A riveting, twisted tale of narcissism, Skin Deep is a truly disturbing story of Cordelia Russel, the most despicable woman I've came across for a very long time.

Skin Deep is as slow a burn as it gets, without ever turning into a boring recollection of a stunning, but reprehensible woman's life. There aren't many twists, turns or great revelation, but following Cordelia from the age of seven until present is chilling enough without the author having to throw in some sensationalist crap just for the sake of it. If she were a child now, growing up in a well educated family, Cordelia would most likely have been diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder and possible narcissistic personality disorder before one could say "what a little shit she is".

But as it happens, she grows up on a tiny island, near Westport, Ireland. The islanders are strange, everyone agrees, and Cordelia is possibly Queen of All Strange. When she ends up on the mainland, she puzzles everyone around her. She's quiet, doesn't have many friends, and unbeknownst to most, seems to have a knack for playing people against each other.

Manipulative, cunning and enthralling, once you get under Cordelia's spell, it's nearly impossible to get away.

Is there anything in her past to serve perhaps not an excuse, but an explanation? Grab the book and find out!

With stunning descriptions and evocative prose, Liz Nugent transports you to small Irish towns, bustling London, the beautiful French coast, and inside the mind of a peculiar woman.

I previously read Lying in Wait and really enjoyed it so had high hopes for her next novel. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for this book. I found the beginning so slow it was putting me off reading it. I couldn’t gel with the main character so sadly this is a DNF for me.

Really enjoyed this book, it was a compelling story and I couldn’t put it down. Delia was a troubled character, moulded by her Father and the mysteries of the remote island she grew up on. Completely different to anything I’ve read before and I’d thoroughly recommend it.

Wow, what a book! Utterly mesmerising, completely propulsive and with a voice as stark and bleak as anything I have read.
Cordelia Russell is an astonishing character. She was born beautiful and in her daddy’s eyes she could do no wrong. She was the Queen of Inishcrann, or so he told her most days, though being Queen of a small island with a tiny population was perhaps not the most she could aspire to; but for now it was enough.
She knows she is special and that’s what drives her forward. From an early age she has learnt how to use what she has to get her own way and she does that with barely a thought for her impact on others. In short, Delia is cunning, manipulative, entirely without empathy and both shallow and narcissistic.
All the time I was reading the book I had the nature v nurture argument rolling around in my head, but in the end I have had to conclude that perhaps some people are just born that way. Regardless, Delia is almost certainly a sociopath, if not a psychopath.
As she grows up, she is looked after by a range of people, most for reasons of human kindness, yet for Delia, these people are just a succession of opportunities to get what she wants.
Throughout the book there is an impending sense of disaster, it’s like watching an implosion in slow motion, and that’s where the real suspense lies. Deeply affecting, horrifying and absolutely remorseless, Delia is a character who both compels and horrifies in equal measure.
This is really strong writing with more than one repellent character, but which nevertheless mesmerises the reader. A real triumph of prose writing that completely transfixes the reader and keeps you needing to read to get to the end.

Skin Deep - what an apt title!

From the outset it was obvious that Delia's beauty was on the outside and that everything good came to her as a result. Until the day of the fire when it was all taken away from her and her ugly past came back to haunt her.

This book had me gripped from the beginning. I couldn't understand how a human being could be so heartless, self-obsessed and cruel and used people for what she could get out of them.. Throughout the book you are constantly asking "is she going to change now? or "when will she get her punishment for what she is doing?" The book is unsettling and uncomfortable in parts but it stays with you during the day until you stay up through the night to finish it to see what way it played out in the end.

The writing is excellent to the point whereI actually felt like I was in Inishcrann, London, Nice and Monaco with Delia..

A lot of the characters in this book are unlikable particularly Delia and its hard to fathom them or understand at times why they behave the way they do. This book is full of twists and turns you are not expecting.

Having read Liz Nugent's other two books (Oliver being my favourite) - I think this book will definitely be another one that will stay in my memory and has been my best read of 2018.. Highly recommend

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

i was really excited to receive an arc of this book after reading the narrative and it did not disappoint.

the story starts with the main character, delia, waking after another heavy drinking session to find a dead body in her flat. her immediate thoughts are of her own self-preservation as has been her way of thinking from birth. born to a dysfunctional family on a remote and densely populated island near Ireland, delia was idealised by her father and learned to be manipulative and deceitful to get what she wanted from an early age. the story follows her life after a tragic incident renders her an orphan and banished from the island.

the plot is gripping and the author cleverly writes delia’s character in a way that you cannot have any sympathy for her, she causes misery and destruction wherever she goes.

this is definitely a book you must read. many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am sorry as much as I tried, I could not get to grips with the main character Cordelia. She come across as a horrible person in this psychological novel. Opening up with a dead body in her apartment the story then takes us on journey of her earlier life, her childhood, her marriage and her child which she seems to have abandoned.
Maybe it was the character that did it for me or the storyline, but a good tale is spun here.

