‘A gripping tale of secrets, revenge and obsession, masterfully done.’ Guardian
‘I really loved it – couldn’t put it down!’ Sophie Hannah
‘Everything you want from a psychological thriller‘ Good Housekeeping
Gripping and chilling, with a killer twist, THE BURNING AIR proves that Erin Kelly is one of Britain’s best suspense writers.
Of course it was love for my children, love for my son, that caused me to act as I did. It was a lapse of judgement. If I could have foreseen the rippling aftershocks that followed I would have acted differently, but by the time I realised the extent of the consequences, it was too late.
The MacBrides have always gone to Far Barn in Devon for Bonfire Night, but this year everything is different. Lydia, the matriarch, is dead; Sophie, the eldest daughter, is desperately trying to repair a crumbling marriage; and Felix, the youngest of the family, has brought a girlfriend with him for the first time.
The girl, Kerry, seems odd in a way nobody can quite put their finger on – but when they leave her looking after Sophie’s baby daughter, and return to find both Kerry and the baby gone, they are forced to ask themselves if they have allowed a cuckoo into their nest . . .
See what readers are saying about this brilliant book
‘A firecracker of a book’ Amazon reviewer
‘The book was well written, well plotted and utterly absorbing. Highly recommend!’ Goodreads reviewer
‘This was a riveting read.’ Amazon reviewer
‘This was the first novel of Erin Kelly’s that I have read and all I can say is that I am stunned at her brilliance’ Goodreads reviewer
‘Tautly plotted, well written and as ever, killer twists throughout. Highly recommend.’ Amazon reviewer
STONE MOTHERS, the new novel by Erin Kelly, is available to buy now!
‘I really loved it – couldn’t put it down!’ Sophie Hannah
‘Everything you want from a psychological thriller‘ Good Housekeeping
Gripping and chilling, with a killer twist, THE BURNING AIR proves that Erin Kelly is one of Britain’s best suspense writers.
Of course it was love for my children, love for my son, that caused me to act as I did. It was a lapse of judgement. If I could have foreseen the rippling aftershocks that followed I would have acted differently, but by the time I realised the extent of the consequences, it was too late.
The MacBrides have always gone to Far Barn in Devon for Bonfire Night, but this year everything is different. Lydia, the matriarch, is dead; Sophie, the eldest daughter, is desperately trying to repair a crumbling marriage; and Felix, the youngest of the family, has brought a girlfriend with him for the first time.
The girl, Kerry, seems odd in a way nobody can quite put their finger on – but when they leave her looking after Sophie’s baby daughter, and return to find both Kerry and the baby gone, they are forced to ask themselves if they have allowed a cuckoo into their nest . . .
See what readers are saying about this brilliant book
‘A firecracker of a book’ Amazon reviewer
‘The book was well written, well plotted and utterly absorbing. Highly recommend!’ Goodreads reviewer
‘This was a riveting read.’ Amazon reviewer
‘This was the first novel of Erin Kelly’s that I have read and all I can say is that I am stunned at her brilliance’ Goodreads reviewer
‘Tautly plotted, well written and as ever, killer twists throughout. Highly recommend.’ Amazon reviewer
STONE MOTHERS, the new novel by Erin Kelly, is available to buy now!
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
Her narrative choreographs a succession of hints, twists and revelations with elegance and precision. The novel is beautifully written and the characters have a dreadful plausibility about them that engulfs you in their untidy lives. Like all the best psychological thrillers, this one leaves the reader feeling mildly traumatised - and hungry for the author's next book.
Expect dark secrets and a killer twist. So thrilling, this book will have you sleeping with the lights on.
Erin Kelly is a seriously good writer, and this gripping novel is her best yet. I really loved it - couldn't put it down!
It's not often I read a book where the twist is so surprising, I have to go back and work out how I missed it, but that's what happened here . . . Brilliant and heart-stopping
Her new book is every bit as dark and intriguing as her previous novels
Her creepiest and classiest yet
Everything you want from a psychological thriller - elegant writing, clever plotting, shocking twists and a looming sense of menace . . . Erin Kelly just gets better and better with every book!
An atmospheric setting and an absolutely genius twist . . . Nothing is as it seems in this tense domestic drama, as fresh revelations uncover a maze of interconnected secrets.
