A. Igoni Barrett was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 1979 and lives in Lagos. He is a winner of the 2005 BBC World Service short story competition, the recipient of a Chinua Achebe Center Fellowship, a Norman Mailer Center Fellowship, and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Residency. His short story collection, Love is Power, or Something Like That, was published in 2013. In 2014 he was named on the Africa39 list of sub-Saharan African writers under 40. Blackass is his first novel.

A. Igoni Barrett

The short life of A.J.A. Symons (1900-41) was described by his biographer as an intricate and largely harmless confidence trick. His many interests included the collection of musical boxes and rare books as well as the study and practice of forgery; they left him time to edit an anthology of Edwardian verse and compose studies of H.M. Stanley and other notable figures. He is remembered for The Quest for Corvo, one of the most remarkable biographies ever written, and for co-founding the Wine and Food Society.

A. J. A. Symons

A. J. Liebling, born in Manhattan in 1904, joined the staff of the New Yorker in 1935 and contributed innumerable articles to the magazine throughout his lifetime, on subjects ranging from food to boxing and France to horse racing. As a war correspondent during the Second World War, he reported from France, England and Algeria, and participated in the Normandy landings. In later life he married the writer Jean Stafford, his third wife. He died in 1963.

A. J. Liebling

A. J. Rosen is an author of YA fantasy novels and is an ambassador for Wattpad, known as @agatharoza. Entwined is her first novel.

A. J. Rosen

A. K. Davidson

A. O. Scott has been a film critic at the New York Times since 2000. His writing has appeared in many other publications, including the New York Review of Books, Slate, the New Yorker and the Nation. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2010, Scott is currently Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism at Wesleyan University. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
@aoscott

A. O. Scott

A.S. Byatt (1936-2023) was a novelist, short-story writer and critic of international renown. Her novels include Possession (winner of the Booker Prize 1990), the Frederica Quartet and The Children’s Book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. She was appointed CBE in 1990 and DBE in 1999, and was awarded the Erasmus Prize 2016 for her ‘inspiring contribution to life writing’ and the Pak Kyongni Prize 2017. In 2018 she received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.

A. S. Byatt

A. T. Williams won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2013 for his book A Very British Killing: The Death of Baha Mousa. He lives in Warwickshire.

A. T. Williams

A. W. Chase

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, A.C. 'Ava' Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. Alias Emma was a Barnes and Noble book of the month. A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.

A.C. Glass

A.E. Housman

Arthur Edward Waite was the designer and co-creator of the now famous Rider Waite Tarot deck. 
 
An American-born British poet and scholarly mystic, his strong interest in all esoteric matters - divination, magic, Kabbalism, alchemy and Freemasony - led to him penning a number of books. These include the Key to the Tarot, The Book of Ceremonial Magic and A New Encyclopedia of Freemasony.

A.E. Waite

A.E. Warren is the author of the Tomorrow's Ancestors series, which consists of Subject Twenty-One, The Hidden Base, The Fourth Species and The Final Rising. 
 
After spending eight years working as a lawyer, she began to write in the evenings and early mornings as a form of escapism from life in a very small cubicle with lots of files. She self-published her first novels in her spare time, which were picked up by Del Rey UK which is the science fiction/fantasy imprint of Penguin Random House. 
 
 She is an avid reader, occasional gamer and fair-weather runner. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and hopefully, one day, a wise border terrier named Austen.

A.E. Warren

A.G.D. Maran

A.J. Ayer

A.J. Cronin

A K Benedict writes crime and speculative fiction in a room filled with clowns, mannequins and Doctor Who figures. Her first novel, The Beauty of Murder, was nominated for an eDunnit award and is in development for a major 8-part TV series by Company Pictures. Her second, Jonathan Dark or The Evidence of Ghosts, came out in February 2016. She's written Torchwood audio dramas for Big Finish and her short stories have featured in anthologies including Great British Horror and Best British Short Stories. She lives in St Leonards-on-Sea with her dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

A.K.Benedict

A. L. Kennedy has twice been selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and has won a host of other awards – including the Costa Book of the Year for her novel Day. She lives in Essex.

A.L. Kennedy

A.M. Ellis is a speculative fiction author and lover of everything steeped in myth and mystery. Her stories often lean into diverse voices, not only in her identity as a Black woman, but in exploring neurodivergence and mental health. A proud introvert and nostalgic gamer, she lives in Maryland, USA, with her husband and three children.

A.M. Ellis

A.N. Wilson was born in 1950 and educated at Rugby and New College, Oxford. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he holds a prominent position in the world of literature and journalism. He is an award-winning biographer and a celebrated novelist, winning prizes for much of his work. He lives in North London.

A.N. Wilson

A. T. Emerald lives with her husband and baby daughter in Nottinghamshire. She discovered her love of writing in 2020 and has not shut up about enemies to lovers ever since. She loves iced matcha, torrid love confessions with knives pressed to throats (fictional, of course) and does not accept bills for any therapy her books might incur.

