Discover the addictive and gripping novel from the bestselling author of You'll Never See Me Again, Lesley Pearse 'A gripping novel' HELLO! Magazine _______________ London, 1960. The lives of teenage twins Maisy and Duncan change for ever the night their mother is sent away. Sent to live in the New Forest with their cold-hearted grandmother, Mrs Mitcham, they feel unloved and abandoned. And when one day Duncan doesn't come home from exploring in the forest, no one - least of all his grandmother - appears to care about his disappearance. The police, who've found the bodies of other missing boys, offer little hope of finding Duncan alive. Yet Maisy refuses to give up. Though she doesn't know the woods well, she knows someone who does. The strange old woman who lives at their heart . . . Dare Maisy enlist the help of the woman in the wood? And what will she find if she does? _______________ 'A real page-turner, a family story that is multi-layered just as you'd expect from Lesley Pearse, who is deservedly one of the world's favourite story tellers' My Weekly 'Characters it is impossible not to care about . . . this is storytelling at its very best' Daily Mail

Inherited through the line of the berserker Angantyr and his war-loving daughter Hervor, the ever-lethal, shining sword Tyrfing and its changes of hands frame the uncanny story of The Saga of Hervor and Heidrek . A second heroic saga, Hrolf Kraki and His Champions , recounts the daring deeds of the members and entourage of the ancient Danish house of Skjoldung. Passed down orally in pre-Christian Norse times, transmitted in writing in medieval Iceland, and here wielded by the hand of Jackson Crawford, the tales told in this volume retain their sharp edges and flashes of glory that never fail to slay.

The Forgotten Daughter by Mary Wood is the gripping first book in The Girls Who Went To War series. From a tender age, Flora felt unloved and unwanted by her parents, but she finds safety in the arms of caring nanny Pru. But when Pru is cast out of the family home, under a shadow of secrets, and with a young baby boy of her own to care for, it shatters little Flora. But over the years, Flora and Pru meet in secret - unbeknown to Flora's parents. Pru becomes the mother to flora she never had, and Flora grows into a fine young woman. When Flora signs up to become a nurse with the St John's ambulance, she begins to shape her own life. But the drums of war beat loudly and Flora's world is turned upside down when she receives a letter asking her to join the Red Cross in Belgium. With the fate of the country in the balance, it's a time for bravery. Flora's determined to be the strong woman she was destined to be. But with horror, loss and heartache on her horizon - there's a lot for young Flora to learn . . .

The story can now be told. In 1999, an elite interdisciplinary team headed by Nobel laureate Andrew Danicek gathered in California to carry out a ground-breaking time-travel experiment. While the rest of the world remained unaware, Julius Caesar was successfully transported from the last day of his life to a specially-constructed covert facility. Four days of conversation with historians and Latin scholars were planned, followed by Caesar's return to the moment from which he was extracted. But despite the team's meticulous efforts to maintain secrecy and plan for all possible exigencies, a kidnap attempt plunges Caesar into peril. Fully aware that the future of civilization may hang in the balance, one team member must summon strength she didn't know she possessed to return Caesar to the Ides of March. The shocking details of Caesar's visit and its effect on subsequent events have been protected by draconian nondisclosure agreements....until now.

A captivating saga set on the eve of WW2 in Liverpool, where life is about to change forever for one girl. As war breaks out so too does Molly Dearden... Molly is used to living in the shadow of her older sister, June. When their mother died when Molly was just seven years old, June helped their grief-stricken father look after her in their tiny home in the tight-knit Edge Hill district of Liverpool. But as her seventeenth birthday passes, Molly doesn't realise how much she is going to have to grow up. As the threat of a second world war looms, she must learn to protect herself, her family, and her heart. When hostilities finally break out, Molly finds the courage to enlist in the Women's Voluntary Service. There, she can help the war effort and finally stand on her own two feet. It's a terrifying time, but also some of the best days of her life, especially when she meets, and falls for Eddie. The pair live for the precious hours when Eddie is on leave from the Navy and excitedly plan their future together. But then tragedy strikes. Devastated, Molly can take no more. But then the terrible reality of war hits her home town and Molly must find the strength to protect those closest to her heart.

