If you picked this up wanting a similar look and feel to the Miniaturist, then you’ll have to adjust your expectations. This time there is no gothic mystery, but what you do get in common is a unique tale incredibly well told.
Covering two transatlantic timelines with a fascinating array of characters, The Confession dips into the past and present life of reclusive author Constance Holden. It is a story of love, relationships and responsibilities and the consequences of their unravelling. Great stuff.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A complex story that is split into the present day following Rose as she tries to find information about her mother, and the early 1980s as the story of Rose's mother is told. Both parts are equally enjoyable and really explore all characters. The story flows effortlessly throughout.

The Confession is told through two interlinking stories, and goes back and forth in time to share the tale of the three central protagonists, Rose, Constance and Elise. Both narratives held me captivated - there wasn't one that I preferred over the other, as is so often the case with this writing technique. The story itself is quite a simple one, on the face of it, but the female characters are explored with such depth and Jessie Burton does an exceptionally good job of making all three, and the relationships between them, very convincing. It is the sort of book that I would have loved to read in one sitting, given the opportunity, and I whipped through it very quickly. I found myself emotionally invested in how the story would conclude, and without wanting to give anything away, I liked the fact that Burton avoided an obvious, cliched ending. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC, and this is definitely a book that I would recommend. The cover is wonderful too!

One of the small reservations I had about Jessie Burton’s first two novels ‘The Miniaturist’ and ‘The Muse’ was that the historical context was often explained through slightly unnatural dialogue between characters. Thankfully, this is not an issue at all in her third novel ‘The Confession’ which is set in present-day London and 1980s California.

Young and naive Elise Morceau meets older, charismatic Constance “Connie” Holden on Hampstead Heath in 1980. They fall in love, moving to Los Angeles where Connie’s book is being adapted into a film, but their relationship becomes acrimonious. Some three decades later, Rose Simmons approaches Connie, now back in London living semi-reclusively, with questions about her mother who abandoned her when she was a baby.

I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Rose was living with Connie, having secured a job as her assistant under an assumed name and keeping up the pretence of a false identity while seeking information about her mother. The depiction of Rose’s troubled relationship with her boyfriend Joe at the time of her life in her mid-thirties when breaking up with him means she may not have the chance to become a mother is also sensitively portrayed. A complex and thoughtful analysis of how women can struggle with confidence and taking control of their lives, ‘The Confession’ is Burton’s strongest novel to date and I hope to see her writing more contemporary fiction in the future.

I very much enjoyed the lyrical writing style of this author. The main characters are all women, strongly delineated and all flawed. The story is told in 2017 and 1982 and moves between London, Los Angeles and New York. Apart from a bit of a dull patch in the middle of the book the plot is well paced, and the denouement of the confession of the title is credible, if a little inconclusive.

The story alternates between Rose Simmons, whose mother disappeared over thirty years ago when she, Rose, was less than a year old and Elise Morceau, Rose's missing parent. The people they have in common are Matt, Rose's father, who doesn't like to speak about Elise and their relationship but has been supportive and loving, and Constance Holden, an acclaimed novelist and Elise's one-time lover, who doesn't like to speak to anyone. When her dad gives Rose copies of Constance's novels, and tells her that she was the last person to see Elise before she vanished, she is determined to contact the older woman, no matter how reclusive she is. Through an unusual set of circumstances Rose not only meets Constance but becomes her assistant (although under an assumed name), helping her produce a new novel after decades of silence. Although the plot follows both Elise and Rose it is the latter's story which has the most closure - both women had mothers who were absent to a greater or lesser extent but, at the end, we are still unsure of what actually happened to Elise after she vanished.

As well as being the story of the three women - and, to a lesser extent, the men and women around them - this is a book which made think about motherhood. Not something I have ever experienced first-hand but I feel I now know more about how hard it can be, how rewarding and how it is not something that every woman can (or needs to) deal with. None of the women are without their faults and flaws and yet they are all worthy of love and respect - if only they can allow it.