A.T. Emerald

A.W. Priest

A.B.C. Merriman-Labor was a barrister, writer and munitions worker born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1877. His published works include A Series of Lectures on the Negro Race and The Story of the African Slave in a Nutshell. He also edited two editions of the Handbook of Sierra Leone. He arrived in the UK in 1904 to study law. In 1907, he organised a centenary commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade in Westminster Abbey. He later embarked on an 'entertainment-lecture' tour called Life and Scenes in Britain, travelling across thousands of miles of West, South West and Central Africa, which he expanded on to create Britons Through Negro Spectacles.

ABC Merriman-Labor

AJ Cronin

AJ Molloy

Aabria Iyengar is an American actress and author.

Aabria Iyengar

Aaliya Jaleel is a freelance illustrator, designer, and visual development artist, currently majoring in Animation at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the illustrator of Under My Hijab and Muslim Girls Rise. You can visit her online at www.aaliyamj.com.

Aaliya Jaleel

Aaron Allston

After more than fifteen years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick has taken the amazing insights from psychology and psychotherapy out of the consultation room and made them accessible to the wider world. 
 
He has been an ‘agony uncle’ for many years for both CBBC and BBC Radio 1, as well as on television, including BBC Worldwide, BBC 3 and BBC Learning.

Aaron Balick

Aaron Carroll

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Jean Plaidy

Incredibly detailed, exciting and vibrant is Plaidy's thrilling Queen of England series which depicts the lives of each queen beginning with Queen Henrietta Maria.

Rudely detailed, exciting and vibrant is Plaidy's thrilling Queen of England series. 
 
In this "memoir" by Elizabeth I, legendary historical novelist Jean Plaidy reveals the Virgin Queen as she truly was: the bewildered, motherless child of an all-powerful father; a captive in the Tower of London; a shrewd politician; a lover of the arts; and eventually, an icon of an era. It is the story of her improbable rise to power and the great triumphs of her reign -- the end of religious bloodshed, the settling of the New World, the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Brilliantly clever, a scholar with a ready wit, she was also vain, bold, and unpredictable, a queen who commanded -- and won -- absolute loyalty from those around her. 
 
But in these pages, in her own voice, Elizabeth also recounts the emotional turmoil of her life: the loneliness of power; the heartbreak of her lifelong love affair with Robert Dudley, whom she could never marry; and the terrible guilt of ordering the execution of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. In this unforgettable novel, Elizabeth emerges as one of the most fascinating and controversial women in history, and as England's greatest monarch.

Queen of This Realm: The Story of Elizabeth I

(Queen of England Series)

The life of Jane Shore in Plaidy's thrilling Queen of England Series. 
 
Eighteen year old Jane Shore’s beauty is known around London. She is well-educated and intelligent, and when she catches the eye of a wealthy goldsmith her father sees in her an opportunity for an advantageous marriage. But the marriage is soon annulled and she becomes the favourite mistress of Edward IV. 
 
Her compassion for London’s poor brings her widespread popularity, and she uses her favour with the king to beg forgiveness for those who have angered him. When Edward suddenly dies, she seduces other men, namely Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset and William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings. 
 
But when Hastings loses the new King's favour she is punished and imprisoned in Ludgate prison. There, away from the protection of her loves, she can only face the horrors of those she once protected. And pray for salvation.

The Goldsmith's Wife

One of history’s most complex and alluring women comes to life in this classic novel by the legendary Jean Plaidy. 
 
Anne Boleyn was not beautiful but she was irresistible and captured the hearts of kings and commoners alike. Daughter of an ambitious country lord, Anne was taught to court and marry well and raise the family’s fortunes. She soon surpassed even their greatest expectations. Although his queen was loving and loyal, King Henry VIII swore he would put her aside and make Anne his wife. And so he did, though the divorce would tear apart the English church and inflict religious turmoil and bloodshed on his people for generations to come. 
 
Loathed by the English people, who called her “the King’s Great Whore,” Anne Boleyn was soon caught in the trap of her own ambition. Political rivals surrounded her at court and, when she failed to produce a much-desired male heir, they closed in, preying on the king’s well-known insecurity and volatile temper. Wrongfully accused of adultery and incest, Anne found herself imprisoned in the Tower of London, where she was at the mercy of her husband and of her enemies.

The Lady in the Tower

At the power and mercy of the court her life was a struggle to keep the Queen's Secret. 
 
Katherine of Valois is born a princess, the daughter of King Charles VI of France. But by the time Katherine is old enough to know her father, he is called “Charles the Mad,” given to unpredictable fits of insanity. Aged 19, she marries Henry V of England in what was a happy but tragically brief union ending with his untimely death. 
 
As Joan of Arc incites the French to overthrow the English, Katherine’s loyalty to England is intensely scrutinised so much so her baby son, the new king, is taken from her and she was forbidden to re-marry. The young Queen is alone and desolate. But when she meets handsome Owen Tudor, her life is changed forever as she is drawn into a dangerous but irresistible love…

The Queen's Secret

From the pen of legendary historical novelist Jean Plaidy comes an unforgettable true story of 
royalty, passion, and innocence lost. 
 
