Erin Kelly writes at the start of the book of her inspiration for the novel and that really got me interested. No spoilers here but it’s a great idea and one I thought she wrote about brilliantly. She has been working as a journalist since 1998, writing for newspapers, magazines including Red, Psychologies, Marie Claire and Elle, as well as writing psychological thrillers. Some scenes are lively and a bit mad but in the best possible way and I really enjoy their colourful nature. There are some good jaw descending with a thunk moments especially as you come to appreciate how Nell’s life has been tainted. I come to really like and admire her especially her frequent wry tone but most especially her love and loyalty to her ‘stepdaughter’ Billie who is a shining light among characters with somewhat dubious morals. The relationship between Nell and Dom and that of Billie and Nell are the highlights of the story, in fact, the arc of each and every character in the book was brilliantly done. Billie, however, is like a breath of fresh air in this dark family drama. It is not just about the mystery of a skeleton but Erin Kelly keeps the readers on their toes convoluting the plot with one reveal after another every step of the way and there are so many subplots running in the story that the momentum of the story also has its own pace, whereas some parts I could literally fly with it there were also some other parts which were very slow in its unraveling.

Obsession and clues, death and mystery: all this fed into my new novel The Skeleton Key. My book-within-a‑book is called The Golden Bones: the treasure is a jewelled skeleton, scattered and buried at seven locations. Unlike Fenn, my fictional artist calls off the search when crazed fans can’t tell their fictional quest from reality and threaten his family. One golden bone – the pelvis – remains undiscovered. In the present day, the artist decides to update and reissue The Golden Bones, and reveal the treasure’s whereabouts. But human remains are uncovered instead, and dormant obsessions resurface.Eleanor, who is now reaching middle age, left her family behind with all its messiness – including Frank Churcher’s massive ego. She still sees them, but she’s steadfastly refused any money or help no matter how much she might need it. She owns a narrowboat and lives on England’s waterways with a surrogate daughter she’d adopt if she could. Her living situation can sometimes be a bit dicey but it’s safer away from her family’s mess and the media spotlight that seldom leaves them alone for long. What drew me in to The Skeleton Key were a) the cover of the book, which seemed to promise both magic and ordinary life and b) the fact that it was built around a book. In this case, a treasure hunt book that's now 50 years old, involves a quest to re-assemble a skeleton, has a world-wide, obsessive fan base, and has shaped the lives of two close families—one the author/illustrator's, the other his best friend's. Erin Kelly’s He Said/She Said was one of the first thriller ARCs I received. I devoured that book, and I’ll never forget it. Ever since, I try to catch all her new releases, so of course I was excited to add The Skeleton Key to my TBR. I liked Eleanor (Nell) not Elinore enough that I was interested in her story and I mostly loved Billie, but the story was messy enough that I honestly was more confused than anything.

Moody, propulsive, and one of the most intriguing set ups I’ve read in years. Erin Kelly doesn’t put a foot wrong in this atmospheric, original thriller’ GILLIAN McALLISTER Richard and Judy Introduce He Said She Said by Erin Kelly". WHSmith Blog. 5 April 2018 . Retrieved 8 October 2020. It's very difficult to review such a multi-layered, well-plotted mystery without giving anything away, Let’s just say that it’s a story about fame, greed and family secrets. A LOT of dark family secrets. As an added bonus, the book also contained two of my favourite themes: a story based on an old legend, plus a “book within a book”.In this richly allusive book, Darrieussecq draws on the experiences of many fellow writers through history who have also suffered from what Marguerite Duras referred to as “the brutality of no-sleep”, among them Gide, Plath, Borges, and Tchicaya U Tam’si. Since finishing this book I've been thinking how to voice my admiration for the author. I don't like rehashing the story because that's what blurbs are for, but I really do want to write down how this book made me feel after finishing it. a b c d Guardian Staff (7 January 2016). "How to write a psychological thriller | Erin Kelly". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 8 October 2020. Quinn’s decision to portray early 20th-century society as progressive and liberal-minded means that homophobia and class prejudice are never articulated. This gives the book a cosy, teatime feeling: delightful to indulge in, but denying us the thrill of fear that comes when characters are really up against it. It’s only when those reliable baddies the Nazis come into play that the adrenaline flows. An intricately plotted thriller, full of detail and invention, with impeccably realised settings and characters as monstrous as they are believable. Above all it is a completely addictive story of two families destroyed by success. Erin Kelly is a genius’ JANE CASEY