When Nigel Baxter, a middle-aged married banker with an unremarkable past, is found dead in the bath of a plush hotel suite, his wrists slit, it looks as if he's taken his own life. At first. But when Detective Inspector Daniel Riley is assigned to the case, he soon realises all isn't as it first appears to be. When a postmortem shows Baxter was poisoned, Riley suspects foul play. And then there's the odd addition of a teddy bear left at the crime scene....

Zara has always felt a little ordinary next to her spirited best friend Ivy. Even her dreams seem mundane: a boyfriend, marriage, children. Besides, who would pick her when they could choose Ivy? So when Zara meets Henry and there's an instant spark, she can't believe her luck. A wealthy CEO who wants to settle down? He's perfect...until Ivy insists he's too good to be true.

Since that fateful night I have always kept myself to myself. Reserved. Private. Alone. Some people think I am too quiet. That life is passing me by. But I know there is safety in my own company. That no one can hurt me if I don’t let them get too close. Until the day I meet him. A handsome, charming stranger. A chance for me to take a risk…finally? Or a man who threatens everything I’ve worked so hard for?

Lisa remembers the first part of the night: an evening in the pub with her best friend. Then nothing. She wakes up, days later. She's in hospital. Her best friend is dead. Lisa holes up in a remote country cottage, plagued by guilt and flashbacks: how did their assailant know them? Why were they attacked? And what really happened that night? With only vague memories of the event, she cuts herself off from friends and family, spending her days wandering the hills with her dog, Riley.

A brother sent away. A sister in a loveless home. A father ruthlessly murdered. Ricky and Leonora Bates are brother and sister, best friends, allies in a loveless family. They are a constant disappointment to their domineering father. He views Ricky’s quiet bookishness as weakness and Leonora’s feisty intelligence as unbecoming. Then Ricky is sent away to a boarding school in South Africa to “toughen him up”. And Leonora is stuck dealing with her dysfunctional parents on her own. The unthinkable happens. Leonora’s father travels to South Africa to bring Ricky home. Disaster strikes.

Helen is the older one. The good girl. A devoted doctor trying to cope with the sudden loss of her husband. Mia is the little sister. The wild one. Married to a wealthy businessman, she lives the high life on his money. Mia says she wants to cheer Helen up. She’s booked a week in enchanting Ibiza — just the two of them. Helen is reluctant to go. She knows first-hand just how difficult Mia can be, but she needs a break. What could go wrong?

It’s midnight in the hospital when Jude’s phone rings, interrupting her precious 15-minute break. When she sees it’s her 70-year-old mother, Margaret, she braces herself for the usual complaints. But her blood runs cold at four words that will change everything...‘something terrible has happened.’ Margaret has been accused of an unspeakable crime committed 20 years ago. She insists she’s not guilty, and begs Jude to help her prove it. But as Jude is drawn into the dark secrets of her family’s past, she starts to question whether her mother is really as innocent as she claims to be.

Verity finds out her mother is secretly dating a man she met online. After five long years of widowhood, Eleanor is finally happy—and back to her old self. Verity thinks he's after her money and her smart Cirencester townhouse. Her mother thinks that Verity just can't let her move on.

Following a whirlwind romance with an old acquaintance she bumped into at a high-school reunion, pregnant Dena Russell has moved back to her small hometown to start a new life with horse breeder Brian Riley. But something isn’t right. As Brian’s behavior grows increasingly disturbing, Dena flees her new home, finding refuge with an old school friend. Then the bloodstained, battered body is found, and Dena is forced to think the unthinkable: Could the father of her unborn child be a coldblooded killer? And, if so, how can she and her baby escape his clutches?

Working as a marriage counselor, I’m used to the tragedies that come out of nowhere. People trust me to help them through life’s big moments. The things that leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the person you love the most. But I never thought trouble would land on my own doorstep. As I start to piece together our last conversation desperate for any clues I can find, the cop standing in front of me reveals that my husband never told his coworkers he was married. He was seemingly living a double life right in front of me.

About to become parents, my husband and I decided to move to my small hometown to be closer to my family. Everything was perfect until I met our new neighbor—the reason I moved away to begin with. Kelly Van Patten. She's the epitome of beauty. With her radiant blond hair, captivating blue eyes, and a smile so warm and caring, it's no wonder everyone adores her… except me. Even my husband is falling for her charm and manipulation, or worse, falling for her. When Kelly slips and accidentally shows her true colors, I realize something even worse. Does she know what I've been hiding?

Fran made the biggest mistake of her life when she had an affair with Ben. Both their families live in the small, tight-knit town of Oakheart, and their daughters are the best of friends. The relationship is over, but her guilt haunts her every waking moment. She tries to push it down, but it's always there, simmering just beneath the surface. Fran has managed to keep the truth hidden from her husband… so far. But the cracks in their marriage are starting to show.

With its peeling wallpaper and overgrown garden, I know our new home isn’t perfect. But my husband, Ben, promises it’s the fresh start we need. I remind myself that he’s an amazing father to our two children and that we have years of happy marriage behind us. He’s been distant for months, but I’m desperate to believe the move will bring us back together.

Everyone thinks I’m living the perfect life. I have my dream job, a stunning apartment, and glamourous friends – who know nothing about my dark past. So I’m shocked when I run into Anna, who I haven’t seen in eighteen years. Everything about her reminds me of the life I’ve left behind. But as her eyes fill with tears and she tells me she’s lost her job and can’t pay her rent, I reluctantly offer her my spare room.

Never question a mother’s intuition. My water isn’t supposed to break while there’s a storm raging, when my husband isn’t on the island, and as the power flickers out. Darkness covers the cabin as I cling to my belly. I never imagined it happening like this. Trained as a midwife, I know I can deliver my daughter.