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#BlogTour #BookReview The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly @mserinkelly @Mobius_Books #TheSkeletonKey #ErinKelly #MobiusBooksUS

THIS REUNION WILL TEAR A FAMILY APART…

Summer, 2021. Nell has come home at her family’s insistence to celebrate an anniversary. Fifty years ago, her father wrote The Golden Bones. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, Sir Frank Churcher created a fairy story about Elinore, a murdered woman whose skeleton was scattered all over England. Clues and puzzles in the pages of The Golden Bones led readers to seven sites where jewels were buried – gold and precious stones, each a different part of a skeleton. One by one, the tiny golden bones were dug up until only Elinore’s pelvis remained hidden.

The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous degree. People sold their homes to travel to England and search for Elinore. Marriages broke down as the quest consumed people. A man died. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse.

But now the Churchers must be reunited. The book is being reissued along with a new treasure hunt and a documentary crew are charting everything that follows. Nell is appalled, and terrified. During the filming, Frank finally reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone. And then all hell breaks loose.

From the bestselling author of He Said/She Said and Watch Her Fall, this is a taut, mesmerising novel about a daughter haunted by her father’s legacy…

Intricate, twisty, and tragic!

The Skeleton Key is a dark, compelling tale that takes you into the lives of two families, Churcher and Lally, who have been tied together over the last fifty years by the successful publication of the treasure quest book, The Golden Bones . A book, whose success is now being honoured with a documentary film and a special edition release which has prompted the resurgence of all the crazed obsessive fans, also known as the “bone hunters” who are determined to discover all of the bones scattered across England, led to all the family members being reunited under one roof in a very long time, and caused all the secrets and skeletons that have been buried under lies and deception for many years to finally be unearthed and uncovered.

The prose is rich and tight. The characters are selfish, deceptive, and troubled. And the plot using flashbacks and a back-and-forth style, unfolds briskly into a murky tale full of twists, turns, surprises, familial drama, secrets, greed, resentments, deception, scandal, wickedness, tragedy, and murder.

Overall, The Skeleton Key  is another sophisticated, vivid, creepy tale by Kelly that does a fantastic job of delving into all the complex, dysfunctional dynamics that can occur between family members and reminds us just how toxic and evil, and yet somehow still loyal some of these relationships can truly be.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Erin Kelly

Erin Kelly is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Poison Tree, The Sick Rose, The Burning Air, The Ties That Bind, He Said/She Said, Stone Mothers and Broadchurch: The Novel, inspired by the mega-hit TV series. In 2013, The Poison Tree became a major ITV drama and was a Richard & Judy Summer Read in 2011. He Said/She Said spent six weeks in the top ten in both hardback and paperback, was longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier crime novel of the year award and selected for both the Simon Mayo Radio 2 and Richard & Judy Book Clubs. She has worked as a freelance journalist since 1998 and written for the Guardian, The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, New Statesman, Red, Elle, Cosmopolitan and The Pool. Born in London in 1976, she lives in north London with her husband and daughters.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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Jen Med's Book Reviews

Musings and Ramblings of a Disorganised Blogger

The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly

Today I am delighted to share my thoughts on The Skeleton Key , the brand new thriller from Erin Kelly, which is out today. Happy publication day. My thanks to publishers Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy of the book. Here’s what it’s all about:

About the Book

THIS REUNION WILL TEAR A FAMILY APART … Summer, 2021. Nell has come home at her family’s insistence to celebrate an anniversary. Fifty years ago, her father wrote The Golden Bones. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, Sir Frank Churcher created a fairy story about Elinore, a murdered woman whose skeleton was scattered all over England. Clues and puzzles in the pages of The Golden Bones led readers to seven sites where jewels were buried – gold and precious stones, each a different part of a skeleton. One by one, the tiny golden bones were dug up until only Elinore’s pelvis remained hidden. The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous degree. People sold their homes to travel to England and search for Elinore. Marriages broke down as the quest consumed people. A man died. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse. But now the Churchers must be reunited. The book is being reissued along with a new treasure hunt and a documentary crew are charting everything that follows. Nell is appalled, and terrified. During the filming, Frank finally reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone. And then all hell breaks loose. From the bestselling author of He Said/She Said and Watch Her Fall, this is a taut, mesmerising novel about a daughter haunted by her father’s legacy . . .