Erin Kelly masterminds her most psychological thriller yet . . . has a twist so shocking you'll need a lie down
You'll be transfixed as you uncover the truth in this unputdownable novel
A tense family drama that demands to be read in one sitting
'You won't be able to get anything else done until you've finished it . . . completely compelling: just take the phone off the hook and cancel any plans you might have.' *****
'THE BURNING AIR is a classic of the psychological thriller genre and puts Kelly firmly in the same league as Ruth Rendell writing under her Barbara Vine pseudonym; both women showing a great gift for characterisation and a mastery of understanding human nature's twisted desires . . . I loved it . . . Erin Kelly puts a satisfying contemporary spin on her genre, showing a sympathy for all her characters, even the supposed 'baddies', and a love of a moral dilemma which could happen to any one of us. It is this realism, a hand-grenade thrown into uneventful and supposedly comfortable lives, which makes THE BURNING AIR such an involving read'.
A classic dark thriller combining suspense with gorgeous, evocative prose . . . With writing so seductive and multiple voices that are pitch-perfect for the characters she's created, Kelly shows that she is a writer who doesn't need to keep repeating herself to stay in the game.
In a strong field, Kelly is among the strongest. Her formidable control of plot twist and character keep you gripped, unsure of the outcome, until the bitter end.
THE BURNING AIR is a clever, creepy exploration of the deceit hidden even within the most apparently loving of families and the very fine line between justice and revenge. Erin Kelly is brilliant at showing the relentlessness of obsession and the evil that can be done in the name of love.
Written with empathy, psychological insight and a real feel for the menace and conflict at the heart of families, it's a superior example of its genre.
A masterfully plotted dark tale of how a small injustice can have devastating consequences. I devoured it in one sitting.
Compelling: a macabre tale of motherhood and vengeance
Brilliant
If you were glued to ITV's recent psychological drama THE POISON TREE, get your nose in the author's latest spine-chiller, pronto . . . Family politics mixed with revenge make for a super-spooky read
Full of can't-bear-to-look intensity, this is a great, taut read
A skilfully woven web of revelations, showing how past mistakes come back to haunt the future . . . a chilling, atmospheric book that is almost impossible to put down. There is no-let up in the tension as we hurtle towards the shocking conclusion
Very cleverly written and full of unexpected twists as the tension keeps being ratcheted up another notch before the big reveal at the end . . . Deeply enjoyable but deeply unsettling: the perfect mixture for a psychological thriller!
THE BURNING AIR once again highlights the originality of Erin Kelly's plot lines and her ability to build anticipation that, in my opinion, is rarely matched by other thriller/suspense writers. Her ability of taking something everyday and warping it into something dark and twisted, whilst effortlessly weaving sequences from all parts of the characters' lives is not something everyone can do . . . This book is a definite page turner that once picked up cannot be put down, with an inventive plot and characters that grab you and hold on tight whilst steering you through the subtle complexities.
Kelly's most accomplished book to date . . . a gripping tale of secrets, revenge and obsession, masterfully done.
An author in total command of the tensions within dysfunctional families . . . Gripping all the way.
Kelly excels at thrillers set in middle-England idylls, that sidestep the clichéd and the cosy to go for the jugular. [THE BURNING AIR] sees her reach another level.
Erin Kelly has produced another excellent psychological thriller in THE BURNING AIR. Dark, chilling and with nail biting twists, I read deep into the night, unable to put it down . . . A must read for all fans of the psychological thriller.
Extremely clever... The writing is exemplary... If this was a film, it would be an Alfred Hitchcock great.
Suspenseful and clever, this book, Erin Kelly's third, is her best so far.
Gripping new thriller about family secrets and revenge. Perfect for getting spooked on dark January evenings in.
Creepy and claustrophobic
If you were a fan of Erin Kelly's first novel, THE POISON TREE, you'll love this. It's definitely her most psychological thriller yet and is the very essence of a page turner - we literally couldn't put it down . . . Obviously, it wouldn't be a thriller without a twist and this one was truly a shocker - it made us turn those pages even quicker so we could see exactly how it would all be resolved. A taut, yet extremely readable novel, this is the perfect companion for a cold winter's night!