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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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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 by Erin Kelly Review

An exciting psychological thriller

A story that captures the imagination from reading the opening pages, for me, is either going to lose momentum and fall flat on its face or is going to keep the reader engaged, excited and entertained to the very end pages. I have just finished reading The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly and this is a book that falls into the later of those two categories – an exciting and thrilling read that blends the mystery of a puzzling 50 year old treasure hunt and sinister obsessions with a family legacy packed with secrets and lies.

In the late 60s / early 70s, Frank Churcher, an artist, wrote a book. This was no ordinary book; The Golden Bones was part picture book filled with his artwork and part treasure hunt. It was 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.

An interesting concept that really took off and was a worldwide sensation which resulted in the formation of a community of treasure hunters called The Bonehunters. Whilst most of The Bonehunters were simply harmless armchair treasure hunters trying to solve the clues in the book, some took it to new levels obsessing to a very dangerous, murderous degree. The book made Frank a rich man, but with consequences – his daughter Nell was stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, eventually causing her to become somewhat of a recluse.

In 2021, the 50th anniversary of The Golden Bones, things are about to be stirred up again. The book is being reissued along with a new treasure hunt and a documentary crew are charting everything that follows. With the Churchers reunited, Nell is appalled, and terrified. During the filming, Frank finally reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone. And then all hell breaks loose.

Overall, I loved this novel – it was extremely intriguing and exciting, packed with thrilling twists, turns, suspense and secrets. It is a story of two families ultimately destroyed by success and the pursuit of fame, obsession, arrogance and control.

The Skeleton Key is a dark and intricate psychological thriller featuring armchair treasure hunters that will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, crazed fans, conspiracy theories, dark family secrets, obsession and manipulation. The story covers different timelines to tell the tale, going back and forth from 1969 to 2021, focusing on two families: Churcher and Lally – best of friends, later joined together through marriage. It spans 50 years and the writing of a fairytale treasure hunting book that has serious consequences for both families.

The storyline is wonderfully plotted with some excellent plot twists that just make this such an intriguing story and one that is extremely hard to stop reading. The characters are wonderful with great depth that is slowly revealed the more you read – they all have their baggage, making some more likable than others, some becoming more despicable the more that is revealed about them, but all written with such expertise that you can’t help wanting to know more about each and every one.

I thought that The Skeleton Key was a fantastic read. A sophisticated and intriguing story, narrated mostly by the character Nell, that has been expertly written and one that keeps the reader engaged with the characters and plot. With many different layers to the plot, it never feels rushed to a conclusion, only revealing secrets when absolutely necessary to progress the story. A complex story of two very intertwined families that is easy to read and get caught up in.

I found The Skeleton Key to be a very exciting read with many layers. It started with a bang and only got better. An excellent storyline with excellent well fleshed out characters that you will either love or hate the more you discover about them.

An exciting mysterious thriller that you won’t be disappointed to read.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £16.99 (Hardback) / £9.99 (Paperback) / £0.99 (Kindle)

For more information, visit www.erinkelly.co.uk . Available to buy from Amazon here .

DISCLOSURE:  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.

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The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly, book review

I first heard about The Skeleton Key from Sarah’s blog. We often have a similar taste in books.

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. 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 best-selling 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 Review of the Skeleton Key

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. It kept me captivated from the start. Families tend to have secrets and so do friends. Families also drift apart. The book that Frank Churcher wrote in the 70s became a real hit and also caused many problems not the least to his own daughter who was attacked on the way home from school.

Determined to live her life privately, Nell and her daughter Billie have stayed out of the limelight, but now it’s time for Frank Churcher to reveal the final part of the puzzle and all the family are summoned to be at the filming.

But it all goes wrong, and that’s when the story is revealed. Past and present all combine, secrets and lies and lots of twists and turns. I did wonder at first where it was all going as it tended to drag out a bit. By the end of it I wondered just how awful could a group of people be, young and old.

The chapters were fairly short which can be handy with an audible book so you don’t have to pause mid chapter.

I’ve not read any of Erin Kelly before but I may try some of her other books now.

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5 thoughts on “The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly, book review”

I’m glad you enjoyed it. I do love how we have such similar tastes! This is the third Erin Kelly I’ve read and for me it was her best, but I did enjoy the others (He Said/ She Said and Watch Her Fall) too.

Wow! This sounds like a real page turner. Adding it to my wishlist!

It’s so wonderful to find a book you enjoy. #MMBC

I love it when you find a really good book. This one sounds interesting. I’ve got quite a few to get through first, but I might try this one at some point. x

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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

About the author, book description, from the back cover, 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
• 412 in Serial Killers (Kindle Store)
• 549 in Psychological Thrillers (Kindle Store)
• 650 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.

