Beneath the Surface

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

Everyone is talking about Grace Vermuyden's family.
Once it was for all the right reasons - now it's for all the wrong ones.

Grace wants the world for her two daughters - especially after her own dysfunctional upbringing.
Mia is wonderfully one-of-a-kind, even if her imagination does run a bit wild. Lilly is everyone's golden girl, with a glittering future ahead of her.
Then Lilly collapses suddenly at school, and Grace's carefully-ordered world is turned upside down.
Lilly was the one she didn't have to worry about. But as dark rumours swirl around the school gates and things start to spiral out of control, everyone in their tight-knit community has their own theory about what happened.
Grace is shocked to discover her eldest daughter had a hidden life, and begins obsessively looking for clues.
Which is when she takes her eyes off Mia.
Grace thought she had a happy family.
But what if she never really knew her daughters at all?

Critics Review

A sophisticated parable of modern family life . . . Well-paced and intriguing
Daily Mail
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
Rachel Hore, author of the Memory Garden
This deft study of family dynamic sees Grace wanting to give her two daughters a better life than she had
Prima, Best Holiday Reads
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
WI Life
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
Praise for Fiona Neill
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Exquisitely drawn and perfectly realised, no one writes about modern family with more truth and authenticity than Fiona Neill
Lisa Jewell

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