A young girl's tragic loss will shape her dreams and her future... 1930 - Douro Valley, Portugal Twelve-year-old Catherine is watching the Rabalo race in Porto when the sound of a shot being fired changes her life forever. Her beloved mother, mistress for some years to Walter Shellard, a Bristol based wine and port merchant has received distressing news that her lover, Walter, has married a wealthy heiress. In her anguish she takes her own life, leaving poor Catherine alone and heartbroken. Angry and grieving, Catherine is sent to live under the guardianship of her eccentric Aunt Lopa in a small farmhouse high above the rich vineyards of the Douro valley. Here, she learns to adapt to her new life and her strange aunt but still blames her father, a man she barely knows, for her mother's tragic death. Coming of age, beautiful Catherine is summoned to Bristol by her estranged father who presumes she'll be as malleable as most other women. But Catherine is her father's daughter, as strong as he is and still thirsting for revenge.

She must face the terror of war alone to survive... 1939 - India When headstrong Nadine Burton learns that the woman she thought was her Indian Ayah was in fact her mother, she rebels against her father in a flamboyant display of disrespect and dares to dance with her two local best friends at a public party. Her father, local official, Roland Frederick Burton is furious. He arranges for her to be exiled from India and married off to Australian Martin McPherson, owner of a rubber plantation north of Singapore. Within a year Singapore falls to the Japanese. Martin is killed and Nadine becomes a prisoner of war, imprisoned in Sumatra, where her dancing skills don't go unnoticed by the captors. Amidst the horror she finds a friend in a Japanese American major caught up in the war whilst visiting his grandparents in Japan. Much like her, he straddles two cultures and worlds. As their love deepens, boundaries are crossed and together they must unite to survive.

A heart-warming new story from Emma Chichester Clark celebrating 25 years of beloved characters Lily and Blue Kangaroo. Blue Kangaroo has gone everywhere with Lily for as long as they can both remember. So when Lily and her friends are planning their very first sleepover Lily is so excited for a new adventure with her beloved Blue Kangaroo! But when she hears her friends saying they're too old for stuffed toys Lily knows she wonTMt be able to take Blue Kangaroo with her. How will she last a night without him? Luckily Blue Kangaroo knows just what to do Celebrating 25 years of Blue Kangaroo heralded author Emma Chichester Clark brings her classic gentleness and charm to this brilliant new story in the return to her much-loved characters Lily and Blue Kangaroo.

Novelist J.B. Blackwood is on a cruise with her husband Patrick, celebrating their wedding anniversary. Her former professor, Patrick is much older than J.B. Though when they met, he seemed somehow ageless, as all new gods appear in the eyes of those who worship them. He is a film director. A cult figure. But now his success is starting to wane, and J.B. is on the cusp of winning a major literary prize. While her art has been forever overseen by him, now it may overshadow his. For days they sail in the sun. They lay about drinking, reading, sleeping, having sex. There is nothing but dark water all around them. Then a storm hits and Patrick falls off the ship. J.B. is left alone as the search for what happened to Patrick - and the truth about their marriage - begins...

Journalist Ben Harper is on his way home when he sees the flames in the churchyard. The derelict community centre is on fire. And somebody is trapped inside. With Ben's help the person escapes, only to flee the scene before they can be identified. Now the small town of Haddley is abuzz with rumours. Was this an accident, or arson? Then a skeleton is found in the burnt-out foundations. And when the identity of the victim is revealed, Ben is confronted with a crime that is terrifyingly close to home. As he uncovers a web of deceit and destruction that goes back decades, Ben quickly learns that in this small town, everybody has something to hide.

When new bride Kaveri Murthy reluctantly agrees to investigate a minor crime during the blood moon eclipse to please her domineering mother-in-law, she doesn't expect to stumble upon a murder - again. With anti-British sentiments rising, a charismatic religious leader growing in influence, and the fight for women's suffrage gaining steam, Bangalore is turning out to be far more dangerous than Kaveri ever imagined, and everyone's motives are suspect. Together with the Bangalore Detectives Club - a mixed bag of people including street urchins, nosy neighbours, an ex-prostitute and a policeman's wife - Kaveri once again sleuths in her sari and hunts for clues in her beloved 1920s Ford. But when Kaveri's life is put in danger, she realises that she might be getting uncomfortably close to the truth. She must draw on her wits and find the killer - before they find her...