Great storyline allowing Delia’s story to grow throughout. Interesting to have others viewpoints at various stages

Narcissism
Beauty is only Skin Deep!

What lies beneath?

Skin Deep is a breath-taking, expressive and ultimately heart-breaking novel.

Narrated through the eyes of Delia, the story is a lifelong revelation of a stunningly beautiful, manipulative, narcissistic woman. In Delia’s mind, instilled by her father, she was the Queen of Inishcrann and the world was her oyster. From Ireland to London, to Nice and Monaco, Skin Deep is a roller coaster of a ride from opulent highs to brutal destitute lows. You travel on this journey with Delia, not as a willing companion but as a captivated observer.
“I knew this wasn’t normal. I know that I wasn’t normal. I have never needed people, just the comforts they could offer me”

The characterisation, dialogue and landscape are superbly portrayed, and the manner you partake in this story is due to the wonderful writing of Liz Nugent. The pace never slows and keeps going to the final page.

This is a brilliant book and probably the best book I’ve read this year. Delia is a character you’ll not easily forget.

Many thanks to Penguin Books UK and NetGalley, for an ARC version of the book in return for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect of this book , Id never read anything else by Liz Nugent. It was fantastic, stayed up late finishing it which I haven't done in a long time. The stortline was original and the author brings you right into the story through the voice of the main character. Descriptions of the scenery make it very easy to imagine the setting without deflecting from the main story. An addictive read I will be recommending to everyone.

This is my first taste of a Liz Nugent book and found this psychological thriller an addictive read that left me wanting to read more of her work. I found this book strangely captivating and although non of the characters were appealing or likeable in the slightest, I just had to read on.
There is nothing to like about the lead character Cordelia Russell, she is cruel, selfish and ruthless but her story is intriguing. A well written novel that is thought provoking and different from a lot of books I read personally. This is the story of Cordelia's life that I found truly fascinating.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Skin Deep is strangely compelling and utterly addictive. Distressing at times, there were moments when I questioned why I was reading this, but I found that I could not stop. The story follows Delia and the journey of her life which brought her to the stage where she is stuck in a flat with a dead body. Skin Deep is less about what happens to Delia though and more about Delia herself.

Her ability to make everything about her is staggering and the book is a fascinating insight into the working of her mind. She genuinely sees nothing wrong in the way she treats and uses people. Seeing those around only as commodities and looks for ways they can help her get to where she wants to be.

You will not like Delia. In fact, you will actively dislike her and hope that she truly gets what's coming to her. Her soul is no doubt blackened and there is a darkness and malice in her that I've never encountered in a character before.

Dark, disturbing but a compelling read that will have you turning page after page.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for granting me an eARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Another great read by Liz Nugent. The main character, Delia is horrid but strangely addictive. The book was well written, fast paced and dark. My only negative is that I thought it slowed down towards the end, hence the 4 stars.

Skin Deep by Liz Nugent is a highly original psychological thriller which centres around the most cold-blooded, unfeeling and damaged individual I’ve ever come across!

After the opening pages show a blood-soaked body, and a panic-stricken observer, we go back to the beginning to a small Irish island named Inishcrann where Delia lived with her parents and brothers; through to the beauty of the French Riviera, where Delia was Cordelia Russell. Living and deceiving everyone she came in contact with, she was obsessed with her beauty - the darkness inside her only lightened by thoughts of her Daddy who loved her. The past wouldn’t leave her, but she wouldn’t acknowledge it either.

Manipulative, obsessive, appalling – Cordelia Russell is a character you should run from; do not let yourself know her as she is only skin deep and aims to use you....

This is my second novel by this author and it is so different to anything I’ve ever read before! I don’t think I liked any of the characters – I know I wished someone would knock Delia off early in the proceedings! (Though of course we wouldn’t have a story then, would we!) I would have to say Skin Deep is one of the best, most horrifying psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time and recommend it to fans of the same!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.

Cordelia Russell is a woman who drinks too much, perhaps because her life is, to put it mildly, complicated. Throw in the dead body in her apartment and the word ‘complicated’ no longer even begins to cover it.

