The Skeleton Key

Exquisite prose and multilayered characters lift this exceptional novel from British author Kelly (Watch Her Fall). In 2021, Frank Churcher is bringing out a new edition of the illustrated book that made him rich and famous: The Golden Bones, “a collision of pretty pictures, mythology and logic puzzles,” is about a murdered woman whose bones are scattered across England and contains clues to the location of small gold replicas of the woman’s bones. A bestseller since its first publication 50 years earlier, it has become an obsession for legions of fanatics who call themselves Bonehunters. Frank has asked his middle-aged daughter, Nell, to return home to London to be part of a documentary film to kick off publicity for the new edition. Things don’t go as planned, and the police are soon investigating a murder. Flashbacks add depth and raise intriguing questions as the present-day action builds to a complex and satisfying resolution. Full of reflections on ego and art, love and loss, this atypical thriller shows Kelly writing at the top of her game. Agents: Sarah Ballard and Eli Keren, United Agents. (Jan.)