Bücher von John H Gray

Claude de Passioné, is the son of an old wealthy Aristocratic French family. The family owns multiple prestigious vineyards and wineries in Europe. Claude leaves the family's business and establishes a peaceful life on Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands of the South Pacific.Since leaving France, Claude's life has been in turmoil. After studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, he embarks upon a career far removed from the family's wine business. Fate however draws him back into the family business. After stumbling into deadly situations that bring him into troubled contact with the law and International Chinese gangs, Claude abandons his former life to live peacefully with his wife, Atarangi on the island of Rarotonga. She is a talented Polynesian beauty, with whom he has a daughter. He hands over the control and management of the family business to Barry Jones.....a rough-and-tumble Australian with extensive experience in the wine business.All seems to be proceeding normally in his life. The activities and the threat of the Chinese gangs have been exposed and dealt with by various law enforcement agencies. All seems well until one day his daughter, Peace, is kidnapped from his island villa and possibly taken by boat from the island.Coincidental to the kidnapping, a boat is intercepted by the US Coast Guard. Unexplained cargo is found aboard, destined for possible terrorist factions in the South Pacific Islands.Conflicting interests arise between the US, Australian, and New Zealand authorities who have traveled to Rarotonga to help in finding his daughter. This fuels tensions. A local kidnapping becomes an International mystery. Suspicion hangs over the local population, Claude's business partner, and the possibility of retribution by the Chinese gangs. Characters from the earlier Claude de Passioné adventures are featured in this entertaining story.In this story, interpersonal relations within Claude's family and friends are stretched to breaking point. Will Peace be found??????

C'est la charmante histoire d'une famille tortues vivant dans les eaux de la mer des Caraïbes le long de la côte de Aruba. C'est la période de la fête de Noël et Papa Georges est revenu d'une île où il travaillait. La famille est contente de le revoir à la maison et Maman Lauretta prépare un festin qu'elle partagera avec des amis. Une famille, les Codette, tarde à arriver à la fête. Toutou et Toula se rendent à leur demeure pour découvrir qu'ils ont honte de se joindre à la fête car ils sont pauvres et n'ont rien à Toutou et Toula réussissent à les convaincre de se joindre à eux et préparent un petit cadeau pour les enfants Codette. La morale de cette histoire est de partager avec ceux qui sont peu choyés.

Claude is born into the de Passioné family, an old wealthy aristocratic French family with extensive ownership in wineries and vineyards. Claude starts life as a rebellious youth, constantly pushing back against his domineering mother, Marie-France and his philandering father, The Marquis.While studying at The Sorbonne in Paris, Claude forges friendships and finds love, until he accidentally stumbles into an international crime ring. His life is changed forever.Determined to distance himself from his dysfunctional family, Claude embarks upon an international journey until fate intervenes and he returns to the family business.After years pass, he meets the love of his life…or so he believes. Again he is thrown into turmoil. A new love emerges and Claude is enraptured until the truth is revealed and Claude faces the ultimate decision. Should he forgive or flee?The story of a life filled with privilege, deceit and escapades, Claude’s life is anything but simple.Claude is born into the de Passioné family, an old wealthy aristocratic French family with extensive ownership in wineries and vineyards. Claude starts life as a rebellious youth, constantly pushing back against his domineering mother, Marie-France and his philandering father, The Marquis.While studying at The Sorbonne in Paris, Claude forges friendships and finds love, until he accidentally stumbles into an international crime ring. His life is changed forever.Determined to distance himself from his dysfunctional family, Claude embarks upon an international journey until fate intervenes and he returns to the family business.After years pass, he meets the love of his life…or so he believes. Again he is thrown into turmoil. A new love emerges and Claude is enraptured until the truth is revealed and Claude faces the ultimate decision. Should he forgive or flee?The story of a life filled with privilege, deceit and escapades, Claude’s life is anything but simple. 

The lead character, Jakob is born into a strict rural Mennonite family. The harsh and alien conditions necessitate migration to less severe conditions and the founding of a new Mennonite community in South Western Ontario, Canada. As he matures, Jakob challenges many of the teachings and beliefs of the Mennonite religion. He is further troubled by the lack information his parents provided him regarding their reasons for migrating to North America. As he grows from childhood to a young man, he witnesses war and the prejudice against the minority Mennonite community. He finally marries and against the advice of friends and family, he embarks on a trip to Holland in search of ancestral relatives. With his parents deceased he has few other sources to turn to. He becomes obsessed with the objective of finding information on the family past. Jakob convinces his wife, Anke to make the trip to Holland in 1938. She is worried and reluctant to go given the rumblings of a possible war.After crossing the Atlantic by ship, they arrive in France and experience a tragic event before recovering and proceeding on to Holland. In Holland they stay with Anke's relatives in Amsterdam. Jakob is exposed to aspects of life that had been prohibited to him during his life in Canada. He falls prey to many of the vices. While in Holland, Jakob is informed of the existence of his father's brother in Germany. This brother had never been mentioned before and intrigues Jakob. He decides to visit even though he is counseled not to travel into Germany. While in Germany war erupts. Holland is invaded. His wife is trapped and they become separated.Anke, abandoned in Holland, is subjected to the horrors of war. She finds herself drawn to another and in conflict with her background. With help from the Dutch resistance she attempts an escape from occupied Holland. Contact with Jakob is lost and he is feared dead.In Germany Jakob's life is in turmoil. Finally a chance to escape to neutral America arises. He faces an awkward situation as an affair with a prostitute has resulted in her pregnancy and needs to determine whether to remain or flee while he has the opportunity.After leaving Europe as a crew member on a German merchant ship, Jakob jumps ship at the port of San Nicolaas on the Caribbean island of Aruba. He attempts to find Anke and bring her to Aruba to start a new life. Information leads him to believe Anke was killed while escaping Holland with the Dutch resistance cell. Fate intervenes and Jakob meets a beutiful and successful business woman.Jakob settles into a busy life in Aruba and befriends many locals. Eventually he remarries and establishes a new life.The story exposes the conflict between life's realities and the morals to which Jakob had been indoctrinated during his adolescence. Faced with making difficult decisions arising from unavoidable circumstances Jakob's actions are not always honorable or well thought out.Jakob's life is one of conflict, despair, betrayal, lust and love.