Are these newly trained Wrens ready to protect Britain's coastline?Following a humiliating experience involving the man she thought she'd marry, Iris Tredwick signs up to the Wrens in order to escape and find 'the right sort' of man to please her mother. After a bumpy start, Iris manages to befriend outspoken Mary and dreamer Sally as they are sent to their first posting - in Orkney. There she meets mechanic Rob, whose flirtatious nature both charms and confounds straight-laced Iris. Much more appropriate for her is local doctor Stewart, if only she felt the same spark for him as she does for Rob... As Iris, Mary and Sally work to interpret signals from incoming ships, they realise the enemy is somehow one step ahead of their manoeuvres, dropping sea mines under the cover of darkness. Could there be a spy on the island? And can the Wrens prevent disaster striking before it's too late? A thrilling and lively Second World War saga for fans of Kate Thompson and Daisy Styles. Praise for A New Start for the Wrens 'This book is absolutely brilliant. I felt like I was one of the girls and was joining them in their adventure. I really cant wait to read more in this series' Reader review 'This book entertained and warmed the cockles of your heart. Being on duty with the Wrens and contributing to the war effort was a great way to spend the afternoon reading and I seriously loved it!' Reader review 'Loved this book! I binge read it as I wanted to know what would happen. The three main female characters Iris, Mary and Sally are all so easy to relate to and care about. Love the glimpses of Orkney and the poignant history.' Reader review 'A really thoughtful look at the work of the wrens in WWII and a brilliant new trio of girls to get to know. I cannot wait for the next one.' Reader review 'Another number one for Vicki Beeby. Loved this WWII story, highly recommended read' Reader review

In the early nineteenth century, a windswept beach along the English coast brims with fossils for those with the eye - From the moment she's struck by lightning as a baby, it is clear Mary Anning is different. Her discovery of strange fossilized creatures in the cliffs of Lyme Regis sets the world alight. Mary must face powerful prejudice from a male scientific establishment, not to mention gossip and the heartbreak of forbidden love.

An epic family saga beginning with the Russian Revolution and swirling across a century, encompassing war, loss, love requited and unrequited, ghosts, joy, massacres, tragedy. And hot chocolate. At the start of the twentieth century, on the edge of the Russian empire, a family prospers. It owes its success to a delicious chocolate recipe, passed down the generations with great solemnity and caution. A caution which is justified: this is a recipe for ecstasy that carries a very bitter aftertaste... Stasia learns it from her Georgian father and takes it north, following her new husband, Simon, to his posting at the center of the Russian Revolution in St Petersburg. Stasia's is only the first in a symphony of grand but all too often doomed romances that swirl from sweet to sour in this epic tale of the red century. Tumbling down the years, and across vast expanses of longing and loss, generation after generation of this compelling family hears echoes and sees reflections. A ballet dancer never makes it to Paris and a singer pines for Vienna. Great characters and greater relationships come and go and come again; the world shakes, and shakes some more, and the reader rejoices to have found at last one of those glorious old books in which you can live and learn, be lost and found, and make indelible new friends.

The wonderfully nostalgic and heartwarming new novel from the Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author of The Beggar Maid. Born out of wedlock when her mother was only fourteen, Lucy Pocket has spent all her life in the care of her disreputable but charming grandmother, Eva. They dodge from one poor lodging house to another, always in debt and resorting to theft in order to exist. Until her wealthy paternal grandfather buys her from Eva, determined to bring Lucy up to be a lady. When her grandfather dies, his despicable nephew cheats Lucy out of her inheritance, except for a run-down lodging house in Whitechapel, where she is forced to look after his three illegitimate children. Jilted by her would-be fiance, Lucy is determined to make a life for herself and the children, and to search for her long lost grandmother, creating the family she has always longed for.

The Poppy Girls is the first title in The Maitland Trilogy, by bestselling author Margaret Dickinson. Even amidst the horror of the trenches, friendship will survive . . . Thwarted in her desire to become a doctor like her brother Robert, Pips Maitland rebels against her mother's wishes that she settle down and raise children. However, when Robert brings home a friend from medical school, Giles Kendall, it seems perhaps Pips might fall in love with an acceptable suitor after all. But the year is 1914 and the future is uncertain. Hearing that her father's friend, Dr John Hazelwood, is forming a flying ambulance corps to take to the front lines, Pips is determined to become one of its nurses and asks Alice Dawson, her maid, to go with her. Robert and Giles offer their services as doctors, and Alice's brother William joins them as a stretcher bearer. Nothing could have prepared them for the horrific sights they encounter. Moving their unit close to the fighting to offer first aid as quickly as possible puts them all in constant danger. But even amidst the barrage of shelling and gunfire, the unending stream of injured being brought to their post, the love between Pips and Giles survives and blossoms just like the poppies of Flanders fields. Fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin will love The Poppy Girls. Continue the story of the Maitland family with The Brooklands Girls.

