really enjoyed reading this - I love the crime thriller genre, and I don’t think it’s a genre where wlw are represented enough. What’s more, there was no real reference to Lena’s sexuality - nobody mentioned or judged her; her relationships were handled in exactly the same way a straight relationship would be, which was incredibly refreshing.
My main issue with this book was purely based in editing. I found it irritating how many tiny, preventable mistakes I came across, not so much grammatically, but literal errors like the same word twice, or changing a character’s surname accidentally. All things that should have been fixed through a more thorough edit. It also bothered me that some characters were referred to by surnames and others by first name, in a way that wasn’t consistent.
Those problems aside, this was a great read, and one that kept me guessing right through to the end.
October 19, 2018
I'm not putting a spoiler alert warning here because I only discuss the prologue, which is about as far as I got before I stopped enjoying or believing what I was reading.
Not because of the PTSD, the depression or even the graphic violence. It was sentences like this, "Perilous to the darkened state, another blow landed hard into my rib cage." and phrases like "a barrage of tears" that did me in.
And why would Lathan Collins cough up a thick trail of blood if he'd been stabbed in the ear, much less spout a geyser of blood when the entire blade drove into his ear canal?
Right now this is a DNF for me, but I may come back to it.
On the upside, I really do like the cover.
Not because of the PTSD, the depression or even the graphic violence. It was sentences like this, "Perilous to the darkened state, another blow landed hard into my rib cage." and phrases like "a barrage of tears" that did me in.
And why would Lathan Collins cough up a thick trail of blood if he'd been stabbed in the ear, much less spout a geyser of blood when the entire blade drove into his ear canal?
Right now this is a DNF for me, but I may come back to it.
On the upside, I really do like the cover.
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