NEW YORK, 1973: two couples, seeking to escape the rat-race, decide to retire and relocate to their dream-villa in Portugal's spectacular Algarve region. Soon, however, their dream is shattered by intrigue and betrayal. Even as one of them tries to come to terms with a devastating loss, the Portuguese revolution of 1974 destroys any hopes that their lost paradise can ever be regained. Almost thirty years later, the daughter of one of the principal players in the intrigue is deeply troubled by something her dying mother has told her. Did her parents, all those years ago, plan to defraud an innocent woman? Even worse, could her mother actually be guilty of murder? After the funeral, Kate Fraser travels to Portugal to see if she can find the answers to these and other questions that have been troubling her ever since her childhood. In doing so, she not only risks opening old wounds that cannot easily heal again, but also her marriage, as she finds herself becoming increasingly attracted to the young priest who helps her in her quest to find the truth about what really happened all those years ago.
A gripping account of friendship, love, passion and betrayal, An Algarve Affair shows a new side to world-renowned equestrian author, teacher and trainer Sylvia Loch, whose passion and enthusiasm for her subject shine through in everything she writes, be it fiction or non-fiction. Having lived in Portugal during the 1970s, Sylvia has maintained her ties to the country, and frequently teaches and judges there. Her love for Portugal and its people is evident throughout the book, which evokes the sights, sounds and scents of Portugal so vividly that readers will feel they know it intimately. The book's racy style is engaging, and the characters sharply drawn and full of substance, making An Algarve Affair a book that readers will want to pick up again and again.