Born into an impoverished branch of the noble Howard family, young Katherine is plucked from her home to live with her grandmother, the Duchess of Norfolk. The innocent girl quickly learns that her grandmother’s puritanism is not shared by Katherine’s free-spirited cousins, with whom she lives. Beautiful and impressionable, Katherine becomes involved in two ill-fated love affairs before her sixteenth birthday. Like her cousin Anne Boleyn, she leaves her grandmother’s home to become a lady-in-waiting at the court of Henry VIII. The royal palaces are exciting to a young girl from the country, and Katherine's duties there allow her to be near her handsome cousin, Thomas Culpepper, whom she has loved since childhood. 
 
But when Katherine catches the eye of the aging and unhappily married king, she is forced to abandon her plans for a life with Thomas and marry King Henry. Overwhelmed by the change in her fortunes, bewildered and flattered by the adoration of her husband, Katherine is dazzled by the royal life. But her bliss is short-lived as rumors of her wayward past come back to haunt her, and Katherine’s destiny takes another, deadly, turn.

The Rose Without a Thorn

In this unforgettable novel of Queen Victoria, Jean Plaidy re-creates a remarkable life filled with romance, triumph, and tragedy. 
 
At birth, Princess Victoria was fourth in line for the throne of England, the often-overlooked daughter spent most of her childhood in genteel poverty, exiled from court because of her mother’s dislike of her uncle, the king. A strong, willful child, Victoria was determined not to be stifled by her powerful uncles or her unpopular, controlling mother. Then at the age of eighteen this almost-forgotten princess became Queen of England. She was finally free of her mother’s iron-hand and her uncles’ manipulations. Her first act as queen was to demand that she be given a room—and a bed—of her own. 
 
Victoria’s marriage to Prince Albert was a blissfully happy and produced nine children. Albert was her constant companion and one of her most trusted advisors. Victoria’s grief after Prince Albert’s untimely death was so shattering that for the rest of her life—nearly forty years—she dressed only in black. She survived several assassination attempts, and during her reign England’s empire expanded around the globe until it touched every continent in the world. 
 
By the end of her sixty-four-year reign, this "Girl Queen" embodied the glory of the British Empire.

Victoria Victorious

Unforgettable in its dramatic depiction of relationships between monarchs and families, this series delves into the scandal and betrayal behind the Stuart family during their reign.

Historical romance at its very best: fans of Philippa Gregory will love this captivating journey back in time from multi-million copy and international bestselling author Jean Plaidy. 
 
'Jean Plaidy conveys the texture of various patches of the past with such rich complexity' - Guardian 
'These books are page-turners; they offer a wonderful way to learn about history... and their stories will remain with you for ever' -- Daily Express 
'Every bit as exciting and moving today as they were when first written.' -- Woman &amp; Home 
'Unputdownable, educational and a great read' -- ***** Reader review 
'Excellent as always!' -- ***** Reader review 
******************************************************************** 
1666: Charles II is rapturously welcomed back on the throne after years in exile. 
 
Needing funds he marries the wealthy Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza. But this is an unsuccessful match as the princess fails to provide him with an heir and the dowry never materializes. Although Charles always treats her with the utmost kindness, Catherine has to tolerate his many mistresses, notably the promiscuous beauty Barbara Castelmaine. 
 
The plot unfolds against a background of the Plague, the Popish Plot and the Great Fire of London where underlying religious tensions promise to cause problems for the King. 
 
 When his Catholic brother, James, looks likely to succeed him, the people rise up against Catholics. Even Queen Catherine is in danger when she is accused of plotting to kill her husband. 
 
Will this restored monarchy be able to hold on to power?

A Health Unto His Majesty

(The Stuart saga: book 3): a vivid, dramatic and exciting tale of passion and plotting from the undisputed Queen of British historical fiction

Here multi-million copy and international bestselling author Jean Plaidy brings to life the various loves and political losses of one of our most amorous Kings. Fans of Philippa Gregory will be hooked from page one... 
 
'Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting.' -- Observer 
'Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama.' -- New York Times 
'Outstanding' -- Vanity Fair 
'History was never so interesting at school' -- ***** Reader review 
'This was a gripping and informative book' -- ***** Reader review 
'A rollicking fine restoration read - LOVE!' -- ***** Reader review 
******************************************************************************************* 
 
 Charles II, the Merry Monarch, is determined that his people shall know peace and religious freedom. But the shadows cast over the throne by his son Monmouth and his wayward, Papist brother, the Duke of York, are proving too much for his popularity. 
 
 Amidst these dramatic events that ultimately shape Restoration England, our promiscuous regent is often to be found in the company of his many woman, including the ready arms of little Nell Gwyn, his buxom, pretty and witty mistress. 
Politics and passion play equal parts in one man - a recipe for success? 
The Stuart saga continues with The Three Crowns.

Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord

(The Stuart saga: book 4): a rich and riveting novel of Royal life in Restoration England from the undisputed Queen of British historical fiction

Readers of Philippa Gregory will love this compelling and captivating, sweeping and sensational and enthralling and entertaining historical novel from international multi-million copy bestseller Jean Plaidy. The Haunted Sisters is the story two sisters who change the course of a nation by forsaking the King-their own father... 
 
'Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting.' -- Observer 
'Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama.' -- New York Times 
'Outstanding' -- Vanity Fair 
'I just love all of her work, and have been reading her books for over 50 years. Wonderful way of getting to know history' - ***** Reader review 
'Amazing'- ***** Reader review 
'Jean Plaidy at her best'- ***** Reader review 
'I couldn't put this book down' -- ***** Reader review 
 
********************************************************************************************* 
 
 England is on the verge of revolution. Antagonized by the Catholicism of King James II, the people plot to drive him from the throne. But at the heart of the plot is a deep betrayal: the defection of the daughters James loves, Mary and Anne. 
 
 Both raised Protestant according to the wishes of England, the sisters support Protestant usurper William of Orange, Mary's husband, who lusts after the British crown. 
 
Passive Queen Mary is subservient to her husband's wishes, while Anne is desperate to please her childhood friend Sarah Churchill, a bold and domineering woman determined to subdue Anne, the queen-to-be, and rule England herself. 
 
 Intrigue and political drama run high as the sisters struggle to be reconciled with each other-and with the haunting memory of the father they have exiled... 
 
The Stuart saga continues with The Queen's Favourites.

The Haunted Sisters

(The Stuart saga: book 6): the captivating story of two sisters at the heart of a pivotal story in British history from the undisputed Queen of British historical fiction

Let multi-million copy and international bestselling author Jean Plaidy transport you back in time with this beautifully evocative, enthralling and enchanting novel of murder and mystery. If you like Philippa Gregory, you will not be disappointed. 
 
'Jean Plaidy conveys the texture of various patches of the past with such rich complexity' -- Guardian 
'Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting' - Observer 
'Entertaining, intelligent and engrossing' -- ***** Reader review 
'Jean Plaidy is just a master storyteller. Absolutely brilliant!' -- ***** Reader review 
'Very well written, makes you feel like you are really an insider as to what most likely was taking place.' -- ***** Reader review 
'Couldn't put it down...!' -- ***** Reader review 
 
******************************************************************************** 
The dashing Robert Carr is a well-known favourite of King James I and he rises quickly through the ranks. A glorious future seems assured... 
 
But when he is married to the cunning and beautiful child-bride, Frances Howard, everything changes. 
 
 Frances emerges as a headstrong force of nature - determined to have her way, no matter what the cost. Her attempts to rid herself of an unwanted husband, and later to ensnare a lukewarm lover, lead her deep into the world of spell-makers and treachery. This is a woman to underestimate at great peril. 
 
When Robert finds himself ensnared in one of Frances's plots he finally learns what she is truly capable of... 
 
The Stuart saga continues in The Wandering Prince.

The Murder in the Tower

(The Stuart saga: book 1): passion and peril collide in this dazzling novel set in the 1600s from the Queen of English historical fiction

If you like Philippa Gregory, you will love this mesmerising historical novel from international multi-million copy bestseller Jean Plaidy. The Queen's Favourites follows the stories of the three women at the heart of the Stuart Court and the ever-changing power struggle that dominates their relationships with one another... 
 
'Jean Plaidy, by the skilful blending of superb storytelling and meticulous attention to authenticity of detail and depth of characterisation has become one of the country's most widely read novelists.' -- Sunday Times 
'Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting.' -- Observer 
'Outstanding' -- Vanity Fair 
'I was gripped from the first page' -- ***** Reader review 
'A riveting read' -- ***** Reader review 
'Great story - could not put it' -- ***** Reader review 
'Unputdownable!!' -- ***** Reader review 
 
************************************************** 
It is the beginning of the eighteenth century and William of Orange is dying. Soon Anne is crowned Queen, but court insiders know that the power behind the sovereign is Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. 
 
Beautiful, outspoken Sarah controls Anne and believes herself to be invincible, until she installs her poor cousin Abigail Hill in court as royal chambermaid. Plain Abigail seems the least likely rival for Sarah's place in Anne's affections, but Sarah has underestimated her. 
 
 While Anne engages in her private battles, the nation is obsessed with another, more public one: succession. Anne is sickly and childless, the last of the Stuart line. Who will reign when she is gone?

The Queen's Favourites

(The Stuart saga book 7): the enthralling story of the real power behind the throne from the undisputed Queen of British historical fiction

Captivating in its historical detail, lush and sweeping in its scope, and unforgettable in its dramatic depiction of relationships between monarchs and families, The Three Crowns is the singular story of the only joint sovereigns in British history. Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory. 
 
'Plaidy has brought the past to life' -- Times Literary Supplement 
'Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama' -- New York Times 
'Jean Plaidy conveys the texture of various patches of the past with such rich complexity' -- Guardian 
'Absolute heaven' -- ***** Reader review 
'Another wonderful book from a brilliant writer' -- ***** Reader review 
'Fantastic' -- ***** Reader review 
 
******************************************************************************************* 
When an empire is at stake, one woman stands between the past and the future. 
 