How has Cordelia ended up here and how can she get out of this mess? These questions are at the heart of Liz Nugent’s latest novel Skin Deep. From the present, the novel rewinds as we learn about Cordelia’s childhood on a remote Irish island, the tragedy that befalls her family and its aftermath. But Cordelia feels the world owes her, well, everything and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Skin Deep is a devilishly good read about a woman who appears not to have a caring, or a likeable, bone in her body!

The initial premise of this new release from Liz Nugent certainly drew me in. Indeed, the first few pages were especially promising despite the realisation, very early on, that we were looking in at a truly disturbed and, perhaps, despicable individual. From there, however, as we are suddenly transported into the main characters' past history, it read like an 'Aga Saga' - albeit of the bleakest, darkest kind. There was, thereafter, nothing that was remotely appealing about this read. Bleak, bleak and bleaker. Some may well enjoy this.....but (sadly!?!) not for me.

The reader is drawn in from the start. The novel is full of twists and unlikeable characters. Very well written and plotted, the story keeps you guessing until the very end.
With thanks to Net Galley and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing book. The main character, Delia/Cordelia is totally amoral and lacking in even a smidgen of humanity. However, this makes for a compulsive read. Superb characterisation. I read this over one weekend and enjoyed it immensely. Interested in reading more by this author.

I’ve never read anything by Liz Nugent before and the premise to “Skin Deep” was brilliantly dark and intriguing, and I didn’t hesitate long before hitting “request” button. And this book started marvellously. It had me glued to the pages and the more I was reading the more I couldn’t believe what I’m seeing and with what a manipulative character we’re dealing with. Then the second part came and it was as if I’ve just started reading a different novel. Totally different in tone, felt too flat, somehow weird and I wasn’t sure what about.

It started with a murder, which is really not a spoiler, as it literally happens on the first pages. Then it quickly takes us back in the past and we get to know Delia’s background and history, and so I was guessing it’s taking us slowly to the act of the murder itself. But guys, it was mentioned again only on the last few pages. So the whole drama just simply disappeared, it didn’t feel in any way important and significant, it was something that happened and so what? It didn’t make me sad, or teary, it was then immediately explained who the victim is (though I’ve almost immediately guessed it) – as it wasn’t ever mentioned through the whole story, which is understandable, you just haven’t thought about it, so there was no tension and no questioning yourself who and why. It was really confusing and I’m still not sure what to do with it.

Liz Nugent has, of course, excelled here in the character’s portrayal and its development. She has created a manipulative and self – absorbed Delia that you just can’t warm to throughout the whole story, but I guess it was intended. I’ve never felt sympathy nor empathy to Delia and yes, I do understand where she was coming from, what with her dotting father all the time telling her she’s “The Queen” and that she’s gorgeous, and I mean when you hear it all the time as a child you’re prone to believe it, but then you grow up and heck, you start to think for yourself, right? And Delia O’Flaherty didn’t. Using and abusing people only because of the fact that you’re beautiful? Delia was like a reverse Midas – whatever she’s touched turned not into gold but into tragedy and drama. She was destructive and her actions were awful.
Delia was of course not the only character in the book but she has dominated the whole story. The other characters were more or less likeable but almost all of them fell quickly under her spell.

Altogether, “Skin Deep” was a bleak, disturbing read but I’m really glad I’ve read it. It was a read with a difference, and Liz Nugent’s writing style is vivid and addictive. This powerful read pushing the boundaries, evoked many dark emotions in me, as it itself was a dark, sinister tale.

Wow. All I can say is wow- I have just this moment finished this book and every emotion is flooding through my veins- sadness, horror, shock, sympathy and satisfaction. This is one of the best, most absorbing, most real books I have ever read. I was really excited to receive and advanced copy of this book having really enjoyed Liz Nugent's other books Unravelling Oliver and Lying in Wait. I can see just how much work has gone into this book but also how utterly talented Liz is at telling a story, making a character come to life and feel so real and believable. The book starts with a dead body and ends with a horrific and heartbreaking conclusion, which I won't spoil- but the beauty of this book is that, unlike other books from a similar genre, I never once was tempted to even think about guessing what would happen at the end. Delia/Cordelia is a sociopath, portrayed almost sympathetically and she is always very upfront about her failings. We see her both through her own eyes and through small snippets of information from others, making it seem more reliable and believable. It's a wonderful portrayal of a girl damaged by her own childhood and going through life doing anything to survive. We see her go from her tiny island of Inishcrann near Ireland, to London, Nice,Paris, Dublin, mostly alone but almost always using her beauty and her wits to survive. By the end I started to believe that she was actually born faulty. I am sorry if this review seems vague and disjointed, but I would urge anyone to read this book. I flew through this in a few days (you need to read every word). I very rarely give a book 5 stars but I will be hard-pressed to find a better read this year.