It’s good. Read it. For the full review go to https://joebloggshere.tumblr.com/post/188296630066/the-confession-by-jessie-burton-a-new-book-from

A sad, haunting story about a woman’s quest to find her mother. Rose will go to any lengths to find out about her mother’s mysterious past. This is not a fast action book and could do with a few more twists and turns but nevertheless kept me rivitated to the end.

I read the greater part of this book thinking it was about one person, only to discover in the last paragraphs that I’d been completely wrong and it wasn’t about that person at all. Not really.
At least that’s how I interpreted it. It’s such a well written and convoluted story that someone else may interpret it differently - which is the beauty of this story.
It told of passion and not just love; of heartache and despair - not just loss. The emotions of the characters in this book were all felt strongly to the point where it left me wanting more.

Jessie Burton has delivered a strong character driven story in The Confession. Written in a dual timeline of the 1980s and the present we are introduced to three women: Elise, Connie and Rose and we weave backwards and forwards to tie up the threads that bind them to each other. This tale of duplicity and lies centres on Rose who is searching for the mother, Eloise, she barely remembers and pins all her hopes for answers on an erstwhile author, the glamorous Connie. This story intrigued even though many of the characters are difficult to empathise with. Thanks to NetGalley and Picador for the ARC

The Confession is another beautifully written novel by Jessie Burton. It centres on the lives of three very different women, Elise, Constance and Rose.and spans two timelines; the 1980's and the present day.

1980's London; a chance meeting with novelist Constance (Connie) Holden leads Elise Morceau into a thrilling world of authors, publishers, film studios and the Hollywood elite. Elise although happy at being in LA with Connie, starts to feel out of her depth, she is constantly reassured by Connie, until one night an overheard conversation changes everything.

In the present day Rose is visiting her Father, when everything changes.

Rose's Mother, Elise left when Elise was a baby. Seemingly disappearing without a trace. It is something that her family don't talk about and she has always been reasonably happy with her lot. Until her Father mentions Elise out of the blue, and Rose decides she must know the truth.

When she learns that Constance Holden was the last person to see Elise, Rose decides that she must meet her and attempt to uncover the truth surrounding her Mother's disappearance.

What starts out as a simple plan, quickly becomes a tangled web of secrets and lies, and Rose must tread carefully if she is to learn anything at all. Although they do not know each other Elise and Rose are very similar, and I think it would have been interesting to explore their relationship further.

Maybe a sequel could be on the cards, I would love to know what the future holds for these characters..

As I wasn't a huge fan of Jessie Burton's last novel The Muse, I did not have high hopes for The Confession - and I could not have been more wrong. It's an intimate, intelligent and compelling novel that explores the lives of several different women. It takes place across two timelines - the early 1980s in London, LA and New York, and 2017-18 in London. The characters are well-drawn, believable and tender - Connie, in particular, is brought to life very well, I had visions of Eileen Atkins playing her in a TV adaptation if it goes that way! - and though it's an emotional and absorbing tale, there's also a lot of humour. Rose's nice enough but ultimately ineffectual boyfriend Joe with his burrito business Joerritos, for example, and the emotional strain of having to spend Christmas in the middle of nowhere with your strange in-laws!

While ultimately there is one big confession which the story builds towards, The Confession actually contains many of them. So many of the characters aren't telling the truth, to others or to themselves. But it is possible, they discover, to free yourself from the ghosts of the past. New beginnings are always possible - but you have to choose them. I actually found more sage life advice in the pages of this novel than I did in the last motivational book I read, which is saying something :)

Of her three novels, I think this is Jessie Burton's finest and the one I have most enjoyed so far. This is a novel I can see myself rereading, and I don't say that often. It will be among my favourites reads of 2019, for sure!

