The Skeleton Key: A family reunion ends in murder; the Sunday Times top ten bestseller

by Erin Kelly

A TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY MAIL and LITERARY REVIEW BOOK OF THE YEAR: '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!

• ISBN10: 1473680883
• ISBN13: 9781473680883
• Publish Date: 1 September 2022
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 10 October 2023
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Hodder & Stoughton
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 512
• Language: English

Reviews

[pamela]

The Skeleton Key started out as a five-star read for me. I was completely drawn in by the mystery of the treasure hunt book 'The Golden Bones' and the weird cast of obsessed fans who couldn't tell fiction from reality. It reminded me a lot of Byron Preiss' The Secret, which still has obsessive treasure hunters pouring over the spectacular art by John Jude Palencar, and scouring the American Continent in search of hidden jewels. 

But halfway through, The Skeleton Key changed its focus, and instead of the mystery and folklore that drew me in, it became a pretty generic family drama nested within a crime tale. 'The Golden Bones' ended up being all but irrelevant to the plot overall. It was a plot device that Kelly used for deflection to hide the true motives of her characters. And unfortunately, the crime and family drama elements were the parts I was least interested in. 

The characters are well-developed, with unique personalities, who make frustrating decisions. But each of them felt true to how they'd been characterised. They were really well written. And Erin Kelly's prose is beautiful and descriptive. She really set the scene and painted a picture of privilege and dysfunction. The pacing, however, was a little off, and I did find that The Skeleton Key ended up outstaying its welcome by around page 300. It was long, and slow, which meant it just didn't keep me fully engaged to the end. As I neared the last few chapters, I was just ready for the book to be over; which felt especially disappointing given how absolutely engrossed I'd been at the book's beginning. 

The Skeleton Key is a well-written book with an absolutely five-star concept. But ultimately, its slow pace and changing focus meant I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.