SOPHIA’S SECRET by Julie Ryan

Sophia’s Secret – Book 2 in the Greek Island Mysteries

Sophia's Secret

Blurb:

This is the second book in the Greek Island Mystery series. Although each book is intended to be read as a standalone, some of the characters from the first book, Jennas’s Journey, do make an appearance.

Kat has never understood why she was sent at the age of seven from Greece to live in England with her Aunt Tigi. When she receives an email from her grandmother, the first contact in over twenty years, informing her of her mother’s death, she knows this could be her last chance to find out the truth. Little by little she finds out the shocking facts as her grandmother opens her heart. It seems everyone has a secret to tell, not only her grandmother, as Manoli, her school friend, also harbours a guilty secret. Then there’s a twenty year old mystery to solve as well as a murder and what happened to the missing Church treasure?

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I see in your bio you have a strong attachment to Greece. Can you elaborate on it?

I first went to Greece in 1984 to work as a Language Teacher and although it wasn’t love at first sight – I arrived by train in Thessaloniki in the middle of the night – as soon as I saw Athens I felt a tingle and by the time I visited the islands it was a full blown love affair. I stayed for two years in all and have been back to visit on numerous occasions. There’s just something magical about the light and the scenery and climate are fantastic. What more could you ask?

You were born in Barnsley, Yorkshire (I have a character in one of my WsIP who comes from there). What was it like to live in a former mining town? (Since I’m not sure of your age, if you lived there before the mines closed any memories such as the miners’ strike in (I think) 1984?

I have a strong attachment to Barnsley – though for different reasons to my attachment to Greece. The people are down to earth and for me it will always be home. I remember the miner’s strike well and how divisive it was to the community. It was a very dark time and some of the wounds it opened still haven’t healed completely. I have family there and whenever I return, it’s like reliving my childhood and I immediately lapse back into ‘Yorkshire.’

Sophia’s Secret is the your 2nd book in the series. How many do you envision in the complete series? Two? Three? Four? More?

To be honest, I have no idea. The first book in the series, Jenna’s Journey’ began life as a short story. I was amazed that it developed into a novel. I thought that was it but I missed writing about Greece and before long a second book was on the way. There will definitely be a third but after that I’ll wait and see what my characters tell me.

Did you always want to be a writer? When did the bug bite you?

I’ve always loved writing but never really imagined that I would write a novel. I think I just needed some self-confidence. Once I saw that it was a real possibility then the bug took hold and now I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to.

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Sophia's SecretAbout the Author:

Julie was born and brought up in a mining village near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. She graduated with a BA (hons) in French Language and Literature from Hull University. Since then she has lived and worked as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language in France, Greece, Poland and Thailand. She now lives in rural Gloucestershire with her husband, son and a dippy cat with half a tail. She is so passionate about books that her collection is now threatening to outgrow her house, much to her husband’s annoyance!

She is the author of two novels set in Greece, “Jenna’s Journey” and “Sophia’s Secret” both part of the Greek Island Mystery series. She is currently working on a third book, ‘Pandora’s Prophecy.”

You can follow Julie on

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and on her Blog

You can buy Julie’s Greek Island Mysteries

Jenna’s Journey

Sophia’s Secret

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