The first book I read from Erin Kelly was The Skelton Key, I was hooked on that and loved it. I bought it for my Mum as part of her Christmas book haul she also loved it. So I was delighted to be approved for this ARC. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers. I had not read 'The Poison Tree' and I was unaware that this was a sequel before starting to read The House Of Mirrors and if am honest I didn't even notice this can be read as stand alone however I will go back and read "The Poison Tree"

FROM THE COVER📖

One of them has killed before.
One of them will kill again.

In the sweltering summer of 1997, straight-laced, straight-A student Karen met Biba - a bohemian and impossibly glamorous aspiring actress. A few months later, two people were dead and another had been sent to prison.

Having stood by Rex as he served his sentence, Karen is now married to him with a daughter, Alice, who runs a vintage clothing company in London. They're a normal family, as long as they don't talk about the past, never mention the name Biba, and ignore Alice's flashes of dark, dangerous fury. 

Karen has kept what really happened that summer of '97 hidden deep inside her. Alice is keeping secrets of her own. But when anonymous notes begin to arrive at Alice's shop, it seems the past is about to catch up with them all ...


REVIEW⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With a really strong opening that hooks you from the get go I found myself falling down the rabbit hole into Alice, Karen and Biba worlds.

Told in dual timelines in the present first person POV from Karen and Alice, with flashbacks in the third person with Biba.
We are told a totally absorbing story of family secrets, omissions and outright lies, with unforgettable characters and settings. It is impeccably plotted down to the very last line.

While the characters are unforgettable they are also unlikable, not reliable narrators and in some ways stereotypical but they are multi layered, interesting and as said unforgettable. I probably disliked them all but they were so well written I found myself engaging deeply with them.

Throughout this engrossing story we kept guessing with little scatters of hints and tips and whiles guessed some parts in the most part I was hooked with the twists it is a magnificent mystery that begs to be read in a single sitting. I it kept me reading long into the night.

I loved the London setting I felt the author really captured the city well. I loved the vintage fashion parts also it added a real dimension and extra layer to the story. There is loads of topical social topics discussed and examined though out the story making it a modern relevant book as well as superb mystery. As writer she creates worlds that a deep and rich that feel true to life.

I would say that it's more a family saga than thriller tho but it's still nonetheless a fantastic read. My only negative was I didn't really get the fallout from Rex's crime the reactions people had I found a little extreme.

A firm 4.5 stars

I first came across the authors work when I read The Skeleton Key last year. I had not read 'The Poison Tree' though and I was unaware that this was a sequel before starting to read it (apparently it was also made into a two-part ITV drama). I don’t feel that mattered much really as there’s flashbacks to the lives of the characters. I don’t feel there were many heart stopping thriller moments, it was more of a family saga, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I didn’t realise this was a sequel until after I had started the book. Nonetheless it is a good stand alone too. It is definitely more of a family drama though and less of a thriller- this may need to be amended. Good overall.

Another fantastic book by one of my favourite writers. This a loose follow up to The Poison Tree which is one of the best books I’ve read. It was a great idea to tie some loose knots up and a strong 5 stars.

For fans of Erin Kelly, her new book The House of Mirrors is due out 4th April 2024.
I haven't read any of hers before but enjoyed this crime mystery which delved into family relationships and secrets. The chapters use different viewpoints and flashbacks to the past. It had a good twist at the end and left me thinking 'well well I wonder if ......'. A strong 4/5.

I enjoyed this but have enjoyed Erin's other books more, I wasn't aware it was a follow on so can definitely be read as a stand alone. I don't know what category this goes in as I was expecting more of a crime/thriller. I loved the relationship with Alice and liss but biba just annoyed me. Not a likeable character at all. I kind of wanted Alice to find everything out about the night of but also wanted her to be happy so couldn't win with that! Overall enjoyable I have just enjoyed her others more

This is the first time I have read a book by this author but won't be the last. I didn't realise that this was a sequel to The Skeleton Key and it wasn't until I read the afterword that it mentioned it was. So it goes to show that it can be read as a standalone novel.
The book is told from several view points, the mother, the daughter and the chameleon who adopts many different identities.
The story deals with loss, mystery, Gen Z vs Gen X, and controlling and coercive behaviour. The tale twists and turns leaving you racing through the chapters wanting to know what is happening next ... I shall miss the #OOD and the Dead Girls Dresses.

Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Erin Kelly is an auto-buy of an author for me. I absolutely love her books! And I was eagerly anticipating this one, however I found this to be quite disappointing sadly for me. I think it’s because the book wasn’t quite a crime/suspense novel per se and it felt more of a contemporary, family drama. I just wasn’t as gripped. I found Biba’s flashbacks to be quite repetitive and tedious and weren’t as engaged with Alice who I found annoying, as she digs into Biba’s past. The irritating thing she could’ve just spoken to her mum and Rex and demanded the truth from them rather being an amateur detective investigating her own family. There just wasn’t any new dangers or threats. Sometimes you either click with a book or don’t and in this case I just didn’t quite click with the characters.

An atmospheric read follows events of The Poison Tree, a decade later. The daughter, Alice, is 23-year old and has brought a shop in Angel, Islington, where she sells vintage dresses. But she still has questions about Rex’s conviction and when her grandfather dies and inherits Biba’s things it sets things in motion as secrets are prodded at and no-one is what they seem…
This was a pacy read. Even though there were some repetition plot-wise I was completely invested in the characters anc intrigued to see where things would go. However this wasn’t quite my favourite of Erin Kelly. A little on the slow side at times, nonetheless a decent follow-up.

Another heart wrenching read from Erin Kelly, this is the sequel to The Poison attest although you don’t have to have read that in order to enjoy this. Kelly lays out the story with references to flashbacks in what is a sequel that follows the aftermath of ten years later. The first half is a slow burn, but once the twists and reveals start I was completely hooked.

I thoroughly enjoyed this complex, intriguing plot as it is so engaging and sinister. It combines the atmosphere of the sixties, with vintage clothes and set in an old house, with a modern day investigation into what actually happened all those years ago. I loved how what took place in Alices's family has impacted on her life today as a trader in Camden Passage. This works well as a standalone but I regret not rereading "The Poison Tree" first to have got maximum enjoyment.
This is an excellent accomplishment to writing an unexpected sequel. Highly recommended.

'The House of Mirrors' is a follow-up to Kelly's previous book; 'The Poison Tree'. I had not read 'The Poison Tree' nor did I know this was a sequel before starting but it absolutely does not matter whether you have read the first book or not. Kelly does a great job at explaining the original events and I did not feel my understanding or enjoyment was hampered in any way.
'The House of Mirrors' has an absolutely fantastic plot that had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. I was drawn into the world of Alice, Rex, Karen and Biba and I relished immersing myself into their lives and following them throughout life-changing events. Kelly has written a very intense read and one that is thrilling and captivating, I could not tear myself away from this.
Kelly's characters are wonderfully human as well which really helped me to feel for them and want them to succeed. Their pain became my pain. There is a mystery at the heart of this book which Kelly slowly teases throughout the book. Everything about this was just perfect and I highly recommend this read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy.

4.5

I understand this is a 'sequel' to The Poison Tree but I haven't read that book and this worked really well as a standalone, I don't think I missed anything as all the plot points were explained. There were so so many secrets and layers and they all worked so so well!!
The poor Clarke family really went through it didn't they, Rex was actually the sweetest man and my heart ached for him so much.
All of the characters were so well written and I honestly forgot they weren't real people.
I really enjoyed the outfit descriptions at the beginning of every Alice chapter too.
Overall, a really enjoyable mystery thriller with a touch of noir to it.

I have a few "must-buy" authors and as soon as their latest book is announced, I'm off to my local indie bookshop to pre-order a copy. One of those authors is Erin Kelly, and she has been a "must-buy" ever since I came across her debut novel "The Poison Tree", in the summer of 2010.
"The House of Mirrors" is set some twenty years after the original work and acts as a sequel and while it is not necessary to have read the previous book, you can easily dive right in, I recommend reading both to fully immerse yourself in the world of the Capel family.
Alice is running a vintage shop and is the daughter of Rex Capel (Clarke) and Karen. She knows little about what happened in 1997, on "The Night Of", when Rex murdered two men and her aunt Biba disappeared. Now, she is suddenly receiving mysterious notes and visitors to her shop suggesting that perhaps Biba has returned.
The flashbacks to the summer of 1997 are expertly woven into the present narrative, while the multiple PoVs provide the user with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of events and to try and determine what really happened.
The hints of gothic that weave throughout the storyline, add to the suspense and ensured that I couldn't put the book down until I had finished. Another surefire hit for Erin Kelly!

