“She’s not who you think she is . . .

‘I could probably have been an actress.
It is not difficult to pretend to be somebody else.
Isn’t that what I’ve been doing for most of my life?’

Cordelia Russell has been living on the French Riviera for twenty-five years, passing herself off as an English socialite. But her luck, and the kindness of strangers, have run out.

The arrival of a visitor from her distant past shocks Cordelia. She reacts violently to the intrusion and flees her flat to spend a drunken night at a glittering party. As dawn breaks she stumbles home through the back streets. Even before she opens her door she can hear the flies buzzing. She did not expect the corpse inside to start decomposing quite so quickly . . .”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Skin Deep by Liz Nugent. Skin Deep was published by Penguin Books on 7th March 2024 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free ARC of Skin Deep but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to the team at Penguin Books for sending me a finished copy.

Liz Nugent is an author you have to have on your radar if you’re a psychological thriller or suspense fan. I first discovered Liz’s work with Lying in Wait. Since then I have also read the incredible Strange Sally Diamond, which only cemented my view that Liz Nugent is one of the best psychological suspense writers out there. And to coincide with the incredible reception Strange Sally Diamond received (you absolutely must read it!), the lovely folk at Penguin Books have reissued all of Liz’s earlier releases with fabulous new covers, tying Liz’s entire body of work together. They’re a beautiful thing!

Skin Deep is a corker of a book. Nugent is incredibly talented at creating fascinating, multi-layered characters. Often flawed to their very bones and in this case, pretty repugnant through and through. Cordelia is not a character to love but she will astound you with her lack of compassion, how utterly self-absorbed and self-focussed she is and how cold and calculating she can be. You won’t find much to like about Cordelia Russell but you will find her fascinating. The book follows Cordelia’s life from a young age with her family on the island, to her moving unexpectedly to the main land and a foster family. From there, as a young, attractive woman, she uses the weapons she has to hand – including her beauty – to wreak havoc and cause complete chaos to those around her. She destroys lives without a second thought, causing deep emotional damage and dividing families. Always, always ensuring she gets exactly what she wants.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Skin Deep is a forensic, psychological dive into one of the most unlikeable, most despicable characters I have ever met and I loved every uncomfortable minute of it! The reader watches as Cordelia goes from one awful situation to the next, hurting the people who dare to care for her. The reader first meets Cordelia as she flees into the night from her French Riviera apartment. Leaving on the floor a slowly decaying body. Returning hours later and a little worse for wear, she’s surprised to find a swarm of flies feasting on the still warm corpse. The reader has to wait until the end of the book to discover who the unfortunate soul is. I loved the ending of the book as much as I enjoyed being an observer in Cordelia’s life. I find there are some books where you turn the final page, think to yourself ‘what a great ending that was’ and then you forget all about them. And then there are the books where the author writes such a brilliant ending that you know you’ll never forget the characters or how their story ended. That’s definitely the case here. It was the *most* perfect conclusion. All in all, I enjoyed watching such a selfish, self-absorbed character cause complete and utter devastation physically and emotionally to those around her (which feels a strange thing to say but I just couldn’t look away!). I heartily recommend Skin Deep to those who aren’t looking for a lead character to love or sympathise with. And if you’re a psychological suspense fan who enjoys a more literary tone, this is an absolute must read. It’s a hell of a good book so if you’re into well-plotted, clever storytelling then get yourself a copy. Dark, engrossing, superbly written throughout with an outstanding, unforgettable lead character. I cannot wait to read more of Liz Nugent’s books soon. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of Skin Deep. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Skin Deep by Liz Nugent was published in the UK by Penguin Books on 7th March 2024 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Liz Nugent worked as a stage manager in theatres in Ireland and toured internationally before writing extensively for radio and television drama.

Unravelling Oliver was published in 2014, hit the number 1 spot for several weeks and won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards.

Lying in Wait, published in 2016, went straight to number 1 and was chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club. It won the Radio 1 Ryan Tubridy Listeners Choice Award at the Irish Book Awards.

In October 2017, Liz won the Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Award in Literature.

Skin Deep was published in 2018. It also went straight to number 1 in the bestsellers charts and scooped two awards at the An Post Irish Book Awards in Nov ’18: Crime Novel of the Year AND the Radio 1 Ryan Tubridy Listener’s Choice Award.

Little Cruelties (Our Little Cruelties) was published in 2020. Another number 1 bestseller, it topped the charts for fifteen weeks, was nominated for Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, long listed for a CWA award at Theakston Crime Festival at Harrogate. It was listed as one of the most recommended thrillers of the Year by the New York Times.
Liz was presented with the James Joyce Medal for Literature (via Zoom!) in February 21 and was a Guest of Honour at Iceland Noir in November 21.