The closer the family, the darker the secrets

Beneath the Surface

THE STUNNING NEW SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BETRAYALS AND THE GOOD GIRL 
 
'No one writes about modern family with more truth or authenticity than Fiona Neill' LISA JEWELL 
 
'A stunning, almost hypnotic read that pulls you under. Completely engrossing' Reader Review ***** 
 
Everyone is talking about Grace's family. 
 
But for all the wrong reasons . . . 
 
Grace wanted to give her daughters the childhood she never had. And with teenage golden girl Lilly she's never had to worry. 
 
But when Lilly mysteriously collapses at school, Grace's carefully ordered world crashes down. It turns out Lilly isn't the perfect daughter after all and Grace becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth. 
 
Which is when she takes her eyes off her youngest daughter, Mia and learns that the closer the family, the darker the secrets . . . 
 
Beneath the Surface explores the weight of the past upon the present, the burden of keeping secrets and what happens when children get caught in the undercurrents of adult relationships. 
 
'A rich, dark and satisfying read about the complexities of modern family life. I adored it' JANE FALLON 
 
'I can't wait to see what Fhiona Neill will deliver next!' Reader Review ***** 
 
'Neill describes human dysfunction with such compelling empathy . . . richly tense and deeply satisfying. I didn't want to finish!' HILARY BOYD 
 
'Riveting, heart-breaking and ultimately uplifting' Reader Review ***** 
 
'Well-paced and intriguing' DAILY MAIL

A sophisticated parable of modern family life . . . Well-paced and intriguing

Neill describes human dysfunction with such compelling empathy . . . richly tense and deeply satisfying. I didn't want to finish!

Hilary Boyd, bestselling author of The Anniversary

With her trademark dark humour and incisive observations of family life, Neill takes the reader on a fascinating, moving and intelligent journey to the truth

Gillian McAllister, bestselling author of No Further Questions

A rich, dark and satisfying read about the complexities of modern family life. I adored it

Jane Fallon, bestselling author of Faking Friends

One of the most intelligent, engaging and perceptive writers about family life . . . beautifully told with great suspense. It is impossible not to become engrossed in the trials and tribulations of the Vermuyden family as secret histories unravel

This deft study of family dynamic sees Grace wanting to give her two daughters a better life than she had

An acutely observed story of the complex dynamics of family life and the challenges of navigating young friendships and relationships. Neill has created utterly believable, flawed yet likeable characters and a gripping drama

It's a tense, intricate and whip-smart drama that peels back the lid of a seemingly 'perfect' family and reveals the dark truth underneath. The characters are brilliantly drawn, the bubbling undercurrent of foreboding is palpable and there's a slam-dunk of a twist too. The perfect read to lose yourself in on holiday this summer

Isabelle Broom, Woman & Home Reading Room

Exquisitely drawn and perfectly realised, no one writes about modern family with more truth and authenticity than Fiona Neill

Raises all kinds of contemporary issues with wit and sensitivity

A novel made for heated book club debates

Vivid and insightful, and Neill has a trained eye for the pressures and poignancies of modern family life

A topical, tense and addictive read

A vivid and insightful portrayal of a family in crisis; Neill's writing is incisive, smart and at times darkly funny. A writer at the top of her game

Thought-provoking and stands out from the crowd

Neill writes with verve, honesty and breathtaking insight. Utterly unputdownable

Sometimes touching, sometimes shocking

A rollicking read that should not be picked up at bedtime, or you'll be done for in terms of a good night's sleep

Neill's characters are so cleverly depicted, you feel as if you've met at least one of them before

Neill's plotting is beyond compare . . . an utterly absorbing account of deception and desire

I thoroughly enjoyed this brilliantly observed novel about a family in meltdown

Contemporary issues are tackled here with both humour and realism, making for an engrossing read

Fiona Neill is an author and journalist who has written five Sunday Times bestsellers. Her last novel, The Betrayals, sold over 130,000 copies and was a Richard &amp; Judy Book Club selection. Fiona worked as a foreign correspondent in Central America for six years and returned to the UK as assistant editor on Marie Claire before joining The Times Magazine as assistant editor. She has written features for many publications including The Times, Sunday Times Style, and the Telegraph Magazine as well as having written a screenplay of her first novel for the BFI. Fiona grew up in rural North Norfolk and lives in London with her husband and three children.

