Book Review: Skin Game (Kearne and Lundin – Subtle Deceptions) by Elle Keaton

Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Skin Game

SERIES: Karne and Lundin: Subtle Deceptions #3

AUTHOR: Elle Keaton

PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press

LENGTH: 254 Pages

RELEASE DATE: December 18, 2025

BLURB:

Gabriel Karne is cautiously optimistic. Life seems to be settling down into a nice even keel.

It’s a new year and the former con artist has a permanent-for-now address. Even Keith-the-cat seems to like it there. No more rickety sailboats and living out of go-bags for Gabriel Karne. No surprises. No dead bodies.

Romance-wise, he and Ranger Man are easing into being a couple. A lifetime of habits is hard to break for both of them but they’re getting there.

Gabe even has a job. Will he regret agreeing to it? Probably but it’s almost legal, so baby steps.

Then a strange young woman claiming to be his long-lost daughter appears on his new doorstep, and she has some sketchy documentation to prove it. It’s not impossible, but Gabe wasn’t born yesterday, and Heidi Karne was his mother, after all.
And another damn letter—this one from a stranger—shows up. The author claims to be a friend of Heidi’s and to have some of his late mother’s belongings. Just great.

REVIEW:

Gabe knows the young woman who turned up on his doorstep was playing a con. The question was, which one, how big and who for? Unfortunately, her untimely death meant that Gabe had more sleuthing to do before the police decided he was the prime suspect for murder. In the meantime, Casey must come to terms with the new dynamic with his brother.

Skin Game is the third book in the Kearn and Lundin, Subtle Deceptions series. While individual arcs are completed within each book, it is recommended that you read the series as it provides a better understanding of the characters and backgrounds of all involved.  This story is a typical Elle Keaton offering. It’s a slow burn, bathed in mystery, suspense, chance (?) encounters, and old-timers doing their thing. However, this tale ramps up the action a bit more, with lives on the line and some new characters added to the mix who may have sought out a quieter life after…well… who knows what? Hopefully, we may find out in the next novel.

The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Gabe and Casey. Elle Keaton is a seasoned author; therefore, technicalities are spot on. Worldbuilding has developed over the series, and this instalment expands the view even more, with our characters heading further afar to find answers.

I love that Gabe continues to utilize his shady experience, especially his ‘gift of the gab’ but as Gabe’s character develops, his inner soul shows that he is a good man. Gabe’s influence on Casey is removing the stick that was originally firmly in place. This story also develops Gabe and Casey’s connection and reliance.

As for the extended cast, I love them all – including the animals. It is often these characters that add that something special to all Elle’s tales.

Skin Game is a story that started well and grew on me even more as the story progressed. Also, it kept me guessing who was connected to whom, how and where they all fit within the greater scheme of things. Loved the growing suspense as the end approached.

Bravo.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon