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Beneath the Skin
Three very different London women discover they are being watched by a sadistic sexual predator, and become sisters closer than kin. As each woman receives threatening, macabre letters, each faces a horrible truth, and police must pry into each of their lives in hopes of finding the killer.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
516 people are currently reading
3456 people want to read
About the author
Nicci French
80 books3,637 followersNote: (Nicci Gerrard and Sean French also write separately.)
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 436 reviews
May 29, 2023
Another great nail-gripping suspense novel by Nicci French. There's a killer on the loose! And everyone knows it, yet they are unable to protect the women he stalks and eventually kills! This killer gets right beneath the skin of the city! 8 out of 12, Four Star read.
2015 read
2015 read
September 13, 2016
For some reason I always thought Nicci French was a female romance writer, so I always passed her books by when I saw them. Not only was I wrong about the genre, but I recently learned what I thought was a "she" is actually a husband and a wife writing team. Who knew? -(apparently everyone else but me).
BENEATH THE SKIN is a British suspense thriller told from three different points of view:
Part 1 Zoe's story- Zoe is a young teacher in her 20s, and has become a bit of a hero after she stopped a mugger by bashing him with a watermelon. She has a new boyfriend- Fred- and lives in a flat she detests.
Part 2 Jenny's story- Jenny is a well-to-do mother of three boys, and devoted wife to Clive- an undeserving husband with a wandering eye. She also is in the middle of a huge renovation of a newly purchased property.
Part 3 Nadia's story- Nadia is a newly single, charming, fun loving, unorganized, slob, who has no idea what she wants to do with her life. For now to make ends meet she uses her somewhat limited magician skills to entertain at children's parties.
Three very different woman, with one thing in common. They have all received letters from someone who wants them dead.
This book kind of creeped me out...but in a good way. It had me checking and re-checking my doors and windows to make sure they were locked tight, and as soon as I was safe and sound tucked under my snuggly blanket, I found myself reading into the wee hours of the morning.
BENEATH THE SKIN is a British suspense thriller told from three different points of view:
Part 1 Zoe's story- Zoe is a young teacher in her 20s, and has become a bit of a hero after she stopped a mugger by bashing him with a watermelon. She has a new boyfriend- Fred- and lives in a flat she detests.
Part 2 Jenny's story- Jenny is a well-to-do mother of three boys, and devoted wife to Clive- an undeserving husband with a wandering eye. She also is in the middle of a huge renovation of a newly purchased property.
Part 3 Nadia's story- Nadia is a newly single, charming, fun loving, unorganized, slob, who has no idea what she wants to do with her life. For now to make ends meet she uses her somewhat limited magician skills to entertain at children's parties.
Three very different woman, with one thing in common. They have all received letters from someone who wants them dead.
This book kind of creeped me out...but in a good way. It had me checking and re-checking my doors and windows to make sure they were locked tight, and as soon as I was safe and sound tucked under my snuggly blanket, I found myself reading into the wee hours of the morning.
November 27, 2013
What made (makes) this book so beautiful to me is twofold.
1. The casual elegance of the writing. Nicci French (for the purpose of just plain not feeling like typing out two names, I will ignore that this is a pseudonym and just pretend it's one author) is brilliant at sketching characters that feel like real people and for using spare, simple and yet beautiful prose. I really love her style and always have. It's especially evident in her earlier works and now in the Frieda Klein series.
2. The relationship between the three women, invisible, like a thread - but so strong that not even death shakes it. I thought this was a haunting river through the novel.
Beneath the Skin is not my favourite of French's novels (that award goes to Land of the Living, but it is one of her best, in my opinion.
Zoe, Jenny and Nadia are three women with a horrible connection. Each have been targeted by a killer - he sends them notes telling them what he's going to do to them. The tale begins with Zoe, a tiny, blonde schoolteacher with a suffocating flat she can't get rid of, an army of friends and a spot of fame after stopping a thief with a gigantic watermelon.
