Erin Kelly Books in Order (Updated February 20, 2026)

Erin Kelly writes psychological suspense as mostly stand-alone novels. The one place order does matter is her Rex/Karen/Alice continuity, where a later book revisits characters from her debut.

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How her books connect

• Rex/Karen/Alice continuity: The Poison Tree → The House of Mirrors (read in that order for cleanest context).
• Everything else: stand-alone (you can read in any order).
• One exception: Broadchurch: A Novel is a TV tie-in novelization, separate from her original thrillers.

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Publication order with one line per book

1. The Poison Tree (2010): A debut built around a past friendship and a present-day reckoning, later echoed by a follow-up novel.
2. The Sick Rose (2011) (also published as The Dark Rose): A self-contained suspense novel where obsession and control shape the danger.
3. The Burning Air (2013): A standalone with a layered backstory and a present-day investigation that keeps shifting your assumptions.
4. The Ties That Bind (2014): A writer’s research drags him toward old crimes and living consequences, with no series dependencies.
5. Broadchurch: A Novel (2015): A novelization/expansion of the TV story, best treated as a separate lane from her original fiction.
6. He Said/She Said (2017): A standalone anchored to a single witnessed assault and the long shadow of testimony, guilt, and leverage.
7. Stone Mothers (2019) (later reissued as We Know You Know): A standalone built around long-buried institutional trauma and the fear of exposure.
8. Watch Her Fall (2021): A high-pressure standalone set in the ballet world, where ambition and vulnerability collide.
9. The Skeleton Key (2022): A standalone about a famous puzzle-book legacy and the obsession it leaves behind in a family.
10. The House of Mirrors (2024): Returns to characters first seen in The Poison Tree, so it lands best after the debut even though it can be read alone.

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Two strong ways to read Erin Kelly

Route 1: “No spoilers, maximum context”

1. The Poison Tree
2. The House of Mirrors
3. Then pick any stand-alone in any order.

Route 2: “Taste test first, then go deeper”

• Start with He Said/She Said (clean entry, representative tension),
• then jump anywhere, circle back to The Poison Tree → The House of Mirrors when you want the connected pair.

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Upcoming / latest status

• Latest published original thriller (as of February 20, 2026): The House of Mirrors (2024).
• Next announced novel: The Night Stairs (scheduled for July 9, 2026).

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FAQs

Do I have to read Erin Kelly in order?

No, almost all of her books are designed as standalones. The only “read this first” rule is The Poison Tree before The House of Mirrors if you want full continuity impact.

Is Broadchurch: A Novel part of her thriller line?

Not really. It’s a tie-in novelization connected to the TV story, not to her original standalone thrillers.

Why do I see two different titles for the same book?

Some editions use alternate titles (for example Stone Mothers later reissued as We Know You Know, and The Sick Rose also appearing as The Dark Rose in some markets).

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Conclusion

If you want the cleanest, most connected experience, read The Poison Tree and then The House of Mirrors, and treat everything else as pick-up-anywhere standalones. If you only want one book to sample her style, start with He Said/She Said.