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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Val Wood

____________________ 
 
Winter, 1860. 
 
Rosalie has been granted a life of comfort and wealth but neither of these protects her when her mother suddenly dies. 
 
Polly has lead a life of grinding poverty; after losing her own mother, she finds herself alone on the bitterly cold streets of Hull. 
 
Then fate intervenes, bringing the two girls together when Polly takes a job as a scullery maid in Rosalie’s lonely house. The girls become unlikely friends and, when forced to leave the city behind, find themselves setting out to live with Rosalie’s uncle on the North Yorkshire Moors. Here they discover a life that neither of them has known before; though after finding momentary joy they soon learn once again that tragedy is never far away… 
____________________ 
 
If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Rich Girl, Poor Girl

Catherine Cookson

Rosie finds it hard to cope with her eldest sister's over-possessive nature. Since the death of their mother Beatrice has been insufferably dominating, taking over the running of the house and ruling their father and servants with an iron hand. She glories in being the mistress at Pine Hurst and never dreams of leaving. 
 
 But when their father dies unexpectedly their security is threatened, and Beatrice must lay plans to protect this most prized possession. 
 
How will the sister's survive now their father is gone? 
 
Catherine Cookson was the original and bestselling saga writer, selling over 100 million copies of her novels. If you like Dilly Court, Katie Flynn or Donna Douglas, you'll love Catherine Cookson.

A Sister's Obsession

Emma Hornby

Gritty and page-turning historical saga set in Northern England in the late 1800s, for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin. 
 
Minnie Maddox cares deeply for mothers and their babies - she makes a living by taking in unwanted children and finding them good adoptive homes - and is delighted for her neighbour when she finally becomes a mother after decades of trying. But when the baby dies of natural causes while under her roof, and knowing her neighbour will be devastated, Minnie swaps it with one of the infants in her care. 
 
Now seventeen, Jewel Nightingale knows nothing of her true origins. But assaulted by her hateful cousin and making the dreadful discovery that she is pregnant, she faces a desperate dilemma. Fleeing her job as a domestic maid, she follows an advertisement to a house in Bolton's dark slums, where a woman promises to help her when the child is born. Little does Jewel know that there's a terrible price to pay . . . 
 
Can she keep herself - and her baby - safe? And what will happen when Jewel discovers the truth about where she came from?

A Mother’s Dilemma

Ellen thought she’d always live in the remote, pretty coastal village where she grew up. After all, her husband, Harry, works on a farm where he’s guaranteed a job and home for life. 
 
But when the old landowner dies and the couple and their young children are forced from their cottage, the future is suddenly bleak. Rather than stay – and starve – in the countryside they love, Harry sets out to find a job in the factories and mills of nearby Hull, and Ellen must leave behind everything she’s ever known to follow her husband and build a new life for her family on the unfamiliar city streets. 
 
The road ahead is full of hardships and challenges. But with love and determination, they make the best of things, forging friendships with other newcomers and refugees; even helping them to succeed in their new surroundings. 
 
Then tragedy threatens Ellen’s fragile happiness. How much more can she sacrifice before they find a place to call home? 
 
Val Wood's wonderful historical sagas are perfect for readers of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin.

A Place to Call Home

Jenny Holmes

**Don't miss Jenny Holmes's latest wartime series, The Air Raid Girls. Part 3 - The Air Raid Girls: Wartime Brides - is available now!** 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
A heart-warming, romantic story of friendship, camaraderie and triumph over adversity that fans of Donna Douglas, Daisy Styles and Call the Midwife will adore. 
 
Winter, 1942. Brenda and Joyce are just two of the girls who have joined the Women's Land Army and are doing their bit for the war effort. But after months working on farms in the Yorkshire Dales, they're looking for a fresh challenge. 
 
Despite the bitter cold of their new billets high in the remote fells, their fear for those away fighting, and concern for family and friends, there is warmth to be found in faces old and new, and plans for a jolly Christmas are afoot. 
 
