Full of twists and turns, it will keep you furiously turning the pages. Giving this one four starts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Read it!

Rating: 4.6/5

When I first picked up this novel I was not aware that it was a sequel to "The Poison Tree", which I haven't read. If I had known that beforehand there is a very good chance that I would have passed over "The House of Mirrors" in favour of something else - but I am so glad that I didn't! Yes, in the strictest sense of the word, this is a sequel as it revisits the lives, many years later, of certain characters who featured in that earlier book, but if, like me, you aren't familiar with that story, then I can assure you that you will not be missing out in the least. "The House of Mirrors" works wonderfully well as a novel in its own right.,

As soon becomes apparent, the Clarke family have a troubled history. Rex has served time in prison and has also experienced the loss of his mother and his sister in traumatic circumstances. His story actually became nationwide news and was such a weight around his neck and that of his family that they established a new life, with a new surname, in Suffolk. As we pick up the story of Rex and his wife, Karen, their daughter, Alice, is setting up a vintage clothing shop in London. Given their history and the fact that they have been forced to reinvent themselves in a tightly-knit family bubble, Rex and Karen are supportive of their daughter's venture, but nervous of the potential consequences of her stepping back out into the wider world.

"The House of Mirrors" is such a well-constructed piece of work. There are elements of mystery, domestic drama, aspects of noir and psychological thriller all skilfully interwoven into the narrative. The characterisation is mightily impressive. Not only are the key central protagonists beautifully drawn, but even the supporting cast is presented in a way that is credible and relatable. The result is that you can easily lift them out of the pages of the book and visualise them in front of you.

When you read a lot of this type of fiction you can reach a point where it is difficult to be blindsided by an author, without them resorting to some ludicrously outlandish plot development. However, I can honestly say that Erin Kelly managed to achieve that on more than one occasion in this novel, but in a way that was clever rather than contrived. All of the key players in this story seem to be harbouring secrets that would really like to keep hidden away. Although this is not uncommon in fictional writing, it can often become painfully melodramatic, if it is handled clumsily by the author. There is no danger of that here. Erin Kelly succeeds in creating the sense of intrigue, but without going over the top. Some other writers would do well to take note.

Whatever your usual preferred genre may be, if you are a fan of well-written dramatic fiction, you should be adding this to your reading list.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Erin Kelly’s novels so jumped at the chance to request her latest - The House of Mirrors - when it was available on NetGalley. The book is a sequel to The Poison Tree, and whilst prior events are explained so there is no need to have read the first book, it is a great sequel to an also great first book, so I’d recommend you read both!

The story centres on Karen and her family over 20 years since the events of The Poison Tree. Karen and husband Rex are based in Suffolk whilst their daughter Alice is setting up a vintage clothes shop in London. Alice is newly engaged to eco warrior Gabe and I thought the storyline between these two was gripping - touches on coercive control and the hypocrisy and lack of nuanced argument that someone committed to a cause displays.

I really enjoyed the dual points of view from Karen and Alice and as the story unfolds, I was kept hooked right up until the end, by which time the loose threads are tied up in a unpredictable finale.

The Poison Tree is one of my favourites among Erin Kelly’s novels, but to be honest, I never felt it needed a sequel. So I approached this book – which revisits Karen, Rex and their daughter Alice more than twenty years after the fateful summer of 1997 – with what I’d call cautious interest. However, as soon as I started reading, that was it: I was hooked. This is Kelly’s most arresting, compelling work in years.

It’s also not exactly a sequel, not a straightforward ‘second in the series’. It works just as well as a standalone novel, and is more of a reimagining – a reboot, if you like. It sets us down in another blazingly hot London summer, among a set of characters that mirror (but don’t simply replicate) those in the earlier book. The narrative is split between Alice, now in her twenties and running a vintage clothing boutique, and an increasingly paranoid Karen, desperate to protect her family as the Capels’ scandalous past rears its head again. It hinges on Alice’s obsessive curiosity about her parents’ history; her relationship with the sketchy (or is he?) Gabe; and the mystery of an eerily familiar stranger who’s keen to make contact with Alice. It has the heart and soul of the paciest thriller while it explores the depths of familial love from multiple angles.

It’s a brilliant way of approaching the premise, and you can absolutely read it if you haven’t read The Poison Tree. In fact, it might be even more enjoyable that way – a couple of things readers of The Poison Tree will already know are treated as plot twists here. I wasn’t bothered by this, though: even if you already know what’s coming, it all works because the perspective is new, the stakes different.

A real treat for fans of Kelly’s debut, but great in its own right, too. And so gripping, from first to last. Calling it a page-turner is an understatement; the speed with which I tore through this thing must actually have broken some record, if only a personal one.