Showing results by narrator "Sarah Durham" in All Categories

Ethan gently squeezes my hand as he slides the golden ring onto my finger. But I know we aren’t worthy of happiness. As I look down at my wedding ring, in a blistering flash, I suddenly remember another piece of that pitch-black, rainy night… but I try to focus on Ethan’s gorgeous blue eyes. I know exactly what he’s thinking. We can never tell. All our family, friends and loved ones smile as they watch Ethan and I promise to be together until death us do part. But only we know what that really means…Because we have already killed someone.

Yorkshire, 1890. Having lost her father and brothers in tragic circumstances, Olwen Malkon is forced to leave her childhood home to live with her uncle's family. In his chill vicarage, however, she fears that she is also losing her mind, as strange dreams take her into the life of Ælfwyn, a woman from a distant past whose fate is overshadowed by menace and betrayal. In the grip of these afflictions, Olwen finds sympathy with the local doctor, John Osbourne, who is intrigued by her case.

No Such Thing as Normal is a deeply researched, timely, essential book that will shine a light on the psychiatric industry: its genesis, its obsession with often ineffective, over-medicalised treatments, and its relationship with a pharmaceutical industry driven by profitability rather than meaningful social welfare and change.

Abandoned as a baby on the steps of a remote inn, Ruby Blake has been raised by the innkeeper’s wife, Martha Metcalfe, unknowing of the family searching for her. One wild stormy night, Ruby is reunited with her long-lost father, who wants to whisk her away to Banksgill Farm for a happy life with her true family. Feeling betrayed by Martha, Ruby follows her father for the chance of a new life. However, Ruby is quickly outcast from her real family for being born of Romani blood by everyone but the charming stable hand, Tom Adams.

Stratford-upon-Avon, 1940. Rosalind Arden, born into one of the oldest families in England, has grown up running wild through the walled gardens and secret passages of historic Arden House, known to have once been frequented by Shakespeare himself. But centuries of squandered wealth have left the family destitute, and Papa Arden plans to replenish the coffers by securing hasty marriages to the highest bidder for Rosalind and her sisters. Passionate and headstrong, Rosalind is quickly running out of ways to avoid this fate.

Suzie Fletcher is the warm and friendly face on TV's The Repair Shop that viewers look forward to watching every week as the resident leather expert - a craft she has honed over four decades and was born out of her love of horses. But while she tends to be the one repairing and offering a gentle kindness to others, Suzie has also been in a process of change, reflection, and healing.In her first book Suzie looks back over her life - which moves from England to Colorado and back again - and the places, people and experiences that have shaped the person she is today.

Rhiannon Garth-Jones explores Rome's enduring legacy through three core themes: religion, empire, and culture. Each chapter examines how Rome’s history, governance, and mythology have been reimagined throughout centuries, and how these interpretations continue to shape our modern world.

Returning home is never easy. Not when there is a serial killer at work… A completely unputdownable crime thriller full of authentic detail. DI Charley Mann left Yorkshire for the Met and a fast-track career – but now she's back, she's in charge and the area's first young, female DI. Her hometown, the Yorkshire countryside, and her old friends all seem unchanged. But appearances can be deceptive. When a brutal murder is discovered, Charley is forced to question everything, and the interest of her ex doesn't make it easier. Bodies keep appearing and the pressure is on.

Under pressure to solve the murder of Sister Sophia Brennan, Detective Hollie Turner is close to cracking the case and catching the killer when her Deputy Chief Constable, Rose Warburton, goes missing. It soon becomes clear that Rose has been abducted, and Hollie makes a shocking discovery. Rose's disappearance is connected to Sister Brennan's murder investigation. As Hollie and her team delve further into the lives of the four girls who had their babies forcibly taken at the sinister Church of St Mary and the Angels mother and baby home, Hollie unearths a revelation about a fifth girl.

When Grace’s husband passed away, there was no guidebook for the 27-year-old widow. Crippled with heartbreak, she was also clueless. Was she allowed to wear denim? Should she be shrouded in a black veil? What about T-shirts printed with Tom’s face? Three years later, things look a little different for Grace. She’s adopted two precious girls, and she’s learned some life lessons.

