Annie Aldington

Penny's childhood was spent in the shadows of her mother's business schemes, feeling alone and unimportant. It fell to Lorna, her mother's acquaintance, to take care of the lonely little girl, but the rejection always cut deep. When Penny turns 16 and tragedy strikes, Lorna's cousin Maureen, a feisty ex-stripper from London, strides into her life. Penny determines to make her own way in the world and, with Maureen, throws herself into a thrilling new life on the grimy streets of Soho. In this seedy world of dancing girls and gangsters Penny must grow up quickly, she must be brave, and she's forced to face the truth about some very dark secrets from her past.

In 1938, 18-year-old Phyllis Ellsworth sets off from her quiet seaside home for Hackney Hospital in London's bustling East End, where she is to fulfill her dream to train as a nurse. But when Britain declares war on Germany, her eagerness to do good in the world brings her suddenly face to face with death and drama in all its many guises.

In 1938, 18-year-old Phyllis Ellsworth sets off from her quiet seaside home for Hackney Hospital in London's bustling East End, where she is to fulfill her dream to train as a nurse. But when Britain declares war on Germany, her eagerness to do good in the world brings her suddenly face to face with death and drama in all its many guises.

Pretty 17-year-old Greta has never known a stable family life, and is happiest at work with her friends at the Cadbury factory in Birmingham. But life takes a turn for the worse when her missing vixen of a sister Marleen turns up during the freezing winter of 1962.

Despite her privileged upbringing, Daisy Lennox has always longed to make something of her life. She is drawn to the suffragette movement, but when her father faces ruin they are forced to move to the country and Daisy’s first duty is to her family.

Aiden O'Hara has been head of the family since he was kid, and he's going to keep it that way. Jade Dixon is the one who watches his back. Mother of his son. The one who makes him invincible. But Jade's been in the game a lot longer than Aiden. She knows no one's indestructible. And when you're at the top, that's when you've got to watch the hardest. Especially the ones closest to you...

Maureen Hutton's life has never been easy. Married to an alcoholic and stuck on a council estate in east London, she scrimps and saves to bring up her three children alone. But then Maureen is told a terrible secret which threatens to rip her family apart. She can't say anything. She is too frightened of causing a bloodbath. The only thing Maureen can do is get rid of the betrayer, before it is too late.

Anna Craven grew up captivated by stories of her mother Kate's childhood in Birmingham. But when Kate dies, she leaves her daughter one final story, and Anna is shocked to discover how little she really knew about the mother with whom she once felt so close.

When World War II broke out, no one could predict the impact it would have on their lives. As the conflict begins to take its toll, the lives of four families become entwined, while the world around them is torn apart. Families become fragmented, love is found and the young are forced to grow up too quickly - but all are determined to remain defiant and united against the upheaval.

Growing up, Terri had two passions: flowers, and the boy next door. Martin Blake, son of florists Val and George, was gorgeous. What's more, he was all hers - until her parents upped and moved to Devon and she never heard from him again. Now she's about to walk into his florist's - and straight back into her past...

There was a time when the Carter sisters’ father was their hero. Now he’s a drunk who’s gambled away everything they had and it's on Clara's shoulders to save the four sisters from destitution. When a mysterious benefactor seems to offer an escape, Clara realizes too late that it comes at a terrible price…

Jennifer Worth relates her experiences as a midwife in London’s East End during the 1950’s. She witnessed both brutality and tragedy but also met with kindness and understanding, all mixed with a good sprinkling of cockney humour.. The book succeeds in being both funny and very moving.

Best friends Sarah, Maisie and Freda are brought together by their jobs at Woolworths. With their loved ones away on the front line, their bonds of friendship strengthen each day. Betty Billington is the manager at Woolworths, and a rock for the girls, having given up on love . . . Until a mysterious stranger turns up one day - could he reignite a spark in Betty? As the year draws to a close, and Christmas approaches, the girls must rely on each other to navigate the dark days that lie ahead . . . With so much change, can their friendship survive the war?

Rose Munday is on the way back to the city she was born in, but expecting to be met by her sweetheart, she is left alone on the docks, surrounded by whistles and scornful glances. How could Max have abandoned her? With no money left, Rose must go to work. Finding herself a position as a typist, Rose’s future begins to take shape. But London is a treacherous place for a young woman, and what initially seemed a brave decision, might just be a dangerous one…  Book 3 of series.

