Fall has been a great time for several fabulous suspense and thrillers to come out, and Lisa Unger’s latest Under My Skin is my first taste of a work by this author, and I really enjoyed her writing. When Poppy’s husband Jack was brutally murdered while on an early morning jog in a park in New York City, her world and mental being is turned upside down. She goes off the deep end and disappears right after his funeral, not showing up until a few days later–disheveled and with no memory of where she’s been or what she’s done. Diagnosed with a nervous breakdown, she’s nursed back to health with the help of her rich best friend Layla and a counselor that tries to be helpful. But the detective assigned to her husband’s case soon hits dead ends after clearing her as a suspect, and the trail goes cold. Everyone who knew Jack goes on with their lives. Except for Poppy…
Poppy sees Jack everywhere: in her fitful dreams, in the new apartment that they were to share and start a family in, at their successful business. But she also sees more than that in her sleep deprived state. Her sleeping-pill-fueled hallucinations run wild, and she’s convinced that someone in a hood has been following her. She just knows that Jack was murdered, and she needs to get to the bottom of it before she’s next. She’s wracked with guilt since she should have been running with him that day, and maybe he would have not been killed if she’d been there. She’s been living with this guilt and the what-ifs for a year, and her dependency on pills to sleep without having nightmares is taking its toll on her psyche. What if Jack indeed was murdered, and the things that Poppy needs to find out who did it are hidden away in her lost days after his death? Can she regain those memories, and does she even want to know?
Poppy’s tenuous grip on reality slips even more as she slips in and out of waking dreams, vivid memories, and nightmares. It was a roller coaster ride trying to figure out what was real sometimes, just like it was for Poppy, and that made Under My Skin much more exciting. Her relationship with best friend Layla was complex, and I enjoyed their backstory very much. The story of Jack and Poppy, as one sided as we see it from Poppy’s view, added great dimension.
I give Under My Skin a four out of five. This psychological thriller had a nice, slow pace as Poppy navigates the treacherous waters of her fragile mind. What’s reality, what’s hallucination, what’s memory? Poppy can’t tell the difference, and sometimes it was hard for me to tell the difference at first. I enjoyed the deep dive into Poppy’s mind, even though it was a murky, sad, and depressing place. Under My Skin highlights just how little we know those that are close to us and how we can never go back, no matter how badly we wish we can. Most things were wrapped up pretty nicely, which I definitely appreciate in a story like this.
Find UNDER MY SKIN
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
About Lisa Unger
Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling, award-winning author of sixteen novels, including the new psychological thriller UNDER MY SKIN (coming Oct 2!)
Her books are published in twenty-six languages worldwide, have sold millions of copies and have been named “Best of the Year” or top picks by the Today show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, Amazon, Indie Booksellers, Goodreads, and Sun-Sentinel to name a few.
Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR and Travel+Leisure Magazine. Lisa Unger lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida with her husband, daughter and labradoodle.
Connect with Lisa Unger
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
Lisa Unger’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS for UNDER MY SKIN:
Monday, October 1st: Write Read Life
Tuesday, October 2nd: Moonlight Rendezvous
Wednesday, October 3rd: Thats What She Read on FB and @that_what_she_read
Thursday, October 4th: Thoughts from a Highly Caffeinated Mind
Friday, October 5th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, October 8th: A Bookish Way of Life
Tuesday, October 9th: Erica Robyn Reads
Wednesday, October 10th: @bookishmadeleine
Thursday, October 11th: Novel Gossip and @novelgossip
Thursday, October 11th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Friday, October 12th: @amberafterglowreads
Tuesday, October 16th: @booksugar
Tuesday, October 16th: Bewitched Bookworms
Wednesday, October 17th: Jessicamap Reviews and @jessicamap
Thursday, October 18th: Why Girls Are Weird
Monday, October 22nd: Openly Bookish
Monday, October 22nd: Kritter’s Ramblings
Tuesday, October 23rd: @scaredstraightreads
Wednesday, October 24th: Palmer’s Page Turners
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If you liked this book but haven’t read her others, you have to try IN THE BLOOD by the same author. I have read a few of her others, not all, but this might be her best. Lots of people agree with me.
I hope to read UNDER MY SKIN next. I’ve read plenty of great reviews.
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I love books where the character has a missing memory. I know it’s overdone sometimes, but when it’s done right it SO works!! Great review– glad you liked this. I’ve really been in the mood for Adult Thrillers lately.
Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Books recently posted..A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody– Even Monday is good when you’re reading a Jessica Brody book!!
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Thanks for being on the tour!
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I loved this book.
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