A Beautiful Family

Author: Jennifer Trevelyan 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin 

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Modern & Contemporary. 

Year of release: 2025

Release date: 03/06/25

Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 TW This novel includes themes of a missing child, a presumed drowning, and the discovery of a deceased body by children

Synopsis

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 summer holiday stretches ahead, with her older sister more interested in boys, her mother disappearing on long walks and her father, beer in hand, watching the cricket, the youngest in the family often finds herself alone.

At the beach, she meets Kahu, a boy who tells her a tragic story about a little girl who disappeared a couple of years ago, presumed drowned. Suddenly, the summer has purpose-they will find the missing girl and become local heroes. 

Between dips in the ocean, afternoon barbecues and lazy sunbaking, their detective work brings to the surface shocking discoveries and dark secrets, even about her own beautiful family … 

Jennifer Trevelyan magnificently captures the confusion and frustration of childhood, the fraught but unshakeable bond between sisters, and the dangers that lurk in the white lies we tell-especially about the people we love most.

Review

It’s summer in New Zealand, 1986. Alix is spending the holidays with her family, who usually seek out a remote spot to welcome the new year—cricket on the TV, a puzzle on the table, and a beer in hand. But this year, Mum wants to be around people.

With Dad glued to the screen, Vanessa chasing boys, and Mum walking the beach each day, Alix finds solace in the waves. Things begin to look promising when she meets Kahu, and the two strike up a friendship. He shares the tragic tale of a girl who drowned nearby, and together they hatch a plan to find her, quickly becoming local heroes.

But the beach holds more than buried secrets—it forces Alix to confront dark truths about her own family. As suspicion clouds those closest to her, Alix is left questioning everything. In searching for the missing, will she lose herself in the shadows too?

I absolutely adored this book—there’s something irresistible about the promise of a family holiday in the height of summer. The heat, the beach, the long lazy days—it all feels like one of life’s greatest pleasures. But what truly hooks me is when that sun-soaked setting carries an undercurrent of unease. From the very first page, there’s the subtle tension of something unspoken, something waiting to be uncovered. A mystery simmering beneath the surface, casting just enough shadow to keep you on edge. It’s that perfect blend of nostalgia, family dynamics, and suspense—and honestly, who could say no to that? 

Author Jennifer Trevelyan has done an outstanding job bringing these three-dimensional characters to life. Alix makes for the perfect narrator in the opening chapters—she’s a typical 10-year-old: naïve, but not in a way that makes her unlikeable or unrealistic. Often, characters like her can quickly become irritating, but thanks to Trevelyan’s skilled writing, that never happens here. By the time I reached the heart of the book, I noticed a subtle shift in Alix—she begins to turn a corner, emerging as a brave young pre-teen. The transition felt natural and seamless. Her courage and determination made her a compelling character and one I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with.

This sensitive and difficult subject matters of child death and murder are handled with great care and compassion.

Mum and Dad are equally well crafted. They reminded me of parents everywhere—in the best of ways. Dad struck me as someone Alix could turn to if she ever truly needed help, while Mum stepped into the caretaker role with strength and quiet determination. The author weaves both of them into the story with care; they don’t feel like background characters simply included because the kids need parents. Instead, each has a meaningful role to play. Their presence enhances the story both as a couple and as individuals, and their importance becomes more apparent as the story unfolds.

Vanessa wasn’t a character I expected to connect with. I didn’t care for her as much as I did Alix in the beginning, and I found myself worried something might happen to her—I wanted Alix to keep a close eye on her. Vanessa is certainly frustrating at first, but as the story progresses and her motivations become clearer, I developed a real appreciation for her character.

The older sibling trope—where the big sister is bossy or overly superior—can often feel tired and overdone. Thankfully, Jennifer Trevelyan avoids this cliché. Instead, she focuses on the gradual development of a realistic sibling relationship, one where the sisters begin to find common ground. It’s a nuanced portrayal, and one that added a lot of heart to the story.

I’m a big fan of the dual perspective technique many writers use to tell their stories, so I was expecting A Beautiful Family to follow suit. But when I realised it was told through a first-person narrative, I was pleasantly surprised. It allowed me to really tune into Alix’s perspective and emotions—and that connection added so much weight to the suspense that simmers throughout the novel. It’s one of the key reasons behind my solid five-star rating.

It felt a little odd at first only referring to the parents as simply “Mum” and “Dad,” but given the story is told through the eyes of a 10-year-old, it makes perfect sense. Now that I’ve finished the book, I can fully appreciate this clever little detail—it adds an authentic touch to the narration that I didn’t realise I’d value so much.

I’ll admit, I was a little worried the book might end before everything was properly wrapped up. I would’ve liked just a touch more closure for the parents and for a few of the subplots to be more fully resolved. But honestly, it doesn’t take away from my overall love and appreciation for this outstanding debut novel. It’s a beautifully written, emotionally rich story that’s left a lasting impression.

I picked up this book thinking it would be a solid couple of days’ reading—but I demolished it in just a day and a half. The story never hits a slow patch; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Every time I thought I could pause, I found myself reading just a little further. I honestly can’t remember the last time I reached the halfway point of a novel in a single sitting!

At first glance, A Beautiful Family doesn’t feel like a mystery thriller at all—in fact, I initially wondered where the crime element was hiding. But oh boy, does it deliver. What makes this book so compelling is the way the story slowly unravels, building an ever-growing sense of unease. Each time a character is suspected—or even just found near a moment of tension—that creeping discomfort deepens. What seems perfectly normal on the surface is anything but once you start to dig.

If you think A Beautiful Family is just another mystery thriller with a dash of crime, think again. Not once did I feel like I had the ending figured out. I didn’t just want to know how it ended I needed to know. The suspense was absolutely gripping.

In the opening chapters, A Beautiful Family reminded me of the American TV series The Wonder Years—Alix’s narration gave off that same nostalgic, reflective vibe.

Fans of authors like Rachel Joyce, Karin Slaughter, and Abigail Dean should absolutely add Jennifer Trevelyan to their shelves—her debut is one to remember.

If you’re after a story rich in family drama and mystery, with suspense layered throughout, then A Beautiful Family is the perfect book for you.

Subplots and tropes included in A Beautiful Family:

• Coming of age
• Death of a child
• Family drama
• Father/daughter relationship
• Female friendship
• Grief
• Historical crime
• Infidelity
• Lies
• Light bulb moment
• Male to female friendship
• Marriage/marriage breakdown
• Mother/daughter relationship
• Murder
• Secrets
• Self-discovery
• Sibling rivalry

At first, I felt like the ending left a few questions unanswered. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve come to realise it was, in many ways, the perfect ending. It left me feeling like this family would be OK—not perfect, not tied up with a neat bow, but OK. And what family isn’t just OK sometimes?

I’m so thankful I chose to read this novel just days after it arrived, rather than letting it gather dust on my bookshelf. This is a story that deserves to be told—and devoured. I felt genuinely sad to be leaving the family and the holiday house behind. A Beautiful Family will hold a special corner of my heart forever.

I highly recommend this book to a mature audience. If you’re a fan of the mystery, thriller, or suspense genres, add A Beautiful Family to your shelf—and if it’s already there, don’t let it sit too long. You’ll regret it if you do.

With continued thanks to Allen & Unwin and author Jennifer Trevelyan for sending a gifted copy of this book to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.