Northaven

A life-raft drifts into a cove on tropical Southaven, a fictional island off Cairns, Australia. On it lies unconscious Englishman Lieutenant Alex Fairchild, escaped from Japanese capture in Singapore. Fairchild is revived by local islanders and returns to England, only to marry his former sweetheart, Helen and return to Australia. Northaven, Southaven's sister island, becomes their home. Feisty, third-generation Olivia is about to lose her beloved island fortress. To keep it, she enters a marriage of convenience to wealthy, handsome Andrew Lord. The couple's main bond is their passionate love life .... which is being threatened through misunderstandings and the intrusion of a former female friend of Andrew's, mischievously villainous Louise. This love story excites and compels from beginning to end. Sally Graham skillfully draws you into an intimate network of families, where the links are high-flying business and past secrets. From the casual existence among native islanders, to the high society of London and County England, the story is filled with intrigue; until the unveiling of all things in the surprising and satisfying conclusion. Sally Graham is masterful with plot and probing with insight into character. She handles matters of legal procedure, including Native Title, as convincingly as matters of the heart, where tension mounts as Olivia and Andrew drift further and further apart. Can they ever get back together again after what has happened? How can Northaven escape plunder by plastic-minded developers? The surprising end reveals all. A tantalizing first novel from a witty and sophisticated writer.