My Thoughts

I really loved this book. Packed with mystery, an undulating tension and characters who were not always likeable, let alone trustworthy, it captured my imagination and my attention from the very opening scenes and did not let go. I love a book that can do that. I was suckered in from the off, desperate to know the fate of the victim from those first few pages, and wanting to understand what had driven someone to do something so shocking and seemingly insane. The simple answer? Obsession, that and a very fragile state of mental health, the latter of which only fed the former. The cause of that obsession? A children’s book inspired by an old folk song, and a belief that what was contained within it was based entirely in reality and not the author’s imagination. In The Skeleton Key , Erin Kelly introduces us to two families, tied together by history, success and, more recently, marriage. The Churchers, led by patriarch Sir Frank Churcher, author of The Golden Bones, and the Lallys, have a history spanning back decades, one which is to be brought back into the media spotlight by the release of a 50th anniversary edition of the book, and a tie in computer game. The book, a kind of treasure quest picture book, led its original readers to search for the hidden bones of Elinore, a search which grew out of control, with devastating consequences for many searchers and for the Churcher’s daughter, Nell. I loved the suspense that fed through this book, the constant feeling of the truth being just out of reach. The depiction of the kinds of obsession and addiction, both healthy and otherwise, that fed the long term readers and fans of the book, as well as those at the heart of its creation, had a real ring of authenticity. The danger and threat posed by those most ardent, and deranged, amongst the fans was palpable. We’ve all seen it, the way some people turn the love of something, be it a book, a film or even idolising an actor, into something dark and twisted, and when such an overwhelming fascination is matched by declining mental health the results can be catastrophic. Erin Kelly has captured perfectly in the sometimes manic, always overbearing nature of some of the characters and the often excessive lives led by the two central families. Speaking of the characters, with the possible exception of the narrator, Nell, there was just something under the surface that stopped me from ever trusting any of them completely. You got a sense that both households, no matter how close they appeared to be, were nursing secrets, some toxic, all with the potential to see the whole fragile ecosystem they had built up, tumble. There was an inherent toxicity that threads through the familiarity of the two families, some tiny element that I couldn’t put my finger on but that you could feel festering. Throughout the book there is a very common theme – the silencing of the women who live at the heart of the story. Their feelings, their emotional well-being always seemed secondary to that of patriarch Frank Churcher, and to a lesser degree, Lal, but at what cost? Layer upon layer of deception and duplicity is stripped away, but as the speed at which revelations occur towards the end increased, I was both shocked by the turn of events, and yet not remotely surprised. But one thing that couldn’t be called into question was how intertwined their lives all were, or how far any of the characters, with one notable exception, would go to protect those they loved. It forces us as readers to consider how far we would go in similar circumstances. This is a mystery within a mystery. A story of life lived to excess. Of fame, fortune and obsession. Of the abuse of power and status and of the power of lies to destroy lives. Most of all it is a story of family and unquestioning loyalty, even in the face of absolute betrayal. Action moves seemlessly back and forth in time, mostly set in the present day but with scenes that are set in the families pasts that serve to give clarity and context to what comes to pass. Erin Kelly has written a perfect mystery, one that kept me completely absorbed to the very last page. Textured, multi-faceted in both story and character, if you have not read Erin Kelly yet, this would be a very good place to start. I loved Watch Her Fall , and I love this just as much, Erin Kelly is definitely heading right onto my must read author list. And, my word, is that cover not just gorgeous? Totally befitting such a gothic tale. Do yourselves a favour and grab a copy now. It’s the kind of book I can imagine on TV with a nice adventure game/app tie in to boot. So I’ll give it one of these too:

About the Author

Erin Kelly is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Poison Tree, The Sick Rose, The Burning Air, The Ties That Bind, He Said/She Said, Stone Mothers/We Know You Know, Watch Her Fall and Broadchurch: The Novel, inspired by the mega-hit TV series. In 2013, The Poison Tree became a major ITV drama and was a Richard & Judy Summer Read in 2011. He Said/She Said spent six weeks in the top ten in both hardback and paperback, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier crime novel of the year award, and selected for both the Simon Mayo Radio 2 and Richard & Judy Book Clubs. She has worked as a freelance journalist since 1998 and written for the Guardian, The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, New Statesman, Red, Elle and Cosmopolitan. Born in London in 1976, she lives in north London with her husband and daughters.