I really enjoyed this- I read the Skeleton Key not so long ago and loved its creativity. I wasn't disappointed with this. It's a loose sequel but can be read and enjoyed in its own right. Twist after twist, and I loved the ending!

Readers who devoured Erin Kelly’s 2010 debut novel ‘The Poison Tree’ should be delighted that, over a decade later, she has returned to the ill-fated Capel family with ‘The House of Mirrors’. However, those unfamiliar with the first novel should not be put off reading this sequel. Such is Kelly’s skill for including backstory in a way that fully relates to the current narrative, it’s unlikely that any reader will be struggling to understand previous events. That is, of course, until the writer deliberately leads us down dead end paths!
In this story Alice Clarke is turning her love of vintage fashion into a hire or buy boutique in north London. Fully supported by her parents who live in Suffolk, she is leading her best life, not least because she is much in love with her new partner Gabriel, part-time delivery bike boy and Eco-warrior. However, there’s a problem. Karen, Alice’s mother, is not keen. She is certain that Gabe is controlling Alice and is determined not to let him into their close family circle. Soon there is far more to worry about. Alice’s estranged paternal grandfather dies and her family history is once again fodder for the tabloid press. Will her father, Rex, ever be allowed to escape the label of former prisoner, sent down for murder? Will Alice ever find out what happened to her aunt Biba, whose love of costume is just one trait she has inherited?
This is Erin Kelly at her best. With an eye for everyday domestic and cultural detail that grounds this gothic story in the twenty-first century and the ability to delineate relatable characters, albeit in extraordinary circumstances, she gives us a story which expertly weaves together so many threads, old and new. This is a real page turner with a suitably unpredictable epilogue.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder& Stoughton for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

So much intrigue and mystery here that it kept me hooked and questioning who I could trust, I didn't want to put it down until I knew the truth.

Erin Kelly’s best book yet!
There are so many layers to this book, each with its own plot twist this in truly unputadownable!
What begins with a double murder, this story follows the lives of Karen, Rex and their daughter Alice years after his release from prison.
Alice has always known what her dad did, killed a man in self defence and the other in a tragic accident and she also knows that it needs to stay a secret in their new lives if they want to live normal, happy, quite lives.
But with everything in life, there are always questions.
After ‘The Night of’ her father’s sister Biba goes missing, presumed and later closed as a suicide but Alice has begun to wonder. Did her dad take the blame to protect his sister?
As much as she promised not too she begins her own investigation into the past, but when she starts getting random notes and mysterious phone calls has she opened up a can of worms, a can that’s lid can never be fully closed?
This book is extremely twisty, with layers upon layers, where is seems as though everyone is carrying their own secrets?
What really happened on ‘The Night Of’?
Who’s keeping secrets and does Alice really want to know the truth.
I can see this book easily becoming a bestseller. If you have read some of her previous books you will know you are in for a great read but if you are new to her work then this is a brilliant book to get you started!
The House of Mirrors will be published on 4 April 2024 and is available to preorder now.
This is one of this year’s must reads.

It was only when I read the acknowledgements that I discovered this was a sequel.... definitely didn't feel like I missed book one.
I felt it really laid down the foundations and characters well, before throwing in all the secrets, all the lies, going on and on.

There was always a guessing game of what happened back then, and what exactly is happening now?
Lots of strands that tie so very well together.
Whilst all the mystery, and sleuthing was going on, I was enjoying the outfits too.
Add a bit of glamour to your murder mysteries!!

Kelly is always guaranteed to deliver a great read.

Unfortunately I did not finish this book, this is the second book from this author I haven’t got on with. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it but I just don’t gel with this author

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc