The Confession cover art

The Confession

The Richard and Judy Book Club pick, a moving tale of secrets and self-discovery set in 1980s Hollywood and modern London

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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 and the search for truth spanning three decades, from 1980s Hollywood to present-day London. 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

 Contemporary Contemporary Romance Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Heartfelt

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Critic reviews

Dazzlingly good . . . Without doubt one of the best novels of recent years (Elizabeth Day, author of The Party and How to Fail)
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)
Burton writes perceptively about female identity and creativity . . . stunning
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 absorbing tale of self-discovery
An irresistible tale of families, deception and the consequences of our choices (Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars)
A masterpiece about the autonomy of women and their roles in society
An absorbing, intelligent piece of storytelling that succeeds in sustaining its mystery to the end
Stylish and riveting, Burton's latest is every bit as gripping as The Miniaturist, the debut that made her name
The story of the intoxicating relationship between two women, and its fallout
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)
The story of three women: Elise, Constance and Rose, who are united by love, rejection and self-understanding. What elevates the story is Burton’s writing – like in The Miniaturist and The Muse – this is a book that’ll sweep you along and make you reflect on your own choices in life
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)
The Miniaturist author channels her talent for complex characters and absorbing mysteries into a new story about the connection between three women
A powerful and deeply moving novel about secrets and storytelling, motherhood and friendship, and how we lose and find ourselves
All stars
Most relevant
This for me was one of those books I was sad to finish....I loved the characters and wanted to spend more time with them. I highly recommend this book.

Really loved this book

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I have always struggled to listen to audio books but this was revelation. This book is beautifully written, in fact, one of the best books I have ever read. I was drawn in to the story and the characters from the first page. I have never read anything by Jessie Burton before but I will absolutely be reading more of her work. The narrator really brought this story to life.

beautifully narrated

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Didn’t think she could top “the muse”... but so happy to realise she did. Fantastic!

The best yet

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I loved this book, having just listened to The Muse. I liked this better and was so eager to get to the end I found myself listening at every available opportunity. I think Jessie Burton is a fantastic writer.
Initially I wasn't keen on the narration as the characters were speaking to each other so abruptly but I got used to it, and actually the characters aren't particularly likeable anyway. Yet I was still dying to find out what thd end would bring - would anything be resolved?
Ultimately I thought the ending was pretty good. Whilst some mystery remained, most things came to a clear conclusion and on the whole I was satisfied.

Gripping story

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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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