This week I’ve been reading a gripping thriller and a classic love story with a retro new look…
This week I’ve been reading:
The Burning Air by Erin Kelly (£16.99, Hodder & Stoughton)
The MacBride family meet at their barn in Devon every Bonfire Night for the annual celebrations in the village, but this year Sophie, Tara, Felix and their children are mourning the loss of their mother, Lydia, and are trying to support their dad, Rowan. Sophie is attempting to paper over the cracks in her marriage to Will and they’re both trying to hide their problems from their sons and baby daughter Evie; Tara is hoping she has finally found a man she loves in Matt, who’s proving to be a father figure for her 14-year-old son Jake; while Felix brings along his mysterious new girlfriend, Kerry, who barely says more than two words to the group but adores looking after baby Evie for Sophie. She offers to babysit while the rest go to the local bonfire celebrations. But when the family return from their evening out, both Kerry – and Evie – are gone. Has Kerry snatched her and disappeared, or is there an even darker more deadly secret behind what’s happened that involves the whole family…?
The verdict:
Erin Kelly’s first novel, The Poison Tree, was made into a drama for ITV last year, and The Burning Air very much has the feeling of a tense TV thriller, with lots of nerve-jangling dramatic scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat. I love the way each section of the book is written from a different person’s point of view so you really get to know the characters and feel like you’re stepping into their shoes. It’s very cleverly written and full of unexpected twists as the tension keeps being ratcheted up another notch before the big reveal at the end. I found The Burning Air deeply enjoyable but deeply unsettling: the perfect mixture for a psychological thriller!
I’ve also been reading:
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (£8.99, Pulp! The Classics) (available at WH Smith travel shops and Amazon)
As you might imagine for a bookworm like me, this week is certainly not the first time I’ve read this classic love story about Mr Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, but when I saw this briliant new edition of Pride & Prejudice, I just knew I had to get my hands on it. How amazing is this cover?!
Pulp! The Classics is a new publishing imprint that’s giving some classic novels a retro-style makeover. As well as P&P, planned titles in the series include Robinson Crusoe and The Great Gatsby (which movie buffs will know has been made into a film, due out this May) and all text is complete and unabridged. As the romantics among you will know, Monday sees the 200th anniversary of Pride & Prejudice’s publication, so there’s no better time to revisit one of my favourite ever books! A beautifully written, wry look at society that’s as relevant now as it was then, this new edition had pride of place on my bookshelf this week!
- Come back on Monday to find out more about P&P’s 200th anniversary. And tell me what you’re reading this week by tweeting me @FabFrosty