A heartwarming saga about war, love and duty by the bestselling author of The Street and East End Angel. North London, 1916. When Olivia Bone and Lieutenant Lucas Black shared a passionate kiss one summer's evening, it seemed as if their love might finally have a chance to bloom. But their brief happiness is cut short when Lucas is sent to fight on the front line, leaving Livvie uncertain if she'll ever see him again. And after a chance encounter with one of Lucas's old flames, Livvie is left doubting whether an ex-factory girl like her will ever fit into his world - and wondering if she would be better off protecting her heart. While her friends in London busy themselves with marriage plans and dreams of babies, Livvie returns to France, throwing herself into her work as a war nurse on the Western Front. But when two German prisoners are admitted at the hospital, the dangers of war suddenly feel much closer to home - and Livvie is forced to be braver than she has ever been before . . . Can Livvie and Lucas find their way to a brighter future before the war tears them apart? Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin, Maureen Lee and Nadine Dorries. 'Vividly rendered' Historical Novel Society 'A fantastic cast of characters' Goodreads 'Thoroughly absorbing' Goodreads ________________________ The Bittersweet Legacy Series Book 1: A Sister's Bond Book 2: A Lonely Heart Book 3: The Way Home

Love in a time of war. Hope in a time of danger.

One of the greatest fighter pilots of the Great War, Michael Courtney is saved by the French noblewoman Centaine de Thiry when he crashes near her home. Soon after, Centaine finds herself alone and carrying Michael's child, and must travel across the ocean to join his family in South Africa.But no journey is ever simple, and a pregnant Centaine finds herself shipwrecked in shark-infested waters off Africa's notorious Skeleton Coast, a deadly swim away from the sun-bleached desert that will see her defenceless and alone.

When hope arrives, she has no way of knowing if she will be saved -- or left in greater danger than ever before...

Known for the wit of her writing, in her lifetime Catherine Cookson became the UK's most widely read novelist. When the Cookson Estate discovered the unpublished manuscript of Saint Christopher and the Gravedigger in the attic of her home, they unearthed a gem for Cookson's many fans. Gravedigger John Gascoigne lives in Downfell Hurst with his wife, Florrie, their three children and his mother, Gran. John is a deep thinker but extremely taciturn-a man of few words and many grunts. Which is why everyone is alarmed when he's hit on the head by a cricket ball, and it suddenly seems as if the words won't stop. What's more, he says he is talking to Saint Christopher-only no one else can see the saint, and they're beginning to worry John's not quite right in the head... Mad or not, John has some secrets he's been keeping. But if he can't stop talking, they won't stay secret for long.

The bestselling wartime saga adored by readers everywhere. Perfect for fans of Annie Murray and Donna Douglas Can the factory girls work together for a better future? Essex, 1916 Lily is a housemaid up at St Clere's Hall. But times are changing with the outbreak of war. With a husband bent on signing up for the trenches and a lecherous master of the house, Lily is forced to leave. Doing her bit for the war effort - and bringing in more money for the family - Lily goes to work in a factory making explosives to send to the trenches. It's a hard job. The munitionettes must face terrible working conditions, the constant danger of accidents and air strikes and a patronising, self-serving boss. And then someone she never wanted to see there arrives. Lady Charlotte, the pampered daughter of the Hall, joins the factory as a supervisor... Lily and Charlotte have choices they never had before - but in the shadow of the Great War, can the factory girls work together for a better future? A heart-warming story of love, loss and friendship, set against the backdrop of wartime England REAL READERS love Sue Wilsher's novels: 'An outstanding read' 'A very well written story, set in WW1 around munition industries and women's part in the war effort' 'Excellent read, absorbing from page to page' 'Brilliant book. This was the third one I've read from this author and can't fault it at all - would highly recommend'

Not even the Blitz will stop the shop girls 'Such a good read!' 5* Goodreads reviewer It's 1941 and as the air raid sirens blare, Lily Collins is starting work in Midlands department store Marlow's. She learns the ropes from her sophisticated boss Miss Frobisher alongside shy fellow junior Gladys. But her friendship with young salesman Jim draws her into a swirl of secrets. And with the war progressing to crisis point, Cedric Marlow and his staff must battle nightly bombings and the absence of loved ones to keep going. A Store at War weaves together a strong sense of community with a vivid evocation of a time when every man, woman and child was doing their bit. 'Cheerful and uplifting... I enjoyed it immensely' Katie Fforde 'Highly recommended' Anna Jacobs

