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Our Beautiful Mess

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About this listen

'Adele Parks consistently writes banger after banger, and Our Beautiful Mess might just be her best yet. Addictive and brilliant’ Lisa Jewell

'Had me gripped from beginning to end. Masterfully written with gut-punching twists and brimming with tension this is Adele Parks’ best book yet. Absolutely outstanding’ Claire Douglas

*****

Connie is determined to bring her family together, but explosive revelations and long-held secrets are set to destroy everything important in her world …

Connie can’t wait to have her daughters back home for the holidays. Fran is bringing a new boyfriend to stay, and the empty nest will once again be full of friends, family and young love.

Yet from the moment she sees Zac, Connie knows trouble is coming. Zac reminds her of the worst mistake she has ever made: a man whose charm and good looks nearly destroyed her marriage. She doesn’t want him in Fran’s world, but then Fran announces she’s pregnant.

Connie is terrified that her past is going to threaten her family’s future, but there’s a greater menace looming. She’s not the only one who has something to hide. Someone in the house has another devastating secret. A deception which will put everyone Connie loves in shocking danger, and one of them will pay the ultimate price.

Number One bestseller Adele Parks returns with an explosive and deeply emotional family drama which explores the lengths a parent will go to protect a child; for there’s nothing stronger than a woman whose family is under threat.

*****

‘Adele Parks has done it again. Grabbed me from page one and kept me there on the edge of my seat. Superb writing as ever. She simply gets better and better and better. You have to read this book!’ Ruth Jones

An Observer Thriller of the Month ‘A great read’

'A barnstorming novel' The Times

‘My favourite Adele Parks novel yet! So brilliant, so compelling, so tense! The suspense builds and builds until the breathless conclusion. Utterly thrilling from start to finish Lucy Clarke

‘Our Beautiful Mess leaps straight to the top of my Adele Parks rankings – wise, intelligent, compassionate, with a masterful pulse of menace throughout. Utterly immersive’ Louise Candlish

‘Breathe while you can. Adele Parks is back with a heart-in-mouth thriller that will have you frantically turning the pages’ C L Taylor

‘An addictive tale of family dynamics with layers of tension that grip relentlessly. A superbly crafted, thrilling ride’ K L Slater

‘No-one does ‘family noir’ quite like Adele Parks and Our Beautiful Mess is an absolute masterclass – as one terrible mistake leaves a woman’s perfect life hanging by a thread’ T. M. Logan

'Our Beautiful Mess grabs you from page one and keeps you glued to the edge of your seat until the final sentence. Deliciously dark and addictive' Crime Monthly

'This well-plotted explosive family drama, with superb characterisation, is layered with tension and its pulse-raising dilemmas will have you on the edge of your seat' Sunday Times

©2025 Adele Parks (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers
Domestic Thrillers Family Life Genre Fiction Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Exciting

Critic reviews

Praise for Our Beautiful Mess

‘This is Adele’s most epic book yet. Such a thrilling and emotional read' Georgina Moore

‘Brilliantly observed, action packed, intriguing mystery where small mistakes turn into life threatening situations on the flip of a coin’ Liz Nugent

'Few writers leave us stunned by the brightest twists and darkest turns of life quite like Adele Parks. Through the shocks of this tale runs, as ever, a rich seam of human frailty and love. Irresistible' Rachel Edwards

‘Thrillingly tense and kept me guessing…addictive, beautifully written family drama’ Carmel Harrington

‘This book has it all: an engrossing and emotional plot and characters you truly believe exist beyond its pages. Unforgettable’ Gillian McAllister

'A wild ride with a huge heart. Nobody combines domestic dilemmas with edge-of-your-seat plotting like Adele Parks' Abigail Dean

‘Thrilling, riveting and engrossing’ Milly Johnson

‘A wickedly twisty story about dangerous family secrets and lies. A fire-cracker.’ Louise Minchin

‘A truly brilliant and shocking family drama, tense, explosive and tender. I think this might be Adele’s best yet’ Elly Griffiths

‘25 years of this and Adele is still as brilliant, skilled and warm as ever. Her work has inspired me so much – as a young woman trying to make sense of the world, a woman trying to escape it and then one who wants to celebrate life and all of its complexities’ Giovanna Fletcher

'Parks’ 25th book in as many years reminds us why she is the reigning queen of domestic suspense’ iPaper

All stars
Most relevant
Great listen, lovely to revisit with Connie and John. Plot was good, characters were relatable. Was a nice escape listening to this, binge listened over a couple of days.

Good plot

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Title I like is:
How far would a mother go to protect her children, a love no other no other.

The family and his easily life can become complicated and the love for a mother and her daughters. A love like no other.

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Our Beautiful Mess by Adele Parks is another triumph from a writer who never fails to deliver emotional depth wrapped in domestic suspense. The story centres on Connie, a mother whose excitement about having her daughters home for the holidays quickly turns into dread when her daughter Fran introduces her new boyfriend, Zac. From the moment he arrives, Connie senses something is wrong. Her unease isn’t just maternal instinct, it’s rooted in a past mistake that threatens to unravel everything.

As Fran announces her pregnancy, the stakes rise sharply. The author masterfully explores the fragility of family bonds under pressure, and the ripple effects of secrets long buried. The tension builds steadily, and just when you think you’ve grasped the full picture, the story shifts, revealing new layers that deepen the emotional impact without ever feeling contrived.

Kristin Atherton’s narration only adds to the story. Her performance captures Connie’s fear, guilt, and fierce protectiveness with authenticity, making the audiobook feel intimate and urgent. Kristen Atherton narration is far from flat, she inhabits the story, giving voice to the complex layers of emotion that have been so deftly written.

If you’ve enjoyed Lies Lies Lies or I Invited Her In, this novel will feel familiar in tone yet fresh in execution. It’s a story about motherhood, memory, and the lengths we go to protect those we love, even when the truth threatens to destroy us. The author has once again crafted a narrative that’s addictive, emotionally charged, and utterly unforgettable.

Another triumph

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Usually love AP books but this was really disappointing - really unlikeable characters, totally far fetched story and went on and on.

Not the best

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Sorry not for me. It did go on and on. A long 12 hours. Disappointed.

A challenge!

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