Books by John Rowe Townsend

The inhabitants of Halcyon Island are ruled by the laws of the Deliverer and follow the same customs and traditions that have prevailed for hundreds of years. The laws state 'No incomers', but when Thomas and Molly find a shipwrecked canoe with a boy and girl, barely alive, inside they are determined not to reject them outright. New blood on the island is bound to cause a disturbance, but the effects the incomers have on the close-knit community are beyond anyone's predictions.

One day, out on the Cumbrian sands, 16-year-old Arnold Hathwaite encounters a menacing stranger who claims to be a long-lost relative with the same name. He moves in and takes over Arnold's home, and his intentions become more and more sinister.

A story first published as "Cloudy Bright". A young couple meet in Brighton when Sam wants to borrow Jenny's camera. They continue to meet because of Sam's use of the camera, but Jenny starts to wonder if there's more to their relationship. Could it be that Sam wants her, and not just her camera?

The island of Halycon has continued in its quiet, isolated way for centuries. On this the Islanders learn of more disturbing visitors: an expeditioning force from the Mother Country arrive to set up and repel a potential invasion from Santa Cruz, a country with a rival claim. The resulting brutal events change the course of the islands forever.