The Skeleton Key
A family reunion ends in murder; the Sunday Times top ten bestseller (2023)
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4.1 • 73 Ratings
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- £5.49
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- £5.49
Publisher Description
*** THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 2023 and TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 2023 ***
A TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY MAIL and LITERARY REVIEW BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022: 'Flawless' SUNDAY TIMES *** 'A rich and fascinating puzzle' MAIL ON SUNDAY *** 'I completely lost myself to this book for a few days' LUCY FOLEY *** 'A deliciously involving page turner' GUARDIAN
Summer, 2021. Nell has come home at her family's insistence to celebrate an anniversary. Fifty years ago, her father wrote The Golden Bones. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, Sir Frank Churcher created a fairy story about Elinore, a murdered woman whose skeleton was scattered all over England. Clues and puzzles in the pages of The Golden Bones led readers to seven sites where jewels were buried: one by one, the tiny golden bones were dug up until only Elinore's pelvis remained hidden.
The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous, murderous degree. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse.
But now the Churchers must be reunited. The book is being reissued along with a new treasure hunt and a documentary crew are charting everything that follows. Nell is appalled, and terrified. During the filming, Frank finally reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone. And then all hell breaks loose.
Inspired by the author's love for Masquerade, this is a taut, mesmerising novel of danger and obsession.
'The ultimate entertaining thriller' EVENING STANDARD
'With rich characterisation and intricate yet propulsive plotting' GUARDIAN
'Sparks the most intense of emotions' THE TIMES *THRILLER OF THE MONTH*
'A gorgeously intricate puzzle of a book' THE OBSERVER
'Pacy, brilliantly plotted, and full of complex characters and relationships' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
'A dark treasure hunt, family secrets and plot twists' STYLIST ONLINE
'There's layer upon layer of mystery in this frankly brilliant read' BELFAST TELEGRAPH
'Moody, propulsive, and one of the most intriguing set ups I've read in years' GILLIAN McALLISTER
'Original, suspenseful, and with complex characters that spring irresistibly to life on the page' LOUISE CANDLISH
'Twisted family dynamics and toxic, compelling characters' RUTH WARE
'Scary, moving and compelling: a beautifully-plotted, gorgeously-written triumph of a thriller' NICCI FRENCH
'A completely addictive story of two families destroyed by success' JANE CASEY
PRE-ORDER THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS, available Spring 2024, NOW!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Exquisite prose and multilayered characters lift this exceptional novel from British author Kelly (Watch Her Fall). In 2021, Frank Churcher is bringing out a new edition of the illustrated book that made him rich and famous: The Golden Bones, "a collision of pretty pictures, mythology and logic puzzles," is about a murdered woman whose bones are scattered across England and contains clues to the location of small gold replicas of the woman's bones. A bestseller since its first publication 50 years earlier, it has become an obsession for legions of fanatics who call themselves Bonehunters. Frank has asked his middle-aged daughter, Nell, to return home to London to be part of a documentary film to kick off publicity for the new edition. Things don't go as planned, and the police are soon investigating a murder. Flashbacks add depth and raise intriguing questions as the present-day action builds to a complex and satisfying resolution. Full of reflections on ego and art, love and loss, this atypical thriller shows Kelly writing at the top of her game. Agents: Sarah Ballard and Eli Keren, United Agents.
Customer Reviews
Could not put this down!
Absolutely loved all the different people’s stories and the mystery, the place descriptions the little but exclusive art gallery I loved it!
Doesn’t live up to the hype
Although well written, it was hard to care about any of the characters. The plot became more absurd as the novel unfolded. I finished the book but it was a struggle.