This is a family saga which shows how lies can affect everyone. There are a lot of lies and secrets in this family and there are consequences. An interesting read. I think I would have liked the story more if it had been slightly shorter.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A slow burner for me but a very well written, emotional & thought provoking story. I’d highly recommend this book.

Riveting, heart-breaking and ultimately uplifting, this is a sensitive exploration of the lives of husband and wife, Patrick and Grace and their daughters, Lili and Mia. Academic, Patrick wants a quiet and non-confrontational life, to the extent that he is willing to get into enormous debt rather than share his problems with his wife. Grace is the very definition of a helicopter parent, desperate for Lili to succeed in everything she does and frustrated by the other worldliness of her second child, Mia. Lili is burdened by her mother’s expectations; she is both desperate to please and eager to escape the pressure placed upon her. Mia is dreamy and distracted. She doesn’t really understand the complexities of life and with a wild imagination invents theories and solutions which create more problems than they solve. At the beginning of a hot summer in the Cambridge fens, Lili and Mia make a discovery which will change all their lives.

This is a beautifully written and subtle investigation into a family and how different individuals deal with the problems that life creates. Grace finds her obsessive need to control everything around her seriously challenged when Lili falls ill. Patrick finds his life spiralling downwards. Lili is burdened with becoming a teenager and a desire to rebel which brings its own issues. Mia thinks that she can fix everything with the help of her only real friend, the traveller boy, Tas.

This is the second book I have read by Fiona Neill, after The Betrayals and it did not disappoint. The characters are believable and the narrative slowly builds to a dramatic conclusion. It was a really enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What do you get if you take a seemingly happy, maybe slightly stressed family and increase that stress exponentially? In this instance you get a modern art teacher, his journalist wife and their two totally different daughters struggling to keep everything just as it should be.

Mia Vermuyden is ten years old, she is a complicated child with unexplained special needs and an extremely fertile imagination.  Her older sister Lilly, on the other hand, is almost eighteen; a golden child, clever, popular, hard working and, as far as her mother, Grace, is concerned, destined for great things.

Then Lilly falls ill, is hospitalised, and everything in Grace's carefully organised, compartmentalised life starts to fall apart and she begins an almost paranoid quest to revert things back to how they used to be. Mia meanwhile links everything that is happening to her family together in her totally unique way and, although she tries to do the right thing for everyone, finds herself more marginalised, picked on, and confused than ever.

Grace is determined to regain control of her family's present and future. Her secrets, however, swirl alongside those of husband Patrick and Lilly and Mia's until the story's devastating denouement changes everything.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it isn't fast moving or shocking; instead it is an intense, emotionally charged look at a family who can't see how closed off from each other they are and offers a clarity which makes everything seem totally realistic without any of it appearing inconsequential or trivialised. The adult feelings were as spot on as those of the children and none of the characters were unnecessary or gratuitous. Instead all had a part to play in telling a story which was a pleasure to read and enjoy while simultaneously contemplating the different ways people deal with the problems life continually throws at them.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good family saga without unnecessary drama or exaggerated reactions.

Having read The Betrayals by Fiona Neill, I was really looking forward to reading another book by this author. However I have given up reading it now, nearly half way through the book, but I find it very slow and not really enjoying the storyline. Just not for me I guess. I thoroughly enjoyed The Betrayals though so will try another of Fiona's novels.

Good. Intense and thought provoking. This is a story of one family and how lies can break through and when they do how it affects not just the individual but the family.

BENEATH THE SURFACE – FIONA NEILL

In the interests of disclosure, I was sent by NetGalley two novels to read pre-publication in return for a frank review. They were chalk and cheese. Not just the stories, which obviously were different, but the abilities of the authors. One had strong, totally believable characters, and an unusual setting, and was expertly written. The other was the exact opposite. Fortunately, ‘Beneath the Surface’ is the former.

The characters, both very young, and older, are each drawn remarkably well, as though the author is describing her immediate family. They live and breathe as real people do. You feel you know them, their desires and worries and aspirations. They live within a setting that is also an important aspect of the story.

