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Headline (2014)
Description
"The debut of an exciting new series for fans of Sophie Hannah, Kate Atkinson, and Tana French. No two victims are alike. DI Marnie Rome knows this better than most. Five years ago, her family home was the scene of a shocking and bloody crime that left her parents dead and her foster brother in prison. Marnie doesn't talk much about her personal life, preferring to focus on work. Not even her partner, DS Noah Jake, knows much about Marnie's past. Though as one of the few gay officers on the force and half Jamaican to boot, Noah's not one to overshare about his private life either. Now Marnie and Noah are tackling a case of domestic violence, and a different brand of victim. Hope Proctor stabbed her husband in desperate self-defense. A crowd of witnesses in the domestic violence shelter where she's staying saw it happen, but none of them are telling quite the same story, and the simple question remains: how did Leo Proctor get in to the secure shelter? Marnie and Noah shouldn't even have been there when it happened but they were interviewing another resident, Ayana Mirza. They're trying to get Ayana to testify against her brothers for pouring bleach on her face for bringing dishonor the family, and blinding her in one eye. But Ayana knows that her brothers are looking for her, and she has no doubt that they'll kill her this time. As the violence spirals, engulfing the residents of the women's shelter, Marnie finds herself drawn into familiar territory: A place where the past casts long shadows and she must tread carefully to survive"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member michelle_bcf
After reading a lot of crime novels a few years ago, it became something I tended to avoid. Occasionally though, a review copy arrives which captures my attention, and I discover a book which offers something more. Someone Else’s Skin was one of those books.
The main character is Marnie Rome, a
The initial crime happens whilst Marnie is investigating another – as she and her partner arrive to interview the resident of a woman’s shelter, they discover another woman’s husband lying stabbed on the floor. The setting of a woman’s shelter is an interesting one, and allows Sarah to explore to feelings and actions of all involved, and it’s this which adds depth to this story.
This is a well written, polished debut, combining good story telling with characters which grab hold. Published in Feb 2014, this is one to look out for!
The main character is Marnie Rome, a
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detective whose own parents were murdered. There’s something compelling about Marnie, a character you can’t quite make out – she is of course struggling with her parent’s death, and she can be quite harsh to her colleagues, and yet there’s something very likeable about her as well. I’m really hoping that Sarah is given the chance to write more in this series, as I feel there’s a lot more to come.The initial crime happens whilst Marnie is investigating another – as she and her partner arrive to interview the resident of a woman’s shelter, they discover another woman’s husband lying stabbed on the floor. The setting of a woman’s shelter is an interesting one, and allows Sarah to explore to feelings and actions of all involved, and it’s this which adds depth to this story.
This is a well written, polished debut, combining good story telling with characters which grab hold. Published in Feb 2014, this is one to look out for!
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LibraryThing member kellymariet6
This is about detective inspector Marnie Rome and follows her as she follows leads about an attempted murderer. She goes to a womans refuge to question Ayana who's brother has abused her and is the attempted murdere, while there she comes across more than she bargained for and now more people are
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involved in a different attemted murder. This book is about physical and mental abuse and how things can get twisted around so your not sure what's right and what isn't. It goes into great detail about what is happening and I love the way Sarah Hilary describes everything. I loved all the characters in this book and my favourite was the lead character Marnie! She's a strong woman who has had a really bad experience in her past but she has found ways of dealing with it. The ending was really good and not what I expected to happen. This book had me sitting on the end of my chair waiting to see what happened next. Really glad I had the chance to read this as it's not something I would have looked at twice but I'm really glad I got to read this! Show Less
LibraryThing member muddyboy
I really loved this book! The driving force of the plot is that a man is stabbed at a shelter for battered women when bringing both flowers and a knife when visiting his wife. He is, of course, not supposed to be there. So what were his intentions which ultimately cause his wife to stab him. There
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are so many twists and turns in this novel. It was a shear joy to read as a mystery lover. What seems to be never is in this great book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
Someone Else's Skin is Sarah Hilary's debut crime novel featuring Detective Inspector Marnie Rome.
Hilary introduces us to Rome in a crime scene involving a stabbing from five years ago - one that was personal. Fast forward to present day. Rome and her partner are heading to a women's shelter to
Great premise, great characters. Rome is a strong female lead - smart and preferring to operate on her own terms - sometimes to her detriment. The past effects her view of the present and she often makes judgement calls with those memories colouring her decisions - not always the wisest move. Rome's partner, DS Jake is a great character as well - not a cookie cutter supporting character. He has his own back story and plays a major role in this first book
I thought I had a good inkling of where Hilary was taking her story, but she offered up more than one twist that changed the direction of the story. Her exploration of domestic abuse and our perceptions and misconceptions of this crime are thought provoking. Racism and homophobia are also up for discussion.