 In post-Restoration England, King Charles II has fathered numerous children, but not a single legitimate heir. So it falls to his brother, James, Duke of York, to head the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland-the three crowns of Britain. But James's devout Catholicism, and desire to return Britain to the rule of Rome, does not sit well with his subjects and his time as king is sure to be short. 
 
 Born leader and brilliant soldier, William of Orange, has a plan... By marrying Mary, James' fifteen-year-old daughter and heir, he will position himself perfectly to seize the English crown. 
Mary must also decide how much power to cede to William, should she keep him as Consort or let him rule beside her as King? 
 
The Stuart saga continues with The Haunted Sisters.

The Three Crowns

(The Stuart saga: book 5): a compelling and powerful depiction of a pivotal moment in British history from the undisputed Queen of British historical fiction

Fans of Philippa Gregory will love this captivating journey back in time from multi-million copy and international bestselling author Jean Plaidy. Kings in exile, unrequited passion, courtly intrigue and secrets - what more could you want? 
 
'Jean Plaidy's strength as a popular writer is again shown...solid, enjoyable.' -- Daily Mirror 
'Outstanding' -- Vanity Fair 
'Plaidy has brought the past to life' -- Times Literary Supplement 
'Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama' -- New York Times 
'Excellent as always!' -- ***** Reader review 
'Couldn't put it down...!' -- ***** Reader review 
'Easy to read and hard to put down' -- ***** Reader review 
************************************************************* 
 
1651: Charles II - the most fascinating of England's rakes - is in exile. With him are his younger sister Minette and his buxom mistress Lucy Water and together they traverse the political and romantic minefield of the French courts. 
 
 Minette soon falls passionately in love with Louis, the young Sun King. Yet her affections are not returned and, heartbroken, she must mollify herself with a marriage to his secretly gay brother, Phillippe. 
 
But at what cost?

The Wandering Prince

(The Stuart saga: book 2): an enthralling story of love, passion and intrigue set in the 1600s from the Queen of English historical fiction.

Marie Joseph

Let bestselling and prizewinning author Marie Joseph take you to another world and lose yourself in this beautifully written and mesmerising saga about love against all odds. Fans of Katie Flynn, Rosie Harris and Catherine Cookson will not be disappointed. 
 
'Marie Joseph is an amazing success story' -- Woman's Weekly 
'She is a winner every time she writes' -- Manchester Evening News 
'I love Marie Joseph books and this one did not disappoint.' -- ***** Reader review 
'Loved this story, pure escapism' -- ***** Reader review 
'Compelling and very readable - recommended for an afternoon relaxing read.' -- ***** Reader 
 
*********************************************************************************** 
WORLDS APART, BUT DRAWN TO EACH OTHER... 
 
Their lives could not have been more different. Jenny was the girl from the meat shop, born into squalor and defeat. Paul Tunstall was a soldier and a gentleman, arrogant and charming, with his silver-light eyes and boyish smile. 
And yet from the moment they met there was a spark between them - and their separate lives of pain and loneliness seemed to beckon to each other. 
 
Will love win out, against all odds?

A Leaf in the Wind

an emotional, enthralling and incredibly moving love story from bestselling saga author Marie Joseph

Robert Harris

'A writer who handles suspense like a literary Alfred Hitchcock' Nelson Mandela 
 
April, 1964. The naked body of an old man floats in a lake on the outskirts of Berlin. In one week it will be Adolf Hitler's 75th birthday. A terrible conspiracy is starting to unravel . . . 
 
'Robert Harris has created the whole structure of a totally corrupt society in a way that makes the flesh creep' Sunday Times 
'Powerful and chilling . . . convincing in every detail' Daily Telegraph 
'Clever and ingenious . . . its breeding is by Orwell, out of P.D. James, a detective story inside a future shock' Daily Mail

Fatherland

It is New Year's Eve 1936 when Wesley Battersby leaves his pretty wife Amy to go and live with Clara Marsden. 
 
Ashamed and frightened, Amy struggles with loneliness and hardship while Wesley is spending his money on buying the love of the flighty Clara. But Amy's warmth and vitality win her friends who give her renewed courage and confidence. And when the frivolous Clara leaves Wesley in search of a wealthier replacement, he realizes his foolish mistake and returns home, but to a woman changed almost beyond recognition ...

Since He Went Away

Judith Saxton

A young girl's search for her identity and for a love that can overcome her past. 
 
Questa Adamson is stranded in Italy for the duration of the Second World War. When she finally returns to England she is haunted by terrible memories. She finds that the safe childhood world she remembers has disappeared and that she is as alone in her home country as she has been in Italy. 
 
She also finds that she has inherited a tumbledown manor house in Shropshire and is determined to restore the estate to its former glory, despite rationing and post-war austerity. And when she meets her mysterious neighbor, Marcus, it seems as if she might, at last, begin to drop her guard and learn to love. 
 
But loving Marcus brings its own special difficulties and Questa soon finds herself faced with an extraordinary and painful choice.

The Blue And Distant Hills

Joseph

Fans of Katie Flynn, Rosie Harris and Catherine Cookson will love this compelling and captivating saga by bestselling and prizewinning author Marie Joseph. When you're a woman in a man's world, you've got to do everything you can to make a way for yourself... 
 
