Showing results by narrator "Luke Francis" in All Categories

"What I did to them was terrible, but you have to understand the context. This was London, 2016." Bohemia is history. Paul has awoken to the fact that he will always be better known for reviewing haircuts than for his literary journalism. He is about to be kicked out of his cheap flat in east London and his sister has gone missing after an argument about what to do with the house where they grew up. Now that their mother is dead this is the last link they have to the declining town on the north-west coast where they grew up.

Benny thought that it would be him and his dad doing the walk. Just him and his father, hiking through the Welsh countryside, like they used to. Only, when his dad got ill, it became obvious that this would never happen. So Benny was forced to consider other options. If Benny is honest, him and Stephen haven't been close since school, but once Benny had drunkenly blurted out the invitation, he couldn't take it back. Now Benny and Stephen are on the walk. A walk Benny has vowed to finish, no matter how hard it is.

In 1960s Liverpool, life is hard for Reggie Kellison. His marriage is stalling, baby number six is on its way, a fall out at work has put his nose out of joint and the football team he supports offers little relief. But Reggie has a plan. If it works it could give him the life, lover and the money he dreams of. If it doesn’t, a jail sentence could be on the cards. Either way, he can only find out by risking everything and playing the pools....

Kelsey and Lewis have been best friends for ten years. After her father died suddenly, it was Lewis - then a sweet, scruffy-haired schoolboy—who patiently patched Kelsey back together. A shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, someone to watch Family Guy with when nothing felt funny anymore: he became everything she needed him to be to bring her back to life and has been stitched onto her soul ever since. Nine years later, when Lewis finally kissed her for the first time, Kelsey was sure it was the beginning of their love story.

The Middle Parts of Fortune is a novel by Frederic Manning that depicts the experiences of ordinary British soldiers, particularly Private Bourne, fighting in the trenches of World War I. Primarily focused on the brutal realities of the Battle of the Somme, including the trauma, camaraderie, boredom, and moments of bloodlust they faced, the book has been praised, since its publication in 1929, for its authenticity and raw depiction of war's psychological impact.

Milkmaid Rhoda Brooks cannot control her jealousy of Gertrude - a beautiful woman who has just married a rich farmer. So when Gertrude appears in her dream, she cannot help but reach out and grab the arm of the woman she wishes she was. As Gertrude's arm begins to wither away in real life and no physician is able to help her, she must turn to a conjurer... Considered one of Hardy's most successful short stories, 'The Withered Arm' is unmissable for those who enjoyed Laura Purcell's ´The Silent Companions´.

Screenwriter Caroline Byrne is desperate to know why her daughter, Jessica, died, murdered in Stratford when she was supposed to be at a friend’s in Somerset. When Caroline discovers the messages Jessica had been sending a boy named Michael, she realises it’s because of him. Because he failed to meet her that day. He’s the reason why her daughter is dead. And so she makes a choice. He’s the one who’s going to pay. That is her promise. Her price.

Happily married and running a successful business, Peter Berry's life changed when, at the age of 50, he was given a terminal diagnosis of early-onset dementia. Since that day, he has learned to live with his very own 'dementia monster'. From depression and suicide attempts through to his determination to confront his dementia, Peter has embarked on a series of challenges to show that 'life isn't over with dementia, it's just a little different'.

To the unsuspecting eye Dee Stephens has a perfect life as the vicar's wife: a devoted marriage to her charismatic husband Reverend Vincent, an adoring congregation and a beautiful daughter. But beneath the surface, Dee is suffocating. Vincent is in control, and he knows her every sin. Desperate, Dee escapes into a heady affair with Cal, an old schoolmate. But is Cal the saviour she thinks he is? What dark secrets does he harbour? And to what lengths will Vincent go to when he uncovers the truth?

Through the changing seasons, amidst a sprawling ducal country estate, ex-steelworker George Purse's role as a gamekeeper goes beyond mere employment. With determination, he safeguards the birds, nurturing them with care, even as they become targets for the wealthy elite. As the Glorious Twelfth approaches, George must orchestrate flawless hunts for the Duke and his esteemed guests, ensuring their satisfaction while fending off the persistent poachers who threaten the delicate balance of the land.

The past will never let you go... When a four-year-old girl and her father are found dead in the Swedish city of Karlskrona, the police quickly rule it as a suicide. Believing it's a mistake, reformed criminal Luke Bergman is determined to uncover the truth. As the body count rises, Luke embarks on an investigation into his friend’s former involvement with a sinister cult, and dark secrets are exposed as Luke struggles to keep his own long-buried demons hidden.

Lucie Hart is a fledgling actress, her confidence having been shattered by her manipulative ex. Making ends meet by performing Shakespearean monologues full of romance she doesn’t believe in, she can see her dreams getting further out of reach. Theo Larkin has already taken Hollywood by storm and his next conquests are Shakespeare’s greatest works – and his incensed leading lady. Always short of money, Lucie can’t afford to waste the opportunity to bring crowds to her shows. And when a well-publicised bust-up leaves Theo’s reputation hanging by a thread, he is desperate to prove his worth.

Through her own – often bloody-minded – determination and the medical skill of others, April Ashley became the woman she had always believed herself to be. And for half a dozen decades she soared around, over and above momentous and turbulent times, difficult, and changing times when, finally, who you wanted to be and who you could be became the cultural topic of the day. She overcame opprobrium and penury and became renowned and celebrated for one specific achievement: being April Ashley.

When Mathilde is forced to leave her teaching job in Oslo after her relationship with 18-year-old Jacob is exposed, she flees to the countryside for a more authentic life. Her new home is a quiet cottage on the outskirts of a dairy farm run by Andres and Johs, whose hobbies include playing the fiddle and telling folktales - many of them about female rebellion and disobedience, and seeking justice, whatever it takes. But beneath the surface of the apparently friendly and peaceful pastoral surface of the farm, something darker and less harmonic starts to vibrate.