Youngstown, Ohio, 1977. Between the closing of the city's largest steel mill and the worst blizzard in more than 40 years, the table is set for remarkable change. Unemployed steel worker Bobby Wayland is trying hard to help his family and still pay for his wedding, but the only solution he can think of involves breaking the law. On the other side of town, a little girl named Hope is keeping a big secret, one she won't even share with her Great Uncle Joe--she can make things move without touching them. Watching over both of them is the city herself, and she has something to say and something to do about all of this. The Heebie-Jeebie Girlis the story of an era ending and the uncertainty that awakens. It's the story of what happens when the unconscionable meets the improbable. It's the story of dreams deferred, dreams devoured, and dreams dawning. It is likely to be the most distinctive novel you read this year, but it will startle you with its familiarity. Author Susan Petrone has created an unforgettable tale of family, redemption, and magic.

A family is divided when its favourite daughter is forced to flee rural Ireland and to seek her living in war-torn Birmingham. Bridie McCarthy loves her family's farm in the remotest part of Donegal, even though she's forced to work hard when all of her siblings leave home. She can't bear to let down her beloved parents - until a horrible act of violence gives her no option but to run away. She turns to the one person she can trust - big sister Mary, now settled with a family of her own in Birmingham. Life here couldn't be more different, but slowly Bridie comes to see the good side of a busy city, and begins to regain her confidence. But fate has more trouble in store, as World War Two looms, threatening everything she's fought so hard to win.

Three sisters in 1920s Bermondsey struggle to make ends meet and protect their mother from the violence of their father.

Milly, the eldest, works in Southwells jam factory. Elsie dreams of a career on the stage, while little Amy runs wild with her friends on the streets. As summer draws to a close, they join the hop pickers in Kent for a short, blissful respite from a life of work and hardship.

All three of the girls fear the terrible, unforgiving temper of their father, the old man, and their courageous attempts to protect their defenceless mother will have dramatic – sometimes disastrous – consequences for them all. From 1923, through the General Strike, this gripping saga is a wonderful second novel from the author of Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts.

When Esme's past as a secret operative comes calling, she must choose - her husband or her job?After a bomb destroys Esme's London home, killing her son instantly, she moves to her old country house in Devon to begin the impossible task of recuperating. Soon she is drawn back into the world of espionage, and as her marriage starts to crumble, a local airman pulls her closer. Meanwhile her cousin Louise is awaiting confirmation that she can relocate to Canada to be with her husband, Douglas. Biding her time back home, she notices her father behaving strangely and disappearing at odd hours to wander the nearby cliffs. With rumours of spies afoot, she needs to learn the truth before anyone else does... Louise and Esme still have battles to overcome as the war continues. Will Esme betray her wedding vows or can she find her way back to Richard? A stunning and heartwrenching Second World War saga, for fans of Liz Trenow and Ellie Curzon. Praise for Ties That Bind:'Wow what a book it is! I had every feeling possible while reading this book. This was such a beautiful yet emotional story, and I really and truly felt for each and every character, I welled up with tears at times, I smiled and cooed when it came to it. I really struggled to put the book down.' Reader review 'If you love family saga and wartime books you will definitely love this.' Reader review

A compelling wartime drama for fans of Lucinda Riley and Dilly Court 'Yet another gripping, moving and impeccably researched read' Jill Mansell, author of This Could Change Everything One winter morning in Germany in early 1945, Detta passes a group of exhausted British prisoners of war who are being force-marched westwards. One man catches her eye and she cannot forget him. The following day she receives an urgent message to contact the local priest: he needs her help. Miranda is a photography student in Berlin in 1989 as the Wall falls. Trapped in an abusive relationship, her one hope for escape is an old postcard of the village her grandmother, Detta, was born in. As Miranda flees through the rubble of the Berlin wall and into the East, she begins to suspect she's being followed by the Stasi. Two very different timelines; two women who share a history and a dark secret. Can they save each other now the time has come to reveal it? Acclaim for Clare Harvey's novels: 'Had me enthralled' Kate Furnivall 'Will delight all those who love a good wartime story' Dilly Court 'A gripping story' Julie Cohen 'An exceptional talent' Kate Rhodes 'A triumph' Jill Mansell 'Heartwarming, enjoyable and full of surprises' Elizabeth Chadwick 'A real page-turner' Ellie Dean