Showing results by narrator "Julia Barrie" in All Categories

Chalfont Hall, Dorset, 1936, and as the dressmaker puts the last pins in her dress, 13-year-old Kit is wondering why she has to go through the charade of seeing her sister, Lily, presented at Court. With her waves of auburn hair and her piercing green eyes, Kit knows that her sister's place on the social scene is guaranteed regardless of her dress, and as the door to a life of parties and eligible young men opens for Lily, Kit must make do with tiptoeing around the gallery of Chalfont, eavesdropping on the conversations of the grown-ups.

It is 1718 and, in a small parish near Newcastle, Eliza Tally, a headstrong girl of 16, embarks on a reckless love affair that will prove her undoing. When her lover casts her off, denying their union, she is forced to travel to London, a city that attracts and alarms her in equal measure. There, she takes up a position in the house of an apothecary, Grayson Black, whom she trusts to salvage what remains of her reputation.

Eve has been brought up at Croderhay Park by her adoptive parents, Jack and Antoinette Corderhay, along with her younger half-sister, Anne-Marie. As they grow up, Anne-Marie becomes a spoilt, wilful young woman who will stop at nothing to get her own way. During a holiday in Paris, Anne-Marie makes a desperate phone call which results in Eve rushing over to France. What she discovers has life-changing consequences for their family and friends, and especially for Eve herself.

Detective Constable Janet Scott is subtle and reliable, a diplomatic thinker with a wry sense of humor. She's put in the time and seen it all, but has no desire for the boss's job—she loves her own too much. Rachel Bailey couldn't be more different—she's energetic, impulsive, and ambitious, and has just been transferred to the Manchester murder squad. Their commander thinks Rachel's intuition could make her a great cop, but has reservations about her shoot-first-think-later approach, so she partners her with Janet.

Ellie opens the door to a man who is a stranger but instantly recognisable as the father of her housekeeper's young son. Mikey had been conceived at a party during which his mother, Vera, a schoolgirl, had been drugged and raped. Abdi hadn't wanted anything to do with her, but now he is a consultant whose wife cannot have children, and he aims to pay off Vera and adopt Mikey. Ellie discovers that Vera still thinks fondly of her then boyfriend, even though he had also rejected her.

Emma is 16 years old and in love with Andrew, but he's engaged to Julie, Emma's beautiful elder sister. When their two families go to France on holiday together Emma is perturbed by Julie's casual attitude to the engagement and her interest in Yves Courtelle, another guest at the hotel. Emotions become hopelessly entangled, and for the four young people, the holiday threatens to end in tragedy as they struggle with feelings which are stronger than they are.

Ben Messina is a certified maths genius and romance sceptic. He and Trix are constantly quarrelling, not least because of Ben’s decision to end their relationship! Charming Claudio Messina, is as different from his brother as it is possible to be. But his pursuit for perfection may end in a disaster that will see both him and Trix’s best friend, Henrietta, starting from zero once again?

A blaze at an abandoned chapel in impoverished Manorclough turns out to be more than just arson when the body of a man who has been shot twice is discovered in the ashes. For the Manchester Metropolitan police team it’s the start of a gruelling and complex case that exposes the fractures and fault lines of a community living on the edge. DC Rachel Bailey, recently married, is trying to come to terms with her new status and deal with the fallout from her chaotic family.

Motorbike-riding, leather-clad Ross looks like a bad boy, but underneath the leathers he’s a good-looking charmer and he soon worms his way into the hearts of everyone in Talyton St George. Even vet nurse Shannon warms to him. So when she needs a place to live, it makes sense to move in with Ross. Just as a friend, of course. As they grapple with escaped snakes and feral cats, their friendship deepens until they can’t deny their feelings for each other any longer.

With a little one on the way, Jack Wood and Alice Rooney are forced into a volatile marriage. Damaged by her own dysfunctional childhood, Alice shows little affection towards little Lizzie. Lizzie's saving grace is her loving grandmother, Mrs. Wood, who introduces her to the Madame Bella's Academy for the theatrical arts. Though still very young and innocent, will Lizzie’s dream of a glittering theatrical future ever come true?

Annie has a secret. It's a heartbreaking secret she wishes she didn't have - yet Annie isn't broken. Kate has run away. It’s proving difficult to reinvent herself, however, with one person always on her mind. Nobody is really who they seem. Even Annie and Kate aren't entirely sure who they are anymore. Can they work it out before their pasts catch up with them for good?

Traumatized by her final case as a psychologist, Stella only feels truly safe hidden away in the isolated house she shares with her husband, Max. Then Blue appears in the middle of a snow-storm, begging to be let in. As secrets and lies gradually seep out of the young girl, Stella’s tightly controlled world begins to unravel.

Teenager Sally has just run away from a clinic where she to be treated for anorexia. She's furious with everything and everyone, and wants to be left in peace. Liss is in her 40s, living alone on a large farm that she runs single-handedly. She has little contact with the outside world, and no need for other people. From their first meeting, Sally realises that Liss isn't like other adults: she expects nothing of Sally and simply accepts who she is, offering her a bed for the night with no questions asked.