The Secrets of Summerhayes

1944, England. A chance meeting with a soldier unravels a long-buried family mystery… England is in the devastating grip of World War Two, and Bethany Merston's life changes in an instant when bombs screech down over London. Heartbroken, she leaves the shattered ruins of her home behind. In the Sussex countryside, she takes a job as companion to elderly Alice Summer, mistress of the crumbling and over-grown Summerhayes House.

Its once-pristine grounds are now home to a regiment of soldiers preparing for an invasion in war-torn France, but Bethany is still captured by the estate's magic. When she meets handsome, blue-eyed Lieutenant Jos Kerrigan, it is clear he has also been captivated by Summerhayes. And as their friendship grows, Bethany realises that it's not just the house she's falling for…

But something dangerous is stirring beneath the surface at Summerhayes… Cruel anonymous letters and suspicious accidents are opening up old family wounds and putting Alice at risk, and Bethany is determined to find out who is responsible. Convinced that Summerhayes itself holds the key to the mystery, she explores the old house with Jos.

The answers lie in a long-forgotten painting in the dusty attic, unravelling the mysteries of the Summer family. As Summerhayes House finally reveals its long-hidden secrets and the truth about Alice's past comes to light, it has the power to change Bethany's future.

Will Bethany and Jos's love story survive the war, or will the secrets of Summerhayes tear them apart? Previously published as The Secret of Summerhayes.

A totally heartbreaking and gripping wartime family saga.