The Sea Garden: A Novel
Mystery, romance, and WWII history figure in the three novellas in Lawrenson&#x2019;s latestbook.  The first follows Ellie Brooke, a young designer commissioned to restore the derelict garden of a sprawling French estate.  Ellie&#x2019;s excitement for the project is challenged when she meets the home&#x2019;s elderly owner, a mysterious woman determined to sabotage both Ellie and her work.  In the second, Marthe Lincel, a young blind woman who works in a perfume factory, suddenly finds herself involved with the local Resistance movement. In it, she faces unexpected challenges and discovers the breadth of her own untapped bravery. Finally, there is Iris Nightingale, a British intelligence agent sent to wartime France, where she falls in love with a French agent.  When he disappears following a brutal Nazi reprisal, Iris becomes determined to find him and discover the truth about his identity.  Set amid the beautiful landscape of Provence, The Sea Garden moves deftly between time and place to bring these stories to life and carry them toward their stunning conclusions.  Beautifully written with well-crafted characters who will latch on to readers from the start, they are deeply satisfying. --Carol Gladstein