Lost letters. A secret Greek love affair. A daughter’s search for the truth.
Crete, 1963. Young artist Greta Ellis arrives at the sun-soaked port of Fáros Limáni, ready to paint and explore the beautiful Greek island.
When she meets passionate local Andreas Papadakis, she is swept up in a world of colour, freedom and forbidden love. But when tragedy strikes, Greta is forced to make an impossible choice that will echo for decades.
Wales, 1984. After her mother Greta’s death, silversmith Zoë Carter receives a sealed letter that upends everything she thought she knew. Greta’s dying wish is for her ashes to be scattered in Crete, a place precious to her . . . but somewhere she had never spoken of.
Searching through her mother’s belongings, Zoë uncovers a series of letters. Written in Greek and dated the year before she was born, they reveal a passionate love affair. And a tragedy that tore it apart.
Determined to know the truth, Zoë travels to Crete to follow the trail left behind in her mother’s letters. Through the olive groves and whitewashed villages of Crete, she begins to piece together a story of love, betrayal and loss — and discovers that her family was never what it seemed.
Today I’m absolutely thrilled to be sharing my thoughts on The Stolen Sister, the stunning new release from Jan Baynham, published by ChocLit today, 24 February 2026.
I’m delighted to be kicking off day one of the blog tour, hosted by Zooloo’s Book Tours — check out the Tour Schedule for more thoughts on this historical fiction! You will also find reviews and details of Jan Baynham’s other novels on Goodreads.
Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours, NetGalley, and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read and review an early release of the digital book and I willingly share my thoughts below.
The Stolen Sister by Jan Baynham is available on Amazon and from all good bookshops from today!
Jan Baynham
Fascinated by family secrets and ‘skeletons lurking in cupboards’, Jan’s dual narrative, dual timeline novels explore how decisions and actions made by family members from one generation impact on the lives of the next.
Her first three novels look at the bond between mothers and daughters as well as forbidden love. Setting and a sense of place plays an important part in all Jan’s stories and as well as her native mid-Wales, there is always a contrasting location – Greece, Sicily and northern France.
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website https://janbaynham.blogspot.com/
My Review
Secrets Beneath the Cretan Sun
I have just finished The Stolen Sister by Jan Baynham — and I can honestly say it is one of the most beautifully written and emotionally affecting novels I’ve read in quite some time.
The writing itself is simply stunning. The author’s descriptions are rich, vivid and full of colour — I truly felt transported to Crete, wandering through olive groves and sunlit villages, feeling the warmth of the island and the depth of its history. The setting isn’t just a backdrop; it breathes life into the entire story.
At its heart, this is a story about secrets, identity and the long shadow cast by the past. When a daughter begins to uncover truths about her mother’s life before she was born, what unfolds is both tender and devastating. The dual timeline is handled beautifully, revealing pieces of the past at exactly the right moments, allowing the emotional impact to build naturally and powerfully.
What moved me most was the way the heartbreak in this story stems not from obvious malice, but from one hidden, life-altering act that ripples across decades. The emotional consequences of that long-buried secret are explored with such empathy and compassion. When the truth begins to unravel, it feels both shocking and heartbreakingly inevitable.
There is also a lovely emotional balance woven throughout the novel. The intensity and depth of a great love from the past seems to echo gently in the present, as a new relationship develops with patience and authenticity. That contrast between love once lost and love just beginning adds hope and warmth to a story that carries so much emotional weight.
The characters feel utterly real — flawed, loving, grieving and human. I felt especially for a daughter trying to piece together not only the truth of her beginnings, but the unspoken pain her mother must have carried for so many years. Every revelation feels earned, and every emotional beat is handled with care.
This was a book I simply could not put down. I read it in two sittings — only pausing in the early hours of the morning because sleep became unavoidable. The moment I woke, I went straight back to it and did not move until I had finished. That, to me, is always the sign of something special.
Beautifully written, atmospheric, compassionate and deeply moving, this is a story that lingers long after the final page.And as followers of my blog will already know, I have a tendency to binge-buy when I fall in love with an author’s work… so yes, I immediately purchased the rest of Jan Baynham’s books for my Kindle.
A truly unforgettable read. 💛
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See About My Reviews and Review FAQ for full star rating explanations and review guidelines. This review may also appear on my social media channels and selected book platforms. All links were correct at the time of publication. Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley, thanks to Joffe Books and Zooloo’s Book Tours. This review reflects my own reading experience. This review is original content. Please credit and link back if you wish to quote.
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