Everyone is talking about Grace's family. 
 But for all the wrong reasons . . .Grace wanted to give her daughters the idyllic childhood she never had. And with teenage Lilly, her golden girl, she's never had to worry - unlike with ten-year-old Mia, who often lands herself in trouble. 
But when Lilly suddenly collapses at school, Grace's carefully ordered world crashes down. Because it turns out Lilly isn't the perfect daughter after all. Suddenly, Grace is fixated on uncovering the truth. 
Which is when she takes her eyes off Mia . . .

The Betrayals

THE DEVASTATINGLY EXPLOSIVE RICHARD &amp; JUDY PICK AND SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
None of them would forget that week on the wild Norfolk coast. 
 
Best friends Rosie and Lisa's families had always been inseparable. 
 
But that summer, Lisa had an affair with Rosie's husband Nick. 
 
And now, after years of silence, she sends Rosie a letter begging for help. A letter which exposes dark secrets. 
 
Daughter Daisy's fragile hold on reality begins to unravel. 
 
Teenage son Max blames himself for everything that happened that long hot summer. 
 
And Nick must confront his own version of events. 
 
There are four sides to this story. Who will you believe? 
________ 
 
'No one writes about modern family with more truth and authenticity than Fiona Neill' Lisa Jewell 
 
'A rollicking read that should not be picked up at bedtime, or you'll be done for in terms of a good night's sleep' Stylist 
 
'A vivid and insightful portrayal of a family in crisis. A writer at the top of her game' Gillian McAllister 
 
'Thought-provoking and stands out from the crowd' Grazia

Sometimes there are four sides to a story - but which one will you believe in the engrossing RICHARD &amp; JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK, The Betrayals

A rollicking read that should not be picked up at bedtime, or you'll be done for in terms of a good night's sleep. Neill is brilliant at capturing the wrong turns people make and the consequences that follow

Exquisitely drawn and perfectly realised, no one writes about modern family with more truth and authenticity than Fiona Neill. She nails it every single time

Sunday Times bestselling author of I Found You

A vivid and insightful portrayal of a family in crisis; Neill's writing is incisive, smart and at times darkly funny. A writer at the top of her game; I will be telling everybody I know about this book

Sunday Times bestselling author of Everything but the Truth

Telling the story of four intriguing family members in the years following an affair and a break-up, the cleverly structured plot revolves around psychology: particularly how people perceive and recall the same events differently. The Betrayals is thought-provoking and stands out from the crowd

Neill's plotting is beyond compare . . . Weaving an utterly absorbing account of deception and desire, Neill leaves you asking the question: Which voice can you trust?

I thoroughly enjoyed this brilliantly observed novel about a family in meltdown. I have never read anything by Fiona Neill before, but after reading this totally absorbing tale, that is a situation I intend to rectify

Number One Kindle bestselling author of The Letter

Praise for The Good Girl

Tapping into the issues of the day . . . this is a novel made for heated book club debates

Sometimes touching, sometimes shocking... this cautionary coming-of-age tale is a thought-provoking one

The Good Girl is vivid and insightful, and Neill has a trained eye for the pressures and poignancies of modern family life

Neill writes with verve, honesty and breathtaking insight. Utterly unputdownable

The Good Girl raises all kinds of contemporary issues with wit and sensitivity

The Good Girl looks set to be the next Gone Girl, with its dark compelling exploration of family secrets . . .

Neill takes a light scalpel to online disaster in this exceptional dual-narrative

Two families become embroiled in each other's lives and long buried secrets are unravelled. Contemporary issues are tackled here with both humour and realism, making for an engrossing read

Neill's characters are so cleverly depicted, you feel as if you've met at least one of them before

When Rosie Rankin's best friend has an affair with her husband, the consequences reverberate through the lives of both their families. Relationships are torn apart and friendships shattered. 
 