But when a child evacuee goes missing in the snow and tragedy strikes close to home, can their dearest wish - that all their loved ones stay safe this Christmas - possibly come true? 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
Readers love Jenny Holmes: 
 
'There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book' 5 star review 
'I couldn't put this book down' 5 star review 
'Loved the whole story' 5 star review 
'This is a totally absorbing book' 5 star review 
'An excellent read put together in fine style' 5 star review

A Christmas Wish for the Land Girls

A joyful and romantic WWII Christmas saga (The Land Girls Book 3)

_______________________ 
"Humour, toughness, resolution and generosity are Cookson virtues . . . In the specialised world of women's popular fiction, Cookson has created her own territory." (Helen Dunmore, The Times) 
 
County Durham, 1860s. 
 
Born to a family of wealthy glassmakers, Annabella Legrange leads a charmed life, shielded from the struggles of the lower classes. But when she is eighteen she learns the truth of her birth and her whole world is shattered… 
 
Forced to flee and leave behind everything she has ever known, she seeks to find a new life among the working classes where she hopes to forget the troubles of her past. She soon finds that moving on is harder than it looks and that there doesn’t seem to be place for her in either society. 
 
Catherine Cookson was the original and bestselling saga writer, selling over 100 million copies of her novels. If you like Dilly Court, Katie Flynn or Donna Douglas, you'll love Catherine Cookson. 
 
Originally published as THE GLASS VIRGIN

The Glassmaker’s Daughter

**Don't miss Jenny Holmes's latest wartime series, The Air Raid Girls. Part 3 - The Air Raid Girls: Wartime Brides - is available now!** 
 
---------------------------- 
 
Summer 1942. 
 
Britain is in the depths of war and the Women's Land Army is hard at work looking after the farms while the men are away fighting. While patriotism, duty and a wonderful spirit of camaraderie sustain the Land Girls through tough times, it's no surprise that love is also often on their minds. 
 
For Yorkshire Land Girls and firm friends Grace, Brenda and Una, romance in wartime comes with a host of challenges. There's a wedding to plan, but married bliss is threatened when the time comes for the groom to enlist. With lovers parted, anxious women have no idea whether they'll see their men again. And while single girls dance and flirt, will they be able to find true love among the men who've stayed behind? 
 
 With the uncertainty of the times hanging over them and danger ever closer to home, can love stand the test of war? 
 
A heart-warming, romantic story of friendship, camaraderie and triumph over adversity that fans of Donna Douglas, Daisy Styles and Call the Midwife will adore. 
 
---------------------------- 
 
Readers love Jenny Holmes: 
 
'There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book' 5 star review 
'I couldn't put this book down' 5 star review 
'Loved the whole story' 5 star review 
'This is a totally absorbing book' 5 star review 
'An excellent read put together in fine style' 5 star review

Wedding Bells for Land Girls

A heartwarming WW1 story, perfect for fans of historical romance books (The Land Girls Book 2)

Bill Bailey 
Bill Bailey's Lot 
Bill Bailey's Daughter 
 
Bill Bailey came into the life of young widow Fiona Nelson and her three children as a lodger. He appeared to be ordinary enough but behind his rough charm lay some remarkable qualities, which were to have a great and lasting effect on the future lives of Fiona and the children. 
 
Before long Fiona and Bill are married and they embark on a life together. They adopt a child and have one of their own. But their path is never smooth, and fluctuating fortunes take them from success to failure and back again... 
 
Collected together in one volume for the first time, Catherine Cookson's first three Bill Bailey novels are richly entertaining tales of family life and relationships which touch the heart and offer much shrewd observation of the human condition.

Bill Bailey Omnibus

Ruth Hamilton

When Matthew's beloved wife Molly died, long before her time, her son Mark grieved as much as anyone. He had always known that his parents were completely devoted to each other, and sometimes he had felt excluded from this close partnership. Since he was a small boy his mother had been sickening with the illness that eventually carried her off, and now at the age of sixteen Mark longed to earn his father's respect by assisting with the family business, a prosperous antiques shop. But his father, in grief, seemed beyond help. 
 
