I was happy to have the latest book by Dinah Jefferies to read whilst we were away during the Easter holidays. Titled The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies, this story is set in Corfu in the 1930s. I’ve enjoyed reading her previous books and was excited to read this one.

The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies

Can one house hold a lifetime of secrets?
Corfu, 1930

The moment Thirza Caruthers sets foot on Corfu, memories flood back: the scent of jasmine, the green shutters of her family’s home — and her brother Billy’s tragic disappearance years before.

Returning to the Greek house, high above clear blue waters, Thirza tries to escape by immersing herself in painting — and a passionate affair.

But as webs of love, envy, and betrayal tighten around the family, buried secrets surface.

Is it finally time to uncover the truth about Billy’s vanishing?

 

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. 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.

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, but a lot of the action happens in the last few pages. I’m afraid to say this was not my favourite book by Dinah Jefferies. I usually find I can’t wait to visit the settings of her novels, but not this one.

Dinah Jefferies’ The Greek House will be published 24th April 2025  by HarperCollins UK. Disclosure – I received a copy of this book via NetGalley to read and share my opinion on.

You may be interested in my other reviews of books by Dinah Jefferies:

Night Train to Marrakech by Dinah Jefferies

The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies

Daughters of War by Dinah Jefferies

The Tuscan Contessa by Dinah Jefferies

The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies

The Sapphire Widow by Dinah Jefferies

Before The Rains by Dinah Jefferies

The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies

The Silk Merchant’s Daughter by Dinah Jefferies