A tragic family saga set around Merchants House the Caruthers family home in Corfu. The story commences in 1923 and continues over a 10 year period.
The invasion of Italy into Corfu in 1923 is the catalyst for an event that tears the Caruthers family apart and their idyllic life on the island. Thirya Caruthers and her mother Dulcie move back to England with her father remaining on Corfu. Thirya returns to the family home 7 years later at the age of 23 and begins to restore Merchants House.
There are family secrets, romance, friendships and a beautiful story of how a family deals with a tragic event.
I always love getting swept away to another time and place and Dinah Jefferies has a gift in allowing the reader to do just this

I love the way Dinah sets her stories against real historical events as it makes me want to find out more. An enjoyable and intriguing read set in Corfu, initially at the time of the Italian invasion of 1923, about which I had previously been unaware, and then 7 years later. Many twists and turns with an unexpected ending. A story of a rather fragmented family amidst devastation when the unimaginable happens with love on many levels. Secrets and disclosures. Wonderful descriptions of this magical island, possibly helped by TV programmes also set there.

Corfu 1923 - the Italians invade the Greek island of Corfu over a border dispute between Albania and Greece. Dulcie and her family try to avoid the resulting panic within the crowds and her 9 year old son Billy goes missing. He is never found. Seven years later his older sister Thirza returns to the island and the family home. She is filled with memories of her young brother which we are constantly reminded of, perhaps a little too much! She meets Emilio, a young, handsome Italian staying nearby who, unbeknown to her, also knew her mother several years ago. Family relationships become strained when the truth is revealed. An easy read and I initially enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the beautiful island and the family home but then it all became a little repetitive. Felt the author was trying a little too hard to convince herself as well as the reader. However it was an intriguing and different tale and I will look forward to the next instalment!

When Dinah Jefferies brings out a new novel, I don't ask twice, I buy her books blindly :-)

So here we are now in Greece, more precisely on the island of Corfu, and the year is 1923. The British Caruthers family lives on Corfu when tragedy strikes. Out of the blue, Mussolini's Italy launches a military attack on the Greek island; chaos breaks out for a few days - and little Billy disappears. Did he break away from his aunt Columbine's hand? Was his big sister Thirza careless? Dulcie, the mother, is inconsolable. The loss of the child is a catastrophe, and the family leaves the island, and with it the wonderful "Greek House", the place that was always a cheerful refuge for everyone.
1930: Thirza and her cousin return to Corfu. Thirza wants to renovate the property; and heal her soul there. She throws herself into a passionate affair with an Italian, and as she slowly finds herself again, we readers will delve deeper into the Caruthers family secrets...it's not all sunshine and roses here, and we keep circling around Billy, whose body was never found and who played an essential role for the family...and still does.

In principle, this pretty much describes the content of the novel, or at least roughly outlines it. It's not like an incredible amount of things actually happen here. This is about family dynamics. About family secrets, about what holds families together at their core - or not. About the social glue. About love and betrayal. And when a child disappears - or dies - that's one of the worst things that can happen to a family, and the feelings of everyone involved are suddenly very raw and exposed, and the masks can fall.

So, what do I say about that? On the one hand, I liked the novel, Ms Jefferies can simply write well and knows how to captivate her readers. Against the idyllic Mediterranean backdrop, everything is wonderful anyway :-), even dramas like this one. But I just wasn't really into it this time. There was somehow too much family drama for me, and above all a bit too many revelations at the end. The last plot twist was a bit over-the-top, and I didn't really warm to Thirza, the main character for large parts of the novel. And while I still felt a lot for Dulcy and her pain at the beginning, at some point I found Dulcy just a bit too self-centered... Yes, difficult. I think overall there was a bit too much emotion and a bit too little action for me. OK, the plot did get a bit too long at the end, but the book is over 400 pages in total, and in my opinion there were some long sections. But as I said, the author knows her craft and I enjoyed reading the novel and don't want to get bogged down in the details. Curtain up for drama and family tragedies... with a happy ending :-)

I give it 4 out of 5 stars and thank Netgalley for the review copy!

I have read most of Dinah Jeffries books and this latest one did not disappoint. Wonderful setting, interesting historical content and a poignant love story. The ending was a little predictable but still it did not disappoint. Thoroughly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for a review copy of this book. Dinah Jeffries can usually be counted on for exotic settings in the past for her historical novels and I find it always an opportunity to enhance my understanding of the events of the time period in a place that I knew little about while reading a very enjoyable story. Her novels are like sipping a glass of fine wine slowly while eating a relaxing, wonderful savoury dinner.