Tilly Povey, famous for her whiplash tongue and her copious ironing, watched the boy's lonely existence with a heavy heart. Stella, Molly's sister, had done well for herself - now a doctor, she had always loved Matthew, and wondered whether he might, perhaps, turn to her in his hour of need. Matthew, obsessed with his loss, was gradually falling apart and none of those who were closest to him could, it seemed, do anything to help. But Tilly, whose uncompromising exterior hid a warm heart, was determined to help this troubled family.

Matthew And Son

a touching story of tragedy and redemption set in the North West from bestselling author Ruth Hamilton

This heart-wrenching, moving and emotional saga full of twists and turns and highlighting the importance of love and understanding by the Sunday Times bestselling author Ruth Hamilton is a must - read for fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Josephine Cox. 
 
"I believe that Ruth Hamilton is very much the successor to Catherine Cookson. Her books are plot driven, they just rip along; laughs, weeps, love, they've got the lot, and they're quality writing as well" -- SARAH BROADHURST, RADIO FOUR 
 
"This book kept me enthralled to the very last page" -- ***** Reader review 
"A riveting read. Couldn't put it down." -- ***** Reader review 
"As always an impeccable story by Ruth, sadness, happiness and in between hilarious wit. A must read book which you will be loathe to put down." -- ***** Reader review 
"A truly superb book" -- ***** Reader review 
**************************************************************************** 
WILL ONE FRIENDSHIP CHANGE THINGS FOREVER? 
 
Despite her strict 1950s Catholic upbringing, Madeleine Horrocks, doesn't understand why religion seems to force people apart. But her friend Amy has been brought up to believe that mixing with other religions results in eternal damnation, and when Maddy becomes friendly with George, a local, good-looking Jewish boy, Amy fears the worst. But as they grow up she, too, becomes friends with George, as well as with other young teenagers who meet secretly at the Bell House, an ancient place of burial. 
 
When a body is found in the nearby reservoir they all become threatened by tragedy and danger. 
 
Meanwhile, Father Sheahan, the whisky-soaked priest from the local church, has discovered that his secret past is catching up with him. 
 
Bigotry, lust and hatred have been so much a part of this community that it takes the combined forces of young and old - and particularly George's formidable grandmother Yuspeh - to bring everyone together and move forward positively.

The Bell House

a sweeping novel of power and compassion from bestselling author Ruth Hamilton

Margaret Mayhew

Fans of Katie Flynn, Rosamunde Pilcher and Dinah Jeffries will love this emotional and sweeping wartime romance set in Singapore from bestselling author Margaret Mayhew. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE! 
"Moving tale of bravery and human endurance...the sounds and smells and life of Singapore come alive in this well-told story" - 5 STARS 
 
"This is an amazing read" - 5 STARS 
 
"Left me craving more, loving the characters, totally absorbed in the detailed descriptions and finding myself recommending her novels over a coffee with friends" - 5 STARS 
 
"Great read!" - 5 STARS 
 
"Really loved this book" - 5 STARS 
 
********************************************** 
 
SHE ONLY LIVED FOR PLEASURE... 
 
...until war forced her to find courage she did not know she had, and love where she least expected it. 
 
1941: Britain is in the grip of war; life in the Far East is one of wealth and privilege. 
 
In Singapore Susan Roper enjoys dancing, clothes and fast cars, tennis and light flirtations with visiting naval officers - her life is devoted solely to pleasure and dismisses any warnings of danger. 
 
Singapore goes on partying, oblivious to the threat of invasion and believing the British flag will, protect them from all enemies. But when Japan invades, Susan finds herself in grave danger. She becomes an ambulance driver and is taken prisoner by the Japanese. 
 
