Showing results by narrator "Deirdra Whelan" in All Categories

When Holly Dryden fled Penhallow Sands nearly a year ago she was determined to put the past - and Rich Turner - behind her. But now an unexpected loss and financial trouble has led her back to the family vineyard, and it’s time to tell Rich the truth - he’s a father. Surrounded by the memories of what they once shared, Holly’s anger fades in the glow of Rich’s undeniable love for their son and the way he selflessly steps in to help the vineyard out of trouble.

When the anonymous invite arrived, we knew exactly who it was from. Elle Romero, the beautiful, charismatic Texan who burst into our lives when we were teenagers. We'd gone our separate ways and lost touch. Until now. Elle, the legendary prankster, is back. She's invited us all—me, Claire, Lizzie and Megan—to a swanky country house for a reunion. We arrive excited for a weekend of reminiscing and reconnecting. A chance to step out of our uneventful lives for a while. But when Elle fails to show up at her own party, we begin to wonder if she's up to her old tricks.

Following the death of her husband, Ffion moves back to her family hotel in Wales seeking home comfort. In the village of Cariad Cove, she reconnects with her family, and starts to find hope as she takes up running and meets Joe. For Joe, the second his dog crashes into the beautiful woman on the beach, it's love at first sight. But recognising a hurting soul, he offers Ffion his friendship and soon the two are organising a charity run for the local animal sanctuary.

Georgina Garrett was born to be ruthless and she's about to earn her reputation. As World War One is announced a baby girl is born. Little do people know that she's going to grow up to rule the streets of Battersea. From a family steeped in poverty the only way to survive is with street smarts. With a father who steals for a living, a grandmother who's a woman of the night and a mother long dead, Georgina was never in for an easy life.

Orphaned at the age of 10, Archie Ledbetter is forced to live with his uncle in his very grand house. Uncle Walter seems emotionless, exhibiting little feeling towards the young lad. If it wasn't for some of the staff at Huntington Hall, Archie's life would be a complete misery. There's a dark secret that Cook hints at as to why Archie's mother left her lavish lifestyle behind and ended up settling in the East End of London, scraping a living selling cakes and confectionery from the back of a barrow in the marketplace. Archie's never known his father and wonders who he is.

Schoolteacher Rachel will do anything to protect her younger sister, Laura. So when their long-lost father shows up out of the blue and makes a shocking accusation against Laura's husband, Rachel is thrown into turmoil. As undeniable evidence surfaces, Rachel discovers everything she thought she knew was wrong. Has her sister's entire life been a lie? And how did her young niece get the bruises she is hiding? And who keeps calling her in the middle of the night?

A broken family. Skeletons in the closet. Lives in danger. When Eva’s brother Ben announces he has found their mother, Eva is determined to have nothing to do with the woman who abandoned them 18 years ago to a traumatic childhood in foster care. Eva is happy now, in a loving relationship with rich and dependable Jim, and she is pregnant. Nothing can change Eva’s mind. Her eyes are firmly on the future. But when her baby is born with a serious hereditary illness, she is forced to confront both her mother and her past.

Jennifer’s life isn’t going as she planned. Fired from her job and on the brink of divorce, her only salvation lies at the bottom of a wine bottle. When her mother insists she get away from everything, she reluctantly agrees to explore her Italian roots in Tuscany. Staying in her family’s centuries-old cottage, she becomes embroiled in a mysterious tragedy involving her great-grandmother.

After her mother's death, 20-year-old Sophie Ross is left orphaned, with only her erstwhile nursemaid and faithful friend, Hannah, for company. Penniless and with little chance of an income, she looks for work as a governess in London to avoid destitution. But unbeknownst to Sophie, her mother instructed Hannah to post a letter to Trescadinnick House in Cornwall upon her death. The letter will be the catalyst that changes Sophie's life forever as she learns of her mother's doomed romance and family she left behind in Cornwall.

Glamorous Cara De Rosa has it all: a successful and rapidly expanding chain of family-run Italian restaurants, friends aplenty and an imminent marriage to a much younger man. When she collapses during a family party, all signs point to a heart attack. But Cara knows better. Someone wants her dead. Granddaughter Sienna already knows what it's like to want answers. This time she's determined to get them. Because at De Rosa's, someone needs to pay.

