I wasn’t aware this was a sequel and while it could be read as a stand alone, I didn’t really get “it” so that may have been made easier reading the first.

I enjoyed the quick pace and I found the plot ok but there are historical inaccuracies and I didn’t really understand some of the choices made.

No one writes about London like Erin Kelly and the addition of a long, hot, claustrophobic summer really adds to the atmosphere and tension. This was a truly immersive, addictive read and I rushed through the day to get back to it. I did refer to it internally as Dead Girls Dresses though!

I love Erin Kelly's writing. She has the ability to make characters interesting and quirky and yet very real-seeming, and the worlds of her stories are always places I want to spend time.

The plots aren't always so compelling for me, and this was the case here. I felt that the explanation for what was happening could have been a lot more interesting and scary. Yes, this was a crime novel, and there was often a nice build-up of tension, but then would come an anticlimax. Even so, it was a hugely enjoyable read and I really wanted to know what happened to everyone.

There are a few factual errors, I think. For example, Burke and Hare murdered people in Edinburgh, not London (or was this a deliberate error in the podcast?!). First cousins and half-siblings don't 'share identical profiles' in terms of genetics - first cousins share on average 1/8 of their DNA, but half-siblings share on average 1/4.

I wanted more when the story ended - always confirmation that I've been enjoying it!

Neither a sequel nor a standalone book this stands as a follow on from the Poison Tree but can be read before it or even without it. It is beautifully written and compelling. There are secrets and intrigue throughout and yet it never leans into melodrama. It is hard to say what genre this is but that doesn't matter as it's a book that will appeal to many readers.

4+
Karen and Rex’s daughter Alice is opening a vintage dress shop which she has Instagrammed to perfection apart from a poster which Karen insists she takes down so the past doesn’t catch up with them, particularly Rex. Alice really is Rex’s sister Bibas ghost right down to her avant-garde dress. They don’t talk about the summer of ‘97 especially ‘The Night Of’, the summer that Karen meets Biba as Karen has buried it deep inside. What is the truth of what lurks in the past in that pivotal year of 1997? Not even Rex entirely knows although he serves time for what transpires. Maybe only Biba can tell us that and she’s disappeared, presumed dead. Will the truth ever be known of what happens at the Highgate House of Horrors? A family of secrets, big secrets and Alice is keeping some of her own and when anonymous notes arrive at her shop it seems it’s impossible to shut the door on the past. The story is principally told by Karen and Alice.

We first meet many of these characters in this latest Erin Kelly novel in The Poison Tree which I read in 2018 but don’t have the sharpest recollections of. This is not so much a sequel as it can easily be read as a standalone and my faltering memory is no barrier to this one!

I really enjoy the contrasting points of view of Karen and Alice especially Alice as her desperation to know the truth (and yet also not know) is heard loud and clear and this is the main direction the plot takes. Alice seems straightforward and honest but is she? She’s not above keeping secrets and her investigations give us much of the backstory - maybe. I love the vintage dress angle of the storytelling via Alice which gives the plot even greater technicolour. Karen’s viewpoint is also fascinating, she seems uncertain at times, her memories are ominous but one thing is crystal clear and that is her love of Alice and her desire to protect her. This is visible in her dislike of Gabe, Alice’s partner as she’s not only suspicious but has other concerns too. Is she right? How far can we trust Karen’s narrative? This is a delicious conundrum. It’s fair to say that few of the characters are very likeable but I enjoy that aspect of the plot.

For quite a long time the storytelling is of the slow burner kind, it seems the very definition of one. Then, things begin to change and how. Does it ever ramp up in tempo! Twist after plot twist, excellent moments of suspense and tension, some shocking reveals and incidents and as for that ending - it’s a cracker!

Overall, this is a good multilayered read, a mix of domestic drama though maybe towards the more dramatic end, it’s a tantalising mystery and part psychological thriller with some definite dark moments. The scorching summer adds its own sticky atmosphere to the heated dynamics and richly atmospheric plot. A very accomplished page turner of a read.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I was not aware that this was a sequel when I started reading this book. However this can easily be read as a standalone book. The book itself has many twists and turns which keeps the reader enthralled throughout. A good book and I will now look for other books from this author.

This was a brilliant book with great, reliable characters. So many brilliant twists. A really great insight into this particularly deranged and secretive family xx

I didn’t realise this was a sequel to The Poison Tree, which I haven’t read. I saw some reviews that said it can be read as a standalone book which I agree with.

Loved the twists and turns and the character development was really well written.

The thing I really liked about this book was that it didn't prolong the agony of the big twist! The modern trope is to hint all the way through the book about the TWIST, the motivations behind the characters, then reveal all in the last chapter.
I didn't realise this was a sequel when I started it and I might go back and read the first book The Poison Tree. This book definitely stands on its own though, I loved the multi layered characters, especially Alice with her vintage clothes. There are some despicably selfish characters throughout which are always enjoyable in a good family saga. Family secrets are revealed slowly throughout the book and my goodness some are pretty shocking!
I really enjoyed this book.

I read The Poison Tree back in 2011 and had forgotten most of the plot although I remembered that it was set in a boiling hot summer in Hampstead and one of the main protagonists was named Biba. I found a synopsis online but I rather wish I hadn't as I think this follow-up would work really well as a stand-alone. The more I read the more I remembered of the first book and I think this one is definitely better, I never really understood why Karen would have been happy in that grubby house with a completely unreliable 'friend'.

The House of Mirrors is set in another scorching London summer and is many-layered with just enough twists and surprises to keep you glued to the pages. Biba's third-person narrative is a little confusing at times but adds further mystery and intrigue to the plot. The research for Alice's clothing was really impressive! I remember so many of those labels (showing my age here...). All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

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.