'Marie Joseph is an amazing success story' -- Woman's Weekly 
'She is a winner every time she writes' -- Manchester Evening News 
'Compelling' -- ***** Reader review 
'Another Marie Joseph page-turner' -- ***** Reader review 
'Never ceases to pull at your heartstrings' -- ***** Reader review 
*************************************************************************************************** 
IN A MAN'S WORLD, WILL HER PASSION AND STEELY DETERMINATION BE A HELP OR A HINDRANCE? 
 
At the turn of the century, the North of England is a hard, bleak world. A world where joy and love are in short supply - where men are resigned and women oppressed. 
 
Strong-willed and spirited, rebellious and beautiful, Maggie Craig flies in the face of the harshness of that world... 
 
Will her passion cost her dearly?

Maggie Craig

a powerful and stirring turn-of-the-century northern saga about a woman’s determination from bestseller Marie Joseph

On 21 April 1926, three baby girls are born. In North Wales, Hester Coburn, a farm labourer's wife, gives birth to Nell, while in Norwich, in an exclusive nursing home, Anna is born to rich and pampered Constance Radwell. And in London, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, has her first child, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. 
 
The future looks straightforward for all three girls, yet before Nell is eight she and Hester are forced to leave home, finding work with a travelling fair. Anna's happy security is threatened by her father's infidelities and her mother's jealousy, and the Princess's life is irrevocably altered by her uncle's abdication. 
 
Set in the hills of Wales and the rolling Norfolk countryside, the story follows Nell and Anna through their wartime adolescence into young womanhood as they struggle to overcome their problems, while watching 'their' Princess move towards her great destiny. Only when they finally meet do the two girls understand that each of them is 'someone special'.

Someone Special

Constance Heaven

Lose yourself in this beautifully written, emotional and enthralling novel from much loved author Constance Heaven. It conjures up the glittering society and changing times of the 1870s in London and Russia so wonderfully, you'll feel as if you are there yourself! 
 
'Heady romance with glittering background' -- SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 
'Readable and atmospheric' -- DUBLIN TIMES 
'Excellent! Difficult to put down' - ***** Reader review 
'Exciting read' - ***** Reader review 
'A great novel from a great writer' - ***** Reader review 
 
*************************************************************************** 
Louise Defour's life is idyllic: as the love-child of a British diplomat and Russian dancer, she wants for nothing. 
But when her parents are killed, she finds herself penniless and alone, and must travel to England to meet a half-sister who does not even know of her existence. 
 
There, she becomes part of the world of the mysterious Daniel and Christine Hunter - with a potentially destructive effect.

The Love Child

a sweeping historical novel set in Russia and England in the 1870s

A SAGA OF A YOUNG GIRL'S STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL ON THE ISLAND OF JERSEY DURING THE NAZI SECOND WORLD WAR OCCUPATION. After the death of Rochelle Dubois's parents, she is adopted by their employer, Charles Laurient, and together she and Charles work to rear his treasured rare orchids. But when war breaks out, Rochelle is left to do her best for herself and her precious seedlings, for Charles is taken away by the Germans. The arrival of his son Laurie from America could be her salvation.

This Royal Breed

Patricia Burns

A magical love story- and a richly detailed evocation of a great city. 
1909, and life is hard for young Poppy Powers. 
Her dad has disappeared-gone to a season in the North somewhere and failed to return-leaving her mum to earn their keep and Poppy doing chores for Gran. Poppy dreams of being a musician like dad, but Gran would never allow it, and Gran’s rule is absolute in Cinnamon Alley. 
 
There is more than a littleof Gran’s stubbornness and determination in Poppy, however and the discovery of her Dad’s saxophone, secret music lessons and the Salvation Army band bring the stirrings of possibility. Waitressing in the drinking clubs during the terrible Great Was, Poppy and her dreams find a direction. It is there she falls in love, tragically and irrevocably, with the American Scott Warrender. 
 
Alone and destined to rely on her own talents, Poppy, with few loyal friends and a flair for dance music, forms the Power Girls, the first all-female band. The fight for respect and recognition is doubly hard for women, but this is the heady Roaring Twenties and all the Bright Young Things are desperate to dance. Among them is Roddy Ffitch. Charming, rich, madly in love with Poppy, he introduces her to a dangerous world of endless parties and fast cars. But can he help her forget Scott? 
 
From smoky clubs to ocean liners, from North Millwall to New York, though the war, the reckless dancing years and the Wall Street Crash, Poppy is determined to succeed, and to make her own way on her own terms. Only her last ambition remains unfulfilled-to share it all with the man she loves. But, maybe after all, what Poppy craves is just a step from Cinnamon Alley…

A Step From Cinnamon Alley

In this powerful sequel to PACKARDS, much loved author Patricia Burns returns to the London department store, bringing its people and its wartime challenges expertly to life. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Josephine Cox... 
 