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2 thoughts on “ the skeleton key by erin kelly ”.

Excellent review Jen. This is going to be my first read by this author. Your review has me anticipating it with glee!❤📚

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Buried Under Books

Review: ‘the skeleton key’ by erin kelly.

family dynamics , obsession , secrets

Our families are often the people who hurt us the most.

This is certainly true for Nell Churcher, who, despite being attacked by an obsessive ‘Golden Bones’ fan when she was was in her early teens – a fan who believed they needed to carve out Nell’s pelvic bone to resurrect a fictional character called Elinore – continues to be more hurt by her family’s inability to comprehend her. As always, Kelly deftly captures the true nature of family: the people we know best may be those we despise the most, and it may turn out that we still don’t know the depths they can plumb…

What’s it about?

For fifty years, Frank Churcher’s family has been defined by a beautiful treasure hunt tale he authored as a young artist: ‘The Golden Bones’. A tale of obsession gave rise to an army of obsessive fans and Frank’s daughter, Nell, (who, much to her disgust, was christened ‘Eleanor’, giving her a dangerous connection to the Lady Elinore in her father’s creation.) has long stood separate from her kin, determined to make her own way in life.

Now, Frank has an announcement to make and a surprise to reveal, so the Churchers gather together for the grand reveal: the location of the missing bone. However, some secrets are meant to stay buried, and the reveal soon veers dangerously off course, unveiling other secrets the family have kept hidden all these years…

What’s it like?

After a shocking prologue, ‘The Skeleton Key’ is a slow burner in terms of plot, but is a consistently beguiling tale that gradually paints a tale of two intertwined families, the Churchers and the Lalleys. Nell despises her parents and refers to them by their first names, and even Dominic and Rosaleen, Nell’s brother and sister-in-law, decide early on in their relationship to live their lives by deciding what their respective parents would do, then doing the opposite. Clearly, the children don’t dote on their parents.

The reader quickly learns about Frank’s adultery, Cora’s tendency to absent herself from reality and Lal’s alcoholism, but the real shocks are saved for the final third of the book, where we learn what Bridget knows and the long held family hatreds begin to burn ever brighter…

Final thoughts

Kelly perfectly captures the difficult dynamics dysfunctional families can share. Nell is simultaneously appalled by and protective of her father; Dominic feels the need to protect his ineffectual mother; and sensible Rosaleen turns out to be the classic rebellious teenager; but all of this feels absolutely convincing, sad and inevitable, given the characters involved.

Similarly, Kelly shows the way perfectly ‘normal’ people can do and compartmentalise heinous actions. There are no psychopaths here, though if one character’s complete actions were described independently of the rest of the narrative, I think they would certainly risk attracting that label!

I was surprised by Frank’s behaviour in the final chapters and wondered whether Kelly’s final, understated reveal somehow had more to do with his decision than anything else. (I found myself re-reading the relevant chapters as obsessively as one of the story’s Bonehunters might!) Other than this unexpected development, I loved the way the whole story developed and gradually revealed just how far a family will go to protect their own.

Having previously thoroughly enjoyed Kelly’s ‘ He Said / She Said ‘ and ‘ The Burning Air ‘, I look forward to reading more of her books.

‘The Skeleton Key’, Erin Kelly 2023, Hodder, paperback

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Book Review

Skeleton key — “alex rider” series.

• Anthony Horowitz
• Suspense/Thriller

Readability Age Range

• Penguin Group

Year Published

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine . It is the third book in the “Alex Rider” series.

Plot Summary

Orphaned 14-year old spy Alex Rider is asked by the British spy agency MI6 to be a ball boy at Wimbledon. While at the tournament, he uncovers a sinister plan carried out by a Chinese gang that involves rigging the outcome by drugging certain tennis players. Afterward, the gang members attempt to redeem their reputation by trying to kill Alex. He is forced to go into hiding.

