Erin Kelly has a new book out - woohoo! THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS

I was super excited to hear Erin Kelly has just released her latest novel, THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS, which follows on from her earlier novel THE POISON TREE. Whilst it could potentially be read as a standalone, I thoroughly recommend reading them in order to get the most out of Kelly’s excellent character development. I will therefore give you a quick recap of both:

THE POISON TREE by Erin Kelly

Sometimes I really crave a slow-burning, character study of family secrets and relationships, and Erin Kelly does this so well! Whilst HE SAID / SHE SAID remains my all-time favourite by this author, I really enjoyed her portrayal of the friendships in THE POISON TREE.

One thing I love about Erin Kelly’s writing is the languid way in which she builds her spider’s web of growing tension that gradually entangles the reader and holds them in its spell. Just as Karen, the straight-A student and only child of conservative parents gradually falls under the spell of the bohemian Capel siblings and their rambling, tumble down English mansion. I could easily picture straight and slightly awkward Karen being bewitched by the outgoing siblings whose free and easy lifestyle must feel totally alien and enchanting to her. Biba Capel is the sort of character who blazes into people’s lives like a bright comet of destruction, dazzling them with her light but in the end only leaving smoking ruins behind. Rex, who is more subdued and stable than his sister, holds his own allure as the brooding, overprotective male counterpart to his vivacious sibling.

Despite the slow build-up, Kelly makes it very clear that nothing good can come from these dynamics. And whilst I did predict a major part of the “twist” (I read A LOT of these mysteries), I was still invested to watch the slow descend into disaster as both Karen and Rex act as if remote-controlled by Biba’s destructive hand. I love a good character study, and the way poor Karen gets drawn into the Capel siblings’ world was well executed. I related to some of Karen’s fascination with the Capel’s lives – “straight A student falls for more exciting personalities” is a theme that really does play out in real life. A wonderful premise for a novel that is part character study and part domestic thriller and will undoubtedly stun some readers with its twist.

All in all, THE POISON TREE should probably be avoided by readers who don’t enjoy a slow-burning mystery, because their attention may wane in the first half, when the interpersonal dynamics are being set up. However, lovers of a good character study will appreciate the way Kelly builds her characters’ relationships that ultimately lead to disaster. I felt like I was watching a train chugga-chugg towards the abyss, unable to stop it as it built momentum with its unsuspecting passengers still dazzled by Biba’s light. A well-written story simmering with an undercurrent of tension and menace. 

 

THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS by Erin Kelly

 

There is a good reason why Erin Kelly is one of my favourite authors, and her latest novel proves the point very well. I was excited to find out that in HOUSE OF MIRRORS we were going to continue the story of THE POISON TREE and find out what happened after that fateful ending. Once again, Kelly excelled in character development and dark family secrets and has delivered the most intriguing family saga that kept me enthralled from beginning to end.

 

Karen and Rex are now middle aged and have a grown-up daughter, Alice, who is as much a free spirit as her parents were at her age – and isn’t that usually a parent’s worst nightmare? She is engaged to climate activist Gabe, a man whose sheer presence annoys Karen and who she suspects of being controlling and emotionally abusive to her daughter. Alice, in the meantime, is intrigued by her family’s dark legacy, especially her aunt Biba’s fate. As usual, each of the book’s character has their own agenda, making for some surprising plot twists that kept me on my toes.

 

Whilst HOUSE OF MIRRORS follows on from THE POISON TREE, it could potentially be read as a standalone – though I thoroughly recommend reading them in order to get the most out of Kelly’s excellent character development. I loved delving into the Capel family’s secrets and dysfunctional dynamics, a fun escape from my own everyday life. Kelly seems to excel with everything she writes, and again, her latest book was a winner for me!