Showing results by narrator "Ruth Redman" in All Categories

Who expects to find a corpse in a fairground? Certainly not Clara Fitzgerald, Brighton's first female private detective, who is enjoying some time off when a new case falls straight into her lap. Just exactly whose corpse is sitting propped up in the House of Curios, and why would anyone leave a body on view for everyone to see? Clara has a whole carnival of suspects and very few clues, but the ones she does have suggest she needs to look towards Brighton's seedy underworld for answers, and that may well mean putting her life in danger.

Adam Ferranti was drinking away his waking hours, getting by in a regional newspaper in the North of England. A talented American journalist, he moved to England to escape the media glare that followed his spectacular fall from grace at the Washington Post, only to be thrust back in it when a mysterious serial killer decides to make him his confidante.

Abigail Accused steps into life in a small New England colony and reveals the callous truth of what has become one of many landmark cases against injustice during the Salem Witch Trials. Abigail Dane Faulkner, daughter of the town’s respected minister, was convicted of witchcraft in 1692 and condemned to die. Her story is based on eyewitness accounts and 17th-century documents. How did the people of Massachusetts Bay Colony become victims of the fear and religious fanaticism that led to the arrests of nearly 200 citizens and the executions of countless innocents?

Evie Perry was a high-class escort whose way of life was abruptly and cruelly shattered by two drunken men. Stella Kendrick's husband committed suicide and left her with a legal battle and a debt of £6m, but he leaves her a message with the names of three men on it. Daniella Maddox is a world-class barrister, assigned to an indefensible case for a corrupt client, but one she must win to save her own life. Unbeknownst to them, fate has woven their lives into a twisted web.

Stella’s life hasn’t quite gone to plan. She imagined that, at forty, she’d be settled with a supportive husband, two kids and a dog. Instead, she’s single and living at home with her mum, Bonnie, and grandmother, Florence. She passes the evenings in her childhood bedroom, obsessively searching for the perfect sperm donor. Unbeknownst to Stella is that Bonnie and Florence both also had difficult journeys to motherhood. And now that they’re writing down their stories for Stella’s unborn child, the truth about their family is becoming harder to conceal.

Frances Walsingham is the only surviving child of Queen Elizabeth’s ‘spymaster’ Sir Francis Walsingham. Better educated than most men, her father arranges her marriage to warrior poet Sir Philip Sidney. After Philip Sidney is killed in battle, Frances becomes Countess of Essex, and is banished from court after her husband Sir Robert Devereaux’s rebellion against the queen.

Ireland, 1895. Polly Brady hopes to escape her oppressive past by accepting the position of governess at Colgrannagh, an old house in the Wicklow mountains. But when she learns her employer’s botanist husband died in unusual circumstances, she is drawn into a poisonous deception that threatens her future.

Lady Penelope Rich is one of the most beautiful and sought-after women in Elizabethan England. The daughter of the Earl of Essex, she is married to the wealthy Baron Robert Rich. Penelope's life is full of love and scandal. The inspiration for Sir Philip Sidney’s sonnet "Astrophel and Stella", she is involved in the Essex Rebellion. A complex and fascinating woman, her life is a story of love, betrayal, and tragedy.

As I stare at the girl, I feel my heart pound inside my chest. There she is, my daughter, right in front of me after all this time. I have to reach her, to hold her, before I lose her all over again. I have experienced what no mother should: I have lost my child. Many years ago, after my divorce, my daughter moved in with her father, and then went missing. For years, I searched everywhere for my darling girl, but she had vanished without a trace. But even on my darkest days, when my heart felt truly broken, I kept a hope alive inside—a hope that my little girl would find her way back to me.

What causes a woman to murder her family? Jo's idyllic life would make most people jealous. Until one day her daughter is abducted, and the only way to find her is to unravel her dark past. Ellie is a devoted wife...until she discovers the pain of betrayal. Now vengeance is all she can think about. Party girl Shayla knows how to hide her demons. But when she's confronted with a life-shattering choice, it will cost her everything. June knows suffering intimately, though the smile she wears keeps it hidden. Soon, the lives of these four women intersect, and one of them is about to snap.

