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

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.