This is a real summer holiday read - lots to keep you thinking about but not too hard to follow. The book begins with the Italian's invading Corfu and a small boy disappearing, the tragedy shaping the lives of his family for years to come. A key part of the story revolves around the missing boy, Billy's sister, Thirza and her return to Corfu 7 years after his disappearance. The setting is sunny Corfu and the author does a good job of conveying what key places on the island look like, particularly Merchant's House, former family home which Thirza later converts to a luxury b&b - it sounded lovely and I wanted to be there. I have read previous Dinah Jefferies books and can't say I enjoyed this one as much as others perhaps because the tangled love lives of Thirza and her mother seemed a bit unrealistic Overall I'd give this a 3.5 rounded up to 4*

As with Dinah’s other books, this was well written. I love reading books that are set in a place I know and this did not fail in that department. The story captured my interest from the outset and was difficult to put down. I’d recommend this book to family and friends.

Dinah Jefferies has been a favourite author of mine, since 2014 when her debut novel 'The Separation'. was published. Over the years she has transported me with her vivid descriptive prose to some wonderful locations, some which I have been lucky enough to visit and other places I now wish to see for myself.

The Greek House is set on the beautiful island of Corfu, somewhere I have been fortunate enough to visit. With this story full of mystery and drama Dinah Jefferies in her inevitable style brings the history of the island alive. It is set in a turbulent time in Corfu's history, 1923. The Caruthers family, Piers, Dulcie, Thirza and Billy suffer a devastating event when Mussolini invades the island. The impact of this event and its effect on the various family members makes for a compelling read.

Once again Dinah Jefferies has written a very satisfying read. Highly recommended for fans of the author, historical fiction readers and armchair travellers.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

An interesting book that spans the period from 1923 to 1933 set on the Greek island of Corfu. A well to do family living on the island experience a tragic loss which drives a rift through the family. Dulcie a strong minded woman runs a publishing company and also writes travel books. She and her family live in a beautiful country house called Merchants which is set amongst olive and fruit trees some way out from Corfu town. The book is delightfully written and plots the ups and downs of each family member as they try to rebuild their lives after a tragedy. Highly recommended.

Set in 1920s Corfu when it was invaded/taken over by the Italians. Piers is a government official living there with his wife Dulcie (an artist), their children and her sister Thirza. Their settled life is disrupted by this invasion where chaos ensues, during which their young son Billy goes missing. Trying to come to terms with what happened then, Thirza returns to Corfu seven years later. I really like Dinah Jeffries' books but found this one a little too long. The descriptions of Corfu were wonderful but overly drawn out I thought and not a lot happens in parts. I also didn't empathise very much with some of the characters which was a shame.

Such a tangled web of emotions! As always with Dinah Jefferies’ writing, the pain feels raw and real.

In The Greek House, the tension and heartache are palpable—particularly in Part One, set in August 1923 during the Corfu Crisis. I found myself holding my breath through the chaos and panic of Billy’s disappearance. It’s utterly harrowing.

Seven years later, Thirza returns to Corfu for the first time since that traumatic summer. Now 23, she and her cousin Ianthe are restoring Marchant’s summer house themselves (the Wall Street Crash has devastated her mother Dulcie’s finances—the same money the family once lived on).

Thirza’s return to the island sharpens every memory, and the emotional weight of what was lost is always present. The future of the house isn’t certain, but despite all the memories, this is Thirza’s happy place and she’s determined to make it work.

The arrival of guests at the summer house adds another layer, as past mistakes threaten to repeat themselves, taking me back to 1923.

She’s had relationships before, but now, she experiences a true sexual and emotional awakening—one that’s life-altering in ways she couldn’t have predicted!

I was completely drawn into this family’s pain, and the ripple effects of the lie that continued to shape them. Dulcie distances herself emotionally and physically; Thirza, a moral dilemma and choices to make; her father, quietly moving forward with his life; and her aunt, Columbine—consumed by jealousy, guilt, and the hollow ache of revenge.

And then came that moment at the wedding—an absolute blinder that had me in tears, leaving me with a sense of peace, healing, and hope for the future.

Dinah Jefferies writes her settings so vividly and with an artist’s eye—Corfu, the summer heat, the sparkling sea, the faded grandeur of the house—they all come alive on the page.

