Watch Her Fall

Ava Kirilova, the heroine of this daring psychological thriller from Kelly (The Poison Tree), is a 30-year-old prima ballerina with the London Russian Ballet Company poised to dance the coveted dual role of Odette and Odile in Swan Lake. With opening night approaching, Ava must deal with her autocratic father, Nikolai Kirilov, the company’s master, who elicits the best from his dancers by bullying them, as well as a talented younger rival. However, the opening night for which everyone is feverishly preparing happens almost entirely off stage, and the story turns instead to Juliet , who has suffered a career-ending injury all dancers dread, and then to Roman Pavluk, an undocumented immigrant, who plunges into the criminal underworld in a desperate attempt to stay in the U.K. Readers immersed in the glamour of the initial ballet scenes may wonder whether Kelly can connect such disparate plot threads, but those who persevere will be rewarded with an inventive ending that’s both thematically and narratively satisfying. This fresh approach to the story of a dancer facing the inevitable decline of her body will resonate with many. Agent: Sarah Ballard, United Agents. (Nov.)