Gradually and reluctantly she realises that she will have to face many hardships and witness terrible events, forcing her to acknowledge the truth...But will this new world lead her to a love where she least expects it?

The Other Side Of Paradise

An epic and moving love story under the shadow of war

Mary Jane Staples

As the 1950s progress, several unexpected happenings ruffle the usually calm atmosphere of Adams family life. Sammy and Boots are troubled by the first stirrings of industrial unrest, as the unions start to flex their muscles and old loyalties change, while an attractive new employee causes Sammy some troubles of a different kind. 
 
The older generation are more than a little surprised at what they see around them as society moves on and the lives of the youngsters are being taken over by rock 'n' roll. Young Emily, still only thirteen but old beyond her years, catches the eye of a teddy boy, while Linda is pursued by a smooth-talking young man. But good sense and good luck prevail, and the Adams family find the strength to cope with these challenging times.

Ups And Downs

When Laura Page returns to the remote Holderness village of Welwick, it is to try and discover the mystery of her mother Susannah's early life. Now a local property owner in Hull, Susannah never speaks of her childhood, when she was brought up with the terrible stigma of illegitimacy - of being nobody's child. 
 
Born into poverty, living in a tiny labourer's cottage with her father, Susannah's mother had caught the eye of the local landowner's son. She was his one and only great love, but when she died giving birth to their daughter Susannah he could not acknowledge his child but had to watch her growing up in hardship. As the years passed and Laura had begin to be curious about her mother's past, would she ever be reunited with the father she had scarcely known? 
 
If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Nobody's Child

Born into grinding poverty, young Freddie Musgrave relies on his wits to survive and help feed his family. He earns a few shillings by navigating his little boat across the swift-flowing waters of the Tyne, running messages and smuggling goods between the busy seaports on either side of the river and evading the customs agents. 
 
Luck is on his side . . . until the night he witnesses something truly horrific. In a supremely brave act he saves a life – and changes his own forever. 
 
Gaining the patronage of Maggie Hewitt, a sea captain’s daughter, Freddie is able to shape a future he can be proud of. But the threats of the past won’t stay buried and the dark events of that distant night have cast a long and dangerous shadow… 
 
Catherine Cookson was the original and bestselling saga writer, selling over 100 million copies of her novels. If you like Dilly Court, Katie Flynn or Donna Douglas, you'll love Catherine Cookson.

The Smuggler’s Secret

**Don't miss Emma Hornby's gripping new wartime saga, A SISTER'S FIGHT** 
 
---------------------------- 
 
Fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Maggie Hope will love Emma Hornby. 
 
After a cold, hard winter on the streets, three orphan children are about to give up hope when an unexpected turn of events brings them to the doorstep of a grand house in Ardwick, Manchester. 
 
Taken in by the firm but kind-hearted cook, the young friends can hardly believe their luck. But behind Bracken House's impressive façade lies a household steeped in troubles and mystery, with residents above and below stairs battling their own demons and dark secrets. 
 
Not everyone is happy about the new arrivals, and soon the orphans' safety is in danger. If they want to stay in the first home any of them have known for years, they must unravel the past and bring hope to the future. Will they succeed? Or will they come to regret ever leaving the mean slum streets they once called home? 
 
Emma Hornby's page-turning, absorbing sagas will tug at your heartstrings. 
 
---------------------------- 
 
Readers love Emma Hornby: 
 
'Similar to Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court, Emma Hornby tells a brilliant story that will keep you guessing with twists and turns. Pure talent.' 
 
'Emma Hornby's books just keep getting better and better. Honest, gritty, lovely characters.' 
 
'Keep writing Emma, you are very talented and can't wait for your next book. I've read them all.' 
 
'Emma is a wonderful storyteller and I can't wait for the next one!' 
 
