Women's Fiction

“That was the day that Mama made the rules: If they come, run. Be quiet and run. But not together. Never together. If one is found, at least the other survives….” During a cold, British winter, three women reach crisis point. Emily, an immigrant survivor of the Rwandan genocide is existing but not living. Vera, a newly Christian Londoner is striving to live a moral life, her happiness constantly undermined by secrets from her past. Lynn, battling with an untimely disease, is consumed by bitterness and resentment of what she hasn’t achieved and what has been snatched from her. Each suffering their own demons, their lives have been torn open by betrayal: by other people, by themselves, by life itself. But as their paths interweave, they begin to unravel their beleaguered pasts, and inadvertently change each other’s futures.

... that was the point at which I should've put my foot down. Stamped it hard. Stopped the past repeating itself. But what did I do? I did what Mum used to do in times of crisis. I left the room and went to put the kettle on.
Vicky is a reluctant curate's wife, struggling to come to terms with her own bereavement and her husband's new-found faith. Then, one Boxing Day, a knock on the door brings her annoying big brother, his teenage son and a cello into her life, turning her world upside down.

With her small terrace house in Penge now fit to burst, Vicky struggles to manage her three children and the joys of everyday family life. As a new threat lurks behind every corner, hope appears in the most unlikely of circumstances.

An enchanting, funny, sad yet bittersweet tale of life and living, one that reminds us it's not a race at all... but a journey.

Lacey Carmichael leads a solitary life. To her neighbours she is the mad old woman who lives at the end of the lane, crazy but harmless.
Until she is arrested on suspicion of murder.

When Rachel Moore arrives in the village, escaping her own demons, the two women form an unlikely bond. Unravelling in each other tales of loss and heartache, they become friends.

Rachel sees beyond the rumours, believing in her innocence, but as details of Lacey's life are revealed, Rachel is left questioning where the truth really lies.

Sarah Phillips longs for the simple life - a job to fill her days, a home to return to and a small amount of steps to count between the two. Seriously injured in a car crash when she was thirteen, Sarah has no memory of her childhood or the family she lost.
Ellie Wilson remembers her own past only too well, the cruelty she suffered at the hands of a mother that abused her and a father who couldn't protect her. She finds Sarah fascinating, a mirror to the life she never had.

But as curiosity spills over into obsession, and as Sarah's world begins to unravel, Ellie moves ever closer.

The Intimates believe are they are the epitome of glamour. For this group of eclectic friends, life is a playground as they sing, act, and write their way to their dream lifestyles. But all is not as it seems. Invited to celebrate one evening together, there is a sinister undertone that threatens to expose each of these brilliantly talented failures. Dark secrets unravel, and ugly truths are revealed as each person desperately tries to hide what's buried beneath the shimmering surface. Each trapped in a pristine image their masks begin to slip and, for some, start to disintegrate in a way that will alter their lives forever.

"Heading South" is a novel of two parts written by different authors, one depicting the animal-loving painter Cassie and the other the good-humoured Nick, still reeling from being dumped by his fiancee. Can the two ever get together as they are plagued by ex-girlfriends, posh admirers, pets passing away and friends going into labour? This is a hilarious comedy also featuring three dogs, two cats, a pony and a mallard.

London: A group of thirty-somethings meet to celebrate a birthday. All seems normal. But, after two years of trying, Claire and Anthony have still not conceived a child, and pulsing with the fear of terrorist attacks, the city is crackling with tension. Befriending a young girl, Nora, Claire finds herself drawn as her maternal instincts begin to blur. Meanwhile, Anthony is forced to question his job as a City Analyst as their safe and secure existence begins to fracture. As Claire retraces the journey she has made since an accident ended her promising career as a ballet dancer in Berlin, she realises her life has moved beyond her control.

Philippa Smith is in her forties and has a beautiful newborn baby girl. She also has no husband, and nowhere to turn. So she turns to the only place she knows: the beginning.
Retracing her life, she confronts the daily obstacles that shaped her very existence. From the tragic events of her childhood abandonment, to the astonishing accomplishments of those close to her, Philippa learns of the sacrifices others chose to make, and the outcome of buried secrets.

Philippa discovers a celebration of life, love, and the Golden era of television. A reflection of everyday people, in not so everyday situations.

They came for me, just like I knew they would. Luke had been dead for just three days.
Rose Wilks life is shattered when her newborn baby Joel is admitted to intensive care. Emma Hatcher has all that Rose lacks. Beauty. A loving husband. A healthy son. Until tragedy strikes and Rose is the only suspect.
Now, having spent nearly five years behind bars, Rose is just weeks away from freedom. Her probation officer Cate must decide whether Rose is remorseful for Luke s death, or whether she remains a threat to society. As Cate is drawn in, she begins to doubt her own judgement.
Where is the line between love and obsession, can justice be served and, if so... by what means?

Eleven seemingly unconnected characters are captured at points in their everyday lives when they are plagued by uncertainty, nostalgia, insecurity and, above all, a persistent longing for a different life. As these characters' lives begin to touch, often without their knowledge, far-reaching consequences prevail, leading some ultimately to commit murder. Yet - even after this potent search for better, more fulfilling lives - has each person ended up where they really want to be?

It’s time to tell our story, starting when my new friends and colleagues-to-be were all as fresh, young, and wet behind the ears as I was myself. When our hearts were open, and our integrity was still intact. Rhiannon dreams of joining the largest broadcaster in the world: the BBC. And so begins a life of highs, lows, and absurd experiences for five ambitious young people, all keen to make it in the increasingly commercial world of television. Caught in the middle between art and commerce, Rhiannon realizes the industry is transforming around her. During one of the most dramatic periods of change in its history, aspiration, desperation, and clashes of ego threaten to destroy the Corporation altogether. A story of artistic expression versus corporate gain, of how some people make a drama out of a crisis, and others a crisis out of a drama.

Maia is leaving London to paint in the bright sunlight and exotic setting of Morocco. Working as an assistant to a once famous Historian, she is lured in by her new surroundings, promising excitement and, more importantly, freedom.

In the final days of a North African summer, a sense of boredom and unease pervades the city. Maia is drawn unwillingly into the ways in which the clientele of the renowned Grand Tazi pass their increasingly long, hot evenings.

As the intense heat wears down her resistance, Maia succumbs to vice. The light that she once sought becomes eclipsed by shadowy dealings. Can Maia take back control of her new life and, if so, does she even want to?