The Burning Air

'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...

“Kelly's most accomplished book to date . . . a gripping tale of secrets, revenge and obsession, masterfully done. - Guardian An author in total command of the tensions within dysfunctional families . . . Gripping all the way. - The Times Kelly 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 Sunday 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. - Spectator Expect dark secrets and a killer twist. So thrilling, this book will have you sleeping with the lights on. - Company Erin 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 - Woman Her new book is every bit as dark and intriguing as her previous novels - Bella”

Kelly's most accomplished book to date . . . a gripping tale of secrets, revenge and obsession, masterfully done. - Guardian

An author in total command of the tensions within dysfunctional families . . . Gripping all the way. - The Times

Kelly 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 Sunday

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. - Spectator

Expect dark secrets and a killer twist. So thrilling, this book will have you sleeping with the lights on. - Company

Erin Kelly is a seriously good writer, and this gripping novel is her best yet. I really loved it - couldn't put it down! - Sophie Hannah

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 - Woman

Her new book is every bit as dark and intriguing as her previous novels - Bella

Erin Kelly read English at Warwick University. Author of THE POISON TREE and THE SICK ROSE, she has worked as a freelance journalist for over ten years and has written for the Daily Mail, Psychologies, the Guardian and Cosmopolitan, among others. She lives in North London with her family. THE BURNING AIR is her third novel.

'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...

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.