Hilary's writing is sharp, the dialogue believable, the investigation flawed enough to keep things moving forward and the reader interested and the final chapters are an action filled finale - all adding up to a cracking good read. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Someone Else's Skin.
In the author's notes at the end of the book, Hilary thanks her agent 'who refused to let the slush pile have me." My thanks to her agent as well - I really enjoyed this character and Hilary's writing. I'll be watching for the second in the series - No Other Darkness - due out in the UK in Spring of 2015.
Hilary introduces us to Rome in a crime scene involving a stabbing from five years ago - one that was personal. Fast forward to present day. Rome and her partner are heading to a women's shelter to
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interview a witness. But when they arrive, they walk in on a murder - a stabbing. The eight women in the shelter all saw something, but none of their stories match. Who is telling the truth? Why would anyone lie? What secrets do these women have?Great premise, great characters. Rome is a strong female lead - smart and preferring to operate on her own terms - sometimes to her detriment. The past effects her view of the present and she often makes judgement calls with those memories colouring her decisions - not always the wisest move. Rome's partner, DS Jake is a great character as well - not a cookie cutter supporting character. He has his own back story and plays a major role in this first book
I thought I had a good inkling of where Hilary was taking her story, but she offered up more than one twist that changed the direction of the story. Her exploration of domestic abuse and our perceptions and misconceptions of this crime are thought provoking. Racism and homophobia are also up for discussion.
Hilary's writing is sharp, the dialogue believable, the investigation flawed enough to keep things moving forward and the reader interested and the final chapters are an action filled finale - all adding up to a cracking good read. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Someone Else's Skin.
In the author's notes at the end of the book, Hilary thanks her agent 'who refused to let the slush pile have me." My thanks to her agent as well - I really enjoyed this character and Hilary's writing. I'll be watching for the second in the series - No Other Darkness - due out in the UK in Spring of 2015.
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LibraryThing member pgchuis
A police procedural in which DI Marnie Rome and DS Noah Jake are sent to a women's shelter to try to persuade a woman there (Ayana) to testify against her abusive brothers. On arrival they find that one of the women (Hope) has just (literally just that minute) stabbed her husband, and they take on
The characters were generally good and I liked Noah and Dan very much. Marnie was fine apart from the (yawn!) obligatory tragic backstory which was a distraction, despite that fact that she claimed (unconvincingly in my opinion) that it helped her work out what was going on. I know we were supposed to like Ed, but he was a bit lacking somehow. He operated very much as an adoring hanger-on to Marnie and didn't seem terribly effective in his job.
For the first half of this novel I would have given four stars, but it just all got a bit too sick and twisted and violent for me. I started skimming some of the sections (why did Marnie waste so many chapters fruitlessly talking to Hope's nasty father when poor Noah was being tortured?) and feeling a bit icky by association. I found the ending drawn out and Marnie's decision to visit Stuke alone a bit of a repetition (had she learnt nothing?). The very final chapter, on the other hand, was really very good.
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this case too. Subsequently their workload incorporates the disappearance of Hope together with a friend from the shelter and the kidnapping of Ayana.The characters were generally good and I liked Noah and Dan very much. Marnie was fine apart from the (yawn!) obligatory tragic backstory which was a distraction, despite that fact that she claimed (unconvincingly in my opinion) that it helped her work out what was going on. I know we were supposed to like Ed, but he was a bit lacking somehow. He operated very much as an adoring hanger-on to Marnie and didn't seem terribly effective in his job.
For the first half of this novel I would have given four stars, but it just all got a bit too sick and twisted and violent for me. I started skimming some of the sections (why did Marnie waste so many chapters fruitlessly talking to Hope's nasty father when poor Noah was being tortured?) and feeling a bit icky by association. I found the ending drawn out and Marnie's decision to visit Stuke alone a bit of a repetition (had she learnt nothing?). The very final chapter, on the other hand, was really very good.
