After Penang is attacked by the Japanese at the end of 1941, Mary Helston believes Singapore will be a safe haven. But within weeks the supposedly invincible British stronghold is on the brink of collapse to the advancing enemy.

Mary and her mother are captured at sea as they try to escape and are interned on the islands of Sumatra. Imprisoned with them is Veronica Leighton, the one person on the planet Mary has reason to loathe with a passion.

As the motley band of women struggle to adapt to captivity, relationships and friendships are tested. When starvation, lack of medication and the spread of disease worsen, each woman must draw on every ounce of strength in their battle for survival.

A vivid and moving story of sacrifice, hope and humanity. From the best-selling author of The Pearl of Penang.

"Following the death of my wife, I am in need of support and companionship. I am prepared to make you an offer of marriage."

Evie Fraser, paid companion to a crotchety spinster, seems destined for a lonely life. Then out of the blue, a marriage proposal arrives by post. She met the handsome Douglas Barrington just once – at his wedding – but never forgot him. Now widowed, plantation-owner Douglas offers her a new life on the lush, exotic island of Penang. How can Evie resist?

But what are Barrington’s motives in marrying Evie when he barely knows her, and why is he so hostile and moody? 

Evie soon finds herself pitched against Douglas on the one hand and the shallow, often spiteful world of the expatriate British on the other. Has she made the biggest mistake of her life?

Flynn’s tenth novel explores love, marriage, the impact of war and the challenges of displacement – this time in a tropical paradise as the threat of the Japanese empire looms closer. 

Sixteen-year-old Jasmine Barrington hates everything about living in Kenya and longs to return to the island of Penang in British colonial Malaya where she was born. Expulsion from her Nairobi convent school offers a welcome escape – the chance to stay with her parents’ friends, Mary and Reggie Hyde-Underwood on their Penang rubber estate.

But this is 1948 and communist insurgents are embarking on a reign of terror in what becomes the Malayan Emergency. Jasmine unearths a shocking secret as her own life is put in danger. Throughout the turmoil, her one constant is her passion for painting.

From the international best-selling and award-winning author of The Pearl of Penang, this is a dramatic coming of age story, set against the backdrop of a tropical paradise torn apart by civil war.

Life can change in a single moment...

Living under the watchful eye of her controlling and abusive father, Hannah Dawson’s hopes for freedom and happiness seem a distant dream. Her mother, passive and ashamed of her self-preservation, refuses to challenge her husband. It is the mysterious circumstances of her long-lost Aunt Lizzie’s disappearance in the 1920s that inspires Hannah to seek a better life.

Since escaping his family’s notoriety in Australia Will Kidd has spent a decade sailing the seas, never looking back. Content to live the life of a wanderer, everything changes in a single moment when he comes face to face with a ghost from his past on a cloudy beach in Liverpool.

Hannah and Will are thrown together by fate and bonded by secrets from long ago. Now, they discover a love like no other. But with Hannah’s father determined to see her wed to a man of his choosing they must fight against a tyrant who has ruined many lives. Even if they succeed, can they escape the chains of their histories? And will their plans for a future be possible when the whole world is changing forever…?   

A compelling tale of family secrets and undeniable love against the odds, perfect for fans of Susanne Goldring and Fiona Valpy.

Praise for Storms Gather Between Us

'Another great book by Clare Flynn’ Reader Review

‘A really gripping and moving pre WWII story’ Reader Review

‘I would recommend this book without hesitation’ Reader Review

‘Very descriptive, immersive and well written. This book is guaranteed to make you turn each and every page.’ Reader Review

‘I was totally gripped from the first page’ Reader Review

'Although this novel follows Flynn’s A Greater World, it can stand alone, since the characters’ backstories are introduced non-intrusively. Will’s exploits on the seas and in coastal regions, notably Zanzibar and Naples, and Hannah’s confined life and mannerisms in pre-WWII Liverpool are presented vividly, displaying the author’s talent and extensive research. The descriptions of the sea voyages and locales are undoubtedly based on Flynn’s travels. The novel’s skillful plot elucidates the harsh treatment of some women during the period. Readers will look forward to the sequel. Recommended.' Historical Novel Society

Marriage to a man she barely knows. Exile to a country she doesn't know at all

An emotional love story set in the last days of colonial India

After an abusive relationship with a predatory older man, debutante Ginny Dunbar is publicly disgraced when her artist lover exhibits a nude painting of her in a smart London gallery. All her mother's hopes for a society wedding are dashed until she lowers her sights and pushes Ginny into a hasty marriage with a tea planter from South India.

Colonial life doesn't sit well with Ginny. She finds the world of the expatriate community shallow and empty. Caught between fear of and fascination for India and its people, her world is shaken when she meets Jag Mistry, who opens her eyes and her heart. But just as she thinks she has found happiness, World War 2 intervenes.

A poignant story of love, loss, betrayal and redemption set against the dying days of colonial India.

If you like exotic locations and the drama of human relationships you will find Kurinji Flowers an absorbing and engaging read.

“A story of love, loss and tragedy: a heartbreaking and moving tale” Readers’ Favorite

From the author of A Greater World

In 1875, 18-year-old would-be poet, Jack Brennan, runs away from home to avoid being pushed into the priesthood. Life soon looks rosy for Jack when he lands the teaching job he's always dreamed of and meets the love of his life, Eliza Hewlett. But his world is shattered when Mary Ellen, his landlord's daughter, falsely accuses him of fathering the child she is expecting.

Jack and Eliza decide to escape to America. As they are about to sail, Jack is arrested and dragged from the ship, leaving Eliza alone en route to New York with only a few shillings in her pocket. Desperate and helpless, Jack is forced into marrying the woman he despises.

How will Eliza cope alone and penniless in New York? Can Jack make a new life amid the ruins of his hopes and dreams? Will the lovers meet again?

If you like complex and believable characters with flaws and weaknesses you will love Letters from a Patchwork Quilt.

The journey is just the beginning…

Elizabeth Morton, born into a prosperous family, and Michael Winterbourne, a miner, come from different worlds but when they each suffer unspeakable and life-changing tragedy they’re set on a path that intertwines on the deck of the SS Historic, bound for Sydney, Australia.

Falling in love should have been the end to all their troubles. But fate and the mysterious Jack Kidd make sure it's only the beginning.

A sweeping tale of romance and new starts, perfect for fans of Gill Paul and Fiona Valpy.

Praise for A Greater World

‘A truly inspirational book of how two people from different backgrounds meet and share a joy together can they find what there really looking for a very gripping story that kept me totally captivated from beginning to end’ 5* Reader review

‘A great read which from the very first page has you enthralled. A real page turner’ 5* Reader review

‘A fabulous read that will keep you captivated’ 5* Reader review

"Two men will love you. Both will pay the price for it"

Hephzibah Wildman’s life is dramatically changed when her parents die in a tragic accident. Homeless and penniless, she must now face the challenge of finding her way alone in the world.

Working as a governess in a country house, Ingleton Hall, Hephzibah begins to rebuild her life. Drawn to the handsome and elusive Thomas Egdon, she must avoid the unwanted attentions of his father, her employer Sir Richard, the squire of Ingelton Hall.

Who is the mysterious woman who steals the green velvet ribbons from Hephzibah’s bedroom in the middle of the night and what is the secret Thomas Egdon is concealing from her?

An impulsive decision by Hephzibah unleashes a chain of events that lead to dangerous consequences.

From the author of A Greater World and The Chalky Sea, a classic late Victorian/Edwardian tale of love, desire, revenge and hope.