Showing results by narrator "Lucy Brownhill" in All Categories

Charlene Downes was 14 years old when she went missing in the seedy underbelly of Blackpool. Once a happy-go-lucky schoolgirl, she had turned into a truant. Though Charlene was hanging out with a new crowd by takeaway shops and the pier, her mum, Karen, always knew her typical teenage daughter would come home. But one day she didn't.

This collection of stand-alone short stories is a treat for new listeners and dedicated fans alike. In each of these 17 stories, an ordinary person takes on an extraordinary journey to a new life, discovering facets and strengths they never knew they possessed. Across a variety of time periods and settings, these stories capture Anna Jacobs' unique style and showcase her mastery of emotional tales.

Amy's so sure that her husband, Joel, is deeply invested in their future together. After all, it's his dream of a family together that has them trying so hard to have a baby, despite a series of disappointments. It's this certainty that leaves Amy absolutely floored when she learns of Joel's affair with her best friend. Heartbroken and horrified, Amy flees to a dilapidated cottage in a Yorkshire village, a place she'd bought with dreams of making it feel homey and warm. In the new village, she feels like a clear outsider, but a group of local women soon take her under their wing.

When Emmie's aunt offers her a job at Catpurrcino, it is the fresh start she needs after a rough year. Now, in the lead-up to Christmas, Emmie can't imagine anything more purr-fect than pouring hot chocolate for customers and taking care of the café's many feline residents. Needing an extra pair of hands for the holidays, Emmie's aunt hires Jared as a driver. Emmie is immediately struck by how tall and handsome he is, but there is something guarded about Jared, not to mention his allergy to cats.

Fae enemies are gathering on all sides, forced to bend the knee to the newly crowned Alder King. Now, only Aster stands between Faolan's wrath and the humans he intends to slaughter and enslave. From the fiery depths of the Metal Court to the darkest reaches of the sinister Shadow Court, Aster and Thorne must travel the length of Faerie to seek possible allies and hunt down the objects of power they desperately need to challenge Faolan's rule.

Torn from Thorne's side, Aster finds herself bound to Faolan by the magic of a faerie bargain. To pay off her debts, he expects her to compete in the Alder Trials, a deadly competition to determine the next King or Queen of Faerie. And not only is Aster a human competing against the impossibly powerful heirs to the Fae Courts, she soon discovers that Thorne will also be competing...against her. Exposed to the cruel, cunning politics of the Fae Courts, Aster must risk everything both in and out of the trials. At the end of it all, which will she choose—a faerie kingdom or her heart?

As town greenwitch, Aster's dedicated her life to defending her people from the nightmarish fae of the forest. Yet despite her best efforts, each year a girl is taken as a tithe by the Beast who rules the Folkwood. None ever return. And this year, the Beast claims Aster. Trapped in a cursed palace, taunted by mischievous, invisible servants, Aster despairs of ever making it home. Then the Beast offers her a bargain—if she can restore his rose garden and break the curse on his court, he will set her free.

When secret agent Maggie Black agrees to protect the Mayor of London, she thinks she’s in for a boring night of babysitting. But the simple job gets a lot more complicated when an assassin arrives and takes out the Mayor, framing Maggie as the killer. Unable to explain the evidence against her, Maggie is branded a traitor and hunted by the very people she once fought beside.

When her old agency is hacked by an elusive crime syndicate, ex-secret agent Maggie Black is enjoying the carefree life of a civilian. Then she learns that the names of the agency’s agents, past and present, are being leaked by the hackers, one by one until their notorious boss is released from prison. With the government refusing to negotiate with the blackmailers, she is forced out of retirement and dragged back into the perilous life of espionage she swore to leave behind. Her name is on that list, as well as those she cares about most.

Maggie Black is settling well into life after being a government assassin. Finally content and deeply in love with her partner, Leon, she is ready to open her own secret agency where she can put her unique skills to use and help those in need - on her own terms. Getting out isn’t as simple as Maggie had hoped, however, and her past comes back to haunt her, putting a stop to any plans for a fresh start. Nina, an old colleague-turned-enemy, is out for blood and returns from hiding in the most devastating way possible.

This collection features Maggie Black's most notorious cases as well as exclusive content from author Jack McSporran: Vendetta (Book 1), The Witness (Book 2), The Defector (Book 3), and "The Honeymoon" (Audio-Exclusive Content).

Broadcast live, Rosa Lincoln takes to the stage at her brother’s memorial service with a bomb concealed beneath her clothes. Being in Jimmy’s shadow was never easy, even when he was alive, but in death he has become a national hero. When she crosses paths with the enigmatic Teresa, she discovers that those she has been taught to view as enemies may not be the real villains after all. The lies need to be stopped, and Rosa intends on doing just that.

Princess Delia knows her duty: She must choose a prince to marry in order to secure an alliance and save her failing planet. Yet she secretly dreams of true love and feels there must be a better way. Determined to chart her own course, she steals a spaceship to avoid the marriage, only to discover a handsome stowaway.

In 1860s England, it's a man's world and women aren't expected . . . or allowed . . . to upset the status quo. Living with her domineering uncle, Harriet is desperate to break free. Could the charming young man who has come to stay with them be her way out? Or will he be just like the rest? Happy to keep her in her place . . . Not prepared to sit around while her dreams die, Harriet risks everything to stand her ground. But she underestimates how far some will go to silence her.

With her young son starting primary school, Grace decides to head back to work. And the perfect job lands right in her lap - part time with great pay. At first, Grace doesn't mind the job's little quirks. But there's something odd about the way her coworkers treat her - and she can't shake the feeling that she's being followed.

Hester, the wife of an acting magistrate, is fighting a cause. Sickened by the hanging of a woman who had been brutalized by her husband, and still deeply affected by her own childhood experiences, Hester feels compelled to help women who face the death penalty.

In the aftermath of a horrific terrorist attack in London, secret agent Maggie Black is sent to Paris to stop the culprits from striking again. Struggling with grief from a recent personal loss, Maggie's mission is about more than serving her country. She wants revenge against the home-grown terrorists who shook London to its core. With the help of a certain ex-agent turned rogue Scotsman, Maggie must race against time before Paris and its people meet the same fate.

When the sole witness to a foreign dignitary’s murder is kidnapped, secret agent Maggie Black is sent to the United States to save her. Already shaken by unexpected personal news, Maggie’s work gets even more complicated when she learns the witness is a 12-year-old girl being held inside the Russian consulate. Using her specialized skill set, Maggie must find a way to return the girl into the safe hands of her British colleagues.

When a British covert intelligence agency learns of an impending drug deal between the Venetian mafia and one of the UK’s most notorious importers, agent Maggie Black is sent to stop it. Under the alias of an American drug lord, Maggie must infiltrate the crime family and stop their product from reaching British soil - a feat that gets more complicated when her colleague and old flame Leon is sent along with her.

16 modern fiction superstars shine a startling light on the romance and pain of the infamous literary pair Heathcliff and Cathy. Short stories to stir the heart and awaken vital conversation about love. Sixteen stories inspired by Wuthering Heights. In ‘Terminus’ a young woman hides in an...