Zoe is
The second act of the novel begins with Jenny, a rich and very polished woman having her house completely gutted and remodeled, sending her normally very organized life into chaos. When the killer begins sending her obscene notes, she doesn't think very much of it. Until the police arrive. Jenny
Finally, the third act is Nadia. Nadia was my favourite character in the book - I think because she's so normal and doesn't take any BS and she works as a Clown. I mean, how cool. Nadia becomes involved and begins to look suspiciously at every person in her life - she knows the killer is close, but who? And why?
Beneath the Skin eloquently and skillfully explores the very nature of fear and how alone a person can feel in the midst of such chaos. It's not really about WHO the murderer is (this is evident by the middle of the book) it's the relationships, the sourness of disappointment, the suffocation of environment and the heartbreaking ache of grief.
1. The casual elegance of the writing. Nicci French (for the purpose of just plain not feeling like typing out two names, I will ignore that this is a pseudonym and just pretend it's one author) is brilliant at sketching characters that feel like real people and for using spare, simple and yet beautiful prose. I really love her style and always have. It's especially evident in her earlier works and now in the Frieda Klein series.
2. The relationship between the three women, invisible, like a thread - but so strong that not even death shakes it. I thought this was a haunting river through the novel.
Beneath the Skin is not my favourite of French's novels (that award goes to Land of the Living, but it is one of her best, in my opinion.
Zoe, Jenny and Nadia are three women with a horrible connection. Each have been targeted by a killer - he sends them notes telling them what he's going to do to them. The tale begins with Zoe, a tiny, blonde schoolteacher with a suffocating flat she can't get rid of, an army of friends and a spot of fame after stopping a thief with a gigantic watermelon.
Zoe is
The second act of the novel begins with Jenny, a rich and very polished woman having her house completely gutted and remodeled, sending her normally very organized life into chaos. When the killer begins sending her obscene notes, she doesn't think very much of it. Until the police arrive. Jenny
Finally, the third act is Nadia. Nadia was my favourite character in the book - I think because she's so normal and doesn't take any BS and she works as a Clown. I mean, how cool. Nadia becomes involved and begins to look suspiciously at every person in her life - she knows the killer is close, but who? And why?
Beneath the Skin eloquently and skillfully explores the very nature of fear and how alone a person can feel in the midst of such chaos. It's not really about WHO the murderer is (this is evident by the middle of the book) it's the relationships, the sourness of disappointment, the suffocation of environment and the heartbreaking ache of grief.
February 7, 2014
Wow! This is indeed a psychological thriller. One that made me think about connections people have with each other and how people can change in the blink of an eye. Someone who seems trustworthy can turn out to be unbelievably good at acting. I was thoroughly hooked while reading the book. With each part of the book, told through the point of view of 3 different women who are targets of an obsessive stalker, you become closer and closer to finding the culprit and you begin to question the efficiency of the police system. A brilliant read!
Some of my favorite quotes:
We'd go mad if we remembered everything and hung on to it.
What do you do when you may have a week or a day to live?
Men are like animals in a zoo... Women are the zookeepers. That's what marriage is.
Some of my favorite quotes:
We'd go mad if we remembered everything and hung on to it.
What do you do when you may have a week or a day to live?
Men are like animals in a zoo... Women are the zookeepers. That's what marriage is.
October 9, 2024
The first book I have ever read by Nicci French (who I know now to actually be a husband a wife writing duo) and I was impressed. This book is split into three parts, that follow three very different women, each woman gave something new to the story and it was masterfully done. Although each of these women seemingly have nothing in common they are stalked by the same person, the snippets we get into the killer's mind are really well done, the use of all the senses smell especially was very creepy.
The way the authors build up the suspense is so well done, you feel fall these characters and at no point did you have hope they might survive, the police around these three women fail and Nadia our 'final girl' tries to fend for herself. I think Nadia was written so the reader would feel the most connection to her, she wasn't only down to each and relatable but a bit of a bad ass. This book explores, obsession, vulnerability, paranoia and fear in the most beautiful way.