For centuries mankind has waged war against the infections that, left untreated, would have the power to wipe out communities, or even entire populations. Yet for all our advanced scientific knowledge, only one human disease - smallpox - has ever been eradicated globally. In recent years, outbreaks of Ebola and Zika have provided vivid examples of how difficult it is to contain an infection once it strikes and the panic that a rapidly spreading epidemic can ignite.

The chicken can fly only a few metres but–somehow–this unlikely evolutionary descendant of Tyrannosaurus Rex has conquered the world. Earth is now home to more than twenty billion chickens, at least ten times more than any other bird. For every human on the planet, there are three chickens. In Fowl Play, Sally Coulthard charts the chicken's fascinating journey from dinosaur to domestication to exploitation, exploring every aspect of the history of Gallus gallus domesticus.

Heather is a single mum who has always done what's best for her daughter, Chloe. From birth up to the age of 17, Chloe has never been any trouble, until one night when she calls her mother with some shocking news. There's been an accident. And now there's a dead body.... As always, Heather puts her daughter's safety before all else, but this is one time when she goes too far. Instead of calling the emergency services, Heather hides the body, saving her child from police interviews and public outcry.

Amanda is a hardworking single mum, completely focused on her job and her daughter, Louise. She’s been saving for years, and now, finally, she can afford to give up work and chase her dream. But then, on her commute home from London to Brighton, she meets a charming stranger - who seems to know everything about her. He delivers an ultimatum. She needs to give him the code for the safe where she keeps her savings before the train reaches Brighton - or she’ll never see Louise again.

Abby enters the Maybridge Flower Show, never dreaming for one moment that she'll win the gold. Or an invitation to appear on telly, alongside gardening legend Daisy Dashwood! Some people say Daisy's a tiresome diva. But starry-eyed Abby can't wait for the cameras to start rolling. Until . . . Daisy staggers out on stage. Only to collapse at Abby's feet. Her demise might seem like a tragic accident—resulting from a cocktail of booze and hay-fever medicine. But Abby's not so sure.

Fran Gandolfini can’t help taking in strays; with four dogs, five cats and two bearded dragons, she refuses to give up on a creature in need. The only thing Fran has given up on, in fact, is her love life. Moving from the city to Penhallow Sands to work in the Tea Shop, Ethan Clarke hopes he’s made the right choice for his daughter, Tilly. His past means he struggles to trust people, but Fran might be the one person capable of changing that. Until a life-changing secret that Fran’s keeping for a friend causes a rift between them.

There might be a war on, but that doesn't stop Georgina Garrett running her business with an iron fist. No one said running the Battersea gang was going to be easy, but her unflinchable nature makes Georgina unstoppable. With a role that requires a ruthless ability to seek revenge and pay out crippling punishments, Georgina's enemies are growing in number. With a target on her back, Georgina knows she must do everything to protect her family. But, with the loss of someone closest to her, can Georgina rise up from the ashes or allow a usurper take her crown?

It's the 1930s, and Georgina Garrett has risen up from her tough beginnings to become the new boss of the Battersea gang. But not everyone is pleased with a female taking charge. With rival gangs trying to steal her turf, untrustworthy men in her midst and her dad lost deep in the bottle, Georgina has a lot to tackle. With her friends and family in constant danger and those closest to her questioning her leadership Georgina must use her wits to show that she's made for this job. The Garrett name is one to be feared, and Georgina will begin to change the face of Battersea forever.

The new historical thriller featuring William Monk from The New York Times best-selling author. London, 1856: A deadly act of terror on the Thames leads William Monk into a treacherous world where the powerful seek to buy justice, and no one is safe. It is a time of progress, with the Empire's interests expanding and the Suez Canal nearing completion. Many people stand to gain - and to lose - as the world rapidly changes.

With its heart-shaped face and silent, graceful flight, the barn owl regularly tops the nation's list of favourite birds. But how much do we really know about this sublime tenant of the night? Here, bestselling author Sally Coulthard shines a light on the barn owl. Full of fascinating insights, conservation advice and the latest research, this affectionate and timely guide also tells the story of a barn owl's early life–from first pip of the shell to leaving the nest–a fascinating time in this captivating creature's journey.