This is a book about a family, how they work together and as their individual characters. And how our past experiences shape our future. The relationships in this book are complex and central and so is the subject of truth and lies. The mother's background story is rather tragic and still influences the family, a dad and two daughters, in the present day.

I enjoyed this book very much and really liked the conclusion it came to.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publishers for the advance reading copy.

On the surface Grace had everything a loving husband and two lovely daughters, Lilly a grade A student and 10 year old Mia but underneath it's far from the truth. Grace had a terrible childhood and wants to make sure that her daughters' lives are perfect....... but how much pressure does that put on them and what secrets is Patrick keeping from them! When Lilly collapses at school everything starts to unravel and the rumours start.

A good story with lots of secrets to keep you guessing, strong characters, not all likeable, but my favourite was definitely Mia who tended to get overlooked all the time apart from when she was in trouble

This was one of my favourite books of 2019. Loved the character, Mia as she was fierce, feisty and vulnerable all at the same time. I think she was the one that really made this story a hit for me! Admired the strength of the mother, Grace but could also understand why she was so protective of her daughters. The ending was gripping and kept me satisfied with the outcome.

Absolutely enjoyed from start to finish, u didn't want the book to end. Highly recommended, if you like books that keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat.

Aaah Mia and Lily, what do kids get up to these days? This was an interesting read about the intricacies of family dynamics, would recommend

Everyone in the Vermuyden family has secrets, Patrick, Grace’s husband has one, and its one that could ruin the family......

Grace had a terrible childhood, so she was determined that her daughters Lilly and Mia would have a better one......
But wanting a better childhood puts more pressure on Grace, so in turn she’s more intense with her daughters.

Lilly is a Grade A student and is top of the class, she doesn’t want to be a grade A student, she wants a little fun and less of her mother breathing down her neck. She loves her mother, but just wants a little freedom.....

Mia on the other hand Is left waiting on the sidelines, waiting for her mother or father to notice her, her imagination keeps her entertained and so does her best friend a traveller called Tas.

It starts getting interesting when Lilly collapses in school with a fit.
Consumed at first with guilt, Grace needs to know why, and was it her fault. And when she finds evidence of a secret, then she had to dig further, what she finds could break her heart and her family.

I have to admit I did like Mia, she seemed the less screwed up member in the family.
I could see why Lilly wanted a secret life, but Is that secret the reason why she has the fit?

We have this misconception of what’s perfect, what’s seems like perfection to you, could be a foreign concept to me.
We need to let our children enjoy their childhoods, yes it’s important that they get a good education, but not at the expense of their mental and physical wellbeing.

Beautifully written. Well thought out. The description of the Fens, was both bleak and beautiful, I could imagine myself walking through it.

I would definitely recommend this.

🦋

A domestic drama with a brilliant storyline that you can explore in all its glory. Fiona’s books always have the entertainment factor ranging in different emotions. Very enjoyable read.

I did enjoy this book eventually, although it took awhile to get 8nto. It was well written and I was drawn into the individuals lives, all members of the same family but very different characters. A goof plot, well resolved

When Lily, Grace and Patrick's seemingly perfect daughter is taken ill in class it serves to be the catalyst for their carefully forged image to fall apart. While they try to resolve one daughters issues their other, slightly oddball, daughter Mia finds trouble of her own.

Another very readable domestic drama from Fiona Neill. Whilst there are never any massive shocks in her books they always seem to keep me on tenterhooks! In comparison to her previous books there are more sympathetic characters which made this a very enjoyable reading experience.

A well written story. Likeable characters that are real complete with flaws that make them interesting

Beneath the Surface has kind of split me in two. On the one hand I can appreciate that it is beautifully written in such a way that it truly conjures up images of the Fens near to where it is based and also the tense atmosphere between the main characters; the Vermuyden family. But on the other hand I found I felt no connection with any of the characters (maybe a little for Lilly) and found the majority of them either pretty unlikeable or annoying and the story became as a result, for me, quite laboured and strained. I must stress though that the quality of the writing kept me reading to the end though.

Seventeen year old Lilly lives with her younger sister Mia and her parents Grace and Patrick. Grace was the trickiest character for me to like. She is an overbearing, pushy and irritating parent! I felt sorry for the character of Lilly who suffers a seizure while in the classroom at school thus kicking off rumour, speculation and panic amongst her family, friends and the community. She clearly suffers under the strain of her mother’s huge expectations of her academic success and while we are given a back story for Grace that sort of explains her behaviour I still didn’t like her – I just couldn’t.

Mia is an interesting girl who is very eccentric and / or possibly on the spectrum but the constant references to Elvis the eel she keeps in her bucket in her bedroom, whilst clearly a metaphor for stifled existence, made me feel queasy and uncomfortable throughout the book. The Anglo Saxon mentions and theme felt a little contrived and for me the whole thing was just, well, rather odd.

