I think this is the perfect book to read whilst chilling on the beach! I mostly spend my summers on British beaches at the moment, and I live about forty minutes from the beautiful East Anglian coastline. I first read this book when I was 18, and I loved the atmosphere in it. It is set in 19th Century Cornwall, amidst the moors and the sweeping rural landscape of the West Country. The main theme is about smuggling and pirates, who deliberately wreck ships bringing goods and trade to the ports. It is a lucrative yet highly unscrupulous activity, with many of the criminals being dangerous and bad men. In the middle of this plot, is a young woman sent to help her aunt. She is brave and curious, two characteristics that lead her to unveil the mysterious and evil things going on in her village. Ultimately, it is a love story but she is not your common Victorian heroine, and her gutsy attitude to fight the gangs and the smuggling crimes being perpetrated, leads to a satisfying end. So, when I am looking at the waves crashing on the shoreline and walking amongst the rocks and sand on the beaches, I imagine a different time, where old ships with romantic sails come into view on a sunset horizon.