Showing results by narrator "Frances Butt" in All Categories

When the formidable Marchioness of Bandberry arrives at Ashcombe Hall, Lady Ellen feels the weight of her critical gaze upon her. But pomp and pageantry soon give way to scandal when a London journalist is found dead on Ellen’s drive. And his body has been marked with the chilling symbol of the Vigilante Slasher.

Dominic Stevens, Baron Warwicke, comes home bearing the physical and emotional scars of battle. Haunted by fragmented memories and burdened by duty, he’s stunned to learn he has a wife—a woman he does not remember marrying. Dorothea rejoices when Dominic comes to remove her from her brother’s abusive household. But the man who stands before her now is colder, harder...a shadow of the husband she once knew. Still, she is determined to reach the heart he has forgotten, believing the man she married is still there, merely buried beneath the pain.

Lady Ellen finds herself presented with another mystery! Lady Ellen spends her last fortnight in Branden Bay relaxing at The Grand Hotel. However, the peaceful holiday she desired is again interrupted when the dance host is found dead in the ballroom. The Frenchman was far from popular and there are a few suspects who would appear to wish him dead, as well as those who benefited from his demise. However, no one appears to know his history.

Escaping a past she chose to forget. She must face it head on. Jaz has been selling high performance cars to high performing football players in the north of England. And is on her way to achieving her goal of becoming a millionaire. Until she receives a call telling her that her estranged mother is in a critical condition in hospital.

Grace Bunning left Somerset for London, under a cloud, with a reputation she was not proud of. She has since graduated from university and has a glowing career in the charity sector. Missing family life and finding herself without a home, Grace finally returns to Eversley Village, to spend Christmas with her father in his country home. She plans to surprise him, but when she arrives, she finds her father is away for the festive season, and that his business partner, Jaz is house-sitting with her family.

Lady Ellen settles back into life at Ashcombe Hall and eagerly awaits the return of Captain Ernest Hamilton from Cairo. But her peace is shattered when a notorious thief is found dead on the neighbouring Worthington estate. Heading over to console Lady Jane Worthington, Ellen’s day takes an unexpected turn—a plane crashes on her land, piloted by flame-haired Alex, the Duke of Loxborough, who is once again masquerading under a pseudonym. As charming as he is, Ellen is unnerved by his presence—she does not trust him.

Marooned after a garden party turns sinister, Lady Ellen finds herself in the midst of an unsettling mystery. An unexpected summer storm leaves occupants and visitors, including Ellen, Lottie and Captain Hamilton, contained within Moor House and grounds after it is cut off from the outside world. When a priceless Egyptian artefact is stolen, the thief leaves the man guarding it brutally maimed.

Can Lady Ellen of Ashcombe Hall finally savour a relaxing break at Millars Hotel? Not quite. Her plans take an unexpected turn when a sightseeing tour of Branden Bay Castle turns deadly. The picturesque castle in Branden Bay stands proudly above the town and beach. Lady Ellen finds herself thrust into the heart of a chilling mystery when a tragic incident unfolds, and a soul plummets from one of the castle’s turrets. On a blustery day, it seems like a dreadful accident, but the police suspect foul play.

It’s 1924. Lady Ellen of Ashcombe Hall is on a relaxing hotel break to recuperate. Her nemesis is found dead in the restaurant, face down in his pea and ham soup. Can she confront her past to solve the mystery? Lady Ellen seeks respite in the charming seaside town of Branden Bay, whilst her home, which was used as a convalescent home for war veterans, is being refurbished to its former glory.

Thea Ashcombe, a fiercely independent single mum, is about to face her toughest challenge yet: Christmas on a shoestring. As the festive season looms, Thea’s feeling a little like their old family Christmas tree - tired and lacking in sparkle! Nick Saint, the quiet and devoted farm shop manager in the idyllic village of Lower Brambleton, has secretly liked Thea for years. Trapped in the friend zone since high school, he's given up hope of Thea seeing him as anything more than reliable ‘Saint’ Nick...