Technically it is written with great assurance. We are shown what happens rather than told about it, and it builds over the course of the book to a riveting climax. Quite frankly this could become a one-off TV series. Unlike the other book I reviewed, for me, this is an example of how to write a book.

I shall look forward to reading her previous works.

A novel about a rather dysfunctional but engaging quirky family full of secrets and misunderstandings. I wasn't sure to start but actually soon became hooked as the character's strengths and weaknesses unfolded. The character's themselves were believeable and developed with a little background, in the case of the adults, how the family had got to where it was. The mother was the only person I couldn't take to but pushy controlling mother's with a favourite child I cannot like.

Easy to read with many twists and turns.with some unusual storylines.

This book reminds me of a book I read for my A'level English lit course. It demonstrates using the landscape of the Fens to chart the emotional and psychological implications a place can have on a person. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

If you like books about dysfunctional families and damaged people then this book is for you! It's also about damaged landscapes and the consequences of messing about with nature. The Vermuyden family, Patrick, Grace and their daughters Lilly and Mia have moved out from central Cambridge to a new build on the edge of the Fens because neither of the adults has a proper job and they are short of money. The house turns out to be a disaster full of damp as the Fens take revenge on Patrick whose ancestors helped to drain them. Patrick is dependent on his rich brother to help pay the bills, he keeps this from Grace so they never get to address their problems. Everyone else has secrets too. Grace was reared by strange hippies and cults and the damage and the scars from that are beginning to show. Lilly who, on the surface, is working hard for her A-levels at a highly competitive school in Cambridge also has a secret life and boyfriend and which has caused her significant problems as well. Mia is an undiagnosed sufferer with Asperger Syndrome which the family like to sweep under the carpet and ignore. There's also an archaeological site which Mia has become obsessed with and a traveller site adjacent to it where her best friend Tas lives, and his family are likely to be moved on because of the continuing dig. It's a car crash from the start!

The tensions come to a head when Lilly has a full-blown seizure at school. Grace flips as her desire to be in control causes her to behave disgracefully. Then, there is public panic, rather typical of Cambridge, with more people having seizures, wind turbines being blamed among other things and more relationships falling apart. It's one of those books where things just get worse and worse and the sensible voices don't get heard.

You could argue that it's all Grace's fault. Her dreadful upbringing explains her need for order and her ambitions for her children but the book's strength is that it is much more than that. The constant sense of impending disaster is reflected in the unstable, wet fenland and big grey open skies as well as the sinking house and sinking finances.

Does it end well? That's for the reader to decide but you don't really get the sense that the problems faced by the characters are being engaged with. Patrick ought to get a job, Grace should get some therapy, Mia should see a doctor and Lilly should apply to some less competitive university a long way away. None of that is likely to happen though!

It's the first book I've read by Fiona Neill and it's a read that holds your attention from the start. The authentic qualities of the young people come across a bit clunky in places and the diversion to explain Grace's problems has to sum up rather a lot in a short space but these things don't detract from an excellent read. Read it on holiday and you might be nicer to your family for a couple of days!

A fantastic story. I was completely gripped throughout. Fiona Neill is a fantastic author and I think this is her best one yet. Highly recommended xx

I am glad to have been introduced to this author through Netgalley as I wouldn’t normally pick this sort of book up.

It has a nice slow pace a builds characters really well and I enjoy reading books about the dynamics in different relations ships as it’s so relatable.

I enjoyed the book and would read more from the same author.

A slow burning but good read. A family saga of a pushy mother, a disengaged father, an overachieving older sister and a quirky younger sister. The Fenland setting was bought to life and was a great background for this slightly dark story dispelled with some good humour. A satisfying read.

