Showing results by narrator "Déirdra Whelan" in All Categories

Orphaned at the age of 10, Archie Ledbetter is forced to live with his uncle in his very grand house. Uncle Walter seems emotionless, exhibiting little feeling towards the young lad. If it wasn't for some of the staff at Huntington Hall, Archie's life would be a complete misery. There's a dark secret that Cook hints at as to why Archie's mother left her lavish lifestyle behind and ended up settling in the East End of London, scraping a living selling cakes and confectionery from the back of a barrow in the marketplace. Archie's never known his father and wonders who he is.

Anne Perry's Inspector William Monk: in search of justice, he will not stop until he has found the truth...Oliver Rathbone, William Monk's close friend, has presided brilliantly over his first cases as a judge. But the next will bring a far greater challenge. Abel Taft, a charismatic minister adored by his congregation, stands accused of terrible corruption and fraud which has ruined the lives of those he's betrayed.In court, each victim affirms Taft's guilt, but when the defence's star witness tears their stories apart, the case seems lost.

When the Burgess family move into their 'forever' home, it seems like they are set for many happy years together at their new address. Steph and Grant, along with their children, Charlie and Amelia, settle into their new surroundings quickly. But then they receive an unexpected visit from a couple who claim to have lived in the house before. They wish to come in and have a look around for old time's sake. Seeming pleasant and plausible, Steph invites them in. And that's when things begin to change.

Amy is a loving wife and mother to her husband and two children, Michael and Bella. It's that dedication to her family that causes her to seek help for her teenage son when it becomes apparent he is going to fail his end of school exams. Enlisting the help of a professional tutor, Amy is certain that she is doing the best thing for her child. But when she discovers that there is more to this tutor than meets the eye, it is already too late. With the rest of her family enamoured, Amy is the only one who can see that there is something not quite right about her.

It is 1896, and Thomas Pitt is in charge of Special Branch. He is beginning to understand the power he now commands, but is still ill at ease at the glittering events he and his wife, Charlotte, must attend. During a lavish party at the Spanish Embassy, a policeman breaks into Pitt's conversation with investor Rawdon Quixwood to break the terrible news that Quixwood's wife, Catherine, has been viciously assaulted at their home, and left for dead. Worse still, it appears that the assailant was someone she had trusted, as she opened the door to the attacker herself.

One night, in a corridor of the Royal Naval Hospital, Greenwich, nurse Hester Monk is approached by a terrified girl. She's from a hidden ward of children, all subject to frequent blood-letting, and her brother is dying.

The 30th novel in the popular series from the master of Victorian crime, featuring Thomas and Charlotte Pitt along with favourite characters Vespasia and Narraway. When Commander Thomas Pitt is ordered to protect a young woman visiting London from Spain, he cannot see why this is a job for Special Branch. When she disappears in the dead of night from Angel Court, however, he is faced with a dangerous mystery. Sofia preached new, and some say blasphemous, religious ideals, and her life had been threatened.

Sally Coulthard explores the miraculous world of the earthworm, the modest little creature without whom life as we know it would not be possible. For Charles Darwin - who estimated every acre of land contained 53,000 earthworms - the humble earthworm was the most important creature on the planet. And yet, most people know almost nothing about these little engineers of the earth. We take them for granted but, without the earthworm, the world's soil would be barren and our gardens, fields and farms wouldn't be able to grow the food and support the animals we need to survive.

In the peaceful Cotswolds village of Maybridge, you wouldn't expect to find a dead body in the rose garden. And certainly not two. Abby is horrified to discover the bones of a baby buried under a rose bush. It's in the garden of her soon-to-be ex-husband Howard's family home. She immediately calls the police. But she can't get hold of Howard. He's off on a jolly with the woman he's got pregnant. And then, just two days later, Abby finds Howard himself.

A freelance travel writer, Hannah rarely stays in one place long enough to call it home. After a childhood of moving between foster homes, her nomadic lifestyle means no lasting connections, keeping her fears of losing loved ones at bay. So when Hannah’s work takes her to Cariad Cove, it’s just another job. Will loves being a dad. It’s just him and his wilful six-year-old, Beti, but their family of two has love enough to keep them happy. When Will meets Hannah, attraction ignites, but one woman has already left Beti behind—he can’t have it happen again.

