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Skin Deep

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Skin Deep

By: Liz Nugent
Narrated by: Sophie Ward, Declan Rodgers, Anna Maria Everett, Daniel Betts, Trev Fleming, Michael Gould, Annette Flynn
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Skin Deep by Liz Nugent, read by Annette Flynn, Sophie Ward, Declan Rodgers , Anna Maria Everett, Daniel Betts, Trev Fleming and Michael Gould.

'Perfect summer read for those who like their escapism on the darker side' Ian Rankin

The deliciously sinister new novel from the No 1 bestselling author of Richard and Judy Book Club pick, Lying in Wait

'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 . . .

'Bloody brilliant!' Denise Mina

'An extraordinary writer - Liz Nugent maps the human mind as a cartographer charts new worlds: She's boundlessly curious and totally unflinching' A.J. Finn

'A tour de force ... a genuinely memorable, at times terrifying central character ... will appeal to readers who enjoy an exciting, fast-paced journey of psychological extremes, which delivers a shocking final twist' Crime Club, Killer Women Book of the Month

'The finest psychological thriller writer currently at work - no one gets under the skin of monstrous characters like she does' Tammy Cohen

'A wonderful feat of imagination, totally gripping, with a fascinating character at its heart' Sabine Durrant

'Dark, brutal and brilliant' Colette McBeth

'A triumph, from first page to last!' Sarah Hilary

'Monumentally good. Liz Nugent is a beautiful writer and among the very best storytellers in the world' Donal Ryan

'I loved, loved, loved Skin Deep - the compassion of it, the beauty of the language, how glamour and horror intersect, how the tension twists tighter and tighter and is brilliantly done' Marian Keyes

'Dazzling ... chilling, mesmerising and, ultimately, devastating. Pure storytelling genius' Mark Edwards
'Her darkest book yet - a compelling one-sitting read' Sinéad Crowley

'Utterly gripping, fast paced, and featuring my favourite sociopathic female character since Lady Macbeth' Louise O'Neill

'Incredibly dark, twisting and utterly mesmerising - you will not be able to put this down' Sinéad Moriarty

'Pitch dark and thrillingly original' Jane Casey

Crime Thrillers Domestic Thrillers Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense World Literature Exciting Scary

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Critic reviews

What takes a woman from an island childhood in Ireland to murder and ruin in a grotty flat in Nice? - another dark twisted story from No 1 bestseller Liz Nugent.
Gone Girl fans will love Liz Nugent's Lying in Wait ... it twists, it turns, its characters are utterly despicable and it is a compulsive triumph
A stunningly talented writer (Sophie Hannah)
An unputdownable psychological thriller with an ending that lingers long after turning the final page
The intricate plotting and jolting suspense hold you in a vice till the last page
Clear your diary if you pick up this seductively sinister story. The twists come together in a superbly scary denouncement which delivers a final sting in the tail. Brilliantly macabre
All stars
Most relevant
A very unusual storyline that kept me enthralled until the very last chapter.
Excellently written and narrated.

Captivating.

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The author seems to be drawn to create central characters with whom one feels little sympathy and Delia/Cordelia is no exception. As I found with her previous book, Unravelling Oliver, the story starts with a dramatic prologue that presages what happens later, but then, for quite a few chapters the pace slackens and the back-story is revealed. At first I thought this was going to be more like an Edna O’Brian novel about the life of a spirited young Irish girl, however, it soon develops in something much darker as Delia evolves from being adored daughter of a doting father into Cordelia the ruthless manipulator of men. She is blessed, and cursed, by being exceptionally beautiful. Soon she leaves a trail of destruction of other people’s lives as the story gets more engrossing and event is piled upon event. Although she is in many ways utterly cold-hearted and selfish I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her at times as she copes with the ups and downs of her extraordinary life. A story of a plucky survivor with a final dramatic and unexpected ending.

Most of the story is ably carried by the voice of Delia, but other narrators add the perspective of the other characters.

An engrossing story of an eventful life

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Ms Nugent never disappoint! I wish she could write a book a week to keep up with my listening!!!

another great story by Lyz Nugent

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Probably the best audiobook I've listened to in ages. Superb story and brilliantly narrated. Wow!

Superb!

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Fantastic story, so many twists and turns . Couldn’t stop listening!! Slightly disappointed at the very end.

Amazing

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