In the past, we had always spent our summer holidays in remote places. That had always been my mother’s preference. This year was different . . .

A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan is a breathtaking novel of family secrets, dark mystery and searing atmosphere that promises to be the standout debut of 2025.

New Zealand, 1985. As the long summer holiday stretches ahead, ten-year-old Alix wants to spend every second on the beach and in the water. But with her parents unusually distracted and her older sister now more interested in boys, she finds herself alone.

Then Alix meets Kahu. He’s on holiday too, and he lets her in on a secret: a few years ago, a little girl went missing and was presumed drowned. But no one ever found her body.

Suddenly, the summer has purpose. The two friends will find the missing girl and become local heroes. But as their investigation progresses, Alix risks uncovering dark secrets about the neighbourhood – and her own beautiful family . . .