Corfu in the 1920s and 1930s is the setting for this novel filled with betrayal lies and secrets that began with the disappearance of one young boy the day the Italians decided to invade and occupy Corfu in 1923. His sister Thirza is only sixteen at the time of her brother Billy’s disappearance. Billy had been the centre of her mother’s world and Thirza’s own, but the day that her mother’s drunken cousin lost track of Billy amid a swirling, panicked crowd marked the point where everything changed in Thirza’s life. Her mother fell apart as did her parents’ marriage. She and her mother returned to England, leaving her father behind to continue his job and the remote house that had belonged to her mother. It’s nearly ten years later that Thirza returns with her cousin to fix up the house in the hopes that her mother might return too. Thirza had missed the house terribly and the lovely memories it contained, despite the loss of her brother. While she works on the house she comes across Emilio, an older Italian man whose presence is mesmerising and disturbing at the same time. Though he mistakes her for one of the workers, she doesn’t disabuse him of this notion liking the image it portrays of her. Independent and always full of determination Thirza finds in Emilio’s company she can only be lost to his presence. Amid all this emotional turmoil small bits and pieces of the events around Billy and his place in the family begin to emerge and puzzle Thirza. These elements add to the turmoil in and around Thirza and eventually lead inevitably to reveal the lies and truths that had been hidden for so long.

There are several plot threads to this story that Jeffries sets against the heady backdrop of a remote Corfu coastal home. The times period creates a softness through which to view the characters that are complex and flawed. The suspense of hidden truths and complex relationships moves the story at a steady pace and follows it to the big reveal that may have been a bit hurried but lead to a satisfying conclusion. A story that won’t let any fans down.

I have read almost all of Dinah Jefferies books. So I was really pleased to get a copy of her latest book. It lived up to all my expectations, I enjoyed it immensely. The story is set on the island of Corfu. Having spent my last holiday there, the story brought back many memories of Corfu town, the scent of the flowers, the colours of the gardens with the bougainvillea and the azure blue sparkling sea.
As well as a description of the Italian invasion of Corfu in 1923 and all the horror and accompanying fear, there is romance with love affairs inside the main story and the struggles to overcome a child disappearance. It was easy to feel empathy for the characters. I woke up early so I could have some reading time before beginning the day! It was hard to lay the book down. I would like to thank NetGalley, Dinah Jefferies and Harper Collins for an arc of this wonderful book. Thank you so much.

Not the author’s best novel; the descriptions were a bit padded for my liking and the main protagonist, Thriza, came across as an emotional young woman. I had hoped to feel transported back to the wonderful island of Corfu, but felt the setting could have been anywhere in the Mediterranean.

A tale of loss, love, blame and fragile family relationships. Following the disappearance of Thirza’s little brother Billy during the Italian unrest on the island, all family members struggle to find their way in life. Upon her return to the island several years later she becomes involved with an Italian with a hidden past; suffice to say this is the main thrust of the novel. An easy and uplifting read to warm the soul.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers HarperCollins for this ARC

This is a love story, but with so much more than just romance.
It is set mainly on the island of Corfu and with the author's gorgeous descriptions, I fell in love with Corfu all over again having visited many years ago.
Set over two timelines and incorporating historical detail about the occupation of Corfu by the Italians, those were chaotic times. It is during this early chaos that Billy a young boy goes missing.
The development of the characters and how the disappearance affects each family member over the years, kept me enthralled and guessing.
There is a surprise towards the end which I didn't see coming.
This is a great read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Dinah Jefferies never disappoints and this book is no exception .
Set on the beautiful island of Corfu it is a story of love and loss with lots of intrigue.
Dulcie the matriarch of the family has lots of secrets that she thinks are well hidden. Little does she know the repercussions this will have on her family when beloved son disappears and the family is torn apart.
It is a beautiful read and am delighted that another book about this family is in the offing just can’t wait.
Can’t recommend it another

Another wonderful setting for a love story that spans the years as we watch a family grow up, be torn apart and then re united.
The Italian part of the story must not be ignored as this provides many clues as to what happened to Billy. As the seasons change the idea of a sun soaked island prove not to be idealistic but beautiful whatever the wsather.

I love this author's storytelling but to be very honest felt this novel was over long,
particularly the early section. I found Dulcie hard to care about in either section. Although the strands all came together they were more obvious than usual so ultimately I don't feel this is her best tale. Sorry.

I absolutely loved this book!! The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies has everything that I want to keep me interested, intrigued, and allows me to become emotionally involved with the characters. It’s beautifully written, as always, and is wonderfully descriptive, taking me back to Corfu, my favourite Greek Island. It is so vivid, that I could see the colours of the beautiful bougainvillea adorning the houses. The characters are beautifully drawn, and the plot had me guessing throughout. The love stories in the book had me totally engrossed, and I was praying for a satisfying ending! This lovely story took me away from the dark, depressing weather here, and immersed me in the glorious sunshine of beautiful Corfu - pure escapism! It’s not all light and lovely though, there is a very dark undercurrent to this story, which I found really added depth to the book, and made it compulsive reading for me - I read the book in one day, because I just had to know the truth! Loved it, highly recommended!

