Erin Kelly
The Skeleton Key
In a large house in London, two families meet. One person among them is excited about the revelation he is about to make. The others dread what will happen next.
The Golden Bones by Frank Churcher was published fifty years ago as a simple fairy tale and treasure map. But it soon grew into a dangerous obsession for many, bringing despair, danger and even death to those associated with it. All the while, a single piece of the puzzle remained unaccounted for.
Now, Sir Frank wants one last publicity burst, then to put the whole thing to rest. His family are violently against the idea. None of them want the scrutiny it will bring. And as buried secrets rise to the surface, crimes of the past and present are revealed.
‘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
‘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
‘A feat of real ambition and imagination - original, suspenseful, and with complex characters that spring irresistibly to life on the page, this is Erin Kelly at her finest’
LOUISE CANDLISH
‘Erin Kelly excels at twisted family dynamics and toxic, compelling characters, and this glorious slice of bohemian gothic showcases all her strengths’
RUTH WARE
‘Scary, eerie, moving and compelling: a beautifully-plotted, gorgeously-written triumph of a thriller’
NICCI FRENCH
‘A twisted treasure hunt with a fatal family secret at its heart. Powerful, playful and deeply disturbing. I loved it’
SARAH HILARY
‘A blisteringly good read. I simply couldn't put it down’
LUCY DAWSON
‘A unique storyteller; impossible to predict, impossible to put down’
JOHN MARS