Newly escaped from a loathsome engagement of convenience, Charlotte has no interest in romance. More than ever, she is convinced that no man would—or could—love her. As companion to an aging aunt, Charlotte’s new life is as predictable as it is circumspect. But on Christmas Eve she is rescued from a robbery by her uncle’s heir, a masterful man who is disastrously handsome. Why has he remained as a guest in the house? Why is he so determined to draw Charlotte out and make her talk? It isn't as if he likes her!

Talking to your teenager shouldn't be hard, but sometimes it's the most difficult thing in the world. Healthy, open, non-judgemental conversations with young people can be - literally - life-saving. From minor matters (tidiness, homework, sleep) to big and important ones (relationships, mental ill health, drugs and alcohol), teenagers and their parents often struggle to talk to each other. A well-timed conversation, a listening ear, a non-judgemental and receptive attitude - all these can make an enormous and lasting impact on how safely and happily a teenager navigates this crucial stage.

No matter how challenging the case, psychologist Katherine Fleming never shirks from helping a patient confront a painful issue. Her keen powers of observation and compassionate nature have eased many troubled souls, but a homicide detective with a buried secret of his own stirs more than just clinical interest. The first time Detective Jake Sumner spied the old house, he sensed the good bones. Little did he know the purchase of the property included an unusual tenant far from resting in peace. Can the new psychologist in town help him treat a ghostly trauma case?

When Lady Catherine gets a look at the Collins’ lovely house guest, steel enters her soul. Darcy must marry Anne and soon! Plans are carefully made. On the appointed day, Darcy disappears. Anne, however, is still at home. Then Lady Catherine learns that Elizabeth Bennet is missing. Merciful heavens! Have those unprincipled ruffians made off with the wrong girl? Abduction, mistaken identity, and romance are waiting for you in this lighthearted Elizabeth and Darcy romantic romp. Come join your friends from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in a new adventure.

Everyone has a friend like Carl. The friend you can't say no to. The friend you have to say no to. I'm finally in a good place. A lovely home. A steady job. And Jason. Reliable, honest, kind Jason—my boyfriend. My best friend. I trust him implicitly. But if anyone can lead Jason astray, it's Carl. His best friend. And now Carl's on our doorstep. Begging for help.

Drifting Away is a seven-year story of my journey with my partner on an old Nicholson yacht through the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic, through the Caribbean, and down to the very remote islands of the South Pacific, New Zealand, and then eventually living a further four years in a small island in Greece.

An iTunes number-one best seller when it quietly appeared in 2014, The PA—a true story—charts the journey of the protagonist, Vicki, as a personal assistant through the world of commerce in the City of London, but portrays the minefield of the megalomaniac, narcissistic (and slightly deranged) senior executives and minor celebrities she meets along the way.

With a relaxing and peaceful winter behind her, Ellen is looking forward to the promise of summer - but her peace doesn’t last. An earthquake rips fatally through her friends’ home, and Ellen is left with the grief from their loss. The Lianthem, a sacred ruling group, is profiting from her brother’s lunacy, and her little sister is in danger. While her companions come within a breath of freezing to death, battles between rival factions break out, killing hundreds. And it’s all her fault. Ellen knows she must make it right, but how?

Ellen knows how to deal with greedy investors, restore the wealth of a nation, and juggle political machinations. She’s uncertain about how to deal with the suffering of friends and family. As for her own demons...it’s not easy. Ellen’s the charismatic Ürügh of Si’Empra. She juggles secrets and her own insecurities. It’s been 15 years since she became Si’Empra’s leader. She’s still a young woman, but her health is failing. She must train a successor - maybe two. She’s oblivious to Norm Tucker’s designs for revenge till too late.

Ellen’s a highborn fugitive with a poetic soul and strong friendships. She’s an adventurous half-caste who dares to challenge Crystalmaker Guild Masters and Skyseeker rulers. The Cryptals marked her early as the person to reverse Si’Empra fate. They gave her the glasaur Rosa: beautiful, brave, totally loyal Rosa, who will take Ellen wherever she wants and protect her - except from Redel, the half-brother who betrayed her and haunts her unguarded moments.