It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
Beneath the Surface

Beneath the Surface

The closer the family, the darker the secrets

Summary

THE STUNNING NEW NOVEL 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. Once it was for all the right reasons - now it's for all the wrong ones . . .

Grace is determined to give her daughters the idyllic childhood she never had.

Teenage Lilly is everyone's golden girl, the one Grace never has to worry about - unlike ten-year-old Mia, whose wild imagination often gets her into trouble.

But when Lilly suddenly collapses at school, Grace's carefully ordered world is turned upside down.

Because it soon turns out that Lilly wasn't the perfect daughter after all.

Grace is fixated on discovering the truth about Lilly. Which is when she takes her eyes off Mia . . .

Don't miss the stunning new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author of The Good Girl, about the consequences of family expectations and the burden of keeping secrets.
__________

'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

Reviews

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

About the author

Fiona Neill

Fiona Neill is an author and journalist who has written six Sunday Times bestsellers. Her last novel, The Betrayals, sold over 130,000 copies and was a Richard & 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.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more