The Pleasure Garden is an intricately woven and sensuous debut that skilfully blends past and present in a rich story of art, history, love and betrayal. Following a chance encounter in the lush gardens at Oakstead, a beautiful eighteenth century stately home with a chequered past, Ruby, an artist, and Ben, the owner, embark on a whirlwind romance. The house and grounds feel strangely familiar to Ruby, and before long, she and Ben are engaged to be married. Their plans are soon disrupted, however, by Charlie, Ben's disreputable lodger, and also by George, the gardener. Distracted by unwelcome academic interest in Oakstead, and absorbed in his own research, Ben fails to notice Ruby's clandestine meetings with George, and is also blissfully unaware of the increasingly strained atmosphere between her and Charlie. But, as Ben finds out more about the home's original owner, the infamous Henry Faulkes, it becomes apparent that history could be repeating itself, and that Ruby is not the only person hiding something at Oakstead.