Set in newly liberated France in 1945, when a young man searches for his lost love.

(, New edition)

May is a vivacious widow of grand passions and expensive tastes. But the shipping line that once supported her lifestyle is now in decline. But her reckless spending increases when she falls under the spell of a new lover - whose plans are more dramatic and disturbing than May's sons could imagine.

The widow Emerald Ricardo's expensive tastes have increased dramatically since her lover Charlie Seker appeared on the scene. As her monetary fortunes decline, her children fear for their inheritance, although Seker's plans are more dramatic and disturbing than they imagine.

Briony has grown up in the shadow of her father, an impressive man whose past as a missionary has always been a mystery to her. Eventually she discovers the secret that has haunted him for years - whilst in Africa, he fathered a son by an African woman.

(, New edition)

Briony West's father has a past as a missionary in Rhodesia that has always haunted her. When Briony finds out his secret - that he fathered a son by an African woman - she visits Africa. But her arrival coincides with political unrest in a country in the midst of war.