Showing results by publisher "Zaffre" in Literature & Fiction

Life is going well for Maria. Welcomed into the Saward family, she has secured herself a job as a maid for Queen Alexandra and is living with her family in a beautiful cottage on the Royal Sandringham estate. The luxuries and privilege associated with the royal family are a far cry from the poverty and suffering she endured before, though the royals, like the nation, are tightening their belts. But when a mysterious relative turns up, seemingly on the run from the law, Maria's new-found happiness could be under threat.

1976. Loo and her sister Bee live in a run-down cottage in the middle of nowhere, with their artistic parents and wild siblings. Their mother, Cathy, had hoped to escape to a simpler life; instead the family find themselves isolated and shunned by their neighbours. At the height of the stifling summer, unexplained noises and occurrences in the house begin to disturb the family, until they intrude on every waking moment....

Harmony 'Harry' Loveridge is growing up on a farm in post-war Kent. With a Gypsy for a father, she has had a somewhat unconventional, yet happy life. But Harry has always hoped for more. And with ambitions to go to university, and a scholarship in sight, it looks as though she is about to get what she wants. That is until one fateful night, during the yearly hopping, when something happens to Harry. Something that could take everything away from her.

The beach is quiet at night. The moon shines, the tide falls back, and a woman stands, waiting, watching for those who come to the shore only to walk into the sea. Nancy has lived on the coast for more years than she can remember. A famous actress in her younger days, she has since retreated from the world. Now her only aim is to persuade those who come to her beach to end their lives to go back to dry land, and try, once more, to live. But each time gets harder, and Nancy begins to fear she is no longer strong enough to save the lives of the desperate and hopeless.

Born into poverty in eighteenth-century England, her future was predetermined. But throughout her life Molly Thistle refused to follow the path laid out before her. Her headstrong nature, disdain for convention and desire for freedom were always destined to determine her fate. Following her involvement in a fatal childhood prank, Molly dresses as a boy and flees on a stolen horse. Her new-found freedom ends with her arrest and an uncertain journey towards Britain's farthest prison colony. Undaunted, Molly navigates her way through a society that denies power to her sex.

1958. When it-girl Vivienne George flees on the eve of her wedding, she seeks refuge in a scheduled lodge surrounded by the lush rainforest of tropical North Queensland. There, she is relieved to find that the small farming town couldn't be further from the high society she's left behind. Now, Vivienne spends her days swimming in the beautiful Lake Evelyn where she befriends the larger-than-life Josie. But all is not as it seems in this quiet, close-knit community.

When her family is torn apart, can she find her place in the world? Emma is growing up in the beautiful Norfolk countryside with her family. Life seems idyllic, but little does she know things are about to change. Soon she finds her family split. Her younger siblings are destined for the workhouse whilst Emma takes a job as a cook in a wealthy London household. Then she meets a dashing young fireman. As Emma marries and her family grows, so does her happiness. Until tragedy strikes. Will Emma turn her life around once again?

1820, London. Sarah McCaffrey, fleeing arrest for her part in a failed rebellion, finds herself alone and on the run. She boards the Serpent, bound from London to the colony of New South Wales - and when the captain's reckless actions lead the ship to be dashed onto Sydney's notorious rocks, Sarah is the only survivor. Adopting a false identity, Sarah determines to make a new life for herself. She takes the first work she can find, under the formidable Molly Thistle, who runs a sprawling trade empire.

Stranger. Liar. Killer? You can't trust The Bad Daughter. Robin Davis hasn't spoken to her family in six years. Not since it happened. Then they're attacked; left fighting for their lives. And Robin is back. All families have their secrets. And one of theirs may have put them all in terrible danger. You can always trust your family...can't you?

It's 1897, and young Annie Maguire and her parents are leaving their farm in County Down, Ireland. Driven away by poverty, they're looking for a place to start again. After moving to Comber and settling for a time, once again the Maguire family's lives are turned on their heads when Annie's mother dies and she and her father move on, this time to Cleator Moor, Cumberland, where Annie starts work in Ainsworth's Mill.

Spring 1900. Ever since she was nine years old, Mairi McGloughlin has known she wants to be a farmer, but by the law of the land it's her scholarly brother, Ian, who will someday inherit. The next best thing might be to marry a farmer, and charming, confident Jack could be the perfect answer. But then there's Robin, her brother's best friend, more a man of books than of the land - and yet there's something about him.... But with the outbreak of the Great War, their choices change completely, and neither Mairi, Ian nor Robin can hope to escape unscathed.