It feels especially fitting that Dulcie both opens and closes the novel.

A truly moving read.

Couldn't put this book down. It had me hooked from the beginning. It was an exciting read. The book was well written. Lovely plot that played out well. Set in what sounded like an idylicc setting, that was described wonderfully. highly recommend this book

What a heartbreaking read. A huge amount of sadness in the most wonderful location. Another of Dina Jefferies work I was gripped by and read in a couple of days.

Beautifully written with an easy flow to follow

This was a sad story in many ways but there was also a lot of love and happiness. Great well described characters that made the story come alive. A satisfying conclusion

Greece, 1923. The Caruthers are an English family, parents Piers and Dulcie, and children Thirza and Billy who live on the island of Corfu, one day Benito Mussolini orders a naval bombardment of the town and during the panic their nine year old son goes missing.

Dulcie left him with her cousin Columbine, as she wanted to check the refugee children near the port and when she returns Billy’s vanished. Despite a thorough search he’s not found and it's called off and he's presumed dead and it tears the family apart.

Dulcie a travel writer returns home to England with Thirza, Piers is in charge of English police training in Corfu and he stays behind. The couple’s marriage isn’t a happy one and the loss of Billy drives a wedge between them and it can’t be removed.

Greece, 1930. Thirza an artist and book illustrator returns to Corfu, and stays at her mother’s families house called Merchant’s and it’s been locked up for seven years and it's full of both happy and sad memories. Dulcie meets a charming Italian man called Emilio, and they have a love affair and she has no idea what will happen when people find out and the consequences.

I received a copy of The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and in exchange for an unbiased review. Set on the beautiful island overlooking the Ionian Sea, the narrative covers a turbulent time in Greek history and it explores what betrayal and secrets, resentment and grudges, and lies and jealousy can do and it's all revealed at the end and what really happened to Billy.

Four and a half stars from me, I’m looking forward to the next instalment in the drama filled historical saga and I highly recommend.

A beautiful, and interesting story, based in a gorgeous location. It was a great read with lovely characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Set on the Island of Corfu in the 1920’s and 1930’s Dinah Jefferies The Greek House tels the story of the Cruthers family after the disappearance of their son Billy on the day Italy shelled and invaded the Greek Island.

When his sister Thirza comes back to Corfu tp organise the family summer house for the mother, you discover how Billy’s disappearance has affected the family now and into the future, set to the background of the events of these decades, you find out how this affects the family and maybe Billy himself.

If you are reading The Greek House in the hope of finding a novel that is about a sister looking for a lost brother then Dinah Jefferies novel is not the one for you although this is implied by the synopsis.

However if you are looking for a novel with family secrets a plenty then The Greek House is for you.

Told through the eyes of Thirza as she renovates the house and has a passionate affair with an Italian travel writer. With a secret of his own.

While The Greek House does its job as a rich people drama novel, with plenty of family secrets however it did feel that the novel at over 400 pages did seem to go on for longer than it needed to.

All this is to say while The Greek House has a number of flaws for the right reader it is the Ideal historical novel to be read due to the family drama rather than a story of a missing child.

1923 Corfu. The Italian army is trying to invade the island as the locals are having a fiesta. In the melee, Thirza's brother Billy is separated from the rest of the family. The story is told by Thirza and follows the family dynamic over 10 years as Billy is thought to have died. Thirza's mum Dulcie takes Billy's disappearance very badly. Billy had been her favourite and Thirza is left to be brought up by the staff. Their father escapes to Corfu town and eventually they spkit up when he finds a new partner. There is a real feel of Corfu and its people. Recommended.

I’ve not read any Dinah Jefferies novels for a while and it was a pleasure to return to her. The book follows the main character Thirza as she negotiates life in pre war Corfu, after the disappearance of her younger brother Billy. It’s a great read, wonderfully descriptive and emotional in the right places. I learned a lot about Greece’s history as well, which was very interesting.
I’d love to know what happens next as there are some unanswered questions!

The Greek House is such a compelling, evocative and beautifully written story. It starts out in Corfu town in 1923 from Dulcies viewpoint and follows the disappearance of her son Billy. Part two starts seven years later from Thirza's view point and follows her journey as she goes back to Merchants and tries to piece herself back together and over time uncovers the truth behind Billy's disappearance. It is a story of love, loss, heartache and endurance.