For me this missed out on five stars because of the reveal of the killer/stalker I thought they were revealed to early and there were more interesting avenues to go down. It did wrap up nicely, but there were a lot of shifty people who's intentions never really got ironed out. This is an author I would read from again, I do own The Safe House, so that's being bumped up my massive TBR list.
The way the authors build up the suspense is so well done, you feel fall these characters and at no point did you have hope they might survive, the police around these three women fail and Nadia our 'final girl' tries to fend for herself. I think Nadia was written so the reader would feel the most connection to her, she wasn't only down to each and relatable but a bit of a bad ass. This book explores, obsession, vulnerability, paranoia and fear in the most beautiful way.
For me this missed out on five stars because of the reveal of the killer/stalker I thought they were revealed to early and there were more interesting avenues to go down. It did wrap up nicely, but there were a lot of shifty people who's intentions never really got ironed out. This is an author I would read from again, I do own The Safe House, so that's being bumped up my massive TBR list.
March 6, 2022
Super gemengde gevoelens over dit boek.
Wil je de korte versie van deze recensie lezen, skip dan naar de laatste alinea.
De eerste 40/45 pagina's waren ronduit saai. Een inleiding - kennismaking - die veel te lang duurde. Maar ik wilde het wat langer de kans geven, dus las ik verder.
Het werd interessanter. Dus las ik nog verder. De auteurs hadden in dit geval het geluk dat ze vlot schrijven, anders was ik zeker gestopt. Tot zeker halverwege het verhaal heb ik getwijfeld om het weg te leggen. Er zitten voor mij te veel stukken in waarin niets van belang gebeurt. Je hobbelt als lezer mee in het dagelijks leven van de hoofdpersoon, in de hoop dat er iets interessants gebeurt.
Ik ergerde me aan dingen als een bladzijde lang eten koken. Maar het las vlot en zo nu en dan gebeurde er iets, waardoor ik toch wilde weten hoe het verder ging.
Ik las het uit. Echt spannend werd het nergens. Wel was ik nieuwsgierig hoe het zat. Even twijfelde ik tussen twee verdachten. Dat hield mijn aandacht weer vast.
De personages zijn goed neergezet, dat moet ik zeggen. Te veel onbeduidende details, dat wel. Ik reisde even mee in hun leven, dat voor mij zo nu en dan interessant was.
Eigenlijk was bijna het hele boek als een tak in een kabbelend beekje. Saai, maar dankzij een goede stroming kwamen de kleine obstakels die het drijvende takje even tegenhielden telkens net op tijd in zicht om mijn aandacht vast te houden. Het einde was hetzelfde: kabbelend en met slechts een klein oponthoud.
Het bezorgde me een paar rustgevende uren, met zo nu en dan wat irritatie, afgewisseld met pieken in mijn interesse. Nauwelijks noemenswaardig, redelijk vermakelijk en niet voor herhaling vatbaar. Als je een spetterende of verrassende ontknoping verwacht, leg het dan maar gewoon weg, want dan word je teleurgesteld.
Ps. De connectie met de coverafbeelding ontgaat me volledig.
Wil je de korte versie van deze recensie lezen, skip dan naar de laatste alinea.
De eerste 40/45 pagina's waren ronduit saai. Een inleiding - kennismaking - die veel te lang duurde. Maar ik wilde het wat langer de kans geven, dus las ik verder.
Het werd interessanter. Dus las ik nog verder. De auteurs hadden in dit geval het geluk dat ze vlot schrijven, anders was ik zeker gestopt. Tot zeker halverwege het verhaal heb ik getwijfeld om het weg te leggen. Er zitten voor mij te veel stukken in waarin niets van belang gebeurt. Je hobbelt als lezer mee in het dagelijks leven van de hoofdpersoon, in de hoop dat er iets interessants gebeurt.
Ik ergerde me aan dingen als een bladzijde lang eten koken. Maar het las vlot en zo nu en dan gebeurde er iets, waardoor ik toch wilde weten hoe het verder ging.