The winter of 1867: Daisy Marshall, secretly engaged to her master's son, finds herself jilted at the altar. Heartbroken, she flees to Little Creek, but the village is poverty-stricken, suffering under a cruel Lord of the manor. Determined to help, Daisy makes new friends – but also dangerous new enemies, who threaten to destroy everything she’s built. Can Daisy save the village and find happiness in time for Christmas?  Book 1 of series.

London, 1943. Dot Hanson has never forgotten the thrill of seeing the beautiful Christmas displays at Liberty's department store as a young girl. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would one day work there, or that she would fall in love with the store's manager, her childhood sweetheart Edwin Button. But in spite of the life Dot has built for herself, and the tight-knit community around her, she lives in the shadow of a terrible secret. And as the bombs continue to fall across Britain there is more heartache still to come. All Dot wants is a family of her own with the man she loves by her side. Will her dreams come true in time for Christmas?

Lily Larkin is the youngest of six, and with their father dead and their mother a stranger to them, she must stay at home and keep house whilst her elder siblings go out to work. As she goes about her daily chores, her head is full of dreams. And she longs for the day she can have a life of her own.

In 1940 the Isle of Dogs suffers a terrible nine-month Blitz. Amidst the death and destruction young Connie Marsh finds an orphaned baby boy in the rubble. She also finds love with handsome Vic Champion, the man who helped her rescue the child they've named Lucky, but then his call-up papers arrive and Vic leaves for the navy. Will she turn for comfort to dashing GI Clint Hershey, or will she stay true to Vic, the man she really loves?

Rosina May has wanted for little in life - until her father's feud with a fellow bargeman threatens to destroy everything. To save them all, Rosina agrees to marry Harry, the son of a wealthy merchant. But a chance encounter with a handsome river pirate has turned her head and she longs to meet him again.

Summer, Little Creek 1879. For most of her life, Judy Begg has been a loyal servant at Creek Manor and to Jack Fox, its future lord. But just as their childhood friendship blossoms into a secret engagement he abandons her to join his brother overseas. Devastated, Judy is nonetheless determined to make the best of her life. But when the ghosts of her past resurface, can she find the courage to do what's right for her, as well as her family? If she does, it could be the start of her greatest adventure…

When the Jones family first move to Candle Lane, Battersea they miss their comfortable house in Wimbledon. But they soon start to fit in when they make friends with their neighbour, Ruth, and her daughter, Sally.

When the bodies of missing schoolgirls start turning up, former DCI Kate Burrows is dragged out of retirement.A new Grantley serial killer is in town and DCI Annie Carr turns to Kate for help. She welcomes the distraction from her home life with former gangster Patrick Kelly, whose long-lost son has turned up out of the blue, bringing trouble with him.It soon becomes clear the killer is on their doorstep and as the body count grows, Kate and Annie face a race against the clock.But they have no real leads...and there's more to these murders than meets the eye. Can Kate take the killer down before another schoolgirl dies?

1916. East London. When sixteen-year-old Clover Cooper's mother, Iris, calls her home from work one day, the last thing Clover expects is to find that her mother has given birth to another baby. After all, Clover's unpleasant father, Sidney, has been in France for longer than nine months. Banned from questions, and bound to secrecy by her beloved mother, Clover leaves her infant brother at a nunnery for safekeeping, despite her heartbreak at parting with him.

But when Sidney unexpectedly returns from the Western Front, life at home suddenly feels more dangerous than a battlefield. Strained by keeping such a secret, Clover turns to her fiercely protective grandmother, Elsie, for advice. But Elsie has her own life-changing decision to make. Then tragedy strikes, and Clover will have to find a way to keep her family together and safeguard all that she holds dear.

For Ruby and Rosetta Capretti life in the slums of the East End holds little promise. Rosetta is desperate to work in the music hall, while Ruby has always longed to train as a nurse. But when they meet handsome Jonas Crowe, little do they know how much one man will affect both their lives for ever.

Carla Scofield has looked after her family since she was a teenager, but wartime brings new challenges and a new job for Carla in a sewing factory. It also brings with it love and Carla has a chance at real happiness - but not everyone is rooting for her. With Christmas ahead of her, and her sights set firmly on love and the future, will she be too distracted to sense the danger before it's too late?

Anne von Korvacs flees, with her children, from Vienna to Britain after Hitler’s tanks roll into the capital. Carrying a secret that must be smuggled out of the country, Anne and her family face a journey that will separate loved ones who can only hope for a reunion in London.