Alex vows — once more — to never work for MI6. Of course, as was the case in book two of this series, MI6 officials manipulate Alex until he accepts their latest case. Since attempts are being made on Alex’s life, MI6 feels that Alex should travel to Florida as part of a joint spy mission with the CIA. Alex flies to Miami and meets two agents that pose as his parents, Carver (male) and Troy (female). After a week of training, the three travel to Skeleton Key, an island near Cuba. The CIA agents leave Alex at the hotel while they spy on those in the mansion of a mad Russian general, Alexei Sarov. The CIA had received a report that the general recently bought uranium.

Alex convinces agents Carver and Troy to let him accompany them on a scuba diving excursion, which is really another spy operation. Carver and Troy are killed by a trap set by Sarov in a cave underneath his mansion, and Alex is taken hostage. The mad general doesn’t want to hurt Alex, even though he knows Alex is an MI6 agent. Alex reminds the general of his only son who was killed in the war between Afghanistan and his country. General Sarov offers to adopt Alex. Sarov thinks Alex is considering his offer as they fly to Russia where the general plans to set off a nuclear bomb in a harbor of outdated and rusted Russian submarines. On the way, they stop in London to fuel their jet, and Alex escapes. Sarov recaptures Alex, but not before the young spy is able to get the attention of the authorities. In Russia, Sarov and his men seize control of a submarine yard and the nuclear bomb is lowered onto the top of a sub. Alex manages to stall Sarov and his men until Russian soldiers arrive to take control of the situation. The bomb is defused. Sarov realizes that Alex does not want to be his son and shoots himself.

Christian Beliefs

Other belief systems.

Sarov claims that he doesn’t believe in God.

Authority Roles

Alex’s parents are dead and so is his uncle, the man who had been raising him and who was a secret MI6 spy. For the most part, Alex is on his own, though he does have a caretaker — a young American woman — who is only briefly mentioned and never appears in the book. Agents Carver and Troy pose as Alex’s parents on a spy mission, but Troy does not treat Alex well because she doesn’t think a boy should be on such a serious assignment. Carver is nice to Alex and takes him under his wing, treating him like he would a son. After kidnapping Alex, Sarov tries to adopt him and become his father. Alex wants no part of it, as it’s obvious that the general is mad.

Profanity & Violence

Three men attempting to leave Skeleton Key in a plane get bogged down in a swamp surrounding the runway and are eaten by crocodiles. Alex fights a man posing as a guard. The fight is brutal and bloody, and Alex finally knocks the man out and puts him in a freezer. It’s implied that the man later dies. CIA agent Carver is captured, and later Alex finds him, beaten and bloody, tied to a chair. A cargo ship full of bad guys blows up, killing all aboard. Alex is attacked by a shark while scuba diving and barely escapes with his life. When he returns to the boat, he finds the driver dead with a knife sticking out his back. One of Sarov’s henchmen ties Alex to a conveyor belt used for crushing sugar cane, but the machine is turned off at the last minute by Sarov. An airport guard is found shot between the eyes. Sarov’s men shoot five Russian sailors. Sarov shoots himself with a gun in front of Alex.

After nearly dying in a fight at Wimbledon, Alex is furious at MI6. A couple of days later he stands on the veranda of a house and thinks to himself, “To h— with all of them!” Alex’s girlfriend is enamored with a tennis player, and Alex, who is a bit jealous, tells her to “Keep her hands on the right balls.” There are two instances where characters use God’s name in vain.

Sexual Content

Discussion topics.

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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Book Review of ‘The Skeleton Key’ by Erin Kelly

THIS REUNION WILL TEAR A FAMILY APART … Summer, 2021. Nell has come home at her family’s insistence to celebrate an anniversary. Fifty years ago, her father wrote The Golden Bones. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, Sir Frank Churcher created a fairy story about Elinore, a murdered woman whose skeleton was scattered all over England. Clues and puzzles in the pages of The Golden Bones led readers to seven sites where jewels were buried – gold and precious stones, each a different part of a skeleton. One by one, the tiny golden bones were dug up until only Elinore’s pelvis remained hidden.

The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous degree. People sold their homes to travel to England and search for Elinore. Marriages broke down as the quest consumed people. A man died. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse.

But now the Churchers must be reunited. The book is being reissued along with a new treasure hunt and a documentary crew are charting everything that follows. Nell is appalled, and terrified. During the filming, Frank finally reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone. And then all hell breaks loose.

I really enjoyed this book – it’s got a fascinating premise which is built upon with layers of family secrets, power struggles and complex relationships. Although this is a mystery novel rather than fantasy, there were plenty of magical and colourful elements to keep a wide range of readers interested.

There are some really carefully thought-through elements at play in this novel. I enjoyed the involvement of the parallel families and generations, the cult-following of The Golden Bones and there were a few great twists towards the end. I also felt that Nell and Billie living on a boathouse was a really clever way of showing how much Nell had separated her life from that of the rest of her family and rejected the legacy of her father’s book.

I found that ‘The Skeleton Key’ reads very much like a YA book; in fact my only criticism is that I struggled a little to visualise the main character, Nell, as a forty-year-old rather than someone in their early twenties. I did wonder whether Billie was originally written as the protagonist.

Overall, I can see ‘The Skeleton Key’ being a smash hit on the bookshelves this autumn. The gorgeous cover highlights is dark, gothic themes and perfectly sets up the novel’s tone.

Thank you to NetGalley UK, Erin Kelly and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC of ‘The Skeleton Key’ in return for my honest review.

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2 thoughts on “ book review of ‘the skeleton key’ by erin kelly ”.

This sounds terrific. Thanks for the heads up.

The cover is gorgeous. This one sounds like another fabulous read.

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Skeleton Key

On a private island near Cuba, Alex Rider faces his most dangerous challenge yet. The Russian General Sarov is hatching explosive plans to rewrite history – and only Alex can stop him.

Read a chapter

Listen to a chapter

Brings new meaning to the phrase 'action-packed'.

Sunday Times

I was reading it whenever I could. My eyes were glued to the pages.

Alex, aged 10, lovereadingforkids.co.uk

A normal 14 year old? No. A reluctant spy with really cool gadgets and mega exciting life or death missions? Yes!

Sam, aged 11, lovereadingforkids.co.uk

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Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz | Parent Guide & Review

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.

Synopsis of Skeleton Key

Skeleton Key is Alex Rider’s third adventure as a spy. After being shot at by international terrorists and staring pure evil in the face he is back to do it again. Twice he saved the world and twice he was almost killed doing it. This time the enemy is more dangerous because he has lost everything he cared about and is desperate. Plus he just happens to have a nuclear weapon to destroy the free world. He will stop at nothing until his beloved Russia is back in power. Until Alex shows up. Alex unites with America’s CIA for this adventure. Saving the world takes him from the sandy beaches in Miami to the frozen shores of Northern Russia in Skeleton Key.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you click on a link and decide to buy something I will get pennies for referring you. This in no way changes the price for you. It just helps me make a bit for doing what I love.

First Impressions

This is book three in the Alex Rider series I grew up reading and loving. Just the fact that Skeleton is in the names gives off ominous vibes and makes me want to find out who dies. (Tiny spoiler: people do die. It is an action book with spies and guns involved.) I love that each book has taken us to a different location and this time we are somewhere tropical. Honestly, I can’t help but feel sorry for Alex in the majority of this book as he tries to get out of the sticky situation he finds himself in. Also, he just can’t help himself sometimes and lands himself in some pretty hot water.

