Joan Walker

Jérôme Morval, a man whose passion for art is matched only by his passion for women, has been found dead in the stream that runs through the gardens of the former home of the artist Claude Monet. Entangled in the mystery are three women, but what is the connection to the rumoured painting of Black Water Lilies?

Gabriela grows up in the East German town of Leibnitz. Her father is a famous surgeon, her mother a respected society hostess. The girl, however, struggles to fulfil their expectations and drops out of school. Eventually she ends up living beneath a canal bridge. Then the Wall falls. Can Gabriela seize a second chance in the new, united, Germany?

Oli and Joe are identical twins. But they will never be the same. Lizzie Truman gives birth to her sons at thirty-one weeks. From the start, the differences between the twins are clear. Oli is bigger, stronger, healthier. Joe is small and much less robust, his future inexorably altered by the trauma of his premature delivery. As soon as the boys are well enough, Lizzie checks out of the maternity hospital and leaves her old life behind. By the time Oli and Joe are grown, Beth has a new name, a thriving business, and she has successfully raised her sons alone. But when the truth about their past emerges, the twins are forced to reassess everything they thought they knew about their mother, their upbringing and themselves.

The Oxford English Dictionary has long been associated with elite institutions and Victorian men. But the Dictionary didn't just belong to the experts; it relied on contributions from members of the public. By the time it was finished in 1928 its 414,825 entries had been crowdsourced from a surprising and diverse group of people, from archaeologists and astronomers to murderers, naturists, novelists, pornographers, queer couples, suffragists, vicars and vegetarians.

Lexicographer Sarah Ogilvie dives deep into previously untapped archives to tell a people's history of the OED. She traces the lives of thousands of contributors who defined the English language, from the eccentric autodidacts to the family groups who made word-collection their passion.

London 1889: Victorian London is a place of wealth, privilege and poverty. For James Falconer, working his way up Henry Malvern’s trading company in Piccadilly, it is a city of opportunity. Embarking on a love affair with the daughter of Russian émigrés, James’s life begins to transform. But as treachery and danger threaten, James must decide where his future lies – with Henry Malvern or following his own dream…  Book 2 of series.

With the bookshop where she works about to close, Laura Horsley finds herself agreeing to help organise a literary festival. But her initial excitement is rapidly followed by a mounting sense of panic when reality sinks in and she realises just how much work is involved - especially when an innocent mistake leads the festival committee to mistakenly believe that Laura is a personal friend of the author at the top of their wish-list.

Laura might have been secretly infatuated with the infamous Dermot Flynn ever since she studied him at university, but travelling to Ireland to persuade the notorious recluse to come out of hiding is another matter. Determined to rise to the challenge she sets off to meet her literary hero. But all too soon she's confronted with more than she bargained for…

It's Christmas at Westbury Manor and amateur detective Hugh Gaveston must unravel a fiendish mystery...

Christmas Eve, 1938. The Westbury family and assorted friends have gathered for another legendary celebration at their beautiful country house. The champagne flows, the silverware sparkles and upstairs the rooms are ready for their occupants.

But one bed will lie empty that night. On Christmas morning, David Campbell-Scott is found dead in the snow. There's a pistol beside him and only one set of footprints.

Yet something doesn't seem right to amateur sleuth Hugh Gaveston. Campbell-Scott had just returned from overseas with untold wealth - why would he kill himself? Hugh sets out to investigate...

Wonderfully atmospheric, with charming wit and brilliant plotting, Murder Most Festive is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, M.C. Beaton and James Runcie's Grantchester series.

December 1935. Director Monty Harrison's production of A Christmas Carol has had a troubled run on its tour of regional theatres. With tensions amongst the cast running high, the company reach their final stop - London's Theatre Royale. Catastrophe, however, strikes on opening night: Scrooge dies on stage, the result (it is presumed) of a heart attack. But the show must go on. Until, that is, a leading theatre critic - and old rival of Monty's - is killed backstage. Are those associated with the production being picked off one by one? Budding journalist Daphne King takes up the case...

Nel is the owner of a houseful of animals and the organiser of the farmer's market in the picturesque Paradise Fields. She is always super-busy, but not so busy to want to preserve the meadow and market she loves when its owner dies. But who can she trust to help her save Paradise Fields? Her sensible boyfriend Simon? Or Jake, the devilishly handsome man who kissed her under the mistletoe... love, but which may not survive…

Her wedding day should have been the happiest day of Mavis Kendricks' life. Marrying handsome Sam, the youngest of the Farley boys, means joining the Farley clan, and there's nothing Mavis has ever wanted more than a family of her own. But the appearance of an unexpected guest ruins everything... and brings back painful memories Mavis would rather forget.

It's not long before the war-torn streets of South Shields are buzzing with rumours. One of the biscuit factory girls, funny little Mavis has always been a bit of a mystery. As far as anyone can remember, Mavis and her twin Arthur have been orphans. So who was the grand old lady at the wedding? How do the twins own their own house? And just what is Mavis hiding? On the Sixteen Streets, nothing stays a secret for long...

Magenta Sharp has vanished from her magical tower in Crookfinger Forest and no one knows how to find her. But with a mysterious stranger setting his sights on the empty tower and an unexpected snowstorm causing chaos, Elsie and her friends need to track down Magenta, and fast!

Can Elsie's new witchy skills help save the day? Or is Magenta gone for good?