The Burning Air by Erin Kelly - review

The Burning Air by Erin Kelly is a gripping tale of the effects of loss and the secrets which emerge in the wake of tragedy. Read our review...

What's The Burning Air about?The MacBride family gather in Devon for Bonfire Night as they do every year - except this year everything is different. Lydia, the head of the family is dead, and her children are all trying to come to terms with her passing while dealing with their complicated lives. Things are about to get even more complicated when youngest son Felix brings a new girlfriend to the house and a deep, dark secret from the MacBride's past is revealed.

goodtoknow says: 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.

The story flips between past and present, yet it's never confusing and only aids the narrative, luring you in with twists and turns. By keeping the number of protagonists down, you really get to know them and Kelly never shies away from her characters giving them many layers - the goodies aren't necessarily so, while you feel some compassion for the villain of the piece. Aside from giving us goosebumps in places, it also confronted us with questions of loyalty and the class divide.

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!

Rating: 8/10

If you like this, you'll like: Blacklands by Belinda Bauer or Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publish date: Out now

Buy it on Amazon now

More book reviews in the goodtoknow Book Club. Have you read The Burning Air by Erin Kelly? For your chance to win a Kobo Touch eReader, worth £79.99, add your review to the comments below. Make sure you use a valid email address so we can contact you if you win!

Have a look at our other books in the 2013 Book Club collection. See other reviews of the 2013 Book Club books, as well as last year's titles here.

Where to next?

The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year by Sue Townsend - review

A Wanted Man by Lee Child - review

Bared to You by Sylvia Day - review

GoodtoKnow

Trusted, informative, and empathetic – GoodToKnow is the ultimate online destination for mums. Established in 2007, our 15-year-strong archive of content includes more than 18,000 articles, 1,500 how-to videos, and 7,000 recipes.