Years later, the arrival of a letter opens old wounds for the Rankins, Daughter Daisy's fragile hold on reality begins to unravel and son Max blames himself for everything that happened that fateful summer. And Rosie's ex-husband Nick has his own version of events. As repressed memories bubble to the surface, the past has never seemed more present and the truth more murky. 
 
Sometimes, there are four sides to the story. Who do you believe?

The Good Girl

Scratch the surface of any family hard enough and you'll draw blood . . . 
No one can believe it when straight A student Romy Field finds herself at the centre of a scandal, least of all her mother Ailsa - who is also the head of her new school. 
Ailsa is quick to hold Romy's new boyfriend and his parents responsible for what has happened. But as mother and daughter reveal their very different version of events, a much darker truth emerges. It soon becomes apparent that Romy isn't the only member of her family harbouring secrets and her disgrace becomes the catalyst for the unravelling of all those around her. 
It takes a split second to make a decision that can alter the course of your life. 
And a lifetime to undo the consequences. 
Bestselling author Fiona Neill is back with The Good Girl - a dark, compelling and controversial novel of one family's darkest secrets. 
 
Praise for Fiona Neill: 
'The Good Girl raises all kinds of contemporary issues with wit and sensitivity' Times 
'Neill writes with verve, honesty and breathtaking insight. Utterly unputdownable' Helen Walsh, author of The Lemon Grove 
'Neill's characters are so cleverly depicted, you feel as if you've met at least one of them before' Vogue 
'Packed with observations of wince-making accuracy' The Times 
'Sometimes touching, sometimes shocking... this cautionary coming-of-age tale is a thought-provoking one' Daily Mail 
'The Good Girl is vivid and insightful, and Neill has a trained eye for the pressures and poignancies of modern family life' Guardian 
'Clever, grown-up and totally gripping' Lisa Jewell 
'A topical, tense and addictive read' Good Housekeeping 
'Neill takes a light scalpel to online disaster in this exceptional dual-narrative' Grazia 
' Two families become embroiled in each other's lives and long buried secrets are unravelled. Contemporary issues are tackled here with both humour and realism, making for an engrossing read' My Weekly 
'Cracking' Prima 
'The Slummy Mummy columnist is back - this time, somewhat incongruously, with a psychological thriller. The Good Girl looks set to be the next Gone Girl, with its dark compelling exploration of family secrets. It tells the story of the relationship of two teenagers and their families when a chain of events leads to a scandal that affects them all. A confronting look at the way that one moment of malice on social media can spiral out of control.' Seven Books to Read, House Seven

The Good Girl raises all kinds of contemporary issues with wit and sensitivity

The Slummy Mummy columnist is back - this time, somewhat incongruously, with a psychological thriller. The Good Girl looks set to be the next Gone Girl, with its dark compelling exploration of family secrets. It tells the story of the relationship of two teenagers and their families when a chain of events leads to a scandal that affects them all. A confronting look at the way that one moment of malice on social media can spiral out of control.

Packed with observations of wince-making accuracy . . . Superb entertainment

Fiona Neill is an internationally bestselling author and a journalist. She has written for many publications including The Times, the Telegraph Magazine and Intelligent Life. She has written a screenplay of her first novel for the BFI and lives in London with her family.

Have you ever made the wrong decision? 
When Ailsa uproots her family to Norfolk, she's determined a change of scene will fix all their problems. 
 
Judged someone? 
Then the Fairports move in next door. Opinionated and free-spirited, their presence threatens to destroy Ailsa's fresh start. 
 
Fallen in love? 
Yet for straight-A student Romy, Ailsa's teenage daughter, there's no escaping the intense attraction she feels towards their youngest son, Jay. 
 
Trusted a stranger? 
So when Jay tells Romy his darkest secret, she only wants to help. 
 
Destroyed your family? 
But Romy's actions could be the catalyst that tears her world apart...

What the Nanny Saw

A gripping exploration of life behind closed doors from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and The Betrayals 
 
Nanny required to take care of needs of busy professional London family 
 
When penniless student Ali Sparrow answers Bryony and Nick Skinner's advertisement her life changes overnight. 
 