Ik las het uit. Echt spannend werd het nergens. Wel was ik nieuwsgierig hoe het zat. Even twijfelde ik tussen twee verdachten. Dat hield mijn aandacht weer vast.
De personages zijn goed neergezet, dat moet ik zeggen. Te veel onbeduidende details, dat wel. Ik reisde even mee in hun leven, dat voor mij zo nu en dan interessant was.
Eigenlijk was bijna het hele boek als een tak in een kabbelend beekje. Saai, maar dankzij een goede stroming kwamen de kleine obstakels die het drijvende takje even tegenhielden telkens net op tijd in zicht om mijn aandacht vast te houden. Het einde was hetzelfde: kabbelend en met slechts een klein oponthoud.
Het bezorgde me een paar rustgevende uren, met zo nu en dan wat irritatie, afgewisseld met pieken in mijn interesse. Nauwelijks noemenswaardig, redelijk vermakelijk en niet voor herhaling vatbaar. Als je een spetterende of verrassende ontknoping verwacht, leg het dan maar gewoon weg, want dan word je teleurgesteld.
Ps. De connectie met de coverafbeelding ontgaat me volledig.
March 31, 2021
The book is divided 3 different point of views: Zoë, Jennifer and Nadia. They are all targetted by the same sadistic killer.
This is another psychological killer from the duo Nicci French and also I loved this one. It makes you think about the relations you have with persons and that someone is totally different from what he or she is showing.
When you read the book, you want to yell at the women to look out. That's the intensity on how you get pulled into the story.
This is another psychological killer from the duo Nicci French and also I loved this one. It makes you think about the relations you have with persons and that someone is totally different from what he or she is showing.
When you read the book, you want to yell at the women to look out. That's the intensity on how you get pulled into the story.
September 15, 2008
I was about 80 pages into this book and rather enjoying it when I happened to read the jacket. It summarized that this was the story of three girls all targeted for murder with little in common. I was still on the story of the first girl and quickly realized from the jacket description that she was going to die. So, she died and then I started the story of the second girl. It was tough to get through because I felt like I was rushing through it, knowing that she would die because a third girl would come along. They also reveal the killer during the death of the second girl, so by the third girl you are just waiting for her to figure it all out. It was a decent read and I still enjoy Nicci French and her London settings, but the jacket was a spolier in this case.
March 2, 2014
You want to shout at the women: "look out", such is your own level of tension. Creepy to the max but not a spooky creepy - a hair standing up on your arms in alarm creepy. Read this if you dare but make sure you lock the doors and have a big brawny man with you but then again, can you really trust that man????? He may well turn out to be like one of the men in this book. Read this, you'll see what I mean. 4★
August 15, 2021
3.5 ⭐. Wel weer lekker vlot geschreven. Verhaal bleef mij wel boeien, maar einde viel toch een beetje tegen.
October 20, 2024
I loved this book, a well-paced and gripping psychological thriller. It was told by the victims of an obsessive stalker. The authors are great at developing the personalities and psyches of the 3 narrators. A good and creepy read.
March 6, 2017
Hahaha! 4.5 stars! Seriously loved this. What a series of surprising events!!
February 24, 2017
Potverdrie. Stelt Nicci French me weer teleur. Dit boek was het echt niet voor mij.
In Onderhuids krijgen 3 vrouwen een anonieme brief met daarin een doodsbedreiging. Op het eerste gezicht lijken er geen overeenkomsten tussen de vrouwen te zijn en dus tast de politie in het duister. Deze vrouwen worden continue in de gaten gehouden door de afzender van de brief en er volgen steeds meer brieven. Het leven van de vrouwen staat op zijn kop. Zijn ze echt in gevaar?
Dit klinkt best interessant toch? 3 vrouwen, doodsbedreigingen en geen aanwijzingen. Ja, klonk veelbelovend. Helaas was het geen goed boek.
