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The Confession

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The Confession

By: Jessie Burton
Narrated by: Hayley Atwell
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About this listen

A Sunday Times bestseller and Richard and Judy Book Club pick, The Confession is an absorbing tale of secrets and self-discovery from Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse.

When Elise Morceau meets the writer Constance Holden, she quickly falls under her spell. Connie is sophisticated, bold and alluring – everything Elise feels she is not. She follows Connie to LA, but in this city of strange dreams and 1980s razzle-dazzle, Elise feels even more out of her depth and makes an impulsive decision that will change her life forever.

Three decades later in London, Rose Simmons is trying to uncover the story of her mother, who disappeared when she was a baby. Having learned that the last person to see her was a now reclusive novelist, Rose finds herself at the door of Constance Holden’s house in search of a confession . . .

'Dazzlingly good . . . Without doubt one of the best novels of recent years' - Elizabeth Day, author of Magpie

©2019 Jessie Burton (P)2019 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd Contemporary Contemporary Romance Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance

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Critic reviews

A bold, intelligent, wonderful novel (Sarah Winman, author of Tin Man)
A beautiful novel and one that will stay with me for a very long time (Louise O’Neill, author of Only Ever Yours)
Her best yet, I’m dazzled by it . . . I am deeply jealous of every reader who has it all ahead of them (Daisy Buchanan, author of The Sisterhood)
An irresistible tale of families, deception and the consequences of our choices (Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars)
In The Confession, Jessie Burton hasn’t just captured a myriad of women’s experiences but also the intrinsic ambivalence of living in a female body: the advantages, the oppressions. She’s built a world of women that is so vivid and absorbing that at one point I paused in my reading to google Connie – and only then remembered that she was a fictional character (Jean Hannah Edelstein, author of This Really Isn’t About You)
I loved Burton's debut, The Miniaturist, but this is even better! Rose's mother disappeared when she was a baby, and the last person to see her was Constance, a reclusive novelist based in Hampstead. When Rose tracks her down, will she get the answers she needs? I was completely engrossed (Nina Pottell, Prima)
Most relevant  
This is a really good novel with beautifully drawn characters and the dynamics of the relationship between Constance and Elise and how this plays out is memorable and moving. The novel has two time frames; there is a hint of chick lit, or even cliche about the present day time frame, around the friendship between Rose and her best friend Kelly, but it doesn’t stand in the way of the elegance of the writing. Can definitely recommend.

A brilliant read

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There were parts of this book that were so well-written - phrases and even paragraphs that were just perfect! But the sex scenes felt gratuitous and out of place somehow and at times the characters were so self-absorbed that it was difficult to listen to. But on the whole, it was a well-constucted story, well told and worth a listen.

A mixed bag

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What a book! Simply loved this story. Definitely one of my absolute favourites. I feel like I want to listen to it all over again and that doesn’t often happen. A must read in my opinion.

Wow

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loved this. characters all really relatable, intriguing story and beautifully read. A really enjoyable listen

engaging story, fantastic narrator.

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An absolutely compelling story, and beautifully narrated. I thoroughly enjoyed listening, at every available moment!

Compelling!

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Absolutely brilliant! Couldn’t stop listening. I’m Going to try more of Burtons books!
Thank you

Captivating

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Honest and human, will resonate deeply with anyone that has a maternal instinct. loved it.

a examination of motherhood, lost souls and self

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In all honesty I bought this book as it is narrated by Hayley Atwell, and she didn’t disappoint. It was clear and read excellently with each character having their individual sound that helped differentiate who is speaking. She should definitely narrate more, a brilliant actor who I could listen to all day!

The story was SO well-written! I love how the characters had flaws yet were still loveable and I felt fully invested in their stories. I love the way Jessie writes and I will definitely purchase more of her books. Honestly it’s hard to put into words how much I enjoyed this book, I think I will definitely listen to it more than once.

Brilliant

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Really disappointed I wasted my time with this. From all the reviews I had high hopes - but I found it dreary, monotonous and the story was that there really wasn’t a story at all! I kept waiting for a big twist or ‘ahhhh’ moment - but there was none. And I didn’t find it beautiful - it was depressing. The characters irritating - all of them.

So disappointed! No ‘story’ at all really.

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I didn’t enjoy the first couple of chapters but I’m so glad I stuck with it as I grew to love the two main characters and their relationship. The narration was brilliant throughout and vividly brought both worlds to life. I really liked the ending of the novel too. As a fan of this authors previous books I wasn’t disappointed and would buy this to read again.

Slow burner but worth sticking with

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