For over fifty years Egypt has known nothing but war and devastation at the hands of the Hyksos, a bloodthirsty barbarian people from the distant east who continue to advance, crushing armies in their wake. Times are desperate, but throughout the conflict, a brave resistance fights on under the great Taita, a slave who has risen far beyond his ranks. Piay, entrusted into Taita's care by his parents at the age of just five, has been trained to become a great spy, unmatched by any other.

Ipswich, 1923: After an unlucky start in her first role as a nursemaid, sixteen-year-old Elin Odell looks forward to seeing in the New Year at home. Little does she know, her family is changing and she has no idea what lies ahead. Having been offered the role as governess for the Lamberts in Middlesex, Elin quickly accepts, leaving her own family behind in Ipswich. But when tragedy strikes at her new home, Elin steps up to hold everyone together at the expense of her own happiness.

There are rumours of war besetting the country but sisters Daisy, Violet and Holly Graham have other things on their minds. With the family smock mill keeping them busy and the local brewer boys turning their heads, the girls are looking forward to a summer of fun. But their plans soon come crashing to the ground as war is declared. As their brothers, Asa and Clem, and the three Brewer lads Ren, Alder and Rosen, all volunteer to do their part for the war effort and are shipped off, the women are left with the problem of how to keep the business running.

Beautiful, irrepressible Esther Hamilton had a reputation in the small Queensland town of Noah Vale. That was until she ran away, 20 years ago, under a cloud of shame. It's now 1955 and following their mother's death, the Hamilton sisters have returned to live near their aunt and uncle. Sonnet has never stepped foot in Noah Vale, yet has been the talk of the town for decades. Fable is a talented artist and lovelier than even her heartbreaking mother had been. And Plum is just a little girl who's lost her mother and been taken away from the only home she's ever known.

First, she must return home to spend the week with her siblings Zoe, Phinn and Poppy who, despite their best intentions, are quick to return to long-established battle lines. Waiting on the arrival of her best friend, Nora, for support against her family, Claudia starts to doubt her engagement and question her past relationships. What if her ex-boyfriend is really the one she should be with? Is downloading Tinder just before your wedding actually that bad? What if she wants to move to Malta? Or volunteer in the Philippines?

Aspiring writer Brooke Sinclair dreams of seeing her words in print, which she should have thought of five years ago before falling for her teaching assistant and being driven out of uni when their illicit romance came to light. When her ailing mentor, Professor McCallister, asks her to co-write her memoir, she jumps at the chance. Her insistence that Brooke hike the rugged, eighty-mile Skye Trail for authenticity's sake is the least of her worries - the photographer she hired is none other than Jack Sutherland, Professor McCallister's nephew and the TA who broke Brooke's heart.

Nicole and her friends are living the dream. No dull, tedious retirement for them - instead the nine friends have clubbed together to purchase a magnificent (if crumbling) château in Normandy. And after three years of shared dinners, fine wine and gorgeous scenery, they have finally settled into a routine. But money for the upkeep of the château soon runs low and the make-shift family need to come up with a plan to keep their dream on track. They decide to set up as a B&B and soon the arrival of visitors brings a welcome new dynamic to their community.

You know Lara King. The top billing of the showbiz pages, you've seen her every morning: over your breakfast, on your commute to work. You know everything about her; you've dissected her life. Her perfect relationship with film star Matthew Raine. Her beautiful six-year-old daughter, Ava. And so when a terrible incident shatters the family's carefully constructed facade, a media frenzy ensues. What happens when the perfect woman begins to unravel? When her whole life is really just a lie? One she will do anything she can to stop you from finding out?

Years of Hyksos rule have seen the ruin and suffering of a once-mighty Egypt. Though Pharaoh is now restored to his rightful throne, his power fragile as some seek to take advantage of the ensuing chaos following the overthrowing of the Hyksos. Desperate to unite the two divided kingdoms of Egypt under Pharaoh's rule, great mage Taita sends his protégé, Piay, to discover the answer to a millennia-old riddle which has the power to secure the fate of Egypt forever. But in the chaos of war, a dark evil has thrived.