Erin Kelly’s getting into her groove in The Dark Rose; she creates engaging characters then drops them in dire situations and watches them squirm. She’s a writer after my own heart. This one concerns a girl’s first love with a messed up musician that ends in tragedy and a boy’s dangerous friendship with a ne’er do well -ditto. It’s well paced and interesting rather than thrilling, but the quality of the writing and characterisation lifts it above your average thriller. This one is better than The Poison Tree but try Kelly’s later novel He Said She Said to see her at the top of her game.
