Review: A Criminal Love Story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 31, 2012
Skin Games by Adam Pepper is a gripping star-crossed love story set against the backdrop of crime novel.  It is a page turning tale that tosses romance with the mob and comes up a winner.Skin Games has an interesting format, as it is essentially a flashback story, bookended by a minor subplot. This design works well, due mainly to the strong first person voice of the protagonist; as a reader I didn't even notice the switch in point-of-view as the story moved in and out of the enclosing segments.  From the first tense action sequence to the poignant conclusion, the book compels your attention.This story could have easily turned into a Romeo and Juliet cliché, but the authenticity of the characters moves the narrative splendidly and you get the genuine feel of people caught in a situation spinning beyond their control.  The author does a marvellous job of creating a claustrophobic world of crime and mobsters, while still maintaining empathy for its inhabitants.Skin Games is a taut, engaging book and I recommend it.