READERS ARE LOVING GOODBYE PICCADILLY! 
'I could hardly bear to put my kindle down until I had read the final chapter!' - Loving 
'One of the best books I have read for a long time'-- ***** Reader review 
'Another excellent read - couldn't put it down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Loved it' -- ***** Reader review 
********************************************************* 
AS EUROPE PLUNGES INTO WAR, WILL PACKARDS - AND ITS PEOPLE - SURVIVE? 
 
Following the death of Thomas Packard, the tensions between his grandchildren mount: 
 
Who will get the major shareholding in the store? Who will be on the board? Who will be chairman? 
Amelie fights to maintain her position whilst not only coping with a marriage that is far from perfect but also trying to resist a strong attraction to her friend's husband. 
 
Then their world is torn apart by the declaration of war - business must go on despite staffing difficulties. It opens up new opportunities for Amelie, who is quick to seize them, and puts ever more of her energies into her beloved Packards. 
 
But the outbreak of war also stiffens her brother Alec's resolve to stay firmly in control. . .

Goodbye Piccadilly

an unmissable turn-of-the-century wartime saga about one department store, and the people who depend on it

Let much loved author Patricia Burns transport you to the East End of yesteryear in this saga of one woman's search for love amidst the perils of war. Fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Josephine Cox will not be disappointed... 
 
'The authentic flavour of the East-End... compelling...A very good read' -- Harry Bowling 
'A truly riveting romantic saga' - Loving 
'One of the best stories I have read in a while' -- ***** Reader review 
'Loved it from start to end.Gripped all way through' -- ***** Reader review 
'[A] brilliant moving story' -- ***** Reader review 
 
******************************************************************************* 
AS BOMBS CONTINUE TO FALL ON LONDON, WILL SHE BE ABLE TO FIND HAPPINESS? 
 
1941: Like anyone else in London during the war, Rita Johnson never knows whether her house on Trinidad Street will still be there when she gets home. Times are uncertain and unsettling, yet one thing remains constant - the interlocking loyalties of the families and their friends who live on the street. 
 
The bombing of London brings the best in the residents: courage and devotion, and the stubborn resistance needed to cock a snoop at Hitler. 
 
Yet amidst all of this 'Blitz-spirit', Rita feels like something is missing - trapped in a loveless marriage, she yearns for more. So when she meets RAF navigator Jack Wilkinson, walking arm in arm with her sister Lily, she falls for him, head over heels. 
 
But he is a man she cannot love - will she be able to find a way forward?

Keep Safe For Me

a powerfully moving, compulsive and heart-wrenching wartime saga set in London’s East End

Sheila Walsh

Scarred by her experiences on the battlefront, Aimée Buchanan, a young doctor, has come home to Liverpool. Exhaustion, fever and a tragic love affair leaves her depressed and apathetic - until she meets the Shaw family and sees the plight, firsthand, of destitute families. 
 
Apprenticed to the hateful Mrs Crawley, Matty Shaw dreams of becoming a famous designer until she is unfairly dismissed. But fate takes a hand, and Matty finds herself working as an alteration assistant at Madame Vincent's exclusive French modiste... 
 
In a story that crosses the barriers of class and social prejudice, Shelia Walsh, author of bestselling Until Tomorrow, brings to life her warm and moving novel of two women, both dedicated to their careers - both determined to succeed in a different world.

Remember Me

Let bestselling and prizewinning author Marie Joseph sweep you away with this captivating and enthralling saga about poverty, passion and an unquenchable desire for a better life. Fans of Katie Flynn, Rosie Clarke and Catherine Cookson will not be disappointed. 
 
'Marie Joseph is an amazing success story' - WOMAN'S WEEKLY 
 'Another Marie Joseph page-turner' -- ***** Reader review 
'Never ceases to pull at your heartstrings' -- ***** Reader review 
'Marie Joseph's descriptions and turn of phrase are a joy to read...' -- ***** Reader review 
'Compelling and very readable - recommended for an afternoon relaxing read.' -- ***** Reader 
 
********************************************* 
WILL SHE GET THE LIFE AND LOVE SHE'S ALWAYS DREAMED OF? 
 
Lancashire in the 1900s. Clara Haydock has the voice of an angel - but she lives in a time and place of poverty and hardship, where singing is for church and life for getting on with. As she sings hymns on a Sunday morning, she dreams of one day singing on stage, in front of a rapt audience, lost in the music she loves. 
 
Her unbreakable spirit, her passion for music and her will to live a better life make her shine against the bleakness of her life. 
 
Not one to give up on a dream, she knows where her destiny lies ... and she'll do anything to fulfil it...

The Clogger's Child

A beautiful and touching wartime romance from the pen of bestselling and prizewinning author Marie Joseph. Perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Rosie Clarke and Catherine Cookson 
 
'Marie Joseph is an amazing success story' - WOMAN'S WEEKLY 
'Marie Joseph's descriptions and turn of phrase are a joy to read...' -- ***** Reader review 
'Compelling and very readable - recommended for an afternoon relaxing read.' -- ***** Reader 
'Typical Marie Joseph page turner.' -- ***** Reader review 
 
******************************************************************* 
WILL SHE FIND LOVE WITH THE MAN SHE'S SET HER HEART ON? 
 
