From the internationally acclaimed bestselling author of Code Name Verity comes a stunning new story of pearls, love and murder - a mystery with all the suspense of an Agatha Christie and the intrigue of Downton Abbey. Sixteen-year-old Julie Beaufort-Stuart is returning to her family's ancestral home in Perthshire for one last summer. It is not an idyllic return to childhood. Her grandfather's death has forced the sale of the house and estate and this will be a summer of goodbyes. Not least to the McEwen family - Highland travellers who have been part of the landscape for as long as anyone can remember - loved by the family, loathed by the authorities. Tensions are already high when a respected London archivist goes missing, presumed murdered. Suspicion quickly falls on the McEwens but Julie knows not one of them would do such a thing and is determined to prove everyone wrong. And then she notices the family's treasure trove of pearls is missing. This beautiful and evocative novel is the story of the irrepressible and unforgettable Julie, set in the year before the Second World War and the events of Code Name Verity. It is also a powerful portrayal of a community under pressure and one girl's determination for justice.

 

There are 416 pages in this book. This book was published 2017 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC .

Before becoming a writer, Elizabeth Wein studied at Yale University and completed a PhD in Folklore at the University of Philadelphia. Her first book was published in 1993 and she has since written several novels for young adults including the award-winning Code Name Verity. Much of Elizabeth's writing is inspired by her love of flying and she is a member of the International Organisation of Women Pilots.