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LibraryThing member nicx27
DI Marnie Rome and DS Noah Jake visit a women's refuge to talk to a woman who was brutally assaulted to try and get her to testify against her attackers. When they get there they discover the husband of one of the other residents laying on the floor having been stabbed. It is this attack that then
This book started like any other police procedural and whilst I was liking it, it wasn't blowing me away. However, then there was a twist in the tale, which I had guessed at but which made it all much more interesting. I particularly liked Rome and thought she was a promising character to take forward into a series. She's flawed and has demons in her past.
I enjoyed reading this crime thriller. It didn't make my heart race but it's well-written and had a good plot.
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takes centre stage in the story.This book started like any other police procedural and whilst I was liking it, it wasn't blowing me away. However, then there was a twist in the tale, which I had guessed at but which made it all much more interesting. I particularly liked Rome and thought she was a promising character to take forward into a series. She's flawed and has demons in her past.
I enjoyed reading this crime thriller. It didn't make my heart race but it's well-written and had a good plot.
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LibraryThing member maneekuhi
Hilary's "Someone Else's Skin" is a good debut but it does have some rookie flaws. Four stars seems a bit too generous, three would be too harsh. But it gets high marks for diverting from the usual patterns of a murder mystery. For one thing there is no murder! Unless you want to quibble about the
Now for the flaws....Although the author has created some unusual characters, including a gay sidekick, they all seemed rather flat to me, too cardboard. I didn't feel I knew them after finishing the book. I wasn't real crazy about the prose either; I suppose it was adequate but nothing special. The characters as cops didn't seem real enough, hopefully the author will research police departments, environment, organization, procedures and lingo a bit more for book two. It seemed like she put all her energy into researching other areas for this book. The word "skin" must have been used more than 100 times. It felt like a tip from a writing class, a trick to add a little depth, some hidden meanings.....yuk. And the name, Marnie Rome, sounds like something from a cheap made for TV movie, but I guess we're stuck with that. Marnie visits her parents' jailed killer every so often, and I suspect that will be back in book two. Those kind of links from book to book in a series can become boring and too repetitious after a while; we'll just have to wait and see. For me it's reminiscent of a popular series where our hero is haunted by a boyhood incident, the unsolved death of a younger brother; it comes back in every book in the series, every book - I finally gave up. Finally, the ending was too pat, too convenient. I would have done it 180 degrees differently and I would have had a bit more respect for the author if she finished on a more jarring note. Will I read the followup, "No Other Darkness" due in 2015? I'm not sure yet, but I'll certainly notice the banner, " #2 in the MARNIE ROME series" !
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death of heroine Marnie Rome's parents five years earlier, and then too, there is a suspicious suicide. But aside from all that, there is no dead body, no autopsy, forensics, SOCO investigation, etc. etc. Rather, much of the story ostensibly deals with women as victims of abuse. There are some long scenes at a women's refuge, a "safe" house of sorts, where the husband of one of the residents has just been stabbed. How did he know where the house was? How did he get in? Why did he bring a knife? How did he get stabbed? Why do the resident witnesses provide conflicting descriptions of events? Interesting questions to pursue, but there's more, a lot more. The reader also learns the stories of other residents, particularly a Middle Eastern woman blinded in one eye by her brothers as punishment for supposedly looking at a boy. Slowly, as more and more of the case details emerge and personal histories are revealed, the story takes an unexpected turn or two and it becomes clear that women are not always just the victims but occasionally the instigators of violence on others. So, high marks for a very interesting story line.Now for the flaws....Although the author has created some unusual characters, including a gay sidekick, they all seemed rather flat to me, too cardboard. I didn't feel I knew them after finishing the book. I wasn't real crazy about the prose either; I suppose it was adequate but nothing special. The characters as cops didn't seem real enough, hopefully the author will research police departments, environment, organization, procedures and lingo a bit more for book two. It seemed like she put all her energy into researching other areas for this book. The word "skin" must have been used more than 100 times. It felt like a tip from a writing class, a trick to add a little depth, some hidden meanings.....yuk. And the name, Marnie Rome, sounds like something from a cheap made for TV movie, but I guess we're stuck with that. Marnie visits her parents' jailed killer every so often, and I suspect that will be back in book two. Those kind of links from book to book in a series can become boring and too repetitious after a while; we'll just have to wait and see. For me it's reminiscent of a popular series where our hero is haunted by a boyhood incident, the unsolved death of a younger brother; it comes back in every book in the series, every book - I finally gave up. Finally, the ending was too pat, too convenient. I would have done it 180 degrees differently and I would have had a bit more respect for the author if she finished on a more jarring note. Will I read the followup, "No Other Darkness" due in 2015? I'm not sure yet, but I'll certainly notice the banner, " #2 in the MARNIE ROME series" !
