Olas Grandes by Barbara Mahase Rodman

On the island of Trinidad, a young woman, Rina Martinez, is invited to become a live-in teacher at Olas Grandes, a mansion perched atop sharp cliffs facing the sea. From the first mention of the house’s name Rina remembers reading in the papers about the tragedy that occurred there—the mistress of the house, Wanda Peron, had mysteriously drowned in a cove below the cliffs. Rina’s curiosity isn’t satisfied with the story, and she becomes increasingly curious when she finds Wanda’s magical diaries, where she discovers untold secrets about the household, including how deeply the mistress was involved in the practice of witchcraft. What is revealed when Rina wades through the magic and mystery that surrounds Olas Grandes not only implicates her, but also her deepening love for the head of household, Brian Peron.