Parents with two children all living , to outward appearances , as one happy family whist each one exists under the daily burden of hidden secrets waiting for the dam to burst and knowledge of exposure drown them. The catalyst occurs when Mia accidentally finds a hidden object locked away in the garage. Although only ten years old, Mia is wise beyond her years and although never spelt out to the reader it appears she is on the autistic scale with a highly intelligent mind and active imagination often causing problems at home and school. Lilly her 18 year old sister, the academically gifted and always easy non problematic daughter finds herself on the brink of sexual awakening whilst still treated like a child. This is compounded by the intense focus of her mothers own thwarted ambitions whilst she Is struggling to deal with a sexual relationship kept hidden from the family. The mothers life and very existence depends on keeping a stabilising and successful persona as the confident and loving mother, something she was denied in her childhood along with several other secrets from her past. Then there is Patrick the husband and father, jealous of his successful brother, spiralling into debt, unemployment and reluctance to admit or take responsibility for the problems and secrets in his life notwithstanding his inability to discuss or deal with family issues. The explosion when it comes results in each family member conforming to their own tried and tested ways and means of dealing with adversity. Silently, secretly and each with their own focus and agenda. The author weaves the secrets of a complex family into a compelling mystery to a conclusion that unfolds the tangle of hidden truths and untruths, but cannot stick a fractured family together as easily as the old tried and tested ending, " and they lived happily ever after". If only family life was that simple. A truthful and honest ending to a most unusual and satisfying story. Really enjoyed this book although totally out of my comfort zone as not the genres i normally read.

I was a little disappointed with this book. I was expecting something really good but was left a bit disappointed. I felt the plot was a little bit over the top and there wasn’t a proper ending.
It was an ok read but nothing spectacular.

This is the first book I've read by Fiona Neill so wasn't sure what to expect. I'm still undecided. The ongoing issues with the house lent nothing to the book except to further demonstrate that the father is an ineffectual man. The family is clearly dysfunctional and both daughters are struggling with growing up. Mia is a great character, who I presume to be on the spectrum.. She has some of the most entertaining lines! But the 'eel in the bucket' storyline was a bit pointless. Lily struggles against an overly suffocating mother until all the secrets start spilling out. It's a pretty good read but, in my opinion, not a great one.

Thank you for the opportunity to read 'Beneath the Surface' which I enjoyed. I thought the Mia was the most interesting character who, although it is never mentioned, is clearly on the spectrum and has insightful and humorous comments on everything. I wasn't convinced that Lily would tell her sister about an abortion and thought Grace's history could have been brought into the story earlier. Overall though, an easy, read with an interesting story.

My thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my ARC of Beneath the Surface. Three stars for some laugh out loud moments (were they intentional I wonder) but otherwise I was not enthused with the Vermuydens - a dysfunctional family without many if any redeeming qualities. Apart perhaps from 10-year-old daughter Mia. (She puts me so much in mind of Karen from the TV series Outnumbered). Parents Patrick and Grace, whose marriage was boringly monotone, and elder daughter Lilly, a high achiever at school until the day she has a seizure in Mr. Galveston's class:

'"They say to try chest compressions" Freya shouts back. Mr Galveston breaks into the chorus of 'Staying Alive' by the Bee Gees...!' Visions of Vinnie Jones... There are several more very humorous moments in the book - just as well because there was little else to entertain me. Small things concerned me, like - Mia keeping an eel in a bucket, an eel that has no doubt made the journey from the Sargasso Sea only to be marooned in a muddy backwater in Cambridgeshire - where Mia finds it. This was not a rescue - it was unnecessary and cruel and bothered me the more I read about it.

I could drone on about un-achieving Patrick and paranoid Grace - but I won't. I am beginning to feel over-generous with three stars.....

This is a story about the impact on today of historical happenings and family dynamics.
I found it an ok read but was not gripped by it. It seemed to me to be an idea which was lacking a real story. This is really a story about a disrupted family and some of the events would be very distressing for family members but there seems to be a lack of empathy with the difficulties they are facing. the problems that they younger child has are unrecognised by the parents, the parents barely communicate but the story seems to indicate that they are a unit.
There are huge problems within the family set up which are never addressed and the final dramatic life saving scene suggests that everything will now be fine.
Sorry but I was disappointed.

I was surprisingly disappointed by this book, I did have high hopes from previous reads and the intriguing synopsis.

However it was exaggerated in almost every way - the problems with the house were so over the top, the disparity between the brothers portrayed as prince & pauper, and the younger child was just a caricature of a child with emotional/behavioural issues, and keeping an eel in a bucket as pet... if that wasn't bad enough we were subjected to its decline in condition and despair being kept captive.

The story had real potential, I enjoyed aspects and if it was toned down a bit I think it could have been great.