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LibraryThing member niaomiya
Holy smokes, this was a doozie of a book! What a fantastic debut by Sarah Hilary - definitely an author whose books I will be looking for from now on.
Detective Inspector Marnie Rome works two cases with her partner Detective Sergeant Noah Jake. Both cases involved abused women in hiding from their
This fascinating mystery novel is gripping from start to finish, very well written, and seamlessly interwoven, with excellent character and plot development. Brava, Ms. Hilary! I look forward to your next D.I. Marnie Rose novel!
Detective Inspector Marnie Rome works two cases with her partner Detective Sergeant Noah Jake. Both cases involved abused women in hiding from their
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abusers. As they dig deeper into the overlapping cases, things aren't as they seem. Marnie and Noah start to question themselves and all eyewitnesses - Are they really seeing what's been happening, or are they seeing what they've been conditioned to see?This fascinating mystery novel is gripping from start to finish, very well written, and seamlessly interwoven, with excellent character and plot development. Brava, Ms. Hilary! I look forward to your next D.I. Marnie Rose novel!
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LibraryThing member jan.fleming
Some secrets keep you safe, others will destroy you...
Detective Inspector Marnie Rome. Dependable; fierce; brilliant at her job; a rising star in the ranks. Everyone knows how Marnie fought to come back from the murder of her parents, but very few know what is going on below the surface. Because
But then so does everyone. Certainly those in the women's shelter Marnie and Detective Sergeant Noah Jake visit on that fateful day. The day when they arrive to interview a resident, only to find one of the women's husbands, who shouldn't have been there, lying stabbed on the floor.
As Marnie and Noah investigate the crime further, events begin to spiral and the violence escalates. Everyone is keeping secrets, some for survival and some, they suspect, to disguise who they really are under their skin.
Now, if Marnie is going to find the truth she will have to face her own demons head on. Because the time has come for secrets to be revealed...
Cracking début novel with genuinely likeable characters; tightly plotted, it never lets up... Highly recommended
Detective Inspector Marnie Rome. Dependable; fierce; brilliant at her job; a rising star in the ranks. Everyone knows how Marnie fought to come back from the murder of her parents, but very few know what is going on below the surface. Because
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Marnie has secrets she won't share with anyone. But then so does everyone. Certainly those in the women's shelter Marnie and Detective Sergeant Noah Jake visit on that fateful day. The day when they arrive to interview a resident, only to find one of the women's husbands, who shouldn't have been there, lying stabbed on the floor.
As Marnie and Noah investigate the crime further, events begin to spiral and the violence escalates. Everyone is keeping secrets, some for survival and some, they suspect, to disguise who they really are under their skin.
Now, if Marnie is going to find the truth she will have to face her own demons head on. Because the time has come for secrets to be revealed...
Cracking début novel with genuinely likeable characters; tightly plotted, it never lets up... Highly recommended
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LibraryThing member Pet12
I've had this book for quite a while now but somehow never managed to get round to reading it. I didn't realize what I was missing out on. It's a brilliantly crafted British police procedural with authentic characters and a gripping storyline about domestic abuse. I can totally see why it was
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awarded some crime novel of the year award. Not going to say anything about the storyline because it would be too easy to give too much away. This is the first in the series featuring DI Marnie Rome and book 2 "No Other Darkness" has gone straight onto my wishlist! Show Less
LibraryThing member elkiedee
Someone Else’s Skin is the first book in a series featuring DI Marnie Rome, a London police detective. I had slightly mixed feelings about this one.
The novel is well written, the characters are intriguing, the mood of menace is brilliantly maintained and the twists and turns are genuinely
Marnie has her demons, as 5 years ago her own parents were brutally murdered by a grown up foster child, and she is still dealing with that – not surprisingly work sometimes triggers some unwelcome memories and never more than in this case – attempted murder in a women’s refuge. But why was the victim, a resident’s husband, there? This is certainly an intriguing premise.
My main gripe from the beginning was its portrayal of the women’s refuge. I can well believe it is short of funds, as is everywhere in this time of cuts, this service for women with with very serious needs is in crisis itself. But I am troubled by the portrayal of a place run so badly and unprofessionally, from the beginning of the story when the police turn up and there is total confusion about who is who, who is in charge and so on.
