The Burning Air by Erin Kelly

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…

Gripping and chilling, with a killer twist, The Burning Air reaffirms Erin Kelly as one of Britain’s foremost psychological thriller writers.–Description from Goodreads

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published February 21st 2013 by Pamela Dorman Books (first published January 1st 2013)

ISBN

0670026727 (ISBN13: 9780670026722)

edition language

English

You can find this book HERE

My Thoughts:

To be honest, this book didn’t grab me from the first page, or even the first chapter. What I did instead, was settle into it a little at a time and began to really enjoy it after the third chapter.

This author has a unique voice when she writes and it pleased me as a reader. I particularly liked the way she built suspense without revealing too much of what was yet to come. The way the characters are doing battle with their own lives, histories and also trying to solve a mystery was a great way to present a psychological thriller.

The descriptions were well-crafted and helped set the tone for story. I found it appealing that the author didn’t waste pages of space telling about her characters physical appearance, but managed to work the descriptions into the story so that they felt much more natural.

plot-wise, this book has plenty of unexpected twists and turns, and although not all of them were totally believable, it made a great build up for a strong finish.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I would gladly read another. If you are looking for something edgy, a little scary and complex this would be the perfect book.

This review is based on a digital review copy from the publisher.