Book Review: Skin in the Game

Reviewed by Lauren Hayataka

Where secrets unravel and memories haunt—a compelling novel of the vibrant chaos of 1980s Manhattan

R.E. Rutledge’s debut novel, Skin In The Game, drops readers into the vibrant and tumultuous landscape of 1980s Manhattan, where bold fashion, loud music, and an atmosphere charged with excitement and excess act as the background for a psychological thriller. 

Set against the backdrop of a shocking murder that rocks the city’s elite, the novel follows protagonist Sheila Ross, a copywriter by day and aspiring stand-up comic by night, as she grapples with painful memories and unearths disturbing connections to her past.

The narrative unfolds with the discovery of a scion of finance murdered in his elegant high-rise, sending shockwaves through the city and triggering painful recollections for Sheila. The victim’s funeral reunites Sheila with her high school friends, now scattered across New York, and sets the stage for a harrowing journey into their shared history. As they delve deeper into the investigation, they uncover unsettling parallels to Sheila’s brother Sam’s unsolved murder a decade earlier in Iowa, drawing them into a deadly game with a serial killer whose motives remain shrouded in mystery.

Central to the novel is the theme of confronting one’s past, as Sheila and her companions are forced to confront the trauma of their youth and secrets, which they thought long buried. Through alternating perspectives of Sheila and NYPD detective Mike Sloan, Rutledge explores the complexities of their intertwined history, delving into themes of unresolved grief, unrequited love, and familial ties. 

Sheila’s tumultuous relationship with her brother Sam, as well as Mike’s connection to him, serves as a focal point of the narrative, delving into events from the past. Growing up in a traditional Jewish household, Sheila deeply resented Sam, who was showered with attention as their parents’ firstborn son. 

However, the dynamics shifted dramatically with Sam’s passing, leaving Sheila grappling with survivor’s guilt and the weight of unresolved emotions. Similarly, Mike, once Sam’s closest friend, was secretly in love with him, his sexuality stifled by the confines of their upbringing in a small Iowa town. 

Skin In The Game features almost 60 chapters; each one short and concise, making it easy to follow the narrative as it switches between the past and the present, and introduces new characters that have intricate relationships with one another. Among these characters is Billy, Sheila’s devoted high school friend who followed her to New York, and Jane Brown, a former classmate who was teased and misunderstood by many, including Sheila. There is also Sheila’s love interest, Marcus, a psychologist with a passion for forensic psychology, which was a rapidly growing field at the time. 

The abundance of characters and the exploration of their backstories contribute to a slow-paced narrative, one that follows a straight-forward path without huge twists and turns. This is a novel tailored for readers who want to immerse themselves in the life of the characters first, before turning to solve the case. Rutledge excels at creating distinct, interesting characters and leaves no question about their motivations. These people are captivating to follow.

Skin In The Game is a character-driven thriller that thoughtfully examines trauma, identity, and the complexities of confronting our past. With its vivid portrayal of 1980s Manhattan and its diverse cast of characters, Rutledge’s debut immerses readers in a realistic world tinged with nostalgia and authenticity.

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