'Thank you again Emma Hornby for a captivating read' 
 
'Another beautifully written story by Emma Hornby'

The Orphans of Ardwick

HANNAH MASSEY 
Proud and canny, ignorant and intensely ambitious, Hannah Massey is a born ruler. Her kingdom may be only a working-class household in County Durham, but within its walls her iron will governs a predominantly male family and her word is unchallengeable law. Now, in late middle age, her ambition is still not satisfied. She wants to see her brood living in the house where she was in service as a young girl. 
 
The apple of Hannah's eye is her pretty younger daughter, Rosie, who has just returned home after a spell in London. Rosie had gone south, so Hannah thought, to escape the passionate pursuit of a young man she had known for most of her life. Her return is shrouded in mystery and evasions, and when the truth does come out, Hannah's world is torn apart. 
 
THE FIFTEEN STREETS 
Life in the Fifteen Streets was tough - a continual struggle for survival. Some families gave up and descended into a dismal state of grinding poverty. Others, like the O'Briens - and especially John O'Brien - fought grimly for a world they were only rarely allowed to glimpse. 
 
John O'Brien caught his 'glimpse' on the day he met Mary Llewellyn. Mary, with her slim body and soft brown hair; Mary, who lived well, had beautiful clothes - who worked because she wanted to, not because she had to... 
 
When John O'Brien fell in love with Mary Llewellyn, he knew there was a gulf between them that nothing could bridge - it was the gulf of the Fifteen Streets.

Hannah Massey / The Fifteen Streets

Even the approach to Christmas fails to excite restless Agnes Conway, the twenty-two-year-old manager of the sweet and tobacconist shops owned by her feckless father. There are dark secrets in Arthur Conway's past, and these come tragically to light when Agnes's younger sister falls pregnant by one of the notorious Felton brothers. And Agnes herself has a secret, which she knows she must keep from her father: her relationship with Charles Farrier, son of a local landowner, who outrages his own wealthy, pious family by proposing marriage. 
 
However Charles is not the only man who could shape Agnes's furture, as his brother Reginald makes no secret of his admiration for her. But she could not have foreseen how significant a part he is to play in her destiny... 
 
The Wingless Bird is an absorbing story of love and the harsh realities of Britain's class system.

The Wingless Bird

Cathy Bramley

'A page-turner of a story about love, courage, and following your dreams' Milly Johnson, bestselling author of My One True North 
 
Life isn't as simple as producing the perfect pie. 
 
Thirty-two-year-old Hetty Greengrass is the star around which the rest of her family orbits. Marriage, motherhood and helping Dan run Sunnybank Farm have certainly kept her hands full for the last twelve years. But when her daughter Poppy has to choose her inspiration for a school project and picks her aunt, not her mum, Hetty is left full of self-doubt. 
 
Hetty's always been generous with her time and until now, her biggest talent - baking deliciously moreish shortcrust pastry pies - has been limited to charity work and the village fete. But taking part in a competition run by Cumbria's Finest to find the very best produce from the region might be just the thing to make her daughter proud . . . and reclaim something for herself. 
 
Changing the status quo isn't easy - and with cracks appearing in her marriage and shocking secrets coming to light, Hetty must decide where her priorities really lie . . . 
 
Your favourite authors have loved reading bestseller Cathy Bramley: 
 
'Delightful!' Katie Fforde 
'Full of surprises, just like one of Hetty's pies' Jo Thomas 
'Delightfully warm with plenty of twists and turns' Trisha Ashley 
 
Readers are falling in love with Hetty's Farmhouse Bakery: 
***** 'Perfect feel-good reading' 
***** 'If only real life were as idyllic as it is in Hetty's world' 
***** 'I laughed and cried and really warmed to the amazing, strong female characters'

Hetty’s Farmhouse Bakery

The perfect feel-good read from the Sunday Times bestselling author

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Patchwork Family

For ten years, Delia has had to fend for herself and her son Jack, and as a young unmarried mother, life has never been easy. Every new coat and pair of shoes was bought with what little money she could scrape together as a singer on the stage. 
 
