The Missing Sister

A stolen sister. A daughter determined to uncover the truth. 
 
'I was gripped, moved and utterly in thrall to this deeply emotional and compelling tale' Kate Furnivall 
 
Belle Hatton has embarked upon an exciting new life far from home: a glamorous job as a nightclub singer in 1930s Burma, with a host of sophisticated new friends and admirers. But Belle is haunted by a mystery from the past - a 25 year old newspaper clipping found in her parents' belongings after their death, saying that the Hattons were leaving Rangoon after the disappearance of their baby daughter, Elvira. 
 
Belle is desperate to find out what happened to the sister she never knew she had - but when she starts asking questions, she is confronted with unsettling rumours, malicious gossip, and outright threats. Oliver, an attractive, easy-going American journalist, promises to help her, but an anonymous note tells her not to trust those closest to her. . . 
 
Belle survives riots, intruders, and bomb attacks - but nothing will stop her in her mission to uncover the truth. Can she trust her growing feelings for Oliver? Is her sister really dead? And could there be a chance Belle might find her? 
 
'A moving and complex story, beautifully told' Isabel Wolff 
 
'Dinah Jefferies has a knack of getting under the skin of her exotic locations and this story about loss and love, set in sultry Burma during the troubled 1930s, is no exception' Kate Riordan

I was gripped, moved and utterly in thrall to this deeply emotional and compelling tale. Jefferies is truly a master of her craft. She writes so vividly I could feel the Rangoon grit under my finger nails and the humidity heavy on my skin. This powerful story explores the all-consuming impact of family and lifts the lid with an intimate sensitivity on how we deal with loss and betrayal in our lives. Belle and Diana are wonderful characters who leapt effortlessly into my life and whirled me through a helter-skelter of danger and suspicion that had me turning the pages late into the night. As always with a Dinah Jefferies book the research was meticulous. I loved it.

The Missing Sister is a rich and enjoyable read on so many levels. It's an intriguing mystery, a deliciously rewarding romance, and a searing portrait of mental breakdown. 1930s Burma is vividly evoked and the plot is worked out to a conclusion that is not simply satisfying, but almost magical. This is a moving and complex story, beautifully told.

I positively raced through The Missing Sister this week and adored it! It's full of Dinah Jefferies' trademark atmosphere, with the colours and scents and wildlife of Burma described so vividly I felt I was there - and there's a terrific story too.

Dinah has an infallible ability to draw us into deliciously exotic worlds, and The Missing Sister is no exception. The superficial glamour of late colonial-era Burma reveals unsettling undercurrents and growing unrest, the perfect backdrop for the thrilling tale of a singer's desperate search for her lost sister. A wonderfully compelling, immersive read with characters that stay with you long afterwards.

My ideal read - I couldn't put it down

Santa Montefiore on 'The Tea Planter's Wife'

A sweeping tale, beautifully written in a wonderful setting, heart rending yet ultimately uplifting. Gorgeous.

The Missing Sister is a pacy, intriguing novel. Set in an exotic, little-known location, it draws you in to its secrets and dangers; the dark recesses of Burma. I stayed up all night reading.

Dinah Jefferies has a knack of getting under the skin of her exotic locations and this story about loss and love, set in sultry Burma during the troubled 1930s, is no exception.

A gorgeous novel. Deliciously transporting

Prepare to have your senses well and truly ignited in the sweeping, sun-drenched new novel from master storyteller Dinah Jefferies... A compelling and meticulously researched story

Dinah Jefferies was born in Malaysia and moved to England at the age of nine. Her idyllic childhood always held a special place in her imagination, and when she began writing novels in her 60s, she was able to return there - first in her fiction and then on annual research trips for each new novel. Dinah Jefferies is the author of novels, The Separation, The Tea Planter's Wife - a Number One Sunday Times bestseller, The Silk Merchant's Daughter, Before the Rains and The Missing Sister. She lives in Gloucestershire.

Belle Hatton has embarked upon an exciting new life far from home: a glamorous job as a nightclub singer in 1930s Burma, with a host of sophisticated new friends and admirers. But Belle is haunted by a mystery from the past - a 25 year old newspaper clipping found in her parents' belongings after their death, saying that the Hattons were leaving Rangoon after the disappearance of their baby daughter, Elvira. 
 
Belle is desperate to find out what happened to the sister she never knew she had - but when she starts asking questions, she is confronted with unsettling rumours, malicious gossip, and outright threats. Oliver, an attractive, easy-going American journalist, promises to help her, but an anonymous note tells her not to trust those closest to her. . . 
 
Belle survives riots, intruders, and bomb attacks - but nothing will stop her in her mission to uncover the truth. Can she trust her growing feelings for Oliver? Is her sister really dead? And could there be a chance Belle might find her?

The Sapphire Widow

'This is Dinah Jefferies at her best' Lucinda Riley 
 
------------- 
 
Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child. 
 