Cynthia Tailor is a tough woman to please. Her husband Jimmy can do no right, and her two children, James and Gabby, can never reach the perfection their mother demands. What Cynthia wants, Cynthia gets, even if it hurts those closest to her...Contains some offensive language

To Phillip Murphy, family is everything. Christine has always understood this about her husband. But there is another side to Phillip, and it's a side he never wanted his wife to see. Though even if she did, could she do anything but stand by him?

The Drapers rule the streets of South London, everyone's afraid of them. But when tempers flare and a family feud spirals out of control, tragedy strikes, leaving eldest son Danny in charge. He has shocking plans for the family business and Petula, the baby of the family, becomes the scapegoat for the Draper’s dirty dealings.

When Jenny’s mother abandons her and her younger siblings, Jenny is left at the mercy of her abusive father Henry. And when Henry beats his eldest daughter so badly that she ends up in the hospital, it seems like there’s nowhere left for them all to go. Desperately trying to make ends meet, Jenny is alone and working round the clock. Will she ever be able to give her siblings the happy home they deserve? Or is the worst yet to come…?

Rockwood was home, and she would do anything she could to stop it being stolen from them. Abandoned by their parents and left to fight for themselves, headstrong Rosalind Carey has no choice but to take charge of her younger brothers and sister in Devonshire’s grand Rockwood Castle. But their once much-loved home is crumbling like the family that lives within it. Living hand to mouth and desperate to provide for the estate that depends on them, the Carey family are one debt away from ruin. Until the day comes when the dashing Piers Blanchard appears on their doorstep from Cornwall, claiming he is Rosalind’s distant cousin and that Rockwood Castle is his. Piers says he wants to help pay off the family’s debts. But how can Rosalind be sure he isn’t out to take what is his and leave them all homeless? Only a closely guarded secret will convince Rosalind she can trust Piers to protect her family - and her fragile heart. Book one of series.

Sharon Conway and Lenny Scott are childhood sweethearts, and nothing can keep them apart. Sharon doesn't question Lenny's business dealings, but one night Lenny doesn't come home. He is found murdered - beaten to death in an act of brutality that shocks even the police. And Sharon never knows why. Now, twenty years later, Sharon is about to find out the truth. Revenge is long overdue. The time has come to... GET EVEN.

Deal, Kent, 1812. Eighteen-year-old Winnie Lennicker yearns for a peaceful life as a respectable married woman. However, when she becomes involved in her family's free-trading operations and caught by the Revenue, she is sent before the magistrates. Forced to confess that she is with child, now more than ever, Winnie is determined to give up smuggling. But the only way she can support herself and her unborn child is to carry on.

An opportunity presents itself to carry despatches on behalf of British agents and spies, and gold for Wellington's army. Needing the money, Winnie can't afford to refuse, but the journey across the Channel is treacherous. When Winnie discovers the despatches she's carrying aren't what they seem, she's determined to right her wrongs in the hope of achieving her dream and leaving the free trade behind for good.

When Cain Moran is sentenced to life in prison, he rules the inside with the same determination as he did the London underworld. Jenny Riley has never wanted anyone but Cain, and she will do everything she can to keep their relationship alive. But plenty of people think Cain and Jenny have been living the good life for too long. And they're about to make them pay..

Looking back, Nick Leary couldn't say exactly what kept him awake that night. He'd had a lot on his mind; perhaps he'd been thinking about the 'respectable' Essex business that he ran, or about his two young sons sleeping in the room next door. Or was it simply the sound of his beautiful wife's steady breathing beside him...

Whatever it was, he was awake when he heard someone's footsteps downstairs, and Nick's instinct was to fight. It had always been that way, to protect the things he treasured most: his family, his privacy, his reputation. He'd grafted for these things all his life and no one was going to jeopardise them now. Unless, of course, Nick's instinct is wrong, and what happens this time is the start of something even he cannot stop...

Steph Barker can't forget her past. A single mother, Steph runs a women's shelter for local prostitutes while coming to terms with a tragic loss. And it's people like Joseph Potter, battling with his own grief, who keep her going.

When Hennie, one of her friends from the shelter, goes missing, Steph's convinced Hennie's violent pimp Artie Rogers has something to do with it. Steph and Artie go way back, but his reign of terror throughout the Medway towns is out of control and even she can't do anything to stop him. Then another prostitute disappears and it's time to find out who's guilty.

Everyone has their secrets - but one them is getting away with murder.