Showing results by publisher "Orion" in Literature & Fiction

On the night that Lalloo's brother is murdered, a large yellow moon hangs low in the sky above the family's small hut on the outskirts of Lahore. Abandoned far from home only hours later, seven-year-old Lalloo will not see them again for a very long time. Unable to escape the memory of that night, Lalloo's parents and sisters remain trapped at the brickyard, the kiln chimney churning black smoke into the sky as they slave brick by brick to pay off their debts.

Everyone in the village loves Joni Blackwood. She is beautiful and bold, and it's no surprise to anyone when on the annual village bonfire, she is crowned 'queen' of the festivities. After all, despite fierce competition from the charity-giving and churchgoing mothers in the village, she has won this honour five years in a row.

Bea Bell has lived in Grenada her whole life... until she meets handsome surveyor Patrick Anderson. The two are quickly swept up in a whirlwind romance that takes them across the crumbling Empire. But not everyone is as accepting of their interracial marriage. And soon they are faced with an impossible decision, one that threatens to tear them apart...

Jenny had never intended to return to the windy cliffside town of Innisard. But when her fiancé Richard suggests they marry in the Irish town she grew up in, the town where her parents were buried, she knows it's time to face the past so she can move on with her future. Faced with the prospect of her husband having a secret twin, Jenny feels the threads of her future begin to unravel, along with her wedding. How can she trust this man, for better or worse, when he's clearly hiding secrets? Why is his brother here in Innisard? And was the murderer intending to kill his twin, or Richard himself?

England, 1940s. Minnie has spent most of her life feeling like a plain Jane, watching things happen around her, waiting for something - just something - to once happen to her. When her old best friend, the beautiful and callous Junie, unexpectedly returns to Sixteen Streets, Minnie's not quite sure how to feel. Once inseparable, the two now find themselves at odds. And when Junie strikes up a romance with Minnie's brother Derek, Minnie can't help but feel lonelier than ever.

Keen to rehearse, the company heads to the Seagate Theatre under the tutelage of the company's owner, Ed Forsyth. This is Ed's last hoorah before retiring and he's keen to leave on a high. But his son, Cal, has absconded, leaving his twin sister, Evie, to help manage the company after their mother's death. Hoping to display her best trapeze performance ever, she's also desperate that the entire troupe should succeed. If only her father hadn't brought in another old-timer...

With perpetually absent parents, the Stone sisters pretty much raised themselves and left their family home as soon as they could. But when they receive a surprise inheritance and find themselves the joint owners of their home, they are about to have a reunion they'll never forget.

When Grace and Lola meet for the first time, it's at a home for young unmarried mothers. Consumed by the dark secrets that brought them there, the two forge an unlikely friendship. When the time comes, Grace is forced to give her daughter away, while Lola's parents take her son in to raise as their own. Seeking refuge after running away from home, Grace finds safety in Lola's family.

During a violent snowstorm, the Royal Family gather at Balmoral Castle for a traditional Christmas. As per King Eric's wishes, almost all of the servants have been dismissed. The large castle is inhabited by only eight people—King Eric, his wife Princess Marjorie, his brother Prince David, his two daughters Princesses Emeline and Maud, Maud's husband Thomas Crockley, Maud's sons Princes Matthew and Martin, the royal chef Jonathan Alleyne, and head of security Tony Speck.

His life in the crumbling seaside town of Bingham-on-Sea never seemed that bad, but since the loss of his father, the highlights of Ronnie's solitary days include manning the lost property office at the bus station where he works, and plaguing his local GP with increasingly outlandish ailments. Forgotten or underestimated by all those around him, Ronnie is lost, and he's not expecting to be found. But when a chance encounter leads Ronnie to reluctantly foster Hamlet, an unwanted stray dog, his empty days begin to fill with all manner of new responsibilities and experiences.

Stockport, 1944. Alice seems to have it all, but the truth is her marriage isn't as solid as it seems. Busy running her husband's family shop while he's at war, everything changes when she meets handsome Louis, fresh in from Guernsey with young evacuee twins Gabriela and Philip. Factory heir Sophie is thrilled to be getting married—if only her mother her mother didn't disapprove! She's marrying for love, but her mother is convinced Tony is marrying for money. Is there more to her concern than Sophie realises?

Steph Herrington runs a successful hair salon—she can make your hair look amazing but she's no gardener! An allotment was her late husband's dream. But when her daughter, Jessie, decides to take the plot on in her dad's memory, Steph sees a chance to bridge the gulf that grew between them as their loving, close-knit family fell apart. Only the gnarly tangle of weeds and thorns—and working together to tame it—is far worse than they'd imagined!

The trip was supposed to be the perfect holiday. Six friends, reuniting after two decades, spending the weekend in a beautiful riad in Marrakesh. Only, these friends are linked by more than their university days. Together, they've kept a dark secret that changed the course of all their lives forever. And as the truth threatens to surface in the stifling Morrocan heat, they all begin to question what really happened that terrible night 20 years ago.

Rebecca isn't looking for love. She's perfectly happy with her high-flying city job, gorgeous flat overlooking Hampstead Heath and fortnightly fling with the hot CEO. She's certainly not interested in the hot actor neighbour who's just moved in opposite. Jack is still looking for his big break. It turns out being the star talent at drama school doesn't give you a golden ticket to Hollywood, after all. The last thing he needs is any distractions right now—especially not the uptight, power-suit-wearing girl next door.

On the day that Betty meets Guy, her life is changed forever. She never thought she'd see him again but a few months later realises she has something of his that needs returning. So, she writes him a letter. It's the perfect solution for Betty—it means she doesn't need to tell Guy about what really happened that day and the secret she's been hiding. For Guy, Betty's letter arrives at his repair shop at the perfect time. His whole world has come crashing down around him, and for the first time in a long time, he starts to feel hopeful.

Her wedding day should have been the happiest day of Mavis Kendricks's 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.

Over the years, Violet and Albert's lives collide again and again and as each decade ends, a new love story begins. But against the shifting times of each era, Violet and Albert must overcome differences in class, gender, privilege and ambition. Each time their lives entwine, it will change everything. As their eyes first meet, for a split-second it's as if the clocks have stopped. Nothing else matters. Yet whichever decade brings them together, Violet and Albert are soon forced to question: what if they met the right person at the wrong time?

Mirepoix, France. Summer 1981. In a small village in southern France, a wilful English girl is falling in love. Frances Langley has fallen under Benoit's romantic spell, and their summer of love finds Frances willing to do almost anything for the handsome art collector, even hiding a precious Klinkosch box for him, stolen by the Nazis decades before. England. Summer 2022. Years later, Frances' son, Harry, finds himself packing up the clutter and chaos of his late mother's home.

Dara Gaffney is fresh out of drama school when she lands the leading role in the revival of Eabha de Lacey's hugely successful yet controversial play. Based on the true story of the death of Cillian Butler, many claim that Eabha had an ulterior motive when she penned it. Cillian's death remains a mystery to this day, and Eabha and her brother, Austin, the only witnesses.

One day Cerys walks out of her comfortable life, never to return. Standing on a hillside at night with no phone, no possessions, watching her car set alight, she believes this is the end - that's when Lily walks into her life. The two women strike a fierce bond, and are both running from things that soon threaten to catch up with them. Can these two women keep each other safe? Can they trust each other? Or are the pasts they've escaped too much for either of them to bear?