The Working Girls

When respected journalist Maddy goes to interview prostitutes in a rundown Manchester pub, she doesn't reckon on attracting the attention of their ruthless pimp, Gilly. He quickly decides to use Maddy for his own gains; he just needs to work out how. In the weeks that follow, Maddy is oblivious to Gilly's growing obsession with her, particularly when she begins a romance with successful businessman Aaron. Their passionate love affair starts to dominate her life, and she finds herself losing control and alienating the people around her. As Maddy's safe and successful life starts to crumble around her.

Ruby has always been strong. Growing up with a feeble mother and an absent father, she is forced to fight the battles of her younger siblings. And when a childhood experience leaves her traumatised, her distrust of men turns to hatred. With no safe place to call home, Ruby is desperate to fit in with the tough crowd. She spends her teenage years sleeping around and drinking in the park and by the time she is 16, prostitution has become a way of life. But Ruby has ambitions, and she soon moves up the ladder to become the madam of her own brothel.

When Crystal's pimp, protector and former lover, Gilly, dies of a drugs overdose, Crystal is bereft. She refuses the paid protection of a rival pimp, determined to go it alone. But a vicious beating from a client leaves her feeling vulnerable and angry. Meanwhile, Crystal's daughter, Candice, is asking difficult questions about her job. Crystal decides it's time to make some changes, and when a high-profile judge offers her payment to keep schtum about his nefarious activities, it gives her an idea. Perhaps other clients will also pay for her silence.

With a mother unfit for purpose and a brother who despises her, working girl Amber can rely on no one but herself - until the meanest pimp in Manchester, Kev Pike, offers her his protection. Unfortunately, this attracts the fury of Cora, a prostitute no one wants to get on the wrong side of. When Cora is found strangled to death, the late-night city streets feel increasingly exposed with a killer on the loose. As Amber grows closer to Kev, she realises his security comes at a price she might not be willing to pay. Amber is frozen in fear, knowing one wrong move will risk her life.

Sophie and Kelsey have always had each other. When their mum is diagnosed with cancer and their dad fails to step up, they're forced to move into the care system. But Sophie knows they'll be okay as long as she's there to protect her sister. But when Kelsey is found a foster family and Sophie can't join her, Sophie's left in an unsafe situation in the home, forced to do things against her will. Finding her own foster family feels like a relief, but it's short lived when her trust in her new foster parents is betrayed. With nowhere to turn, Sophie finds herself homeless.

Laura Sharples has worked hard for every penny she's earned, and is now a successful businesswoman who runs a handful of designer fashion boutiques. But it wasn't so long ago that she called herself Crystal and worked the streets of Manchester. Though she's put her past firmly behind her, she's never forgotten what it took to beat her addictions and raise her daughter, Candice, to expect better.