An elegant and arresting tale of patriotism, passion and murder, unfolding on the French Riviera, from the No.1 bestselling author of The Savage Garden. Le Rayol, France, July 1935: On the poor man's end of the Riviera, where white-sand coves are strung out along the rocky coastline like pearls on a necklace, former British intelligence operative Tom Wyndham lives out his early retirement. A rag-tag community of authors, artists and exiles from all over Europe gather here for the summer months. On the surface, their dinners and beach parties may seem a world away from a continent gearing up for war, but it is 1935, a time of suspicion and mutual mistrust. And with good reason too, as Tom learns first-hand when his sun-kissed summer idyll is shattered as someone tries to murder him in his sleep. His past life as an intelligence operative has come back to haunt him, that much he knows. But his investigation also reveals that several of the residents in the village are not who they claim to be. Tom must keep up the pretence of normality as he draws his enemy out. So many years on, suddenly consumed by suspicion, Tom tries to resist becoming the man he left behind — the monster he once was!

A haunting tale of murder, love and innocence lost set in post-war Tuscany from the award winning author of 'The Whaleboat House'. Behind a villa in the heart of Tuscany lies a Renaissance garden of enchanting beauty. Its grottoes, pagan statues and classical inscriptions seem to have a secret life of their own — and a secret message, too, for those with eyes to read it. Young scholar Adam Strickland is just such a person. Arriving in 1958, he finds the Docci family, their house and the unique garden as seductive as each other. But post-War Italy is still a strange, even dangerous place, and the Doccis have some dark skeletons hidden away which Adam finds himself compelled to investigate. Before this mysterious and beautiful summer ends, Adam will uncover two stories of love, revenge and murder, separated by 400 years! but is another tragedy about to be added to the villa's cursed past?

«The much-anticipated and compelling new thriller from the No. 1 Richard and Judy bestselling author of «The Savage Garden». «You want to know who I am? I'm the last living soul you'll ever set eyes on». Summer, 1942. For the people of Malta, suffering daily bombing raids, the British are the last line of defence against the Nazis. And it is Max Chadwick's job as the information officer to ensure the news the islanders receive maintains morale. So when Max is given proof suggesting a British officer is murdering local women, he knows the consequences of discovery are dire. With the violence on the war-ravaged island escalating daily, he embarks on a private investigation, hidden from the eyes of superiors, friends and the woman he loves. But Max finds himself torn between patriotic duty and personal honour in his efforts to track down the killer… an elusive figure always one step ahead of his hunter.»