When Rosie Rankin's best friend has an affair with her husband, the consequences reverberate down through the lives of two families. Relationships are torn apart. Friendships shattered. And childish innocence destroyed.
Her daughter Daisy's fragile hold on reality begins to unravel when a letter arrives that opens up all the old wounds. Rosie's teenage son Max blames himself for everything which happened that long hot summer. And her brittle ex-husband Nick has his own version of events.
As long-repressed memories bubble to the surface, the past has never seemed more present and the truth more murky. Sometimes there are four sides to every story. Who do you believe?
Told through the eyes of four members of the same family, The Betrayals takes an unflinching look at contemporary family life, explores the nature of memory and desire and asks whether some things can ever be forgiven.
'A vivid and insightful portrayal of a family in crisis; Neill's writing is incisive and smart. A writer and the top of her game; I will be telling everybody I know about this book . ' - Gillian McAllister, Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author
'Sometimes touching, sometimes shocking... this cautionary coming-of-age tale is a thought-provoking one . ' - Daily Mail
'Vivid and insightful, and Neill has a trained eye for the pressures and poignancies of modern family life . ' - Guardian
