October 1933 Sark is the smallest of the Channel Islands. With a population of 500 souls it has a reputation for being 'the island where nothing ever happens'. Until, one day, the neatly folded clothes of an unknown man and woman are discovered abandoned at a coastal beauty spot. The islanders speculate that some kind of bathing tragedy has occurred, but as the search for the missing couple catches the attention of first the local and then national newspapers, Sark finds itself front page news. When young islander Phyllis Carey returns to Sark from England she throws herself into solving the mystery, reporting on the case under the moniker P. Carey. As Phyll digs through swirls of gossip in search of the truth she crosses paths with Everard Hyde, a surprise visitor from her past. As press coverage builds to fever pitch, long suppressed secrets from Phyll and Everard's shared, shadowy history begin to surface.

Life on the tiny island of Guernsey has just become a whole lot harder for fifteen-year-old Cat Rozier. She's gone from model pupil to murderer, but she swears it's not her fault. Apparently it's all the fault of history.

A new arrival at Cat's high school in 1984, the beautiful and instantly popular Nicolette inexplicably takes Cat under her wing. The two become inseparable--going to parties together, checking out boys, and drinking whatever liquor they can shoplift. But a perceived betrayal sends them spinning apart, and Nic responds with cruel, over-the-top retribution.

Cat's recently deceased father, Emile, dedicated his adult life to uncovering the truth about the Nazi occupation of Guernsey--from Churchill's abandonment of the island to the stories of those who resisted--in hopes of repairing the reputation of his older brother, Charlie. Through Emile's letters and Charlie's words--recorded on tapes before his own death-- a "confession" takes shape, revealing the secrets deeply woven into the fabric of the island . . . and into the Rozier family story.