THE BURNING AIR

The MacBrides have just lost the mother of their family and descend on their family holiday home in Devon for a bittersweet Bonfire night celebration; the first without her. But this year the past comes back to haunt them in an explosive act of revenge featuring betrayal and the kidnap of a child.

The Burning Air is the latest psychological thriller from Erin Kelly, following in the footsteps of The Poison Tree and The Sick Rose, neither of which are easy acts to follow. Based around the MacBride family Kelly does what she does best and weaves a complex plot that unravels slowly via differing perspectives skipping effortlessly back in time as well as working in the present. Commencing with the protagonists arrival in Devon, we slowly move through both the past and present told by different people whilst working out the motivation behind the vengeful plot until the pace suddenly speeds rapidly to the stunning conclusion that Kelly is well know for, leaving you gaping, wondering and yet satisfied.

The beauty of anything Erin Kelly produces revolves around the ability to take normal people and one small factor which piece by piece begins to unfold highlighting the darkness under what could have been something everyday. Motivation is always twisted, but makes a rather strange sense of the human nature and how ordinary occurrences can be so sinister or warped by the intent. Her climaxes smoulder into flame rather than dramatically explode, making the impact more powerful in my opinion because you sit there wondering how and why and what the future may hold. It’s not a black or white definitive in the manner of many thrillers, but a smoky grey that beckons you further.