But when the theatre work dries up, Delia faces a dilemma: continue the search for employment with no knowing whether she’ll find the stability and security her son needs, or return to the place that should be home . . . where only spite and hatred await them. 
 
Desperate now, a chance encounter suddenly presents a lifeline. But Delia is faced with an impossible, heart-wrenching choice. Can she bear to leave Jack behind, hoping another family will care for him? Will they ever be reunited? 
 
What else can a mother do to give her son the life he deserves? 
 
Val Wood's wonderful historical sagas are perfect for readers of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin.

A Mother's Choice

As an only child, Annabella LaGrange lived a privileged, secluded existence, and had come to accept that her wealthy parents lived at opposite ends of their magnificent country estate and that she was never taken beyond the gates. 
 
But at seventeen she learns something so shocking about her past that she flees her childhood home, forced to embark upon a new existence with an invented past. Suddenly Annabella must unlearn everything she has been taught about class and love . . .

The Glass Virgin

Young Frederick Musgrave was never more agile than when navigating his sculler across the waters of the Tyne between the busy seaports of North and South Shields in 1843. Already his services were in demand as a carrier of messages and certain small packages for those whose activities made them the target of the Customs and Excise men. 
 
As well as agile, Freddie was also reckoned to be lucky, but on such a night as brought him to The Towers, the home of Mr Roderick Gallagher, both luck and courage were to be tested to the limit. 
 
From that night on, things really began to happen to Freddie, and the best of them came when he gained the friendship and patronage of Miss Maggie Hewitt, who was to play a major role in shaping his life and fortunes. But he would still need all his luck and resourcefulness to escape the long shadow cast by Roderick Gallagher, whose power and influence threatened all who crossed his path . . .

The Harrogate Secret

**Don't miss Jenny Holmes's latest wartime series, The Air Raid Girls. Part 3 - The Air Raid Girls: Wartime Brides - is available now!** 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
'Calling All Women!' 
 
It's 1941 and as the Second World War rages on, girls from all over the country are signing up to the Women's Land Army. Renowned for their camaraderie and spirit, it is these brave women who step in to take on the gruelling farm work from the men conscripted into the armed forces. 
 
When Yorkshire mill girl Una joins the cause, she wonders how she'll adapt to country life. Luckily she's quickly befriended by more experienced Land Girls Brenda and Grace. But as Christmas draws ever near, the girls' resolve is tested as scandals and secrets are revealed, lovers risk being torn apart, and even patriotic loyalties are called into question . . . 
 
With only a week to go until the festivities, can the strain of wartime still allow for the magic of Christmas? 
 
A wonderful, festive tale of friendship, romance and triumph over adversity that fans of Daisy Styles, Donna Douglas and Call the Midwife will adore.

The Land Girls at Christmas

A festive tale of friendship, romance and bravery in wartime (The Land Girls Book 1)

Iris Gower

When Ella Burton takes a job as a lowly cleaner at the glamorous Palace theatre in Swansea, she is surprised by how quickly she takes to the job - it's as if she was born for a life in the theatre. Unlike Kathleen, who wants her name in lights, it's backstage that Ella's heart lies, running the show under the watchful eye of Anthony. It's not long before she realises that she has fallen in love, and Ella begins to dream about a future that's far from everything she has ever known... 
 
But a tragic accident threatens to ruin everything she has worked for, and it seems clear that Ella will have no choice but to accept the man that her father chose for her - even if it breaks her heart. Will Ella be forced to put her family before her own happiness - in the ultimate act of love? 
 
Iris Gower, Wales' favourite bestselling storyteller, begins a powerful and warm-hearted series set around Swansea's beautiful theatre.

Act Of Love

Susan Sallis

Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will love this beautifully captivating romantic saga from multi-million copy seller and Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis. 
 
