Well, I’m five days into my stay on the island of Syros, and it’s more than living up to expectations. The island has a charm that gets under your skin very quickly. I’m sitting here at the Airbnb we’re renting, looking out to sea as the ferry leave...

Having finished my last romance (writing as Diana Fraser), I can now move on to writing the book I’ve been researching for what seems like forever.* The Secret of the Greek House is a dual-timeline (what else for me?) book set on the Greek island of...

The Forgotten Shore is a dual timeline page-turner, full of atmosphere (I loved the settings of rural Scotland and Newfoundland), mystery, and great characters. Here’s the official book description: A sweeping and atmospheric story of family ties, i...

A Captivating Dual Timeline Historical Mystery Highly Recommended What It's About In The Porcelain Doll, we follow Rosie (aka Raisa), a Russian-born woman living in England, who travels back to Russia in 1991. She's helping a Russian write...

I sometimes get cross with myself for complicating my stories. It would be so much easier to write about what’s going on around me, rather than setting them across multiple timelines and countries. No research, no complex interweaving of ideas and p...

Highly recommended if you enjoy an engaging plot with lots of historical detail.   What happens In 1569, Freida’s Huguenot parents are brutally murdered in their native Amsterdam by the Spanish. Freida ultimately settles in London where she marries ...

Highly recommended – beautifully written with an immersive setting that captivates until the last page, and a believable and satisfying romance.   What happens In 1911, we meet Kate, the housekeeper at the wonderfully-named Coldwell Hall, Derbyshire...

Highly recommended – beautifully written with an interesting cold-war setting.   What happens In the present day, Laure lives in Paris where she runs the Museum of Broken Promises. People grieving over a broken promise can donate items to the museum...

[Originally published 22 September 2022]Highly recommended — well-written, emotional mystery with interesting historical setting.What happensAfter the tragedy of giving birth to a stillborn daughter, Amber retreats to her ancient family home to help ...

[Originally published 5 August 2021]Echoes of the Runes by Christina CourtenayRecommended—Interesting Viking/Swedish setting and historical background.What happensMia (half-Swedish, half-Welsh) inherits her grandmother’s lakeside house in Sweden whic...

[Originally published 23 January 2020]I’m exhausted, I’m seeing double and have lost the little confidence I ever had in knowing where to place a comma. Yes, I’ve finished a book. The Modern Girl, in all its 134,000-word / 406 page, dual-timeline glo...

[Originally published 9 December 2019]Highly recommended—Intriguing mystery with evocative settings and two enjoyable romances.What happensAfter a failed relationship and a heart broken by the early death of her parents, Holly relocates to her family...

[Originally published 21 July 2019]One of my favourite things about dual timeline books is the house. Specifically, it’s that delicious shiver you get down your spine when you’ve been introduced to the house in its heyday and then the years have roll...

[Originally published 3 June 2019]Highly recommended—a beautiful, immersive read.What happensThe English girl of the title, Joan, travels to Oman, in the Middle East with her fiancée in order to escape her past and to see the places about which, as a...

[Originally published 26 April 2019]My favourite kind of book to curl up with has two narratives—one set in the past and the other in the present day—and is full of mystery, intrigue, romance and beautiful settings. I blame it on growing up in rural ...