The Manchester Affair

When Anne Parker was convicted of shoplifting, Rachel, her adoptive mother knew she had no alternative but to make a promise that would change the whole course of her life. The distressing incident, said their doctor, had been a cry for help and had sprung from the need for Anne to meet her natural mother. When her wealthy, seemingly uncaring husband left for a business trip on the Continent, Rachel was determined, against his repeated warnings, to go ahead with the search. However, seeking a woman who does not want to be found is not easy at the best of times. When time is short is seems impossible and so Rachel sought the help of Daniel Steel, Inquiry Agent extraordinary. Rachel found him blunt to the point of rudeness, and at first she was wary of Steel's unorthodox methods. How could she know that their lives, before it was all over, would become heartbreakingly entangled or that she would uncover a secret that had lain hidden for so long?