An excellent and emotional read. When young Billy goes missing his family is torn apart. When we move forward several years and Merchants house is opened up again, we begin yto see the effects this has had.

The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Curl up on the sofa with a drink and this book. It’s a great read, whisking you off to the island of Crete in the 1920’s. Starts with a historical event that upends everyone’s lives then pulls you through a fabulous story of love, friendship, heartache, family angst. Every character gets into your head. I’ve loved all of Dinah Jefferies novels and this is one of her best. Thank you to HarperFiction amend Netgalley for this advance copy. Publication date 24 April 2025.

An entertaining read, with characters who felt real, it’s beautifully written and although I worked out where the storyline was going, this in no way spoilt my enjoyment of it. I could have done without the sex scenes, as I thought the story was strong enough without them. I liked the era it was set in, between the two world wars, and it will be interesting to see where the author takes the characters next.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another great read from Dinah Jefferies! This one brings corfu to life very quickly and makes you feel you are there amongst the warmth and perfumes of the sun and vegetation. The story has different timelines but very easy to follow. As always there’s a twist you don’t see coming.

I did get a bit fed up with the constant references to the missing Billy and it seemed obvious very early on what the long term outcome would be. Other than that a warm and lovely story about family and relationships

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Really enjoyed this book. Was my first one by the author and won’t be the last! Makes me want to go to greece now! The story was very easy to real and flows well.

A Mesmerising Tale of Secrets and Suspense – 5 Stars!

The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies is a beautifully atmospheric novel that captured my heart from the very first page. Set on the idyllic island of Corfu in 1930, it draws you into its vivid landscapes, complex characters, and a compelling story full of mystery and family secrets.

Thirza Caruthers, the protagonist, returns to Corfu after many years, bringing with her the weight of past memories and unresolved grief over her brother Billy’s tragic disappearance. The island, with its jasmine-scented air and the sight of the family home, stirs up emotions and a longing to confront the past. Thirza’s inner turmoil is so skillfully portrayed that I felt as though I was right there with her, grappling with the memories of a time when life was simpler, yet far more complicated.

What I particularly loved about this novel is the way Jefferies weaves together the stunning setting of Corfu with the tangled emotions of its characters. Thirza’s journey of rediscovery through painting and a passionate affair with a local man is not just about love and escape; it’s also about coming to terms with the truth and the long-buried secrets of her family. The Greek house itself becomes a symbol of the past — one filled with hidden stories, jealousy, and betrayal. The tension between Thirza’s desire for peace and the haunting memory of her brother’s disappearance kept me utterly captivated throughout.

Jefferies’ writing is exquisite, rich in detail and evocative imagery, making Corfu feel like a character in its own right. The lush landscapes, the shimmering waters, and the dramatic cliffs all come to life in such a way that I could almost feel the warmth of the sun and hear the rustling of the leaves in the breeze. This setting provides the perfect backdrop for a story of family secrets, love, and the quest for truth.

As the novel progresses, the tension mounts, and I was kept on the edge of my seat as Thirza delves deeper into the mystery surrounding her brother’s disappearance. The emotional depth of the characters, particularly Thirza, made the twists and turns of the plot all the more gripping. The story is full of heartache and betrayal, but also of hope and the possibility of redemption.

The Greek House is a truly remarkable read, full of intrigue and breathtakingly beautiful prose. It’s a story about family, loss, and the secrets that bind us — one that will stay with me for a long time. Dinah Jefferies has delivered an utterly captivating novel that I cannot recommend highly enough. If you love historical fiction with a rich sense of place, complex characters, and an unforgettable mystery, this is the book for you. Five stars without question!

I adore Jefferies' books and was thrilled to begin this new offering. I always know I am in for a sweeping, emotional yet beautiful story full of gorgeous characters and locations and this was no exception.
'The Greek House' is set in Corfu and although there are descriptions of the island, I did not think it was evoked as well as some other locations Jefferies has written about. However, the house where the majority of this is set, Merchants House, is captured in all its glory and I felt myself transported to this beautiful house as the characters work to restore it to its glory days.
As always, the characters are gorgeous, I really took them to heart and enjoyed immersing myself in their stories and lives. They are such great characters and I was overjoyed to read some of them will be returning in Jefferies next book.
'The Greek House' has one of the most emotionally painful plots I have read. Every page seemed to have new trauma and heartbreak. For this reason, it was a difficult, highly emotional read, however it was still full of hope and love and I still found myself enamoured with the plot.
This is simply a gorgeous read.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.