The Burning Air

Erin Kelly

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'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...

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Praise for The Burning Air

  • Kelly's most accomplished book to date . . . a gripping tale of secrets, revenge and obsession, masterfully done. - GuardianAn author in total command of the tensions within dysfunctional families . . . Gripping all the way. - The TimesKelly excels at thrillers set in middle-England idylls, that sidestep the cliched and the cosy to go for the jugular. [THE BURNING AIR] sees her reach another level. - Independent on SundayHer 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. - SpectatorExpect dark secrets and a killer twist. So thrilling, this book will have you sleeping with the lights on. - CompanyErin Kelly is a seriously good writer, and this gripping novel is her best yet. I really loved it - couldn't put it down! - Sophie HannahIt'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 - WomanHer new book is every bit as dark and intriguing as her previous novels - Bella

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Erin Kelly

Erin Kelly

Erin Kelly is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Poison Tree, The Sick Rose, The Burning Air, The Ties That Bind, He Said/She Said, Stone Mothers/We Know You Know, Watch Her Fall, The Skeleton Key and The House of Mirrors, as well as Broadchurch: The Novel, inspired by the mega-hit TV series. In 2013, The Poison Tree became a major ITV drama and was a Richard & Judy Summer Read in 2011. He Said/She Said spent six weeks in the top ten in both hardback and paperback, was longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier crime novel of the year award, and selected for both the Simon Mayo Radio 2 and Richard & Judy Book Clubs. The Skeleton Key was selected as a Waterstones Thriller of the Month in 2023, was a Sunday Times top ten bestseller and reached number one in the Times chart. Born in London in 1976, Erin lives in north London with her husband and daughters. erinkelly.co.uk twitter.com/mserinkelly

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