AustLit

'Memories and the need to decide whether she is in love with Peter Grant, drew Sally Darbey back to Cornwall for the summer, although she knows that there will be hurt as well as pleasure in revisiting old haunts.

'For several years she had been going to Whitecoasts every summer to paint but the last year had ended in tragedy. The day after she had returned to London, resolved never to go to Whitecoasts again, she had learned that Philip Trethowan, the man she had loved although he was married to someone else, had drowned. Ironically, it was because he was dead that she could return. She arrives still believing that Philip's death was no more than a tragic accident but gradually the strange behaviour of the village and even of her close friends there, convinces her that there was something sinister about what happened.' (Inside dust jacket)

'Depression set in on Lisa after her fiance, Tim, was killed climbing in Switzerland. So her employer, Helen Hartington, the well-known portrait painter, decided to treat her young secretary to a cruise. But Lisa's excitement was short lived, for on boarding the ship, she discovered to her dismay that Helen's selfish niece, Irma, was to be her travelling companion. Her dislike of the girl stemmed from the time when Irma had set out to catch Tim for herself, and the sunny days flew by, Lisa saw the same thing happening again. For handsome Karl Mueller was attracted to her; and Irma did her best to make life unpleasant and difficult for Lisa. It seemed for a while that she was succeeding, for Lisa decided to leave the ship at Athens. But her decision was altered by an unexpected meeting and a dark secret from the past was surprisingly revealed...' (Back cover of The Happy Spring)