Published in Great Britain by Harper Collins.

Johnny French is an ageing archaeologist who fled a scandal in Oxford more than twenty years ago to live on the Greek island of Ithaca. His dream is to discover a fabled temple mentioned by Homer in The Odyssey, however he has become disillusioned and something of a drunk, his Greek wife has left him and he hasn't seen his son in England for years.

When French dies, his son Robert attends the funeral. Torn by conflicting emotions he finds himself unwillingly embroiled in a quest to uncover the circumstances of the last few months of his father's life. When he pulls a young English woman from the harbour after an apparent suicide attempt they discover that their lives are joined by an event that occurred during the Second World War. Past and present collide. Jealousy, love and hate fuel the ensuing drama set against the beautiful backdrop of the island's landscape.

My most ambitious novel to date in terms of the themes tackled, this story blends mystery with two love stories narrated from the point of view of a man whose relationships with others have been tainted by the bitterness he feels towards his father.

[ The Snow Falcon | Still Water | Better Than This | Lost summer ]