A very interesting book which had a bit of a twist in it.

The story is based in Corfu in the 1920’s and 1930’s in which where Billy disappears the family of Piers, Dulcie the parents and sister Thirza. It has a devastating effect on the family will they ever come to terms with this. Thirza returns to Corfu years later to get the house they lived in sorted out. We see Thirza meeting Emillio in which they have secrets.

I kind of guess a lot of what was going to happen I enjoyed the story and kept me captive. It was a nice read and would be something to enjoy while you are on holiday. I thought the characters worked well together.

The story is told from the viewpoint of first Dulcie Caruthers, a female travel writer; then her daughter Thirza, an artist. When Thirza’s younger brother goes missing in the confusion brought during the Corfu incident of 1923 (this was a military and diplomatic crisis between Italy and Greece), her family is torn apart. The story then fasts forward to Thirza returning to Corfu and trying to re-build her life a few years later.

To be honest I did not find this was an easy book to read. I liked the setting of 1930s Corfu but the blurb didn’t really live up to the story inside the covers. I didn’t find Thirza or Dulcie particularly likeable characters, just spoilt and rich; the story went a little bit wild and unbelievable; so I found the conflict between them long winded. I wanted to shake both of them and tell them to sort out their issues! The book predictably reaches a positive ending, a lot of the action happens in the last few pages.

I usually love Dinah Jefferies' stories, but this was not as captivating as her other books.

I couldn't put this down, very compelling writing style. 16 year old Thirza and her 9 year old brother Billy live with their mum and dad on the island of Corfu in the 1920s. Also living with them is their mum, Dulcie's, cousin Columbine and her daughter Ianthe. A privileged life, the youngsters are happy until one day in 1923 Italian soldiers invade and occupy the island. During the turmoil, Billy disappears. Some time later the police discover his murder and the family are never the same. Seven years later, Thirza returns to the family home on Corfu and prepares it to be lived in again. Falling in love was not in her plans and things don't quite work out as planned. A sad story of family secrets, love and unexpected laughter. I truly loved this story. #netgalley #thegreekhouse

The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies was a beautifully written book from start to finish and I just love opening any of Dinah's books, especially as she writes from her heart and she takes you to such beautiful places around the world. This book was no different! She take you back to 1923 Greece, when the Italian army invaded the island of Corfu, where it is suddenly occupied by Mussolini's Italian navy. A British Family called The Carruthers were caught up in it Sixteen-year-old Thirza and Billy who is nine-year-old are caught up in the panic on the streets of Corfu Old Town during the Italian naval attack. Dulcie, who is their mother, left them with her cousin, Columbine, just for a short while as she goes to check on a camp of refugee children where she volunteer. But, when she returns, she finds that Billy has disappeared, no one has seen him. She panic's and goes looking for him, still no sign she will never give up and ends up looking for him for several weeks. Her beautiful little boy has not been found and is eventually presumed dead. This has an lasting effect on all the members of the Family.
Dulcie blames both Thirza and Columbine for what has happened to Billy and leaves Corfu to go back home to England, she is leaving behind her husband Piers, who is the director of the British police training school in Corfu, she is losing so much! but her marriage has been hard on both of them - so this was the only way she could see that may make her happy again.

7 Years go by and Dulcie’s daughter, Thirza, returns to Corfu hoping to find some answers but she only finds that she is struggling to deal with the memories of baby brother Billy who was never found. Whilst Dulcie returns to her family home, a very handsome Italian man called Emilio, moves into the property next door. Thirza and Emilio begin an affair.

This is a a wonderful book, it is full of secrets and lies, family relationships. . . . . which will have you gripped from the beginning till the end. It is a great holiday read especially if you are in Greece or even Corfu. I loved it.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a review copy of this book.

I enjoyed this emotional, engaging and evocative historical tale set in Corfu in the 1920s and 1930s. Authentic historical details add depth to the story, and its complex, flawed characters and their emotional relationships make it an immersive and intense read. The lyrical descriptions bring the island and the historical events to life, and the depth of emotion makes the characters real, and what happens to them matters to you. The passionate romance that defines the story is evocatively written and echoes across the generations, drawing the web of betrayal and love together in its resonating conclusion.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.