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ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly

The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly was published on 1st September by Hodder & Stoughton in hardcover, eBook and audiobook. My thanks to Eleni Lawrence for sending me a copy for review.

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 . . .

The Churcher family and the Lally family: inextricably linked, Frank Churcher and Gerald ‘Lal’ Lally being the head of each. Best friends, but somehow always that edge of rivalry. Fifty years ago Frank wrote The Golden Bones, a book with a mystery and a search for a missing golden bone at its heart. Now, the anniversary is being celebrated and Nell has returned home, but events are about to come to a head.

The Skeleton Key is absolutely brilliant and most definitely my kind of read. It’s been described as a slow burner and the gradual unfolding of events past and present fits that description. However, don’t mistake that for a slow read. This is a book that had me completely and utterly gripped, held in its thrall from first page to last.

Whilst primarily told by Nell in the present day, the story does go back into the past to drip-feed key moments. It’s so intricately and expertly plotted and I found myself frantically turning back through the pages to see where the latest plot twist originated, knowing that it was there and that the detail that seemed so benign at first is in fact so very important. The hand over the mouth moments just kept coming right up until the end. There are many tangled family relationships and friendships tied up with a treasure hunt over the years and this leads to numerous revelations and shocking twists and turns which completely delighted me.

A book about a book – bliss! A book about a dysfunctional family dealing with the skeletons in their closet – perfection! A dark and intense story that had my eyes glued to the page – magnificent! The Skeleton Key is outstanding and glorious in every way.

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. erinkelly.co.uk twitter.com/mserinkelly

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Well you have definitely sold this one to me. Great review.

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SKELETON KEY

by Anthony Horowitz ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2003

The third in the continuing adventures of Alex Rider, 14-year-old British spy, provides a rollicking ride for young action fans. Alex finds himself entangled with a renegade Russian general intent on causing a massive nuclear explosion that would poison most of Western Europe. Armed with a few spy gadgets and his own sense of duty, Alex masquerades as the son CIA agents and travels to a small island owned by Cuba. He foils an attempt by a ruthless smuggler to kidnap and murder his ersatz father, fights a frenzied great white shark, and barely avoids being crushed to death as a conveyor belt moves him ever closer to the grinding wheels in an old sugar mill. Finally meeting his major foe, he learns that the man identifies Alex with his dead son and wants to adopt him. Alex must fight the villain as a nuclear bomb ticks off the seconds to doomsday. Horowitz continues his always preposterous plots with several unapologetic references to the James Bond oeuvre. As usual, he keeps the suspense high and the pages turning; it’s pure escapist entertainment. (Fiction. 12-16)

Pub Date: May 1, 2003

ISBN: 0-399-23777-4

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2003

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

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BOOK REVIEW

by Anthony Horowitz

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS

by John Boyne ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 12, 2006

Certain to provoke controversy and difficult to see as a book for children, who could easily miss the painful point.

After Hitler appoints Bruno’s father commandant of Auschwitz, Bruno (nine) is unhappy with his new surroundings compared to the luxury of his home in Berlin.

The literal-minded Bruno, with amazingly little political and social awareness, never gains comprehension of the prisoners (all in “striped pajamas”) or the malignant nature of the death camp. He overcomes loneliness and isolation only when he discovers another boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the camp’s fence. For months, the two meet, becoming secret best friends even though they can never play together. Although Bruno’s family corrects him, he childishly calls the camp “Out-With” and the Fuhrer “Fury.” As a literary device, it could be said to be credibly rooted in Bruno’s consistent, guileless characterization, though it’s difficult to believe in reality. The tragic story’s point of view is unique: the corrosive effect of brutality on Nazi family life as seen through the eyes of a naïf. Some will believe that the fable form, in which the illogical may serve the objective of moral instruction, succeeds in Boyne’s narrative; others will believe it was the wrong choice.

Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2006

ISBN: 0-385-75106-0

Page Count: 224

Publisher: David Fickling/Random

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2006

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT HISTORICAL FICTION

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by John Boyne

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SEEN & HEARD

THE FIELD GUIDE TO THE NORTH AMERICAN TEENAGER

by Ben Philippe ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 8, 2019

Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.

A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.

Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.

Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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by Ben Philippe

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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.

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

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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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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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White Rural Rage review: Clinton’s ‘deplorables’ jibe at book length

Study of red state resentments that power Trump neglects key factors that help endanger Democrats outside US cities

D on’t expect White Rural Rage to win too many hearts or minds. Under the subtitle The Threat to American Democracy, it’s more likely the book will offend. Thomas Schaller and Paul Waldman profess “not to denigrate or mock our fellow Americans who live in rural areas”, but at times appear to do so.