Je begint bij vrouw een, Zoë. Je volgt haar verhaal, gaat nog prima, maar echt thrillerachtig wordt het niet. Dan volgt vrouw twee Jenny: weer een levensverhaal, het lijkt wel een roman zo.. Hier heb ik al moeite om mijn aandacht bij het verhaal te houden. Ik lees geen Nicci French voor het roman perspectief, dit ervoer ik ook al bij Wachten op woensdag. Na Jenny volgt vrouw 3, Nadia. En moet je weer een levensverhaal aanhoren. Op zich zou dit niet verkeerd zijn, als je zelf nog zou kunnen gokken naar de dader en dus zelf verbanden moet gaan zoeken en aanwijzingen opsporen, maar de dader is al bekend. Het is dus niet spannend, het is geen detectiveachtig verhaal en het voelt niet als een psychologische thriller. Je gaat gewoon met andere verwachtingen het verhaal in en deze worden niet waar gemaakt.
Zoë, Jenny en Nadia zijn ook helemaal geen leuke personages. Ze zijn ontzettend oppervlakkig. Alleen bezig met zichzelf. Alle 3 behoorlijk ongelukkig. Alleen hier wordt je al ontzettend depri van. Dit paste dan ook perfect in de ABC challenge van Books Ever After: tenenkrommend(e) personage(s).
Nee, dit was echt geen goed boek. Ik voel nu een behoorlijke drempel om opnieuw te starten aan een boek van Nicci French, want 2 boeken op rij teleurstellend is natuurlijk niet prettig. Dus kent iemand boeken van hen die wél spannend en echte thrillers zijn, ik hoor het graag!
In Onderhuids krijgen 3 vrouwen een anonieme brief met daarin een doodsbedreiging. Op het eerste gezicht lijken er geen overeenkomsten tussen de vrouwen te zijn en dus tast de politie in het duister. Deze vrouwen worden continue in de gaten gehouden door de afzender van de brief en er volgen steeds meer brieven. Het leven van de vrouwen staat op zijn kop. Zijn ze echt in gevaar?
Dit klinkt best interessant toch? 3 vrouwen, doodsbedreigingen en geen aanwijzingen. Ja, klonk veelbelovend. Helaas was het geen goed boek.
Je begint bij vrouw een, Zoë. Je volgt haar verhaal, gaat nog prima, maar echt thrillerachtig wordt het niet. Dan volgt vrouw twee Jenny: weer een levensverhaal, het lijkt wel een roman zo.. Hier heb ik al moeite om mijn aandacht bij het verhaal te houden. Ik lees geen Nicci French voor het roman perspectief, dit ervoer ik ook al bij Wachten op woensdag. Na Jenny volgt vrouw 3, Nadia. En moet je weer een levensverhaal aanhoren. Op zich zou dit niet verkeerd zijn, als je zelf nog zou kunnen gokken naar de dader en dus zelf verbanden moet gaan zoeken en aanwijzingen opsporen, maar de dader is al bekend. Het is dus niet spannend, het is geen detectiveachtig verhaal en het voelt niet als een psychologische thriller. Je gaat gewoon met andere verwachtingen het verhaal in en deze worden niet waar gemaakt.
Zoë, Jenny en Nadia zijn ook helemaal geen leuke personages. Ze zijn ontzettend oppervlakkig. Alleen bezig met zichzelf. Alle 3 behoorlijk ongelukkig. Alleen hier wordt je al ontzettend depri van. Dit paste dan ook perfect in de ABC challenge van Books Ever After: tenenkrommend(e) personage(s).
Nee, dit was echt geen goed boek. Ik voel nu een behoorlijke drempel om opnieuw te starten aan een boek van Nicci French, want 2 boeken op rij teleurstellend is natuurlijk niet prettig. Dus kent iemand boeken van hen die wél spannend en echte thrillers zijn, ik hoor het graag!
July 27, 2021
A very good stand alone from writing duo Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. I really enjoy their novels and intend to read a few more this year.
Zoe Haratounian,, Jennifer Hintlesham and Nadia Blake are all small petite women who have had bad relationships with men. But now they have something else in common, they are all being stalked by a murderer who sends them disturbing letters.