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING! 
'I could not get over how beautifully written this book is' -- ***** Reader review 
'Highly recommend this book' -- ***** Reader review 
'A page-turner' -- ***** Reader review 
'Could not put it down! -- ***** Reader review 
'Don't miss this one' -- ***** Reader review 
 
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YOUR DESTINY CAN BE SHAPED BY THE MOST UNLIKELY OF THINGS... 
 
For Alice Pettiford, living near Gloucester in the late 1940s, leaving school for a job as a railway secretary makes perfect sense: most of her family have worked for the railway over the years. 
 
What Alice does not expect is that she would fall in love with Joe Adair, a colleague, almost as soon as she meets him. But Joe has to go overseas on National Service, and in the meanwhile her friend Hester's brother, the enigmatic Valentine, finds that his fondness for Alice is deepening into something much stronger. 
 
When he and Alice discover an old railway coach, long abandoned, hidden in a clearing in the Forest of Dean, Alice realises that it has been a very special, magical place. What she doesn't know is that the coach has played a secret part in the history of Joe's family, and that Joe's mother named it 'the pumpkin coach'. Now her own destiny will also be shaped by this enchanted refuge.

The Pumpkin Coach

an enchanting novel full of passion and drama from bestselling author Susan Sallis

When Millie's mother abandons her one late afternoon in 1854, fate brings the seven-year-old to Aggie's door - and life will never be the same for either of them. 
 
Known locally as 'Raggie Aggie' for her business of trading rags and old clothes, the older woman knows the dangers waiting for such a strikingly pretty girl left alone in their rough area of Newcastle, and sees no other option but to take her in. 
 
The unlikely pair soon form an unexpectedly strong bond. But there will be obstacles in their paths - will their friendship survive? Whatever happens, their relationship will change their lives for ever... 
 
Catherine Cookson was the original and bestselling saga writer, selling over 100 million copies of her novels. If you like Dilly Court, Katie Flynn or Donna Douglas, you'll love Catherine Cookson.

The Rag Maid

After her devious husband Billy tries to sell her at a wife sale, Lily Fowler finds herself alone, frightened and heavily pregnant on the streets of Hull. 
 
Running out of options when even the workhouse turns her away, Lily is forced to swallow what little pride she has left and accept work in a once-grand mansion in Leadenhall Square – now a brothel. 
 
Unexpectedly, she soon forges a strong bond with the group of people she finds there, all good-hearted women who have simply fallen on hard times. Seeing potential where others see only destitution, Lily and her ‘fallen angels’ join forces to outwit the low-life brothel-keeper. 
 
In working to transform the house in Leadenhall Square into something more respectable, doors to new opportunities are opened and lost loves are rekindled. 
 
Can the happy endings the fallen angels never dared to dream of finally come true? 
 
 
If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Fallen Angels

A gripping saga about the power of female friendship and fate

Moll thought she could keep her family safe . . . 
 
Eighteen-year-old Moll Chambers works her fingers to the bone doing all she can to support her family. With an ailing father and a wayward mother, Moll is the only one who can look after her siblings, Bo and Sissy. 
 
But Manchester is an increasingly dangerous place to live, overrun with a ferocious rivalry between gangs of so-called 'scuttlers': young men and women bent on a life of violence and crime. And they have her brother in their sights. Soon even Moll can't protect Bo from the lure of the criminal underworld. 
 
Then the scuttlers looked her way. 
 
When she herself falls for the leader of a rival gang, Moll's choices place her and Bo firmly on opposite sides of the city's turf war. 
 
With her loyalties now torn in two, and tragedy lurking round every corner, will Moll be able to rise above the conflict and protect those she loves the most? Or will stepping out with a scuttler spell ruin for them all . . . ? 
 
MANCHESTER MOLL is an absorbing saga that will tug at your heartstrings. Fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Maggie Hope will love Emma Hornby.