A Room of One's Own is an extended essay, originally delivered in 1928 as two lectures at two of Cambridge University's women's colleges—Newnham College and Girton College. Through the use of several metaphors, lauded author Virginia Woolf explores the social injustices and structures that prevent women from engaging in free expression and contributing to literature.

A girl with a broken heart. A man dealing with loss. When an accident brings these childhood sweethearts together, will they find love? When a fire rips through her world, Holly finds her rescuer to be none other than Mitch, the guy she’s not seen for fifteen years. He makes her a business proposition, but can she learn to trust? Heartbroken Mitch travels across the country to Somerset to oversee the running of his Uncle’s farm, but is he really running away from himself? Neither can deny their attraction for each other. But is such an intense relationship ideal between two broken people?

When she first married at fourteen, Otrera imagined a relationship full of love. A partnership. Years later, living in destitution with her abusive husband, she knows that no such thing exists with a man. It is simply a woman's lot in life to accept the treatment of her husband. Until it's not. Rallying the women around her, Otrera fights back, taking no prisoners. Because it's clear to her: when men are in power, freedom isn't granted. It's bought with blood. It's a price she is more than willing to pay, if it means building a new life with other women far from the reaches of their abusers.

For many centuries the figure of the witch has haunted our imagination and our nightmares. There have been many attempts to quash our fascination with these wielders of forbidden powers, but all have failed. We invite you now on a journey through a moonlit world, where every shadow tells a tale of magic, persecution and persistence. In this fascinating volume, discover witches real and legendary, who once terrorized, devoured, helped or empowered their communities, but who are now largely forgotten.

Warsaw, 1939. The Nazi invasion shatters the city, as Nazi banners rise, hunger gnaws, and walls create a ghetto. SS patrols prowl and trains stand ready for “resettlement” camps of Treblinka. Granted access to the ghetto as a “public health specialist,” Irena Sendler steps through the gates with forged papers and begins with the smallest, most dangerous act: smuggling children out and away from certain death. With help from a group of rebels, Jewish residents, and her lover, Irena builds a pipeline under the occupier’s nose, using any means necessary, including the city’s sewers.

Charlotte James prefers having her head in the stars to having her feet on the ground. Moving around for her job as an astronomical archivist gives Charlotte plenty of opportunity to avoid putting down roots. When she accepts a post in the idyllic Somerset village of Lower Brambleton to archive an old observatory before its demolition, all that is on her mind is a chance to preserve the treasures of this remarkable place and another summer without having to settle down.

After Arthur’s marriage to Guinevere – his betrayal – Morgan leaves Caer Arthur behind, bound for the mist-shrouded isle of Avalon. There, she hopes to find the mother she has never known: Viviane, the High Priestess. Having barely survived the crossing, she fears not only for her life, but for the child she carries – Mordred. Avalon is said to be a sanctuary, an ancient bastion of the Goddess in a land fast falling to the One True God. Yet peace eludes her as a hunger for power stirs.

The Devil's Liar is the ninth in the best-selling Psychic Surveys series, that feature plot twists, compelling characters, and a mystery at its dark heart. As a young woman, Theo was confronted by the spirit of a child who had killed other children, but decided she could be of no help, shutting down all possibility of further communication. Now older and wiser, Theo comes to regret that decision and wants to make amends, involving the Psychic Surveys team in her quest.

Princess Kassie, the daughter of the chess goddess Caïssa and the god of war, Mars, lives a charmed life in the dazzling kingdom of Chess Mountain, where chess pieces are alive and flourish as loyal citizens. But on Kassie's twelfth birthday, her best friend Dimitri mysteriously disappears and her parents are blamed. Kassie’s world shatters. War is declared, and the young princess is whisked away to dreaded Earth on a mission to strengthen her kingdom.

This is your guide to navigating the exciting and transformative journey of your baby's first three months. These initial months lay the foundation for a lifetime of love, growth, and development. As a new parent, you hold the power to shape your child's world and create a nurturing environment where they can thrive.