When the first woman receives a letter she does not hesitate to inform the police who offer her protection while they investigate. Despite their protection she is murdered and the killer gets away. The story is told from each of the women and we learn of their experiences with the stalker.
The story is cleverly told and the suspense grows throughout to reach the satisfying climax. Very good read.
Zoe Haratounian,, Jennifer Hintlesham and Nadia Blake are all small petite women who have had bad relationships with men. But now they have something else in common, they are all being stalked by a murderer who sends them disturbing letters.
When the first woman receives a letter she does not hesitate to inform the police who offer her protection while they investigate. Despite their protection she is murdered and the killer gets away. The story is told from each of the women and we learn of their experiences with the stalker.
The story is cleverly told and the suspense grows throughout to reach the satisfying climax. Very good read.
January 16, 2022
Sinds de publicatie van dit boek zijn er ongeveer 1.452.000 vrouwen vermoord simpelweg omdat ze een vrouw zijn. Dat is wat er voor mij zo geweldig is aan de boeken van Nicci French - het universum waarin ik leef bestaat op papier. Hun boeken zijn niet alleen de whodunnit, maar schuwen ingewikkelde kwesties en realiteiten niet. Waar anderen zich soms ergeren aan de roman-neiging van Nicci French, is dat juist wat ik fijn vind.
December 2, 2017
It is good!! but not spectacular!!
February 22, 2024
Told from the perspective of each of the three woman targeted by a killer this was an interesting and enjoyable listen, brightening up the mundane chores and with enough tension to make me walk faster on my morning exercise.
January 16, 2014
A serial killer targets three women and the book is comprised of the three different stories of these women.
This is not your typical serial killer book because the focus is on the victims and written from each of their points of view.
It made a nice change to see and feel what they did rather than following a detective with his/her own problems and agenda chasing after an elusive killer.
The women were very different and the author captured the different voices perfectly.
Instead of coming away thinking 'ooooo creepy but it's only a story (yay)' as I normally would, it made me think about what being a killer actually entails and what their victims go through and have to live with afterwards...if they survive. it just gave me a little bit more to think about.
This is not your typical serial killer book because the focus is on the victims and written from each of their points of view.
It made a nice change to see and feel what they did rather than following a detective with his/her own problems and agenda chasing after an elusive killer.
The women were very different and the author captured the different voices perfectly.
Instead of coming away thinking 'ooooo creepy but it's only a story (yay)' as I normally would, it made me think about what being a killer actually entails and what their victims go through and have to live with afterwards...if they survive. it just gave me a little bit more to think about.
August 19, 2012
Usually three part novels irritate me. It takes me 50 pages to get into something, then I get to the end of Act 1, and Act 2 is a completely new story and I have to invest that start-up time again. This happened with Beneath the Skin but it was worth it, and by the time I got to Act 3, the pieces fitted together really well.
Three different women, three different viewpoints, each with growing tension from a series of threatening letters with some comedy and sex thrown in. What more do you want? Bungling police work. It was all there.
The jigsaw always gets solved and fits together well with Nicci French novels. Well written and keeps your interest.
Three different women, three different viewpoints, each with growing tension from a series of threatening letters with some comedy and sex thrown in. What more do you want? Bungling police work. It was all there.
The jigsaw always gets solved and fits together well with Nicci French novels. Well written and keeps your interest.
December 28, 2016
This is my first book by Nicci French and I listened to it via Audible. A beautifully, descriptive story which transports you into the story with each minute detail. This is a chillingly gripping tale of 3 different women stalked by an obsessive man determined to kill them. The book is divided into 3 parts, each narrated by the women being stalked. Deliciously dark and disturbing. l loved it.
July 20, 2021
I gave the one star cause I like Nicci French.. The writing was horrid and the storyline was even worse. I kept counting the pages to see how much more I had to try and get through. This book wore me down. Three women get hate mail from someone who wants them dead. Sounds like a winner.
April 28, 2011
Totally gripping, tense and unputdownable....
July 26, 2022
Zo spannend vanaf deel 3, maar enorm teleurgesteld over het einde.