Manchester Moll

**Don't miss Jenny Holmes's latest wartime series, The Air Raid Girls. Part 3 - The Air Raid Girls: Wartime Brides - is available now!** 
 
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1936. George Street, West Yorkshire, houses a gleaming, brand-new telephone exchange where a group of capable girls works the complicated electrical switchboards. Among them are Cynthia, Norma and Millicent, who relish the busy, efficient atmosphere and the independence and friendship their jobs have given them. 
 
But when Millicent connects a telephone call for an old friend, and listens in to the conversation - breaking one of the telephonists' main rules - she, and then Norma and Cynthia too, become caught up in a story of scandal, corruption and murder. 
 
Soon, the jobs of all three girls are on the line. 
Norma's romance is in ruins. 
And Millicent has entered a world of vice . . . 
 
In tough times, the telephone girls will need to call on their friends more than ever. 
 
A wonderful story of camaraderie, friendship and triumph over adversity that fans of Daisy Styles, Donna Douglas and Call the Midwife will adore. 
 
---------------------------- 
 
 Readers love Jenny Holmes: 
 
 'There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book' 5 star review 
 'I couldn't put this book down' 5 star review 
 'Loved the whole story' 5 star review 
 'This is a totally absorbing book' 5 star review 
 'An excellent read put together in fine style' 5 star review

The Telephone Girls

Johanna Lindsey

Let #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey take you on a captivating and sweeping romantic adventure. If you like Bridgerton, Georgette Heyer and Jenny Hambly, you will love this! 
 
"Johanna Lindsey creates fairy tales that come true...she understands a woman's secret fantasies" -- ROMANTIC TIMES 
 
"A dreamspinner extraordinaire" -- ROMANTIC TIMES 
 
"First rate romance" -- NEW YORK TIMES 
 
"LOVED IT!" -- ***** Reader review 
 
"I could not put it down" -- ***** Reader review 
 
"Her characters are so alive and interesting" -- ***** Reader review 
 
*********************************************************** 
 
WHEN HATRED TURNS INTO DESIRE... 
 
For Lady Rebecca Marshall, a whirlwind of passion and excitement begins when she becomes a maid of honour at the court of Queen Victoria. Rebecca's mother is delighted - this appointment could be a golden opportunity for her to make a good match. 
 
But soon Rebecca is entangled in a web of deceit with the charming marquis Rupert St. John. The devastatingly handsome rogue seduces her but what she doesn't know is that Rupert is a secret agent of the crown, leading a double life. 
 
Forced to the altar, with a husband who vows never to be faithful, can Rebecca's wit, adventurous spirit, and generous nature turn his hatred into a passionate desire?

A Rogue of my Own

A sizzling, sparkling romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey

Perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Georgette Heyer and Jenny Hambly, a captivating historical romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey that you won't want to end! 
 
"She understands a woman's secret fantasies...Johanna Lindsey creates fairy tales that come true..." - Romantic Times. 
"A dreamspinner extraordinaire" -- ROMANTIC TIMES. 
"That Perfect Someone was such a joy to read. The characters had incredible chemistry, and there was fun, romance and humour!" - ***** Reader review. 
"I was absorbed in the book from the first page and read it within one day." -- ***** Reader review. 
 
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LOVE, REVENGE, PASSIONS RUNNING HIGH... 
 
Nine years ago, when Richard Allen's greedy, ambitious father, the Earl of Manford, betrothed him to Julia Miller, the daughter of London's wealthiest merchant, he was distraught. The pair can't stand each other and Richard takes to the sea, determined to live his own life. 
 
In the Caribbean, he joins a band of pirates and adopts the persona of a Frenchman named Jean-Paul. But when he returns to England on an errand for his captain, he finds himself completely smitten with a married woman, Georgina Mallory. She is indifferent to him, yet he persists in seeking her affections. 
 
But when he attempts to woo her at a ball, the last thing he expects is to come face to face with Julia Miller, to whom he is still engaged. 
 
But when Julia tries to wreak her revenge, not all goes quite according to plan...

That Perfect Someone

An enthralling historical romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey

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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