The next part is told from the perspective of Juliet, a Kirilov dancer who is recovering from a career-ending injury. Isolated and naïve, she has been under the control of the ballet company for most of her life and now she feels as if she’s lost everything. How will she survive in the real world? The pace of the story never lags, with each event steering the plot in a different direction and introducing us to new characters who build the tension.

This 1936 classic remains a touchstone for balletomane children. Orphans Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil are adopted by eccentric Great Uncle Matthew; when the money runs out, they take to the stage to pay the bills. I believe the book’s endurance is down to its depictions of adolescence as much as the dance detail. The characters are complicated, enviable, flawed. Pretty Pauline’s temper tantrum is one of the best meltdowns in any literature, and results in one of the most relatable comeuppances. The writing is suffused with a teenage sensuousness: costumier’s fabrics such as organza and taffeta seem to caress the reader’s skin as well as the characters’. 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. As I mentioned, it’s difficult to provide more detail without spoiling the book but trust me on this, it’s excellent. Holeeeeeee–eyyy shit. I loved it. Every damn minute of it. Granted I got about halfway through and was like ‘Hey Erin, pal. Where’s the ballet at?’, but I get it. I GET IT NOW. Psychological crime is the speciality of Erin Kelly, and Watch Her Fall is a prime example of her work … bravura fare’ Barry Forshaw, Financial TimesAva 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. This book was so good! Tense from start to finish, with a great set-up and some psychological twists and turns that had me rooted to my chair! This is one of those books where the less you know the better- and I doubt anything else I might add would really do it justice anyway. Kelly’s depiction of this claustrophobic and ambitious world is brutally convincing … You don’t have to be a dance expert to enjoy it’ Daily Mail Kelly's depiction of this claustrophobic and ambitious world is brutally convincing ...You don't have to be a dance expert to enjoy it' - Daily Mail

It seems so effortless .. it’s brilliant and you really do not guess what’s coming’ Virgin Radio, Graham NortonIt seems so effortless .. it's brilliant and you really do not guess what's coming' Virgin Radio, Graham Norton Kelly's characters could walk into a room and take a seat next to you and you'd know who they were, and her plots are the smartest in the industry. I absolutely loved it." - Gillian McAllister

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. 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. Erin Kelly is an author, whose work I look forward with fervour and breathless. She's one of the few authors, whose publishing dates I actually mark in my calendar and count down the days with increasing measure of anticipation and adrenaline. She's without one of the most accomplished psychological thriller writers. Her prose is partly literary, embedded with minute details that create a rich world. Her characters are fleshed out humans; I feel like I can bump into them on the street. So to be able to read Watch her Fall months before the official publication date...I had jitters.It’s hard writing this to make sure I don’t spoil anything, but I was stunned by the direction it took. A few plot-points felt a little out there, and the ending perhaps weaker than I anticipated. But I never would’ve guessed where this was going – and I love that! I had no preconceived notions when I started reading this book. I have read some of this author’s work in the past, I liked her work- but I was not prepared for such a strangely hypnotic mind trip. Erin Kelly plunges readers into the highly competitive world of ballet in Watch Her Fall - Sunday Express S Magazine 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. Kelly paints a picture of a claustrophobic, rarefied, piercingly lonely world … Deliciously sinister and obsessive … with one hell of a twist‘ Observer