Late November 1980. Student Nick Hartley returns from a lecture to find his house full of police officers. As he discovers that his ex-girlfriend has been found murdered in a nearby park, and her new boyfriend is missing, he realises two things in quick succession: he is undoubtedly a suspect as he has no convincing alibi, and he has his own suspicions as to what might have happened... Late November 2019. A dig near Scotch Corner unearths a skeleton that turns out to be far more recent than the Roman remains the archaeologist is looking for. Detective Superintendent Alan Banks and his team are called in, and as an investigation into the find begins, the past and the present meet with devastating consequences.

A perfect new start in Cornwall... Meredith's life is at a standstill. She's stuck in a dead-end job, approaching fifty, and her dating life is a string of disasters. But one evening, while browsing the internet, she sees an ad for a lighthouse, and in a moment of impulsiveness, she makes a ridiculous bid for it. With the help of local handyman Clem, she sets about renovating. And as they work together, a bond begins to form. But when Meredith finds out that Clem is keeping a secret from her, it changes everything. Will they find a way to build something more meaningful together?

As the eldest child of a single mother, Kylie's always had more important things on her mind than smiling. Controlling her job, her home, and her romantic life (not to mention her family) takes all her concentration. She's always succeeded, though, because that's who Kylie is. Until one Monday morning, when she discovers that the local pharmacy where she works is being taken over by a huge corporation, putting her stable job at risk. This leads to a cascade of disasters. Plus, her boyfriend is acting suspiciously, and she finds herself caring for a high-maintenance Pomeranian. When her fiercely independent mother breaks an ankle and needs help, it?s up to Kylie, as usual, to fix things. She reluctantly packs her bags, but back in her childhood home, things start to unravel. Could it be that Kylie's carefully curated life is not so perfect after all?

Gabriella Jacques, is happy to be back in her childhood home, Villa Espoir in the South of France ready to embrace fresh experiences with friends new and old and to heal some deep family scars. Recently widowed Harriet Rogers, hopes to rebuild her family life and reconnect with Elodie, the daughter she abandoned into her mother Gabby's care to follow her heart. But when an acquaintance from the past seeks her out, Harriet fears a secret from her past will ruin her plans. Elodie Jacques, adores her new life in her Grandmother's old home as a freelance journalist. Her relationship with her mother is tense as she struggles to understand why her mother won't talk to her about the past, as until their past is resolved, there can be no future. Will these three women, all living under the same roof after two decades adrift be able to put aside the past and find harmony in the present together?

Sometimes when you can't see the way forwards, the best thing to do is to look back... When Jessie left home at eighteen, she swore she'd never go back. But when life takes a turn for the complicated, she's forced to move in with her twin, Isaac, and his two best friends. To her dismay, one of these is Elliot, the boy Jessie once loved, until his life was changed forever by a terrible accident that Jessie still blames herself for. Cohabiting with three alarmingly unhouse-trained males was not in Jessie's life plan so when Isaac, Elliot and Arthur offer her a generous rent discount if she'll help them with their 'Boys to Men Project', designed to end years of disastrous dating, she reluctantly accepts the challenge. As Jessie embraces the comfort of being home, revelling in her new job at her parents' day centre full of people determined to grow old disgracefully, she realises her housemates aren't the only ones needing to make some changes. And maybe, if she can finally forgive herself for Elliot's accident, she can start to look forward to a future, with or without him by her side.

Welcome to Winters End... Winters End should have been the perfect place for me and my husband Neil to start again. To leave the terrible secrets and guilt of our past far behind us. But from the moment we arrived in the small, isolated community, it becomes clear to me that we are not welcome here. That someone wants us to leave... I'm certain that everyone knows our secrets - knows who we really are. But how can that be? Perhaps it's my mind playing tricks on me. Just like before. I know Neil thinks I'm paranoid. My thoughts spiralling. Again. If only I had someone else to talk to. Another woman to confide in. And that's when I realise something far more terrifying. I am the only wife at Winters End...and I could be the last...