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book even though it didn't quite have the "je ne sais quoi" of the Miniaturist and The Muse. Set in the 1980’s and 2017 it moves seamlessly between the two eras. It’s a beautiful story about female relationships, friendship, love and self discovery.
The plot is perfectly paced: I loved the way the two storylines weave in and out of one another, distinct, and yet with traces of the past still rippling through the present. The characters are complicated, and while they are not always likeable, they are believable.
Plus my sister is called Elise, so I loved it even more.

Jessie Burton is a favourite author and this book didn't disappoint!
I love her dense, detailed & immersive writing and I always make sure I'm in the right mood to read, because for me her books are to indulge for a longer period of time rather than consume quickly.
This book focuses on the relationships between between three women: Elise, Connie and Rose. The book also follows two different timelines in 1980s and current time.
Burton again did perfect characterisation. I felt like I knew these women and I rooted for them very strongly. I love reading about strong female characters and this book was perfect for that.

If you enjoyed her previous books, it's very highly likely you'll enjoy this one, with a caveat that this one is a bit more character driven rather than plot driven.
But, in my opinion, it's a very very good book, totally recommended.

Thanks a lot to NetGalley and the publishers for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an intimate look at the VERY complex relationships between three women - Elise, Connie and Rose. The book follows two different timelines - one in the 1980s and one in the present day. The present day timeline focuses on Rose - aged 35 and at a crossroads in her life with her career and love life. Her mother, Rose, left her when she was young and neither her nor her father know where she is. The earlier timeline takes us back to the 1980s where we get a glimpse into Rose's story as she attempts to find who she is while struggling with tempestuous relationships and an unplanned pregnancy. We move between these different perspectives while Elise sets out to find out what really happened to her mum, Rose.

This book is perfect if you enjoy reading about strong female characters with a story that is more character-driven than plot-driven. As I'm more of a plot-driven person I do prefer Burton's previous two novels however this one was still an absolute delight. The ending was perfect and I really do miss the characters now that they're gone. Burton continues to be one of my favourite authors.

If you enjoyed Jessie Burton’s previous books I think you will love this story about a woman in her thirties who has never known her mother or even what happened to her, who ends up pretending to be someone else in order to get close to someone who might hold all the answers. Like in The Muse, the story follows two characters in different time periods, but this time one of those time periods is the present day. More in video!

The Confession is beautifully written story with complex characters. It is set in two time periods with three very different women. At times, I was empathising with the characters while at other times, they left me annoyed and frustrated with their choices and behaviour. This is a compelling book about love, relationships and self-discovery. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The principle character is a somewhat lost young woman brought up by her father, who for reasons that are never fully explained has never been told anything about her absent mother. In her search for answers she finds that the only person she can link to her mother is a famous author living in north London and by a stroke of semi coincidence she arranges to meet her and become her companion. It is the relationship with the author and the authors relationship with her mother many years before that forms the two themes of the book. This is a book about love between women but the story emerges in a languid but convoluted way and has an elegaic feel. Love between women can take on many forms.

The Confession by Jessie Burton tells two stories. One is set in 1980, where Elise meets Connie, a successful writer, and follows her to Los Angeles. The other story is set in 2017, where we follow Rose, who is trying to find out why her mother abandoned her and her father.

Rose's journey in to the past leads her to take on a false name, with a false past, and start working for Connie as an assistant.

I really enjoyed The Confession, and wanted to find out the answers that Rose was searching for, and understand what happened. It wraps up well, and I thought the characters were great!

Jessie Burton is the author of The Miniaturist, which had great success, and was turned into a TV series, and The Muse, which I think I need to read now!

The Confession was published on 19th September 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. Waterstones has signed editions! I've found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

You can follow Jessie Burton on Instagram, or through her website.

If you're interested in historical crime book, then here's some others I've reviewed:

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan Macmillan (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!

I really wanted to love this book as Jessie Burton's previous books are amongst my favourites, but it didn't quite hit the spot for me.
I enjoyed the second half of this story more than the first but was slightly disappointed in the ending.