I’m pleased to feature an extract of the new novel by Jan Baynham on my blog this week. The Stolen Sister was published on 23 February 2026 and Jan is going to tell readers about the book and share an extract. Over to Jan …
Thank you for inviting me onto your lovely blog, Morton. I’d like to share an extract from my new novel, The Stolen Sister, which was published by Joffe Books/Choc Lit Publishing on Tuesday 23rd February.
As well as being an exciting time, it’s always quite nerve wracking as well. By the time of publication, you know your characters so well and think of them as friends but readers are meeting them for the first time. What will they think? I hope they will like being in their company and enjoy the novel as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Crete is my favourite Greek island and I’ve visited there many times. I tried to imagine how Zoë feels when she finds out that it was special for her mother, Greta, too, and yet she knows nothing about the time she spent on the island in the early sixties. Through my words, I’ve also tried to take the reader on a virtual visit to the beautiful island, seen through Zoë’s eyes as she carries out her mother’s dying wish and visits Crete for the first time.
An extract from The Stolen Sister
Zoë stopped and unfolded the street map to find the xenónas where she was to stay. She’d chosen the Athina guest house mainly for its proximity to the harbour area where her mother had lived in the art commune. The quayside bustled with tourists ambling along the paved area lined with tavernas and small shops. Fishermen tended to their nets in small boats bobbing on the water alongside gleaming yachts. It was very different from anywhere she’d visited back home. The sunshine was so much hotter, the colours more vibrant and the aromas of coffee and food smelled richer and more intense.
She imagined her mother sitting at her easel, captivated by the waterside scenes, skilfully capturing the atmosphere through her delicate brushstrokes in watercolour. Her exhibitions in Wales had been of oil paintings like the ones she’d found stacked in the attic, but, being here in Crete, Zoë could see immediately what had inspired Greta’s collection of stunning watercolours she’d found in the sketchbook stored alongside the larger paintings.
Odós Manólis was the street leading away from the water and opposite the famous lighthouse. Zoë found the xenónas halfway down the narrow street. Ecru canvas awnings provided shade for diners at a selection of tables and chairs on the cobbled pavement outside the guest house. She looked up and saw the rooms on the first floor with their louvred wooden shutters opening out onto small balconies. Either side of the main door were Greek urns filled with coral pelargoniums.
Her heartbeat raced as she entered the lobby, clutching her Greek phrase book. It was open on the page where she’d practised useful phrases regarding booking into a hotel. She hoped she wouldn’t need them if the staff spoke English…
‘Kalispéra.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I have a room booked. Zoë Carter.’
The young woman behind the desk smiled and, in perfect English, welcomed her to the guest house. ‘Welcome to Crete. Kalos irthes stin kriti.’ She poured a tot of golden-coloured liquid. ‘A small glass of our local retsina. Yamas.’
‘Yamas.’ Zoë tried to look as if she’d enjoyed the drink, but in truth she didn’t like the distinctive aftertaste.
The receptionist referred to the large book in front of her. ‘Ah, yes. Here we are. Your room is on floor one, number five. It’s all ready for you.’ She handed Zoë a key and an information sheet. ‘Please sign here with your details. The stairs are to the left. I hope you will have a pleasant stay with us.’
‘Efcharistó.’
Zoë carried her case up the spiral staircase, relieved she hadn’t had to use her phrase book and glad to reach the first floor. She opened the door of room five.
A strong smell of lavender greeted her, reminding her of the potpourri bags her mother had made at the end of each summer after hanging up stalks for the seeds to dry. Oh, Mam. I hope this is what you wanted. I only wish we could have visited this beautiful island together.
With the shutters closed, the room was refreshingly cool. Zoë opened them and stood on the narrow balcony she’d seen from below when she’d first arrived. Looking down the full length of the street, along a row of similar balconies to hers, she could see a sliver of sea gleaming in the sunlight. She walked back inside. The walls were painted the palest of blue, and white rattan furniture was arranged around a large double bed. Everything looked and smelled clean. Evan had been right. This small xenónas would suit her just fine.
About Jan Baynham
Originally from mid-Wales, I live in Cardiff with my husband. We have three grown up children and five grandchildren. I started writing when I retired after a career in education and enjoy meeting up with other writers, especially members of our local Cariad RNA (Romantic Novelists’ Association) Chapter, as well as when attending talks and workshops. When not writing, I enjoy reading, family history, Pilates and looking after my grandchildren.
To connect with Jan you can use the following social media links:
X- @JanBaynham
Facebook – Jan Baynham Writer
Instagram – janbaynham
Blog – Jan’s Journey into Writing
Amazon Page – Jan Baynham
About The Stolen Sister
The novel is a dual-timeline, dual-narrative emotional character driven story. Set in 1963 and 1984, in rural mid-Wales and a fictional town in Crete, the story involves a family secret, a tragic love-story, romantic love and found family. Earlier this year, I had a wonderful time researching this story by visiting Crete and walking in my characters’ footsteps.
What it says on the back of the book …
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.
There she meets passionate local, Andreas Papadakis, and Greta 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 change the course of her life — and her heart — forever.
Wales, 1984. After the death of her beloved mother Greta, 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.
Perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Kate Morton, Dinah Jefferies, Santa Montefiore, Fiona Valpy, Barbara Davis, Angela Petch, Karen Swan or Anita Chapman.
Discover why so many readers love Jan Baynham’s moving and unforgettable sagas . . .
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The most compelling, evocative, heart-wrenching book I have ever read.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Captivating and emotional . . . A top, top, must-read.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One of the best sagas I’ve read in a very long time.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘If you enjoy Victoria Hislop, then give this one a go.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A book about kindness and love, family, belonging, and about forgiveness – and I loved every moment.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A novel that will transport you to Greece, with its sensory delights of sights, sounds and flavours.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The vivid imagery used to paint Greece is stunning and made me feel as if I was there. If you enjoy a multi-layered novel brimming with secrets, you’ll adore this story.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Historical fiction at its best.’
To buy The Stolen Sister use the following links and check out Jan’s other wonderful books too :-
This is the blog for Morton S. Gray, a writer of romance with a mystery to solve The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series set in the fictional seaside town of Borteen for Choc Lit Publishing an imprint of Joffe Books.
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