 
She is catapulted into the privileged and excessive world of London's financial elite. At first everything is overwhelming - from twins who speak their own language to a teenage girl with weight issues and a son almost her own age. Then there is Bryony, who has one eye on her dazzling career and the other on Ali's failings. 
 
 
When boom turns to bust and a scandal erupts that suggests something corrupt has been hatched behind the Skinners' front door, their private life is suddenly public news. And as Ali becomes indispensible, she realizes she's witness to things she probably shouldn't see. 
 
 
But is she principled enough to keep the family's secrets when the press come prowling for the inside scoop? Or will she dish the dirt on the family who never saw her as anything other than part of the scenery?

So well-written, with such believable and engaging characters, it was an absolute joy to read

A novel made for heated book club debates

No one writes about modern family with more truth and authenticity

Raises all kinds of contemporary issues with wit and sensitivity

Incisive, smart and at times darkly funny

Nanny required to take care of needs of busy professional London family 
 
When penniless student Ali Sparrow answers Bryony and Nick Skinner's advertisement her life changes overnight. 
 
She is catapulted into the privileged and excessive world of London's financial elite. At first everything is overwhelming - from twins who speak their own language to a teenage girl with weight issues and a son almost her own age. Then there is Bryony, who has one eye on her dazzling career and the other on Ali's failings. 
 
When boom turns to bust and a scandal erupts that suggests something corrupt has been hatched behind the Skinners' front door, their private life is suddenly public news. And as Ali becomes indispensible, she realizes she's witness to things she probably shouldn't see. 
 
But is she principled enough to keep the family's secrets when the press come prowling for the inside scoop? Or will she dish the dirt on the family who never saw her as anything other than part of the scenery?

Friends, Lovers And Other Indiscretions

A brilliantly comic and insightful novel, from the bestselling author of The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy.

This is a high-end chick lit at its best: so well-written, with such believable and engaging characters, it was an absolute joy to read.

Neill had a huge hit with The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy, her hilarious take on modern motherhood. This is every bit as funny, and packed with observations of wince-making accuracy ... Superb entertainment.

You'll be desperate to know who's after who, who's had who and who's actually telling the truth. Without any frills or need for tall tales, Fiona's cracking new novel gives the feeling that it's all real enough to be happening right under your own nose in your own circle of friends.

Her turn of phrase is clever and perceptive ... this book was my devoted pal. Can't wait for the next one!

This witty comedy of manners is a thoroughly entertaining read ... extremely observant and insightful

A comical look at the trials and tribulations of modern marriage

Fiona Neill's comic novel is an investigation into modern marriage...Neill's characters are so cleverly depicted, you feel as if you've met at least one of them before

Fiona Neill is a features writer for The Times Magazine and author and creator of its hugely popular 'Slummy Mummy' column. After working abroad for six years, as a foreign correspondent in Latin America, she returned to the UK to become assistant editor at Marie Claire and then The Times Magazine. Brought up in Norfolk, she now lives in London with her husband and three children.

It's early 2008 and the credit crunch is starting to bite. Sam and Laura Diamond - and their friends - are circling forty and all feeling a lot less certain about life than when they first met in their twenties. Laura wants to work part-time and have a third child - an appalling prospect for her husband Sam, whose secret ambition is to give up his job as a struggling scriptwriter and have a vasectomy. 
 
Life's no more straightforward for wild child turned corporate lawyer Janey Dart. Having finally given up on Patrick, the love of her life, she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and hastily married to a wealthy hedge fund manager who loathes her friends. 
 
And Sam's oldest friend, trendy restaurant owner Jonathan Sleet, is about to hit the big time with a TV series and cookbook, but can't control his roving eye. So it's no surprise that back on their organic farm in Suffolk, his once glamorous wife Hannah is finding distractions of her own. 
 
Determined to reunite the group, Jonathan brings everyone together for a holiday to celebrate his fortieth birthday. But six friends, two decades of tangled fortunes and an explosive secret from the past make for an unforgettable week.

The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy

From the hugely popular Times columnist, her Sunday Times bestselling debut novel about modern motherhood. 
 