While Louisa struggles with miscarriages, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation, overlooking the Indian ocean. After his sudden death, Louisa is left alone to solve the mystery he left behind. Revisiting the plantation at Cinnamon Hills, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn towards the owner Leo, a rugged outdoors man with a chequered past. The plantation casts a spell, but all is not as it seems. And when Elliot's shocking betrayal is revealed, Louisa has only Leo to turn to... 
 
A sweeping, breath-taking story of love and betrayal from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife 
 
TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK 
 
------------- 
 
'A sweeping tale, beautifully written in a wonderful setting, heartrending yet ultimately uplifting. Gorgeous.' Katie Fforde, A Wedding in Provence 
 
'Dinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity' Kate Furnivall, The Betrayal

A sweeping tale, beautifully written in a wonderful setting, heart rending yet ultimately up lifting.  Gorgeous.

The sights, smells and atmosphere of Ceylon are beautifully depicted. This is Dinah Jefferies at her best.

Dinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity.

Packed with colour, history, atmosphere and plenty of twists and turns, this is a lush, escapist read

Dinah Jefferies was born in Malaysia and moved to England at the age of nine. Her idyllic childhood always held a special place in her imagination, and when she began writing novels in her sixties, she was able to return there - first in her fiction and then on annual research trips for each new novel. Dinah Jefferies is the author of four novels, The Separation, The Tea Planter's Wife - a Number One Sunday Times bestseller, The Silk Merchant's Daughter and Before the Rains. She lives in Gloucestershire.

Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child. 
 
While Louisa struggles with miscarriages, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation overlooking the Indian ocean. After his sudden death, Louisa is left alone to solve the mystery he left behind. Revisiting the plantation at Cinnamon Hills, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn towards the owner, Leo, a rugged outdoors man with a chequered past. The plantation casts a spell, but all is not as it seems. And when Elliot's shocking betrayal is revealed, Louisa has only Leo to turn to...

Before the Rains

A romantic, heart-wrenching tale of love against the odds from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author 
 
1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband's death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza's only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she's determined to make a name for herself. 
 
But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince's handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay and Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families - and society - think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what's expected, or following their hearts. . .

Before the Rains is a sizzling, eye-opening page-turner and confirms Jefferies's reputation as both a master storyteller and an acute observer of 20th century colonial history.

Dinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity

Kate Furnivall on 'The Silk Merchant's Daughter'

1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband's death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza's only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she's determined to make a name for herself. 
 
 But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince's handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay and Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families - and society - think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what's expected, or following their hearts. . .

Dinah Jefferies 3-Book Collection

*Bestselling author Dinah Jefferies' first three novels now together in one e-book* 
 
The Separation 
Malaya, 1955. Lydia Cartwright returns from visiting a sick friend to an empty house. The servants are gone. The phone is dead. Where is her husband Alec? Her young daughters, Emma and Fleur? Lydia's search takes her on a hazardous journey through war-torn jungle. Forced to turn to Jack Harding, a man she'd vowed to leave in her past, she sacrifices everything to be reunited with her family. 
 
The Tea Planter's Wife 
Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper steps off a steamer in Ceylon full of optimism, eager to join her new husband. But the man who greets her at the tea plantation is not the same one she fell in love with in London. Distant and brooding, Laurence spends long days wrapped up in his work, leaving his young bride to explore the plantation alone. It's a place filled with clues to the past - locked doors, a yellowed wedding dress in a dusty trunk, an overgrown grave hidden in the grounds, far too small for an adult... 
 
The Silk Merchant's Daughter 
1952, French Indochina. Since her mother's death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi, an area teeming with militant rebels. Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she's always dreamed of. But who can she trust in this world where no one is what they seem? 
 
'Dinah Jefferies is a gifted writer and storyteller' Deborah Rodriguez 
 
'Dinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity' Kate Furnivall

The Silk Merchant's Daughter

NOW A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER 
 
FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE 
 
Dinah Jefferies' stunning new novel is a gripping, unforgettable tale of a woman torn between two worlds... 
 
1952, French Indochina. Since her mother's death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end French rule, by any means possible. For the first time, Nicole is awakened to the corruption of colonial rule - and her own family's involvement shocks her to the core... 
 
Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she's always dreamed of. But who can she trust in this world where no one is what they seem? 
 
The Silk Merchant's Daughter is a captivating tale of dark secrets, sisterly rivalry and love against the odds, enchantingly set in colonial era Vietnam.

A captivating tale of dark secrets, sisterly rivalry and love against the odds, enchantingly set in colonial era Vietnam

A captivating story, an exotic and richly imagined setting, sibling rivalry, romance, l couldn't put it down

What a vivid and well-researched story! It's an exquisite depiction of colonial Vietnam on the brink of a new area; I could feel the humidity and the sweet scent of frangipani trees... Dinah's writing is incredibly suspenseful and did not shy away from the harsh realities of warfare. I fevered with Nicole to the very last page; the tension is as taut as the silk that winds through it.

