Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary

Winner of the Theakston’s 2015 Crime Novel of the Year, this is Sarah Hilary’s debut novel introducing the character of DI Marnie Rome.  It is a fast-paced read as you would expect in this genre.  I liked the character of Marnie Rome – she was sufficiently complex with a backstory of her own.  I also liked her side-kick, Noah Jake.  The book opens with a devastating scene from Marnie’s past.  We’re then back in the present day with Marnie and Noah making a visit to a woman’s refuge to take a routine statement.  Their arrival interrupts an attempted murder.  It all seems a straight forward case of domestic violence, but as the investigation continues all is not what it first seemed and Marnie is forced to confront her own ghosts. The book deals with a serious subject in a sensitive way.  The chapters are short and punchy.  I look forward to spending more time with the characters in Sarah’s second book, No Other Darkness.