Despite my concerns, I look forward to reading the next in the series as I can see real promise in this debut.
I received a free copy of this book for review through the Amazon Vine programme.
The novel is well written, the characters are intriguing, the mood of menace is brilliantly maintained and the twists and turns are genuinely
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surprising, and at times shocking. Marnie has her demons, as 5 years ago her own parents were brutally murdered by a grown up foster child, and she is still dealing with that – not surprisingly work sometimes triggers some unwelcome memories and never more than in this case – attempted murder in a women’s refuge. But why was the victim, a resident’s husband, there? This is certainly an intriguing premise.
My main gripe from the beginning was its portrayal of the women’s refuge. I can well believe it is short of funds, as is everywhere in this time of cuts, this service for women with with very serious needs is in crisis itself. But I am troubled by the portrayal of a place run so badly and unprofessionally, from the beginning of the story when the police turn up and there is total confusion about who is who, who is in charge and so on.
Despite my concerns, I look forward to reading the next in the series as I can see real promise in this debut.
I received a free copy of this book for review through the Amazon Vine programme.
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LibraryThing member Icewineanne
A disappointing read. I had high hopes for this debut novel given the glowing reviews. The main character needed to be in deep therapy, not leading an investigation. The story itself relies on too much violence to try to hook the reader. It leaves the reader feeling sad about the direction that
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society is taking. I found this book to be a waste of time and will not read the next book by this author. Show Less
LibraryThing member camharlow2
Welcome to a very exciting and gripping debut crime novel from Sarah Hilary that captures your attention right from the start and never releases its hold. Centres on an investigation at a woman’s refuge in London which starts as domestic abuse and serious wounding, the case confounds the
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detectives’ expectations as their work progresses. There is one rather unlikely event in the final chapter that jars with the rest of the story, but only slightly detracts from the whole. All the characters are finely drawn and the detectives leading the case also have to face up to their own pasts. The writing draws you in and you just have to keep reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Detective Inspector Marnie Rome has tried to pick up her life again after the vicious murder of her parents several years ago. She and her partner, DS Noah Jake, are asked to convince a woman at a battered woman's shelter to give evidence against her brother. He is the main suspect in one of their
This book deals with serious topics, primarily abuse, which puts it on the darker side of the mystery genre. I thought the author made the plot and characters very believable, especially in dealing with sensitive issues like gender, culture, race and sexual violence. There are plenty of twists and turns that make this a very compelling read. Marnie Rome is a complicated character with a tragic back story. Her own history is referred to throughout the book and is made to feel an integral part of the novel. She has her own secrets, as does her partner, Noah Jake. While they are both damaged in their own way, it works well in this book and I'm happy to see there is already a second book in the series called No Other Darkness. I've already picked it up.
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cases. They arrive at the scene to find the husband of one of the women lying on the floor, the apparent victim of a stabbing. As Marnie and Noah investigate the crime further, events begin to spiral and the violence escalates. Everyone, including Marnie, is keeping secrets that will need to get out in the open if they expect to solve this case.This book deals with serious topics, primarily abuse, which puts it on the darker side of the mystery genre. I thought the author made the plot and characters very believable, especially in dealing with sensitive issues like gender, culture, race and sexual violence. There are plenty of twists and turns that make this a very compelling read. Marnie Rome is a complicated character with a tragic back story. Her own history is referred to throughout the book and is made to feel an integral part of the novel. She has her own secrets, as does her partner, Noah Jake. While they are both damaged in their own way, it works well in this book and I'm happy to see there is already a second book in the series called No Other Darkness. I've already picked it up.
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LibraryThing member jayne_charles
This was an okay story that kept me reading, but some of the scenes - particularly those in which Marnie thrashed out her thoughts with Ed - seemed to go on a bit long. The central "twist" I guessed, principally because it's the stock twist in any domestic violence storyline so I was glad that the
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author chose to reveal it midway through. Competently written, but I'm not sure I'd actively seek out the others in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member scot2
I started reading this book and realised I'd read it before. However, I continued and enjoyed it all over again. The story i about domestic abuse. It points out tht the abuser can be a partner or a blood relative. Realistic characters and of course a realistic story line.
Awards
Macavity Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2015)
Theakstons Old Peculier Prize (Longlist — 2015)
The Observer Book of the Year (Thriller — 2014)
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014
Physical description
423 p.; 5.04 inches
ISBN
1472207696 / 9781472207692