The Skeleton Key

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