I’m Lucy. Out-of-work actress, part-time princess impersonator, Dorito enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve lost my memory. I got knocked off a bicycle on my way to a children’s party, dressed as Elsa, and accidentally flashed my thong. Now, in my head, it’s 2009 and I’m 17 years old. Not nearly 30 and starting to wrinkle. By this stage of my life, I thought I’d be married, with kids and a mortgage. Instead, I’ve got a phone full of dick pics. As I make my way through my contacts list - and try to jog my memory - I can’t help asking: Am I allergic to love? Commitment? Men?

Detective Hollie Turner is chasing down a suspect connected to the recent murder of Sister Sophia Brennan when she receives a call that someone has confessed to the shocking crime. Hollie should be relieved that this is the end of a grueling investigation, but her instincts tell her something isn’t right. As Hollie and her team uncover the truth behind the confession, they discover a web of dark secrets and unspeakable crimes haunting the now-abandoned Church of St Mary and the Angels mother and baby home.

In this deliciously strange debut collection, Leon Craig draws on folklore and gothic horror in refreshingly inventive ways to explore queer identity, love, power and the complicated nature of being human. In the 13 darkly audacious stories of Parallel Hells, we meet a golem, made of clay, learning that its powers far exceed its Creator's expectations; a ruined mansion which grants the secret wishes of a group of revellers and a notorious murderer who discovers her Viking husband is not what he seems.

I can’t believe it when I learn my donor’s identity. The attack on Flora was all over the news. From my hospital bed I read every article, obsess over every word and soon I feel like I know her: the beautiful girl with flame-colored hair, adored by everyone around her. Why would anyone hurt someone so perfect? When Flora’s family reach out to me, I’m unsure. My hands are shaking as I arrive at their grand mansion with its golden stone and sprawling gardens, but they’re warm and welcoming, tears shining in her mother’s eyes as she smiles at me.

Seven-year-old Jake's heart is failing, and he doesn't want to leave his dad, Simon, alone. So he makes a decision: to find Simon someone to love before he goes. Beth is determined to forget the past. But even when she leaves New York to start afresh in a Lake District village, she can't shake the secrets that haunt her. Single dad Simon still holds a candle for the woman who left him years ago. Every day is a struggle to earn a living while caring for his beloved son. He has no time for finding someone new.

When I step into the elevator that sweltering morning, I barely notice the woman standing next to me. She seems out of place, with her floaty linen clothes in a building full of suits. But that’s none of my business. A minute later, there’s a sudden jerk. The elevator stops. The lights go out.

When the broken body of a seventy-one-year-old woman is found beneath the Humber Bridge, a sign around her neck with the words ‘Pure Evil’ spray-painted in red, Detective Hollie Turner can’t help but wonder–who would want this frail elderly woman dead? As she starts to delve into the victim’s personal life, Hollie discovers that the woman, Sister Brennan, ran a local mother and baby home at the Church of St Mary and the Angels. The unit may have shut down years ago, but the pain and anguish of those who were forced to give up their babies remains.

Whatever doubts I've had about my fiancé, I'm determined this will be the happiest day of my life. I smooth the expensive white silk of my perfect dress and retouch my makeup, trying to cover the dark circles under my eyes. But when I go to find my daughter, her room is empty. My beautiful girl has vanished.

I’m out on an early morning dog walk when I find the body. It’s Harry, the man I was dating. It should be the worst thing that has ever happened to me.... But it has happened to me before. Six months ago I found the body of Ash, another man I’d been seeing. The police arrested me, and the trauma nearly destroyed me. I moved back home and changed my life. Now, it’s a bright sunny morning, the air is fresh, and I’m finally feeling like I can move on. I can’t wait for my second date with Harry....

You trust them with your child. You shouldn’t. Each Monday after school, I look after my daughter Coralie and four other kids from her class. We go to the park when it’s sunny, snuggle on the sofa reading books when it rains. Tuesdays to Fridays, the other parents take them. It’s perfect–a circle of free childcare, of fun and friendship for our children. But this morning, we all received an anonymous note. And now I’m terrified.