Heather is a single mum who has always done what's best for her daughter, Chloe. From birth up to the age of 17, Chloe has never been any trouble, until one night when she calls her mother with some shocking news. There's been an accident. And now there's a dead body.... As always, Heather puts her daughter's safety before all else, but this is one time when she goes too far. Instead of calling the emergency services, Heather hides the body, saving her child from police interviews and public outcry.

Nicola is returning to her family home for the Christmas holidays to spend the festive season with her loved ones for the first time in several years. But she gets a shock when she discovers that there will be an unexpected guest joining them for dinner. Their elderly neighbour, Barbara, will be present at the table too after receiving an invitation from Nicola's parents. That is a big problem for Nicola, although she struggles to let her family members know why. As far as they are concerned, Barbara is just the sweet old lady from next door. But Nicola knows the truth.

One summer can change everything. Catherine Bromley has spent her life in Penhallow Sands, dedicating herself to work and supporting her emotionally fragile mother. Since her father left, it's always been the two of them, and Catherine has no interest in romance. What's the point when men just leave? And besides, her mother needs her. But when handsome novelist Mark Coleman arrives to stay at the cottage overlooking nearby Plum Tree Bay, Catherine's world is changed.

Val, a widow living in Weston-super-Mare, spends lonely evenings dressing up as the movie star Elizabeth Taylor. It seems to be a way of coping with the loss and sadness she has experienced in her life. One day, when Val sees a pram left unattended on the seafront, on a whim she kicks off the brake and walks away with it.

When the anonymous invite arrived, we knew exactly who it was from. Elle Romero, the beautiful, charismatic Texan who burst into our lives when we were teenagers. We'd gone our separate ways and lost touch. Until now. Elle, the legendary prankster, is back. She's invited us all—me, Claire, Lizzie and Megan—to a swanky country house for a reunion. We arrive excited for a weekend of reminiscing and reconnecting. A chance to step out of our uneventful lives for a while. But when Elle fails to show up at her own party, we begin to wonder if she's up to her old tricks.

Abby Finch arrives at the old church hall armed with festive mistletoe and holly, ready to decorate. But within moments of her walking through the door, tragedy strikes . . . Edward Marsh reaches to test the antique star at the top of the tree. There's a fizz and the lights go out. Abby hears the sickening thud of a body hitting the floor. When the lights turn back on, Edward is dead. It soon becomes clear it was no accident.

Callie’s life is spent caring for others - for Frey, her client, and for Noah, her brother. When a tragic car accident shatters her family, she’s left alone with her mother, Vanessa. Vanessa's favourite child was Noah; Callie's favourite parent was her dad. Now they're stuck with each other - the leftovers of their family - and they'll have to confront the ways they've been hurt and the ways they've passed that hurt on to others.

Meet Elsa Zero: Bad neighbour. Single mother. Ex-deep cover agent. And right now, the most dangerous person on Earth. When Elsa's dull but dedicated boyfriend proposes in a packed restaurant, she doesn't think her evening can get any worse. But as the clock strikes midnight, her world is turned upside down. Suddenly Elsa is running for her life, trying to keep her children safe, and desperate to discover what the hell is going on.

When Annie marries Harry after years of heartache in a London slum she believes she's found her happy ever after. But the horrors of the Blitz soon threaten everything they hold dear. The terrible sights Harry witnesses as an air raid warden bring back traumatic memories of his time during the First World War. Suddenly Annie finds herself struggling to cope not only with life in wartime and two little children, but also with a husband who seems like a stranger.

Lori once lived the perfect life with her husband Howie and their teenage daughter Molly—until the day Howie left for work and vanished without a trace. Haunted by her loss, Lori, a former investigative journalist, retreated from the city to rural isolation to become an author, seeking solace in the company of her beloved dogs. However, Lori's ordered, solitary existence is about to be turned upside down. As Frankie Evans, the man she helped convict for murder, has walked out of prison a free man. And he is intent on finding her.