'Hilarious ... a literary phenomenon to rival Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's 
Diary and Allison Pearson's I Don't Know How She Does It ... Plays with the 
chaos and comedy of 30-something metropolitan maternity and brings it to an 
unexpectedly moving conclusion.' - Anna Wintour, Vogue

This slice of angst and affluenza is several cuts above the rest ... witty, observant and supremely intelligent

There is something of Bridget Jones's hopeless-but-adorable quality about Lucy ... Neill's hilarious depiction of the manifold daily perils of stay-at-home motherhood is so convincing that it soon looks like the most challenging job in the world - and Lucy is all the more sympathetic simply for staying afloat

If you're struggling to find your own inner yummy mummy, this is for you. After a few pages you'll want to make heroine Lucy Sweeney your best mate as her trials and tribulations wash away your own troubles

Above the usual class of post-baby fiction...an intelligent and funny look at modern parenting

This will have you laughing out loud with empathy

The chaotic tale of the hapless Lucy will strike a chord with any woman who hasn't quite mastered the art of being a domestic goddess

Perfect for failed domestic goddesses everywhere

Smart, funny, and well-observed...a must read for any woman who loves to laugh at the often unintentional humor in domestic life

Karen Quinn, bestselling author of The Ivy Chronicles

Neill bucks the chick-lit trend with prose that's clever and endearing, and frazzled parents will love the way she nails the sticky, hair-pulling mania of domestic life

Hilarious . . . Plays with the chaos and comedy of 30-something metropolitan maternity and brings it to an unexpectedly moving conclusion

For Lucy Sweeney, motherhood isn't all astanga yoga and Cath Kidston prints. It's been years since the dirty laundry pile was less than a metre high, months since Lucy remembered to have sex with her husband, and a week since she last did the school run wearing pyjamas. 
 
Motherhood, it seems, has more pitfalls than she might have expected. Caught between perfectionist Yummy Mummy No 1 and hypercompetitive Alpha Mum, Lucy is in danger of losing the parenting plot. And worst of all, she's alarmingly distracted by Sexy Domesticated Dad. It's only a matter of time before the dirty laundry quite literally blows up in her face...

Fiona Neill

The Haven is a smart, fierce thriller about an unravelling family, a corrupted utopia, and the wild hearts of teenage girls. I couldn't look away

Lauren Beukes, internationally bestselling author of The Shining Girls

The Haven is a taut and propulsive story of a family in crisis, a shattering of innocence, and a savage fight for survival. I couldn’t put it down.

Sunday Times bestselling author Karen Perry

Fiona Neill has the sharpest eyes and ears for the nuance of family dynamics and of teenagers in particular and The Haven is a brilliant character led thriller that explores universal issues.

Fiona Neill

Praise for The Haven

The Haven is a smart, fierce thriller about an unravelling family, a corrupted utopia, and the wild hearts of teenage girls. I couldn't look away

The Haven is a taut and propulsive story of a family in crisis, a shattering of innocence, and a savage fight for survival. I couldn’t put it down.

Fiona Neill has the sharpest eyes and ears for the nuance of family dynamics and of teenagers in particular and The Haven is a brilliant character led thriller that explores universal issues.

The Haven is a smart, fierce thriller about an unravelling family, a corrupted utopia, and the wild hearts of teenage girls. I couldn't look away

The Haven is a taut and propulsive story of a family in crisis, a shattering of innocence, and a savage fight for survival. I couldn’t put it down.

Fiona Neill has the sharpest eyes and ears for the nuance of family dynamics and of teenagers in particular and The Haven is a brilliant character led thriller that explores universal issues.

The Haven is a smart, fierce thriller about an unravelling family, a corrupted utopia, and the wild hearts of teenage girls. I couldn't look away

The Haven is a taut and propulsive story of a family in crisis, a shattering of innocence, and a savage fight for survival. I couldn’t put it down.

Fiona Neill has the sharpest eyes and ears for the nuance of family dynamics and of teenagers in particular and The Haven is a brilliant character led thriller that explores universal issues.

Books by Fiona Neill

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