Book excerpt: Transport yourself to the idyllic hills of mid-century Crete in this tale of peril and intrigue, from the original queen of romantic suspense and author of Madam, Will You Talk? 'Mary Stewart is magic' New York Times 'One of the great British storytellers of the 20th century' Independent While on a walking holiday through the beautiful, deserted hills of Crete, Nicola Ferris stumbles across a critically injured Englishman, guarded by a fierce Greek. Nicola cannot abandon them and so sets off on a perilous search for their lost companion - all the while being pursued by someone who wants to make sure none of them leave the island . . . When the big white bird flew suddenly up among the glossy leaves and the lemon flowers, and wheeled into the mountain, I followed it. 'A comfortable chair and a Mary Stewart: total heaven. I'd rather read her than most other authors.' Harriet Evans 'She built the bridge between classic literature and modern popular fiction. She did it first and she did it best.' Herald