Skeleton Key Parent Guide

Overall: PG-13 for violence Violence: PG-13 intense moment with a shark, almost killed during interrogation, hand-to-hand combat, suicide (story cuts off with the gun going off and picks up later; zero gore) Language: PG a couple of mild swear words Adult Content: G mild kiss Reading Level: Grade 4-12 (I would wait until 6th grade because of content)

Themes in Skeleton Key

• Prove Yourself: Alex is constantly doing dangerous things partly to prove that he can and to live up the legacy of his uncle.
• Terrorism: There are multiple terrorist groups and plots exposed. Alex becomes a target after interfering.
• Young Love: Alex has his first crush and has to balance real life vs spy life
• Kids vs Adults: There are multiple adults who Alex can’t trust and even ones he is supposed to trust he doesn’t.
• Too Young: This is a theme in many of the books. Alex is considered too young for what he is doing. As a result, individuals withhold information to “keep him safe” but not being informed gets him in deeper trouble without preparation. 
• Orphan: This idea of being parent-less and lacking specifically a father figure is brought up in the book.
• Living in the Past: The Antagonist is stuck living and memorializing the past. He views the past as far more superior to now and attempts to make the present like the past. 

“He looked from the phone to the unconscious figure of the Salesman. “What did you do to him?” he asked. “He got the wrong number,” Alex said.” ― Anthony Horowitz, Skeleton Key

“What happened?” he demanded. “I heard an explosion!” [Alex] “Yeah. That was me. I set the boat alight.” “What?” “I set fire to the boat.” “But we’re on the boat!” “I know.” ― Anthony Horowitz, Skeleton Key

 “Strange though it is, Sarov still cares about you. He told me to leave you alone. But I think, this time, I must disobey the general. You are mine! And I intend to make you suffer…” “Just talking to you makes me suffer,” Alex said.” ― Anthony Horowitz, Skeleton Key

My Thoughts about Skeleton Key

Alex’s sarcasm is amazing! He always says just the right thing to lighten the mood and make what could be a dark and heavy situation light. His sarcasm reminds me of a lot of the one-liners that Harry Potter pulls. If you need a reminder of his wit take a look at the quotes earlier in this post. 

One thing that I like is how Alex uses logic and quick thinking to beat his enemy. Sometimes he can beat someone in a quick hand-to-hand combat situation but the majority of the time the adults overpower him easily or they have weapons that he doesn’t. To beat these bad guys he has to think and use his brains to his advantage. I respect that a lot. Granted, he is using those insights to get the upper-hand in a fight so he can win. These books don’t advocate for violence. Alex just happens to find himself in a few violent situations and has to find a way out.

Skeleton Key gives us an insight into terrorist organizations and a bunch of different strategies they employ. It also shows how easy it is to manipulate the media to tell the story you want it to. I like how this book leaves you thinking about these kinds of situations. It opens up our eyes to the dark hidden world that we can easily pass by. Granted this glimpse isn’t too extreme. It just shows a few ways that terrorists operate throughout the world.

What to Read Next?

I’m hoping that you already have Eagle Strike (Alex Rider Book 4) on hold or already checked out. Other books you need to dive into include I Am Number Four , and Bobby Pendragon: The Merchant of Death . If you are still running low on books to read check out this post about more science fiction action books to read.

Happy Reading! Emily

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The Skeleton Key

By erin kelly.

1st September 2022

Price: £9.99

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The Skeleton Key: A family reunion ends in murder; the Sunday Times top ten bestseller (2023) Kindle Edition

*** THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 2023 and TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 2023 *** A TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY MAIL and LITERARY REVIEW BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022: 'Flawless' SUNDAY TIMES *** 'A rich and fascinating puzzle' MAIL ON SUNDAY *** 'I completely lost myself to this book for a few days' LUCY FOLEY *** 'A deliciously involving page turner' GUARDIAN Summer, 2021. Nell has come home at her family's insistence to celebrate an anniversary. Fifty years ago, her father wrote The Golden Bones. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, Sir Frank Churcher created a fairy story about Elinore, a murdered woman whose skeleton was scattered all over England. Clues and puzzles in the pages of The Golden Bones led readers to seven sites where jewels were buried: one by one, the tiny golden bones were dug up until only Elinore's pelvis remained hidden. The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous, murderous degree. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse. But now the Churchers must be reunited. The book is being reissued along with a new treasure hunt and a documentary crew are charting everything that follows. Nell is appalled, and terrified. During the filming, Frank finally reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone. And then all hell breaks loose. Inspired by the author's love for Masquerade , this is a taut, mesmerising novel of danger and obsession. 'The ultimate entertaining thriller' EVENING STANDARD 'With rich characterisation and intricate yet propulsive plotting' GUARDIAN 'Sparks the most intense of emotions' THE TIMES * THRILLER OF THE MONTH* 'A gorgeously intricate puzzle of a book' THE OBSERVER 'Pacy, brilliantly plotted, and full of complex characters and relationships' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'A dark treasure hunt, family secrets and plot twists' STYLIST ONLINE 'There's layer upon layer of mystery in this frankly brilliant read' BELFAST TELEGRAPH 'Moody, propulsive, and one of the most intriguing set ups I've read in years' GILLIAN McALLISTER 'Original, suspenseful, and with complex characters that spring irresistibly to life on the page' LOUISE CANDLISH 'Twisted family dynamics and toxic, compelling characters' RUTH WARE 'Scary, moving and compelling: a beautifully-plotted, gorgeously-written triumph of a thriller' NICCI FRENCH 'A completely addictive story of two families destroyed by success' JANE CASEY PRE-ORDER THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS, available Spring 2024, NOW!