Their first chapter title is Essential Minority, Existential Threat. Chapter six, Conditional Patriots. Pro-tip: nobody likes being branded irredeemably deplorable .

Schaller is a political science professor at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Waldman a former op-ed writer at the Washington Post. They seek to cover a lot of ground but often come up short.

For starters, the authors refuse to grapple with the age-old concept of “blood and soil” as a driver of politics. Brexit in the UK, the rise of Viktor Orbán in Hungary and the persistence of the far-right Le Pens in France are labeled as mere byproducts of globalization and inequality. When it comes to the US, this means neglecting arguments posited more than two centuries ago by John Jay, the first supreme court chief justice, in Federalist No 2 .

“I have as often taken notice,” Jay wrote, “that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united people – a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion.”

Native Americans might have something to say about that but a lot of white Americans in rural areas do trace their roots back a long way and do not like being told what to do – or even the appearance of it – by urban elites. Fear of immigration, whatever the immigrant roots of such communities, is also a simple fact of politics.

Schaller and Waldman also ignore the role of resentments stoked by the Iraq war in cementing the bond between rural America and Donald Trump. The fact is , residents of Republican-run states are more than 20% more likely to join the military and after Iraq and the great recession, the disconnect between white rural America and coastal and cognitive elites swiftly became a chasm.

In 2016, parts of the US that felt the effects of the 9/11 wars more as reality than abstract moved to the Republican column. According to Douglas Kriner of Boston University and Francis Shen of the University of Minnesota, “Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan could very well have been winners for [Hillary] Clinton if their war casualties were lower .”

Wisconsin is the 20th-most rural state. A quarter of Michigan is rural. Pennsylvania has been characterized as Philadelphia in the east, Pittsburgh in the west and Alabama in the middle. As Trump prepares for his rematch with Joe Biden, all three states are toss-ups.

Schaller and Waldman also downplay the impact in rural areas of Democratic messaging on hot-button issues such as crime. It’s no longer just “the economy, stupid”. Culture wars pack an outsized punch. Outside New England, white rural Democrats are a relative rarity.

Inexplicably, Schaller and Waldman do not examine the case of Jon Tester, the three-term Democratic senator from deep-red, highly rural Montana who faces a stern fight to keep his seat this year. In 2020, in the aftermath of widespread protests for racial justice after the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis officer, but also rioting and looting, Tester criticized his party.

“I think the whole idea about defunding police is not just bad messaging but just insane,” Tester told the New York Times . “We didn’t come out with strong advertisements saying, ‘Rioting, burglary is not demonstration and it’s not acceptable.’”

Personalities matter too. “You cannot have Chuck Schumer talking rural issues to rural people,” Tester said, about the Brooklyn-born New Yorker who leads the Senate. “It ain’t gonna sell.”

A century and a half ago, northern rural Protestants formed the backbone of the union army that won the civil war and helped vanquish slavery. Things have very definitely changed.

“One can even argue that rural areas around the country have lost their distinctiveness,” Schaller and Waldman write. “One can find Confederate flags flying in rural areas in every corner of the country, all the way to the Canadian border.” In rural New York in 2018, for example, a sign beneath one such flag read: “Heritage not Hate.”

Apparently, “live free and die” really is an ethos. Schaller and Waldman catalogue white rural shortcomings such as high rates of gun deaths, lower life expectancies, high out-of-wedlock birth rates. In 2021 , vaccine hesitancy put Oklahoma, Alabama, West Virginia, Mississippi and Wyoming – heavily rural, reliably Republican – at the top of the Covid-fatality list. Vermont, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Washington – all Democratic – were at the other end.

Elsewhere, Schaller and Waldman criticize Chip Roy, a conservative firebrand congressman from Texas, for failing to push for rural-focused government programs. They acknowledge that Roy is principled in his stance against big government – but fail to mention that unlike 139 of his fellow House Republicans , and eight senators, he voted to certify Biden as the winner of the 2020 election.

White Rural Rage is strongest when it points to systemic features that enable rural US states to punch above their weight politically, most obviously the Senate, where each state gets two votes regardless of size.

“By 2040, 70% of Americans will reside in the 15 most populous states and choose 30 of the 100 US senators,” Schaller and Waldman write. “Concentrated in smaller and more rural states, the remaining 30% of the population will elect 70 senators. No matter how distorted these population ratios become, each state is guaranteed its two senators – past, present, and forever.”

It’s a cold, hard fact. If white rural Americans are angry, they are also powerful. Democrats can either keep on cursing the darkness and losing elections – or deign to light a match.

White Rural Rage is published in the US by Penguin Random House

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