Despite the incredible pressure, and the imminent danger, it is Sally Barnes who preoccupies David Turner's thoughts whilst on a bombing mission over Germany. 
 
Deaf since childhood, Sally is young and vulnerable and David wishes he could be with her to protect her from the horrors of war. 
 
 But to Sally, David is just the boy from down the road. It is Lee, the young carefree American airman, who has won her heart. 
 
Will fate be kind and allow her to find happiness amidst the trials and tribulations of a world at war?

The Listening Silence

the uplifting and moving story of the search for love amidst the trials of the Second World War

Lose yourself in this heart-warming and captivating saga of love and heartache set in London's East End from much loved author, Patricia Burns. Fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Josephine Cox will not be disappointed... 
 
READERS ARE LOVING TRINIDAD STREET! 
'Thoroughly enjoyed it, got carried away with all the different family happenings' -- ***** Reader review 
'Couldn't put this book down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Such a great read' -- ***** Reader review 
 
********************************************************* 
LOVE AND WAR IN LONDON'S EAST END 
 
The Isle of Dogs at the turn of the century was a close-knit community and Trinidad Street was no different. The lives and loves of its residents often intermingled... 
 
When Tom Johnson, a union leader at the docks is sacked, his daughter Ellen has to leave school and forget her dreams of getting an office job. But she can still dream of Harry Turner... 
 
 But Harry, a young lighterman struggling to keep his battered family together, is bewitched by silver-tongued beauty Siobhan O'Donoghue. And Siobhan, ambitious for greater things, will use any weapon to repay the people of Trinidad Street for her disappointments. 
 
 And Gerry Billingham, set on bettering himself in pursuit of a retail empire, will be there to pick up the pieces ... 
 
 Through good times and bad, some will find what they are looking for - and others will realise too late what they have lost.

Trinidad Street

Fans of Katie Flynn, Rosie Clarke and Catherine Cookson will love being transported to another time and place by bestselling and prizewinning author Marie Joseph in this enthralling and heart-warming saga about one woman's desire for a glamourous and romantic life. Will she achieve her dreams? 
 
'Marie Joseph has the same rare, magical gift as Catherine Cookson for turning everyday people with everyday lives into the stuff of fascination' -- Kent Evening Post 
'She is a winner every time she writes' -- Manchester Evening News 
'The perfect cosy read... I have multiple copies of this book and read it every year' -- ***** Reader review 
'Loved this story, pure escapism' -- ***** Reader review 
************************************************************ 
ONE CHANCE ENCOUNTER WILL CHANGE HER LIFE FOREVER... 
 
In a small Lancashire cotton town in the 1930s, Daisy Bell dreams her life away. At twenty-six, still a spinster and heiress to her mother's potato pie shop, she's resigned to a lonely old age. But toiling over the bake-house fire she dreams of a better world - a world of glamour and romance as seen on the silver screen. 
 
 Then she meets Sam a dashing Clark Gable look-alike and chauffeur to a wealthy London businessman - and suddenly her life is changed forever... 
 
Will Sam be the answer to her prayers? 
 
A Better World Than This won the Romantic Novelists' Award. Daisy's story continues in A World Apart.

A Better World Than This

an unmissable and uplifting Lancashire coming of age saga of love and life

Fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Josephine Cox will love this wonderfully evocative and enchanting saga set in London's Docklands from much loved author, Patricia Burns. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING CINNAMON ALLEY! 
'Absolutely loved this book and I couldn't put it down really enjoyed it' -- ***** Reader review 
'Keeps you turning the page!' -- ***** Reader review 
'Brilliant read , read it all in one go , could not put it down until I finished it' -- ***** Reader review 
 
**************************************************** 
ONE WOMAN'S WILL TO MAKE SOMETHING OF HER LIFE... 
 
Brought up by her mother and grandmother in London's Docklands, Poppy Powers harbours a secret ambition to become a musician like her father. 
 
Waitressing in the drinking clubs during the terrible Great War is where she first hears ragtime and it is there she falls in love with the exotic American, Scott Warrender. 
 
After tragically losing him she succeeds in forming the first all-female band and flighty, charming Roddy Fitch does his best to make her forget her heartache. . . 
 
From smoky clubs to ocean liners, through the war, the reckless dancing years and the Wall Street Crash, Poppy is determined to succeed. 
 
Only her last ambition remains unfulfilled - to share it with the man she loves.

Cinnamon Alley

an uplifting and heart-warming saga of love and loss that will keep you gripped…

A Private Thriller

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

A Puffin Book

A Ripley Novel

A Slice of the Moon

A Victorian Mystery

A Walk in...

A Women’s Murder Club Thriller

A chef Paul Delamare Mystery

Aberrations

Across the Universe

Actiphons

Adelia Aguilar

Adrian Mole

Adventures in Time

Aftermath

Against War

Age of X

Agent 21

Agent Z

Detective Aidan Waits is a troubled junior detective haunted by his past. Facing an uncertain future, and disconnected from his history, DC Waits and his partner, Detective Inspector Peter 'Sutty' Sutcliffe work on Manchester's streets to uncover the city's worst criminals among the grime of the underworld.

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