Watch Her Fall: An utterly gripping and twisty edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller from the bestselling author

Product Information

Ava Kirilova is the principal ballerina in the London Russian Ballet, which is owned and run by her father, Nikolai Kirilov. The LRB is about to run with its production of Swan Lake, with Ana cast as Odette and Odile. The pressure is intense and Kirilov’s expectations sky high. It’s felt by everyone in the company and when one dancer whose part is very small but significant, fails to meet those expectations, another is immediately drafted in. Ava, his protégé and daughter (talk about major pressure), is ready to spin all those magical spins as the lead Swan. My only experience with ballet was when I was like 7 or 8. Picture a bunch of sugared-up kids at the ballet version of Peter Pan for the dancer kid’s birthday and the screams when Tinkerbell’s wings fell off. That’s all I can think about if you mention ballet around me and it definitely tainted my thoughts. There’s not a great deal of sympathy can be evoked for many of the characters at the beginning if this novel. Some are intensely unlikeable, living in a hothouse atmosphere where ambition is respected and that drive is what keeps the dancers going. There’s no room here for sentiment or even much friendship; it’s all rivalry and fighting the way to the top by being as competitive as possible.

I saw Margot Fonteyn dance these dual roles when I was young and I have never forgotten it. The pain, emotion and intensity stays with you and I know this book will stay with me for similar reasons.The character development in this story is superb, the passion and the fear that each one exudes. The sense of loss is, at times, overwhelming, both of career and of love. Family is a key theme, both husband to wife, father to daughter and in the wider sense of the dance company. It is hard to watch the slow progress of Ava's paranoia, the sense that everyone is trying to usurp her success, even her own father, company owner and Patriarch Nikolai Kirilov. And then to witness Juliet and her struggles when the very thing that she wants and loves, the ability to dance, is ripped from her is emotional and yet adds to the intrigue that has been building from the start. A dancer dies twice - once when they stop dancing and this first death is the more painful.” Martha Graham.

Juliet has a bitterness to her after her career is destroyed, but – again – you empathise with her. You can tell she’s a good person in an impossible situation, and her actions are understandable. She softens and grows as the book progresses. Glitters with dark brilliance and portrays the complex, painful world of ballet with great authenticity. I loved it!' -Kate Rhodes I have read and loved several of Erin Kelly’s previous books, but Watch Her Fall is now my absolute favourite by far! The tone grows darker and even more intense as the ‘Swans’ behave more like Vultures as they plot to get the upper hand- ready to effortlessly step into Ana’s position. But it seems as though someone has decided to take the competition to a whole new, and deadly level… The novel begins with Ava Kirilova gazing up at a poster of herself on the wall of the theatre. She’s reached the peak of her career and is about to star in a touring production of Swan Lake. As Nikolai’s only daughter, it’s a role she’s prepared for since childhood and she’s desperate to live up to her father’s vision. Now entering her thirties, Ava lives in fear of her imminent retirement from the stage and her ageing father’s death. The company is full of talented, ambitious girls who would do anything to have the career she’s built. With so many dancers eager to take her crown, paranoia is at the forefront of Ava’s mind.Psychological crime is the speciality of Erin Kelly, and Watch Her Fall is a prime example of her work … bravura fare’ Barry Forshaw, Financial Times This is a difficult one to review without giving away any spoilers, but I'll do my best. The first Act is narrated from the POV of Ava Kirilova, daughter of Nikolav Kirilova - renowned dancer and choreographer, owner of the London Russian Ballet Company - and Ava in her early 30s, has just landed her dream role: Swan Lake. She is playing both characters. It's a role to kill for. But Ava is aware of her little time she has left; ballet dancers peak early. As the first official performance date draws closer Ava starts to become paranoid and rehearsals become fraught with tension, until the devastating accident occurs... What I will say is this is a stunning read. As always the characters are detailed and fully=formed. Not once do you find a caricature instead you get a person, with a mixture of admirable traits as well as those that are much darker. The plot is intricate and truly clever. The way that the various strands of the stories form the basis of the story only becomes more impressive as time goes on, and with reflection.

Ava Kirilova has reached the very top of her profession. After years and years of hard graft, pain and sacrifice as part of the London Russian Ballet Company, allowing nothing else to distract her, she is finally the poster girl for Swan Lake. Even Mr K—her father, and the intense, terrifying director of the company—can find no fault. Ava has pushed herself ahead of countless other talented, hardworking girls, and they are all watching her now. Watch her Fall’, is a dark, deeply twisted thriller from the superb Erin Kelly. Be warned: clear your schedule, as you will want to read this book in one sitting! Because someone is watching her from the wings. Someone who wants what she has. Wants it so badly two people will pay with their lives. Ana will play the dual role of Odette and Odile in Swan Lake- but the pressure is intense. Her own father runs the London Russian Ballet Company and is nearly tyrannical with his control over Ana and her techniques. Meanwhile, it would appear she has some severe and ruthless competition.I really enjoyed how the book was broken up, to be told from the different perspectives, all connected in some way. I thought Roman's chapters were particularly insightful and I liked that Erin shone a light on immigration, even if some of it felt somewhat stereotypical at times, but sadly it was also realistic too.