I have no idea why he thinks I had anything to do with Danielle's accident. My only crime was being in the vicinity when she fell down the stairs. Being forced into therapy for stalking, though, is well over the top. But my therapist, Justine, is quite the character. I know what she wants to hear, and I'm also a master at playing the system. When she twigs what's really on my mind, she might not be so cool. I'm starting to enjoy watching her try to unravel my secrets. And make no mistake, there are plenty of dark corners to explore...

Blackpool, summer 1942. Meet the Ballroom Girls: Sylvia, Pearl and Joy. Three girls dancing through the turbulence of WWII. Sylvia is the spoiled only child of an ambitious mother, Lorna Ellis, who runs a dancing school in Blackpool. Approaching 21, Sylvia is under pressure to scoop up prizes by fair means or foul. Pearl is the oldest daughter in a large, chaotic family who all work at the Pleasure Beach. She often sneaks away to watch ballroom contestants in their glittery finery. She dreams of joining them, but will she ever be anything other than an outsider looking in? Joy is an evacuee who lost her parents to the Blitz. Now she lives and works in a shabby boarding house and works as a cleaner. Though shy and modest, she falls in love with the newest dance craze - the American Jitterbug. When Lorna's rival dance school spots her talent, Joy is given a chance to break away from boarding house drudgery and enter the glamorous world of professional ballroom dancing. Through blackouts and air raids, the excitement of the ballroom never dims. But competition is fierce. Will the Ballroom Girls find what they're looking for in the joy of the dance?

An unexpected inheritance is most people's dream, but not so for Paula. She's happy and secure in Western Australia with her own business, a complete contrast to her rootless childhood, and has little interest in the minor stately home in Wiltshire of which she is apparently now the owner. Persuaded to at least visit the property, she travels to the UK. But following on from the journey, complications personal, romantic, and financial abound - all of which will test the adage that home is where the heart is...

When a night-time firebomb attack at a Brighton travellers' site kills women and children, Chief Superintendent Jo Howe has strong reason to believe the new, dubiously elected, far-right council leader is behind the murders. Against the direct orders of her chief constable, Jo digs deep into the killings secretly briefing the senior investigating officer of her suspicions. As she delves further, Jo uncovers an underworld of human trafficking and euthanasia all leading to a devastating plot which threatens thousands of lives and from which the murderous politician looks sure to walk scot-free. Having narrowly survived a plot to kill her, where another was not so lucky, she realises that only by facing near-certain death once more can she thwart this terrorist outrage.

Mercy Alexander doesn't believe in love, let alone love at first sight. There's one sure fire way of steering clear of heartbreak, and that's not to get your heart involved in the first place. So what is that irritating flutter she feels every time she sees Brooks Hudson, and why is she finding him so hard to ignore? Brooks Hudson can't understand where he's going wrong. Doting single father to six-year-old Ali, supportive co-parent with his ex, much-loved friend and respected colleague, not to mention he's smoking hot. So why is he constantly being dumped, told in no uncertain terms he's 'too nice'? Since when was being nice a crime? Mercy is in serious need of someone to restore her faith in men, and Brooks needs a girl he likes to stick around long enough for him to believe in love again. But when Mercy's past threatens to remind her of everything she's scared of, will love be enough to save the day?

Appearances can be deceptive... I was taught that life is pain. That love is pain. It was unavoidable. Acceptable. I never had anything, or anyone I could count on. Not really. Not even myself. Until I met Dr Menon... To the outside world Lauren Taylor's relationship with her boyfriend Josh is perfect. He is supportive and loving and has been there for Lauren during her darkest moments. But behind closed doors, secrets and lies can be hidden... And when Lauren wakes up in a hospital bed and is told Josh is missing, those secrets come bubbling up to the surface. Because the police think Lauren knows exactly what's happened to Josh; that she could even be capable of his murder... The only person who believes in Lauren's innocence is Dr Menon, who has cared for Lauren as his patient for the last few weeks. He can't believe she's capable of murder. He knows just how good she really is. Isn't she?

