Synopsis
‘Extraordinary . . . I absolutely loved this family mystery’ – Liane Moriarty, bestselling author of Here One Moment
'Riveting . . . [It] held me captive' – Hannah Kent, bestselling author of Devotion
Discover this breathtaking debut novel of family secrets and searing atmosphere set over one long, hot summer on the New Zealand coast.
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 . . .
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 she meets Kahu at the beach and he tells her about The Mystery. Two years ago, a girl went missing and none of the adults could find her. So the new friends decide to investigate - because people don’t just disappear.
But, as Alex and Kahu search for clues, they stumble upon secrets they wish they’d left uncovered. Is Alix's holiday house as safe as it seems? And is her sister putting her trust in the wrong people?
Brilliantly compulsive, addictive and tensely atmospheric, A Beautiful Family will leave a lump in your throat and a hole in your heart.
'Part coming of age story, part taut thriller' – Laurie Frankel, bestselling author of Family Family
'Find a sun-lit corner and devour this sensational debut in one session' – Jacqueline Bublitz, author of Before You Knew My Name
Details
19 June 2025
9781035055777Reviews
Such stunning New Zealand characters and imagery
I absolutely loved this page-turning family mystery and didn’t want it to end. The author so effortlessly transported me to another place and time, and every character leapt off the page. An extraordinary, exquisitely written debut
An absolutely riveting read. A Beautiful Family held me captive from the first page to the last, both through Trevelyan's uncanny ability to maintain inexorable tension throughout, and her wholly believable narration of a ten-year-old trying to make sense of the adult world around her. I loved it
An intricate novel of discovery . . . a tense tale of growing awareness
