Someone Else’s Skin (DI Marnie Rome 1)

A start to a series that I will certainly be reading. Two very human detectives with decisiveness and humanity and one of the nastiest villains you would prefer not to meet. A very good read.

Detective Inspector Marnie Rome focuses on her job, leaving little room for anything else. She knows first hand what it’s like to deal with a terrible and violent loss. Five years ago her parents were horrifically murdered by her foster brother. The resulting emotions are what drive her. Her colleagues know of her past and how hard she fought back, but few know the real Marnie.During the course of an investigation Marnie and her partner, Detective Sergeant Noah Jakes visit a women’s shelter to interview a resident and walk into an attempted murder. Hope Proctor has stabbed her husband, Leo, in self-defence. Witnessed by several of the residents, yet they have differing accounts of the attack. And the big question is, how did Leo get into the shelter in the first place, when the building was supposed to be secure at all times. It was only by chance that Marnie and Noah were there. They wanted to interview Ayana Mirza about her brother who is wanted in connection with a serious assault.Domestic violence is at the heart of the story; between couples and families who commit appalling acts in the name of honour, with the added horrors of female genital mutilation, homophobia and racism. It makes uncomfortably dark reading in parts. There are several threads playing out simultaneously, which overlap and capture the attention as they unfold.This is a really good, skilfully written debut novel with a compelling, believable story line, realistic dialogue and credible characters. The narrative takes several unexpected and shocking turns. The pace doesn’t slow and the plot becomes ever more complicated, the reader only finding out the plot points when they are revealed to Marnie and her team as they work through the investigation. A quintessential police procedural, chasing the truth.Marnie Rome is a strong and complex female lead with a dark past which has a huge impact on her character and the way she works. I think there’s a lot of potential for her and much more to learn, which is how it should work with a series. I enjoyed Noah’s character too. He’s Jamaican and gay, and has obstacles of his own to overcome. A more reserved personality than Marnie, but just as dependable, and has a great deal of respect for Marnie’s experience and knowledge. They work well together. Marnie also has support and a burgeoning relationship with psychologist Ed Belloc, who is connected to the refuge.Look forward to following up with book two.

This is an amazing novel that has justifiably deserved the great reviews and recognition it has received. In part that is due to the originality of the police investigation, the subject matter and the thrilling unsettling writing. It is a well crafted story about manipulation and control, mostly seen through domestic abuse. What makes it stand out is the various themes it tackles in this seldom reported and written about aspect of power in relationships. So the novel covers violence in Africa, abuse of position, domestic violence and parental failings, while finding space for honour based crime,sexual explortation and sadomasochism.It has a wide appeal and is above all else an honest representation of the secrets, society often fails to acknowledge or address. But at its core are the raw emotions of fear, loss, powerlessness and revenge.Sarah Hilary is an author who has burst onto the crime scene with this stunning book and I have no reservations in offering my complete recommendation as one of the book to read in 2015.As someone who works in the area of DV much of the research and representation of a refuge rings true; how women can be disempowered after escaping from longstanding abusive partners. However, I am unsure if all women fleeing could only hope not to be traced if they changed their NINO. I am not aware of this practice even in MARAC cases. I found the plotting weak around the abduction of one of the women as I would expect DBS checks to prevent the incident reported in this account. This lost a star for me as along the overuse of the word skin in the narrative that occurred so frequently it jarred. I got this wonderful theme thoughout the book without the over emphasis. I loved the more subtle references in terms of cutting and tattoos.Having said that I haven't read such a complete book in a long time where the book fully reflects its title and gives full voice to it throughout the plot.

Well, well…now I know what all the fuss is about. I've been reading some great reviews for Sarah Hillary’s debit novel and was excited to see if it lived up to the hype. Thankfully it certainly ticked all the boxes, so much so that I am already reading book 2. DI Marnie Rome (FABULOUS lead characters name I think) is working alongside DS Noah Jake and their new case involves a woman who is seeking solace at a refuge after being brutally attacked by her own family. When they arrive at the refuge they come across an unfolding scene which involves another woman stabbing her husband in the chest. What seemed like a simple plot line had suddenly become a lot more complicated.Marnie Rome has an interesting background and as such has certain issues that make her the way she is. There is no hiding her past within the book and it gives you a great feel for her as a character. The pairing with DS Noah Jake was a great one and he too is another interesting character. Nowhere near as brash and prickly as Marnie, but he too comes with his own past and back story. From the first few chapters I felt drawn in to the storey and was completely involved. The subject matter makes for some depressingly realistic reading but the story is very engaging and I couldn't find fault with anything.Seeing as this was Sarah Hillary’s debut novel, it was fantastic and certainly I hope the start of another fantastic series. Wonderful characters and great storyline mean that I am not waiting and will move straight on to book 2 ‘No Other Darkness’ which was released in April 2015. I would definitely recommend this to people looking for new Crime authors, and can only hope that book 2 is just as good, if not better than the first.