Lindsay Townsend: Lindsay's Book Chat: A Secret Treasure

The Greek island of Rhodes: luxurious and hot, beloved haunt of the Sun God, steeped in the mysteries of the past. In the late 1930s during the gathering storm-clouds of war, it is a dangerous place to fall in love.

When pretty, passionate Eve Burnett meets the darkly intriguing Julio Falcone, she is torn. As a man, Julio is powerfully attractive. As a policeman, he is bound to be a Fascist. Her brother, David, who is missing, is connected to the Greek Partisans who wish to liberate Rhodes from their Italian overlords.

Now, as David appears at their parents' house soon after Julio makes Eve's acquaintance, Eve is compelled to hide her brother and a mysterious gold statuette. The Fascists are looking for him and this secret treasure. Soon, Eve realizes that she may be forced to choose between the man she loves and the ultimate safety of her family.

Note: The large print edition published by Thorndike in the US and Chivers in the UK is an earlier version and now out of print. I have revised it extensively for this Bookstrand edition.

(If you like Greek island settings, you may also like Night of the Storm (Rhodes again) or The English Daughter (Corfu). Details are here.)