I do hate giving negative reviews and must stress here that this is clearly just a taste thing as I have read many reviews where the readers have massively enjoyed the book. There is an interesting plot to follow where deep buried family secrets fore their way to the surface and and I am sure there are many who will enjoy this novel but it isn’t one I personally recommend. My rating is more of a 2.5 than a 3.

My thanks to #Netgalley, #PenguinUK and #FionaNeill for a copy of #Beneaththesurface in return for an honest review.

I’ve finally come up for air after finishing Beneath the Surface by Fiona Neill. If we separate the mysterious seizure of Lilly from the rest of the story, the Vermuyden’s are a fairly normal family. Grace an overanxious mother, Patrick the counterbalance to Grace’s anxiety, Lilly the older daughter doing the things teenagers do and Mia, the youngest. For me, it was Mia that kept me reading. She is definitely on the spectrum and comes out with some great lines that bring a freshness to the story. It’s a shame the family can't see her for the treasure she is.
Beneath the Surface, not my normal reading genre but weirdly compulsive and entertaining. I do hope Elvis makes it back to the Sargasso Sea.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
This is a story about family and how they function together and separately. Beneath the Surface is a complex family drama and has a very complex storyline about relationships and family ties, truths and deceit. Grace as the mother of two girls has a very sad background and has always been alone, after the death of her brother. She believes when she marries that she will have the family life that she never had as a child.
An interesting complex read with an interesting conclusion.
Recommended.

This was a book of two halves for me. Some things I liked and others I didn’t, hence my star rating. Lets start with the good.

Grace was probably my favourite character, her back story was very interesting and kept me intrigued throughout those chapters. You could that she had been through heartbreak before you even knew the history. I found as a parent she was understandably controlling but you could see it was all from a place of love. Her relationships with Patrick and Rob were unusual as well and I felt that they both brought out different sides to her. I often felt that she had chosen the wrong husband.

Mia was another devious but loveable character, her eccentricity and candid nature brought a lightness to some dark moments. At times she was a little irritating but her imagination and way of seeing the world was refreshing. I particularly felt sorry for her when she went to the burial site for the last time. I could almost imagine her shock and sadness standing in the field alone.

The actual writing was very readable and I was able to follow the story well. Once you are into the thick of the book Fiona Neill has a way of giving you just enough information to keep you interested without giving too much away.

However…

It took me a while to get into the story. At the start I was a little bored but decided to persevere with it and I’d say when I was about 30% in my reading quickened.

I also found Patrick a very pathetic character. He just seemed a bit wishy washy and I found it hard to connect with him. I know as a reader that I won’t connect with every character but there was something about him that irritated me.

I probably would of rated this book higher but the ending kind of ruined it for me. I know that stories don’t always have to be packed away neatly, all the I’s dotted and T’s crossed but when I got to the end I found myself looking for an epilogue chapter. There were too many questions left unanswered and that was a bit of a let down.

Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of people out there who are raving about this book and have loved it so do not let me criticisms put you off, perhaps it just wasn’t for me.

I want to start by quoting a sentence on the cover : "Everybody lies". That is so true, but there are lies and lies. Everybody tells a little white lie once and again to protect other people's feelings and there is no harm done. But some lies are much darker and more dramatic and can have a serious impact.

The lies that are told here are of the latter kind. They are used to hide some secrets and to protect the liar on the one hand. ON the other hand people lie to protect someone else and create problems for themselves.

I loved Mia. She is a great character and made me smile, but she is also very clever and is wise beyond her years.

I liked Grace the least in the beginning, but when her story unravels, I can see where she came from. I still do not really like her, but I do understand her better.

I think it's a kind of book you either really like or really dislike. I, for sure, enjoyed it a lot. It is full of emotions and my heart went out to Mia. She certainly did not deserve to be treated like that. 4 stars.

Thank you, Michael Joseph Comms

A gentle exploration of the weight of a persons past and their present - and how these collide to create dilemmas and emotions. Beautifully written.

Interesting family drama with a mysterious element. Darkly humour and well observed, definitely an engaging read

I wanted to love this book, I was immediately attracted by the synopsis and description, however I found it was not for me.
I'm sure I'll give it another try in the future.

What a book! Fiona Neil you kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

Popular lolly, dysfunctional Mia, over protective Grace and struggling Patrick. The family are swimming along quite happily until Lilly has seizure, the family secrets are revealed.

A fast paced book that kept me turning the pages wanting more. A fantastic family drama book full of intrigue. I throughly enjoyed this book.

I'm a little bit disappointed with Beneath the Surface. Unfortunately I didn't take to any of the characters, none of them came alive or seemed credible for me. I really need to have one character that I can like and connect with to ensure I enjoy the book and it didn't happen for me with this story. It certainly won't stop me buying another book by Fiona Neill as I thought the writing and dialogue was well done.