Registrar Maddie Winter has overseen enough weddings to know that marriage is not just for Christmas (or Valentine's Day) - it's for life, and regardless of whether the ceremony involves specially trained owls, dinosaurs or the police, it should be only the beginning of a story that will end in happily-ever-after. Saying that, Maddie's own married life is far from perfect - her husband, David, is more interested in his phone than in her, and when he suddenly walks out, Maddie's long-held beliefs are put to the test. Except Maddie knows David was never really her 'Mr Ideal'; that was sweet, funny, motorbike-riding Josh Diamond - although obviously not that ideal, as he did dump her to move to the States. Even so, when Josh unexpectedly rides back into town, Maddie begins to wonder whether her happily-ever-after could still be to come.

Hope Single mother Sarah is guilt-ridden when an accident leaves her young daughter Melody seriously injured and their once music-filled lives silent. When she discovers her grandmother Rosalie's old war correspondence she thinks she might have found a way to save her family but it will require a leap of faith she isn't sure they are ready to take. Heartache In 1945 Rosalie is desperate to forge a career as a journalist and taking photos for soldiers serving in WWII for the Snapshots from Home League might just lead to the job of her dreams. But when two brothers she's been corresponding with come home to Redgum River her life is turned upside down and she flees vowing to never return. Healing When Rosalie discovers Redgum River offers/house/has a music retreat that could help Melody the three generations of women reluctantly head to the idyllic town. And as Sarah draws together the threads of what happened here all those years ago a heart-breaking family mystery comes to light and they discover that the ghosts of the past can lead them to their future and they might all be more in tune than they first thought. Welcome to the Redgum River Retreat where a fractured family has the chance to find harmony within the discord of their lives.

A murder shocks the small town of Walden. And it's only the beginning... Walden, 1921. Local reporter Iris Woodmore is determined to save her beloved lake, Waldenmere, from destruction. After a bloody and expensive war, the British Army can't afford to keep the lake and build a convalescent home on its shores yet they still battle with Walden Council and a railway company for ownership. But an old mansion used as an officer training academy stands where the railway company plans to build a lakeside hotel. It belongs to General Cheverton - and he won't leave his home. When the General is found murdered, it appears someone will stop at nothing to win the fight for Waldenmere. Iris thinks she can take on the might of the railway company and find the killer. But nothing prepares her for the devastation that's to come...

Edinburgh 1896 Amy Alardyce's once-perfect life is in tatters. Her eldest son, Robert, has come of age, become the master of his own home, and married his childhood love Jane. But with maturity has come a terrible legacy, and the dark desires Robert inherited from his evil father Matthew, are fighting to get loose. Whilst Jane is working hard to get her and Robert accepted into fashionable society, poor women are being hunted on the streets of Edinburgh, and Amy fears her son is to blame. And once the infamous Inspector Murphy takes up the case, Amy has to face a stark choice - denounce her son as a monster or risk her own safety to protect him from the consequences of his lethal actions.

The opponents: mothers vs. daughters The battle scene: a boutique changing room Fashion-guru Annie's well-dressed world is falling apart - first she has lost her legendary sense of style, and now her daughter Lauren seems to have become her worst enemy. Even her multi-millionairess friend, Svetlana, is having daughter trouble - she's at war with Elena over their business in New York. A trip to a luxurious Italian spa seems like the perfect way for Annie to forget her problems. But celery juice and Pilates can't solve the disasters that are about to strike... Will Annie rescue her passion for fashion? And can mothers and daughters ever truly be friends?

A brilliant new picture book from major talent John Bond creator of Mini Rabbit. Pigeon is extremely busy doing important things. Rushing here rushing there. He has no time to stop and he definitely doesn't have time to get lost. Luckily Mouse is on hand to help. Mouse is not busy. Mouse is not busy at all. Mouse has all the time in the world to admire and appreciate the world around him. As this unlikely duo pair up to help Pigeon find his way home Mouse wonders if he might be able persuade Pigeon to stop and look at the world around him too A witty and exquisitely illustrated new picture book about appreciating the little things in life from award-winning illustrator and creator of Mini Rabbit John Bond.