Put everything else on hold. Turn off the phone. Be prepared to be swept away by this wonderful book. I couldn't put it down and loved every delicious page. Dinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity. I was totally captivated by its passionate and dangerous story of Nicole, as she fights to find her place in the turmoil of 1950s Vietnam, torn between loyalty and love. Deeply layered, full of twists and surprises, but with an edge of darkness, this book is an exciting, exhilarating, extraordinary story that is beautifully written. I loved it. A must read

Beautifully written and heart-rending, this has a magical setting with a real sense of period

A terrific emotional and atmospheric read

Elizabeth Buchan on 'The Tea Planter's Wife'

Dinah Jefferies has once again created a gloriously atmospheric and tension-filled novel. Immensely enjoyable, poignant and compelling.

My ideal read; mystery, love heart-break and joy - I couldn't put it down

The ideal book...always wanting to know what happens next, together with the description of the period and characters, all make this a compelling read

Beautifully atmospheric, with twists to keep you enthralled

Lush and romantic, with an authentic feel of place and period, Jefferies should have another hit on her hands here

FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE 
 
Dinah Jefferies' stunning new novel is a gripping, unforgettable tale of a woman torn between two worlds... 
 
1952, French Indochina. Since her mother's death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end French rule, by any means possible. For the first time, Nicole is awakened to the corruption of colonial rule - and her own family's involvement shocks her to the core... 
 
Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she's always dreamed of. But who can she trust in this world where no one is what they seem? 
 
The Silk Merchant's Daughter is a captivating tale of dark secrets, sisterly rivalry and love against the odds, enchantingly set in colonial era Vietnam.

1952, French Indochina. Since her mother's death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end French rule. For the first time, Nicole is awakened to the corruption of colonial rule - and her own family's involvement shocks her to the core... 
 
Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she's always dreamed of. But who can she trust in this world where no one is what they seem?

The mesmerising escapist historical romance that became a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller

The Tea Planter's Wife

My ideal read; mystery, love, heart-break and joy - I couldn't put it down

Beautifully written and heart rending, this has a magical setting with a real sense of period.

A gloriously atmospheric and tension-filled novel that centres on the separation of a mother and her child. Immensely enjoyable, poignant and compelling

Vibrant and compelling - Dinah Jefferies perfectly captures the flavour of colonial Ceylon

A wonderful book, deeply touching and an unforgettable read that swept me away. I loved it.

Dark secrets lie at every turn, hidden beneath layers of 1920s racism and the fearfulness of a crumbling colonial power, making for a thoroughly gripping tale. But what I loved most of all. . . is the moving way in which Dinah writes about the loss of children and the redemptive power of love.

Deeply atmospheric and utterly engrossing

Rich and incredibly evocative, historical fiction at its best...it's just spellbinding

A full-blown escape into the past

A gripping tale of love, jealousy, greed and tragedy

Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper is newly married to a rich and charming widower, eager to join him on his tea plantation, determined to be the perfect wife and mother. 
 
But life in Ceylon is not what Gwen expected. The plantation workers are resentful, the neighbours treacherous. And there are clues to the past - a dusty trunk of dresses, an overgrown gravestone in the grounds - that her husband refuses to discuss. 
 
Just as Gwen finds her feet, disaster strikes. She faces a terrible choice, hiding the truth from almost everyone, but a secret this big can't stay buried forever . . .

Dinah Jefferies

A heartbreaking new novel set in wartime Tuscany

In 1943, Contessa Sofia de' Corsi's peaceful Tuscan villa among the olive groves is upturned by the sudden arrival of German soldiers. Desperate to fight back, she agrees to shelter a wounded British radio engineer in her home, keeping him hidden from her husband Lorenzo - knowing that she is putting all of their lives at risk. 
 
When Maxine, an Italian-American working for the resistance, arrives on Sofia's doorstep, the pair forge an uneasy alliance. Feisty, independent Maxine promised herself never to fall in love. But when she meets a handsome partisan named Marco, she realizes it's a promise she can't keep... 
 
Before long, the two women find themselves entangled in a dangerous game with the Nazis. Will they be discovered? And will they both be able to save the ones they love?

Dinah Jefferies

Praise for The Tuscan Contessa

My ideal read - I couldn't put it down

A sweeping tale, beautifully written in a wonderful setting, heart rending yet ultimately up lifting. Gorgeous.

The sights, smells and atmosphere of Ceylon are beautifully depicted. This is Dinah Jefferies at her best.

My ideal read - I couldn't put it down

A sweeping tale, beautifully written in a wonderful setting, heart rending yet ultimately up lifting. Gorgeous.

The sights, smells and atmosphere of Ceylon are beautifully depicted. This is Dinah Jefferies at her best.

My ideal read - I couldn't put it down

A sweeping tale, beautifully written in a wonderful setting, heart rending yet ultimately up lifting. Gorgeous.

The sights, smells and atmosphere of Ceylon are beautifully depicted. This is Dinah Jefferies at her best.

Books by Dinah Jefferies

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter