Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - The Skeleton Key

Slow start but a really interesting premise. I saw one plot twist coming but then there were more that took me by surprise. Interesting ending, I liked it a lot.

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dorsetreader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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what_heather_loves's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Less than a fortnight ago, I thought that the greatest derailment of my life - the before-and-after everyone has - was when Ingrid took a blade to my skin...Right now, that moment, and all the others...seem little more than a kink in the tracks. This is the moment my life slides off the lines entirely. This is the impact, this is the wreck."

Present day London and Eleanor (Nell) Churcher, in her forties, is attending a family anniversary at their insistence. Nell is nervous. She brings with her informally adoptive daughter, teenager, Billie. The Churcher family, including eccentric and arrogant, Sir Frank Churcher, bohemian mum Cora and immediate neighbours and long-time friends, The Lallys (including Frank's best friend, Lal) are all in attendance. It's fifty years since Frank, released 'The Golden Bones', a beautiful, lyrical book with an 'olde English' folklore tale of lost love accompanied by beautiful and complex images. The book was a treasure hunt, encouraging readers to locate the separate parts of a miniature golden skeleton of 'Elinor', buried about the UK. Avid fans, The Bonehunters, become obsessed with finding the final piece, the pelvis. Some became unhinged and fixated on the book's namesake, Elinor / Eleanor, AKA Nell, putting her life in danger over the decades, to the extent that she has been living under the radar on a house-boat. At the anniversary celebrations, the Bonehunters are kept outside by security whilst a documentary team record the republication of the book with a new digital treasure hunt and app, designed by Dominic, Nell's brother. As Frank swans about being the centre of attention, he doesn't know that the past is about to catch up with him. Within a couple of week, the families' lives will never be the same again as truths are devastatingly revealed.

This is an outstanding, character-driven saga about the secrets and lies of two eccentric and dysfunctional British families, spanning from the 1970s to present day. The concept of The Golden Bones (inspired by Masquerade) is fascinating, but it's engaging protagonist Nell who is the heart of the novel, trying to create a safe and loving world for herself and Billie. The quest to find the golden bones brings out strong emotions, having led to arguments, fights, marriage breakdowns, injury and even death. Unpredictable, intricate and tense, I struggled to put this down as the shocking twists were revealed and Nell showed her strength and determination.

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