• Print length 545 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
• Publication date September 1, 2022
• File size 3568 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• See all details

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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09CGFFX5R
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodder & Stoughton (September 1, 2022)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 1, 2022
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 3568 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 545 pages
• #1,791 in Serial Killers
• #4,921 in Serial Killer Thrillers
• #5,211 in Murder

About the author

Some stories take longer to 'cook' than others. It's no exaggeration to say that my latest novel, The Skeleton Key, about a family of artists, and a treasure hunt that takes on a life of its own, was a lifetime in the making. As a child, my favourite picture book was the 1979 treasure hunt phenomenon Masquerade, by artist Kit Williams. On every page, riddles were posed and intricate, dreamlike paintings depicted Jack Hare in his quest to deliver a jewel from the moon to the sun. Each picture was bordered by letters that held a clue to the location of a tiny hare, wrought in gold, studded with precious stone, and buried somewhere in England. My favourite page was a double-page spread of a little girl sitting in a field of dog roses while Jack Hare galloped past. I envied her so much: she was in the story, as I longed to be. I thought that if I looked at the picture for long enough, I might fall into it: and in a way, I did. Masquerade became part of me, and forty years later, it has found its way out again in the form of The Skeleton Key.

Aside from The Skeleton Key, I'm known for He Said/She Said, about a young couple who witness a rape and, after the trial, begin to wonder if they believed the right person. It was number one in the kindle charts for six glorious weeks, and spent three months in the Sunday Times Bestseller charts.

My first novel, The Poison Tree, was a Richard and Judy bestseller and a major ITV drama starring Myanna Buring, Ophelia Lovibond and Matthew Goode.

I’ve written six more original psychological thrillers – Stone Mothers, Watch Her Fall, The Sick Rose, The Burning Air, The Ties That Bind.

I had read scores of psychological thrillers before I heard the term: the books that inspired me to write my own included Endless Night by Agatha Christie, The Secret History by Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine. My books are atmospheric thrillers, always about people trying to atone for, escape, or uncover a past crime. I’m more interested in what happens before the police arrive – if arrive they ever do - than how murder is solved.

GET IN TOUCH! I LOVE TO HEAR FROM READERS AND ALWAYS ANSWER EMAILS

Email via www.erinkelly.co.uk

Book club www.erinkelly.co.uk/subscribe

Blog www.erinkelly.co.uk/blog

Twitter @mserinkelly

Facebook @erinkellyauthor

Instagram @erinjelly

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The Skeleton Key: A family reunion ends in murder; the Sunday Times top ten bestseller (2023) Kindle Edition

*** THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 2023 and TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 2023 *** A TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY MAIL and LITERARY REVIEW BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022: 'Flawless' SUNDAY TIMES *** 'A rich and fascinating puzzle' MAIL ON SUNDAY *** 'I completely lost myself to this book for a few days' LUCY FOLEY *** 'A deliciously involving page turner' GUARDIAN Summer, 2021. Nell has come home at her family's insistence to celebrate an anniversary. Fifty years ago, her father wrote The Golden Bones. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, Sir Frank Churcher created a fairy story about Elinore, a murdered woman whose skeleton was scattered all over England. Clues and puzzles in the pages of The Golden Bones led readers to seven sites where jewels were buried: one by one, the tiny golden bones were dug up until only Elinore's pelvis remained hidden. The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous, murderous degree. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse. But now the Churchers must be reunited. The book is being reissued along with a new treasure hunt and a documentary crew are charting everything that follows. Nell is appalled, and terrified. During the filming, Frank finally reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone. And then all hell breaks loose. Inspired by the author's love for Masquerade , this is a taut, mesmerising novel of danger and obsession. 'The ultimate entertaining thriller' EVENING STANDARD 'With rich characterisation and intricate yet propulsive plotting' GUARDIAN 'Sparks the most intense of emotions' THE TIMES * THRILLER OF THE MONTH* 'A gorgeously intricate puzzle of a book' THE OBSERVER 'Pacy, brilliantly plotted, and full of complex characters and relationships' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'A dark treasure hunt, family secrets and plot twists' STYLIST ONLINE 'There's layer upon layer of mystery in this frankly brilliant read' BELFAST TELEGRAPH 'Moody, propulsive, and one of the most intriguing set ups I've read in years' GILLIAN McALLISTER 'Original, suspenseful, and with complex characters that spring irresistibly to life on the page' LOUISE CANDLISH 'Twisted family dynamics and toxic, compelling characters' RUTH WARE 'Scary, moving and compelling: a beautifully-plotted, gorgeously-written triumph of a thriller' NICCI FRENCH 'A completely addictive story of two families destroyed by success' JANE CASEY PRE-ORDER THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS, available Spring 2024, NOW!

• Print length 545 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
• Publication date 1 Sept. 2022
• File size 3568 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• See all details

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Product description

From the back cover, about the author, product details.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09CGFFX5R
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodder & Stoughton (1 Sept. 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 3568 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 545 pages
• 898 in Serial Killers (Kindle Store)
• 1,141 in Psychological Thrillers (Kindle Store)
• 1,449 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)

About the author

Some stories take longer to 'cook' than others. It's no exaggeration to say that my latest novel, The Skeleton Key, about a family of artists, and a treasure hunt that takes on a life of its own, was a lifetime in the making. As a child, my favourite picture book was the 1979 treasure hunt phenomenon Masquerade, by artist Kit Williams. On every page, riddles were posed and intricate, dreamlike paintings depicted Jack Hare in his quest to deliver a jewel from the moon to the sun. Each picture was bordered by letters that held a clue to the location of a tiny hare, wrought in gold, studded with precious stone, and buried somewhere in England. My favourite page was a double-page spread of a little girl sitting in a field of dog roses while Jack Hare galloped past. I envied her so much: she was in the story, as I longed to be. I thought that if I looked at the picture for long enough, I might fall into it: and in a way, I did. Masquerade became part of me, and forty years later, it has found its way out again in the form of The Skeleton Key.

Aside from The Skeleton Key, I'm known for He Said/She Said, about a young couple who witness a rape and, after the trial, begin to wonder if they believed the right person. It was number one in the kindle charts for six glorious weeks, and spent three months in the Sunday Times Bestseller charts.

My first novel, The Poison Tree, was a Richard and Judy bestseller and a major ITV drama starring Myanna Buring, Ophelia Lovibond and Matthew Goode.

I’ve written six more original psychological thrillers – Stone Mothers, Watch Her Fall, The Sick Rose, The Burning Air, The Ties That Bind.

I had read scores of psychological thrillers before I heard the term: the books that inspired me to write my own included Endless Night by Agatha Christie, The Secret History by Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine. My books are atmospheric thrillers, always about people trying to atone for, escape, or uncover a past crime. I’m more interested in what happens before the police arrive – if arrive they ever do - than how murder is solved.

GET IN TOUCH! I LOVE TO HEAR FROM READERS AND ALWAYS ANSWER EMAILS

Email via www.erinkelly.co.uk

Book club www.erinkelly.co.uk/subscribe

Blog www.erinkelly.co.uk/blog

Twitter @mserinkelly

Facebook @erinkellyauthor

Instagram @erinjelly

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Reviews with images

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

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