Neill always brings something new to the family saga and this is no different. I loved the characters and the setting of the oppressive and substandard new home where they live was well evoked. A few aspects of the plot were far fetched but on the whole this was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Fiona Neill and Penguin Michael Joseph for my arc of Beneath the Surface in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: after a traumatic childhood Grace is determined that her own family will have the best chance in life she can give them. Even if that means pushing her eldest daughter Lilly too hard. So when her popular, clever daughter collapses in class and has a fit, Grace is determined to find out why. Consumed by paranoia and finding evidence that Lilly has been leading a secret life, Grace goes on a quest to find out exactly what’s been going on. Meanwhile her ten year old daughter Mia begins to develop wild theories of her own that have devastating consequences.

This book contained some of the most annoying characters I have ever come across. Patrick the father was an absolute avoider and needed to grow some balls quite frankly. The mother, Grace was overbearing and forcing her daughter to study to breaking point while ignoring the fact that her younger daughter clearly needed help and support because she’s definitely on the spectrum somewhere. Said daughter got away with murder (almost literally) and came across as annoying because her family viewed her as such, it was not a good representation of autism in that it did not endear the reader to the child or her family. Also she was allowed to keep an eel in a bucket in her bedroom which was just downright cruel and irresponsible of her parents to allow it. Plus she was always doing stuff and then lying about it but the shoving her misguided moral code down everyone else’s throats. Finally Lilly was probably the character I empathised with the most because her bad decisions and crappy attitude could at least be explained away by the fact she’s a teenage girl and I remember being one and my own crappy decisions.

I loved The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy and Friends, Lovers and Other Indiscretions but recently Fiona seems to be trying out a new genre in a sidestep into this kind of family drama and I haven’t really enjoyed any of them. I probably won’t read anymore now after this one.

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I wasn't entirely convinced by this. The characters were not well developed enough for the complexity of the story in my opinion and I felt a number of underlying story lines were not fully explained. The ending was very abrupt and i was left wondering why I had spent that time reading it.. It is shame as I think it could have been a good book, it just didn't get there.

I have given Fiona Neill's new book FIVE STARS!!!


I loved this......every single word!!!

This is the second book I have read by Fiona Neill, having read The Betrayals and I can definitely say that Beneath the Surface is my favourite so far.

This story focuses on a family of four, who from the outside look like every other normal family but they are each hiding their own secrets.

I love this author's complex style of writing and found myself hooked from the very beginning, she has not disappointed with her latest offering. Beneath the Surface is a slow paced , edgy read that will have you on the edge of your seat and if you have read any of this authors books before the ending won't come as a surprise but it is especially fitting given the nature of the book.

This is a well observed and relevant novel that builds on family tension and dynamics and looks at the consequences. I read this in less than 24 hours, such was the quality of the writing. My only complaint was that the ending seemed a little rushed and somewhat abrupt.

I found this book a good read, with interesting, believable characters. However, I found the story a bit thin, and unsatisfying, and felt a real sense of "so what?" at the end. Slightly disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley.co.uk for gifting me a free copy of this book in exchange for a free and honest review.

This is my second book by Neill after reading The Betrayals and I'm pleased to say that I was not disappointed. This is definitely a novel that had me gripped to me from beginning to end. I loved each character's development throughout the storyline. The characters were brilliant and well written, and I felt like I really cared for the different characters. Neill is a brilliant writer.

Beneath the Surface is the story of a dysfunctional family keeping secrets from one another. Grace is an overprotective and pushy mother to her two girls Lilly and Mia. Patrick, Grace’s husband, keeps his head buried in the sand. Lilly is an overachieving teen who is navigating her first love and sister to eccentric 10 year old Mia, who keeps an eel in a bucket.

A slow burn of a story which gradually draws you in. Although enjoyable, the abrupt ending was disappointing, I was expecting more.

What a brilliant book! It is basically the moral that you can't hide from your past. Mum Grace has tried to live a normal, organised life to counter her abnormal, disorganised childhood. Older daughter Lily would probably welcome a bit of disorganisation! Younger daughter Mia has her own problems, and her character is hilarious in its honesty, and sad at the same time. I would have liked an epilogue at the end, to tell us how the family are a few months later, as the book came to a bit of an abrupt end. Overall, it is a great and absorbing book.

I enjoyed this book and found it quirky and original. I liked the main female characters, particularly Mia, who was a joy. The male characters were less sympathetic - Patrick was weak and Cormack was arrogant. They all had issues which were gradually revealed as the book progressed. Lilly's mystery illness was a little far-fetched. The ending was dramatic and although it brought Grace and her daughters closer together, did not resolve all the other issues.

So pleased to have had the opportunity to read 'Beneath the Surface' by Fiona Neill. This is the second book that i have read by this author, having previously read 'The Betrayals'. If you ask me which i preferred, i would say this book.

An excellent read and one that had me gripped from the beginning to end. I loved the characters, who all had their own issues. My favourite being Mia, who managed to bring a smile to my face with her eccentricity. The ending was not what i was expecting, so that took me by surprise. It did make my heart skip a beat! I believe this is a book that is worth a read.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have freely given.