March 26, 2025
Flew through this and loved it! Three very different women seemingly with nothing in common, all being targeted by the same stalker… Loved the plot, characters and story development. I listened to on audio and the narration was great.
January 2, 2022
Wat ik zo bijzonder vindt is dat je in dit boek het perspectief van de slachtoffers leest. Geeft een nieuwe dimensie. Fijn geschreven, dikke vier sterren!
November 20, 2021
The story starts with the tale of Zoe, a petite, bright and lively primary school teacher, at least she was bright and lively until she started receiving mysterious letters from a madman. Then she becomes full of anxiety and paranoia. The story then relates the tale of Jenny, a petite, former hand model with three boys and a cheating husband. Jenny is a busy woman, just trying to redecorate her home, or at least she was until she also started receiving mysterious letters from a psycho. Then she ends up just like Zoe. The final tale is of Nadia, another small woman, who makes her living as an entertainer (a clown for children’s parties). When Nadia starts receiving letters, she is determined to find out the identity of who is sending them. Why would anyone want to scare her like this? What does she have in common with these other women? Why would anyone want to hurt any of them? Although Nadia is small, she is as brave and fierce as a tiger, with a real love of life. She is determined to stay alive at all costs. I really liked this one and couldn’t put it down. French is a talented writer who keeps the reader turning the pages until the wee hours.
June 3, 2018
Beneath the Skin is my second book by the husband and wife team, Nicci Gerrrad and Sean French, who go by the pseudonym Nicci French.
It’s about three women from different walks of life, who receive anonymous letters threatening to kill them. The women seemingly have nothing in common. But whoever penned their letters described personal details, which made you think that the person must obviously be in very close proximity. Despite the women being closely guarded, the perpetrator still managed to succeed in carrying out his threats.
At first I found the premise intriguing, exciting and full of suspense, but, as it progressed, the ineffectual police-work made it unbelievable - and the plot ended with a twist, which didn’t fully stand up to scrutiny.
I gave it three stars, because, for three quarters way through I was riveted – I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough – and I kept changing my mind as to the suspect. Also, I enjoyed the style of writing. Even though I didn’t find the ending plausible, it was at least pure escapism. I read it on holiday; it was a very enjoyable holiday read.
It’s about three women from different walks of life, who receive anonymous letters threatening to kill them. The women seemingly have nothing in common. But whoever penned their letters described personal details, which made you think that the person must obviously be in very close proximity. Despite the women being closely guarded, the perpetrator still managed to succeed in carrying out his threats.
At first I found the premise intriguing, exciting and full of suspense, but, as it progressed, the ineffectual police-work made it unbelievable - and the plot ended with a twist, which didn’t fully stand up to scrutiny.
I gave it three stars, because, for three quarters way through I was riveted – I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough – and I kept changing my mind as to the suspect. Also, I enjoyed the style of writing. Even though I didn’t find the ending plausible, it was at least pure escapism. I read it on holiday; it was a very enjoyable holiday read.
June 28, 2020
No tengo claro si son 2'5 o 3 estrellas.
Esta novela me ha resultado pesada, no sé si no era momento para leerla o si en otro caso me hubiese parecido igual.
No he conseguido conectar con las protagonistas ni he llegado a percibir lo que ellas sentían, al principio de sus capítulos incluso no me caían especialmente bien.
Ha sido una lectura repetitiva y lenta, creo que sobretodo lenta y no ha conseguido engancharme, aunque la trama no estuviera mal ni la idea.
Me ha costado terminar el libro.
Esta novela me ha resultado pesada, no sé si no era momento para leerla o si en otro caso me hubiese parecido igual.
No he conseguido conectar con las protagonistas ni he llegado a percibir lo que ellas sentían, al principio de sus capítulos incluso no me caían especialmente bien.
Ha sido una lectura repetitiva y lenta, creo que sobretodo lenta y no ha conseguido engancharme, aunque la trama no estuviera mal ni la idea.
Me ha costado terminar el libro.
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