Having loved “The Miniaturist” and, off the back of that read “The Muse”, I confess to being profoundly disappointed by Jessie Burton’s latest, “The Confession”. So disappointed in fact, that I’ve given up on it after about 170 pages.
I struggled with the tone, and – I hate to say – so much of it just didn’t ring true. To me it felt incredibly forced, as if Jessie herself might not truly have believed in her characters. There’s a scene with Rosie and her father on a beach where, to my ear, the dialogue just doesn’t sound realistic; I can’t imagine two people having that conversation.
It may turn out to be a book that matures as it goes along and have a stunning denouement – but I’m afraid I won’t be there to see it.
Ian Gouge - Writer 