I’ve read a few Fiona Neill books now and enjoyed them all, but I honestly think Beneath the Surface is my favourite. The Fenland setting is beautifully rendered and the story of the Vermuyden family kept me completely engaged.

Seventeen year old Lilly has always excelled in everything but first love has her completely unravelled.

Then there’s Mia, an eccentric ten year old who keeps an eel in a bucket beside her bed and apparently has no filter for the appropriateness of anything she says.

Meanwhile, tiger mother Grace, haunted by the ghosts of her own childhood, wants the very best for her children but doesn’t necessarily go about it wisely. And dad Patrick is financially drowning, the damp family home collapsing around them.

There’s some nice satire, too, regarding the social-media-fuelled hysteria around certain health scares.

A great, satisfying read.

Beneath the Surface is a family drama built on layers of simmering tension.

The Vermuydens are a family of four. Mother Grace, a perfectionist who wants the best for her family, even if they're not that bothered. Father Patrick, mesmerised by his family's ancient history in the Fens and seemingly unable to do anything about the house falling apart around him. Lily, a teenager with secrets inside her body and out, and Mia, the unconventional younger child who wants nothing more than her best friend by her side.

One day Mia finds a pregnancy test in the garage and shows it to her sister, who immediately claims it as her own. She says it's dealt with, but really it's the trigger for most of what else follows. Lily falling ill, Grace struggling to cope, Patrick's debts spiralling and Mia's cunning plans escalating. What happens if they all fall apart?

The characters are interesting in different ways. Grace is initially difficult to understand. She's a pushy mother and consumed with protecting her family and their reputation. But as the book goes on, flashbacks show us why she is who she is.

Lily is a popular, clever teen, but struggling to navigate the relationships in her life and find her place in the world. Does she want to be top of the class? Does it matter if she isn't? She doesn't want to disappoint her mother but is aware she might have to and to me, much of the bulk of this book was about getting to that point. I found their relationship convincing.

Mia up until now has been quite clearly the less favoured daughter. She's a little kooky, to say the least, and even her teachers don't really know how to handle her. But she's on her own course and eventually her parents have to take notice or risk losing her.

This isn't a book packed with twists and turns (although there are some) - it's more about the slow build-ups to well-earned reveals than cheap shocks. It's a family drama not a suspense thriller, although I think the cover/title treatment may lead some people to think they're picking up something different.

I'm glad I spent time with this fictional family - they gave me a lot to think about.

Another excellent book by Fiona Neill. Grace Vermuyden wants her daughters to have the very best start in life, with the close and supportive family bonds she never had in her own dysfunctional childhood. Her older daughter, Lilly, is the golden girl - good at school, lots of friends, while Mia is intelligent but more of a wild child with a very particular way of looking at the world. Then Lilly has a fit at school and Grace realises that her older daughter has complications in her life she, Grace, was entirely oblivious to. As Grace obsesses over Lilly, Mia is also following a thought pattern that her parents are unaware of. And there are other secrets in this family's cupboard ...

A compelling read about a family with lots of secrets and characters you feel real empathy with. Not all the loose ends are entirely tied up - but real life's like that. An excellent book.

I enjoyed this one overall, but found myself struggling to keep the names correct as it went on. It seemed to have a lot going at once. However, I thought the dialogue was well done and when finished, I was glad I read it. Thanks for letting me review this one. The family drama aspect of the story was top notch.

This story was so obscure. It felt like it was building to so much more but it just fell flat.

Mia was an incredibly likeable character. Grace and Patrick were infuriating. Lily I was indifferent about. There wasn’t enough character development and as a result I wasn’t invested in the story and it was a slog to get to the end. I also felt that there questions which were left unanswered / the answers weren’t satisfying enough.

2 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Fiona Neill and Penguin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best modern family novels I've read in ages - it was very well written. The characters were clearly drawn, and rang true. Mia and Grace were my favourites, and I'd love to read more about Mia as she navigates puberty.
At first one wondered why Grace had chosen such a weak ineffectual husband, but learning more of her childhood made this clear.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. This was a good story, quite hard to get into. There is a lot going on with the characters, it was hard to keep up with them. A good storyline. Not quite for me though.

Beneath the Surface focuses on a family of an overbearing mother, Grace, a whimsical father Patrick, a bright and talented daughter Lily and the eccentric daughter Mia. Really, the only character I was particularly drawn to was Mia, her outrageous and gutsy attitude made her at least interesting. All of the other character (including the sub characters) just didn't feel fleshed out enough for me.

This book sadly just didn't go enough places for me. I didn't hate it, but I'm not sure I'll be singing it's praises. The story was fine, the characters ok, but I just didn't feel it and it didn't move me. I think the word I'm looking for is anti-climax. I had high expectations, and yet, I was left wanting more.

I thought that this book was brilliant. I have read The Betrayal and enjoyed that but liked this one just as much. The title Beneath the Surface is such a good title for this book. Grace is the mother who is so protective of her daughters especially her eldest, so overpowering at times but we find out why throughout the book. My favourite is Mia a little girl who is different and only has one friend and a pet eel. She for me makes this book so emotional and readable. I loved the way the story unfolded and thought that it was realistic the way things can escalate. An excellent read