The Skeleton Key: A family reunion ends in murder; the Sunday Times top ten bestseller

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The plot of this one is pretty complicated (one of my complaints), but the basic premise is that there is a children's book (based on a real book the author loves as a child) that left clues for readers to find treasure in real life (in this case a tiny golden skeleton split up into sections), and people became obsessed with it, making its author and illustrator a very rich man. It also painted a target on his daughter, who he named after the character in the book whose skeleton all the treasure hunters were looking to find. A large part of this book is Eleanor (who goes by Nell) dealing with the fallout from obsessive unhealthy fandom. Some scenes are lively and a bit mad but in the best possible way and I really enjoy their colourful nature. There are some good jaw descending with a thunk moments especially as you come to appreciate how Nell’s life has been tainted. I come to really like and admire her especially her frequent wry tone but most especially her love and loyalty to her ‘stepdaughter’ Billie who is a shining light among characters with somewhat dubious morals.

MY THOUGHTS: I became fully immersed in the story of the Churcher and Lally families to the detriment of everything else I was currently reading. The extended family dynamics enthralled me. I became obsessed by their machinations, and their relationships, which are almost incestuous. The third book in the Alex Rider series doesn’t let up on the gas pedal at all. Alex really has had all he can take with these MI-6 assignments but when offered to be a ball boy at Wimbledon merely in exchange for keeping an eye out for something “unusual”, he takes the bait. That leads to the first part of the escapades in this book. But after he uncovers a drug plot designed to influence illegal gambling and saves the entire tournament, it’s on to the real plot of the story. Here again, Alex just has to play a bit part in exchange for a two week vacation on a small island near Cuba, called Skeleton Key. He is loaned out to the CIA to play the role of a 14-year-old son to two CIA agents. They are supposed to do all the actual spy work. All Alex has to do is pretty much play himself, albeit as an American boy from LA.Many thanks to Net Galley, Hodder & Stoughton, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Kelakar dengan CIA dalam naskah ini yang mengutuk British (MI6) mempergunakan kanak-kanak untuk misi mereka tapi akhirnya CIA juga menggunakan khidmat Alex dalam memastikan keberhasilan misi mereka. The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous degree. People sold their homes to travel to England and search for Elinore. Marriages broke down as the quest consumed people. A man died. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse.In the first two books of Alex Rider and in all the Gatekeepers books, his main villain always have some kind of physical deformities, creepy appearance and sometimes, even monstrous. I like these books but the villain pattern is getting tiring. Good thing that in Skeleton Key, he introduced us the General Alexeis Sarov, a sixty something years old Russian general but looked "twenty years younger", tall, well built and "radiates power and control". And in contrary to all the past villains who were shown to be motivated only by greed for power or vengeance, Horowitz gave Sarov an emotional depth. Yes, he has devious plans that will "end the world" but his longing will make it hard for you to completely hate him. At the end, his death(oh common, it's not a spoiler. We know that all Alex Rider's enemies gets killed at the end.) will not entirely give you satisfaction but you will also sympathize with his character. The story of the Churcher and Lally families is one I will remember for a long time. The layering of details was flawless. There was so much to absorb. The Skeleton Key is a deliciously slower-building story that takes its time in its richness. I absolutely adored it and highly recommend it to longer-book-patient readers who are looking for a simmering, bold, fresh thriller. The Skeleton Key is a 2005 American Southern Gothic [2] supernatural horror film directed by Iain Softley, written by Ehren Kruger, and starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard, and Joy Bryant. The narrative follows a New Orleans hospice nurse who begins a job at a Terrebonne Parish plantation home, and becomes entangled in a supernatural mystery involving the house, its former inhabitants, and Hoodoo rituals and spells that took place there. She had been drugged and could still feel the effects. Her Sauer pistol was still in its shoulder holster. Her fingers searched and found a pin sized keyhole under her right ear. The Place Vendome was outside, so logically, she had to be inside the Paris Ritz Hotel. One book has influenced these families’ lives in more ways than one. It brought them fame and money. But it also brought them stalkers, nutters and a whole lot of pain. Especially for Nell, who is an obsession for a whole community of people who are enthralled with treasure hunts. Nell isn’t like the other family members. She made a choice to try and distance herself from the lot of them, and leads a very different life. From the very beginning, I struggled to understand why she would have anything to do with these celebrations. Her father’s book, ‘The Golden Bones‘, pretty much ruined her life. If that had been me, I wouldn’t have come anywhere near this anniversary.

Overall, this is a good homage to Masquerade by Kit Williams which is a much loved book of the author. Baumgarten, Marjorie (August 12, 2005). "Film Review: The Skeleton Key". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. I also wanted to write this story for those readers who have never read a Sigma novel. So I crafted this thriller so it could be enjoyed by anyone new to the series. Confined to one character and restricted to a self-contained adventure, I hoped this story could serve as a “sampler” for any reader interested in the series but too daunted by a full novel. Violet (revealed to be Mama Cecile, who had been occupying Violet's body through the Conjure) wakes up in Caroline's body, and force-feeds Caroline (now in Violet's body) a potion that induces a stroke-like paralytic state like Ben's. Luke (actually Papa Justify) arrives upstairs, revealing that Mama Cecile and Papa Justify have been conducting the Conjure of Sacrifice on new people since their supposed deaths; they had swapped places with the two children just before the lynching. Because hoodoo is supposedly only effective on those who believe in it, Cecile and Justify had to wait for Caroline to come to believe in hoodoo through her own investigation. Alex Rider is a 14 year old boy with fair hair and brown eyes, his parents were killed in a "accident" and ever since was raised by his uncle. Alan Blunt is and emotionless man and is the head of the M16. Wolf is a military squad leader who trained with Alex at M16. Chinese gang member was trying to poison players at Wimbledon for reasons you will have to find out!

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The Bad: Since a lot of this takes place on sunny beaches and in or near pools, there's a lot of talk about scantily clad people sunbathing and such. Also, the profanities weren't really necessary.

The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous, murderous degree. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse. Specifically in this title, there is an off hand remark about "keeping your hands on the right balls."And as I said above, the family is messy. Messy and toxic and precious and pretentious and each and every one of them needed to go.