Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighbourhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure's agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall.
Catherine Nicholas says:
"Excellent rendering of emotional history of war"
In 1930s Berlin, choked by the tightening of Hitler's fist, the Klein family are gradually losing everything that is precious to them. Their 15-year-old daughter, Rosa, slips out of Germany on a Kindertransport train to begin a new life in England. Charged with the task of securing a safe passage for her family, she vows that she will not rest until they are safe. But as war breaks out and she loses contact with her parents, Rosa finds herself wondering if there are some vows that can't be kept....
Berlin, 1933. Aspiring actress Clara Vine arrives in Berlin to find work at the famous Ufa studios. Through a chance meeting, she is unwillingly drawn into a circle of Nazi wives, led by Magda Goebbels. British Intelligence officer Leo Quinn sees Clara as the perfect recruit to spy on her new elite friends. But then Magda reveals to Clara a dramatic secret and entrusts her with an extraordinary mission.
In the summer of 1932, Maisie Dobbs’s career takes an exciting new turn when she accepts an undercover assignment directed by Scotland Yard's Special Branch. Posing as a junior lecturer, she is sent to a private college in Cambridge to monitor any activities "not in the interests of His Majesty’s Government." When the college's controversial pacifist founder and principal, Greville Liddicote, is murdered, Maisie is directed to stand back from the investigation. But she soon discovers something suspicious....
April 1933. Eddie Pettit is a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses. When he is killed in a violent accident, there is skepticism about the cause of death. Who would want to kill Eddie, and why? Maisie Dobbs is determined to offer her help. As she uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, Maisie must decide whether to risk it all to see justice done.
It's 1932 and the remains of missing cartographer Michael Clifton are found in a former battlefield in France. When it's clear he was murdered, his wealthy parents hire Maisie to find the woman who wrote a series of love letters discovered among Michael's belongings. The lover identifies herself only as "The English Nurse". Maisie must also wrestle with memories of serving as a nurse herself in the Great War - memories that she has tried so hard to obliterate.
Berlin in 1937 radiates glamour and ambition. Anna Hansen, a bride-to-be, is at one of Hitler's notorious Nazi Bride Schools. When she is brutally murdered Clara Vine, an undercover British Intelligence agent and Anna’s friend, is disturbed by news of her death. Clara must work to find the truth and send it back to London. It is a dangerous path she treads, and it will take everything she has to survive.…
August 1938. British actress Clara Vine is in Paris to film her latest movie, mingling with society and passing snippets of information to her contacts in the British embassy. When Clara is approached by an undercover British operative who asks her to befriend Eva Braun, Hitler's girlfriend, she knows she is putting herself in danger. But Clara will do everything in her power to protect her country.
For five years, Sally and Clive have been lost in a passionate affair. Now he has dumped her, to devote himself to his wife and family, and Sally is left in freefall. It starts with a casual stroll past his house, and popping into the brasserie where his son works. Then Sally befriends Clive's wife and daughter on Facebook. But that's alright isn't it? I mean, they are perfectly normal things to do. Aren't they?
True honour is endless. Join us. 1935. Norfolk. War is looming in Great Britain and the sprawling country estate of Alderberen Hall is shadowed by suspicion and paranoia. Thirteen-year-old Delphine Venner is determined to uncover the secrets of the Hall's elite society, which has taken in her gullible mother and unstable father. As she explores the house and discovers the secret network of hidden passages that thread through the estate, Delphine uncovers a world more dark and threatening than she ever imagined.
Liza Reece has ambitious dreams. When the opportunity arises to take over the Holistic Centre she works at, she jumps at it. Problem is, she needs funds. Dominic Christy has dreams of his own. Suffering from a rare sleep disorder, dumped by his girlfriend and discharged from his job, he has money, and plans for the Centre that doesn’t include Liza.
The writing's on the wall for Cleo and Gav, and it says 'This marriage is over.' Wounded and furious, Cleo embarks on a night out with the girls, which turns into a one night stand with the gorgeous and free-spirited Justin. Torn between laid-back Justin and control freak Gav, Cleo is faced with a decision. But will she pick up the pieces of her broken marriage or embark on a new and carefree life Justin...
"Trying to escape, were you?" Tassie bit her lip. Why hadn’t he turned her over to the constables? She certainly wasn’t going to try to run past him, even if he did have a limp. This man towered over her – six foot of hardened muscle, strong booted legs set firmly apart. Major Marcus Forrester. All ready for action. And Tassie couldn’t help but remember his kiss…
"Trying to escape, were you?" Tassie bit her lip. Why hadn't he turned her over to the constables? She certainly wasn't going to try to run past him, even if he did have a limp. This man towered over her - six foot of hardened muscle, strong booted legs set firmly apart. Major Marcus Forrester. All ready for action. And Tassie couldn't help but remember his kiss...
London, 1933. Two months after an Indian woman, Usha Pramal, is found murdered, her brother turns to Maisie Dobbs to find the truth about her death. Not only has Scotland Yard made no arrests, they failed to conduct a full and thorough investigation. When another Indian woman who was close to Usha is found murdered, Maisie is pulled deeper into an unfamiliar yet alluring subculture.
A plane falls out of the sky. A woman is murdered. Four people all have something to hide. Jim is a retired police officer. His beloved daughter has disappeared and he knows something is wrong. Tom has woken up to discover that his wife was on the plane and he must break the news to their son. Freya is struggling to cope with the loss of her father. But as she delves into his past, she may not like what she finds.
When Tamara's sister, Lyddie, is involved in an accident that leaves her in need of constant care, Tamara resolves to remain home to care for her. But when Lyddie's teenage sweetheart Jed Cassius returns, he brings news that shakes her family to their core. Can Tamara find a balance between her love for Lyddie and growing feelings for Jed, or will she discover that some kinds of love just don't mix?
Giving up her fiancé and her old life, Tess has moved to the country to start afresh. When she crashes her car into Miles' breakdown truck, they find that they're nearly neighbours yet worlds apart. Despite a suddenly attentive ex- fiancé, she discovers the joys of village life and begins to form a friendship with Miles. Then, just as their relationship deepens, an old flame comes looking for him....
Natasha Kapoor's life is at a turning point. Leaving London for the magical Cornish coast to attend the funeral of her beloved grandmother, this trip will reunite her with her large and complicated family. As she and her family sort through her grandmother’s possessions and prepare to sell her idyllic coastal home, Natasha is given the long-lost diary of her aunt Cecily, who died in a tragic accident at the age of fifteen. Returning home Natasha must get back to normality.
Things haven’t been easy for Darcie Killengrey; left with the responsibility of her troubled teenage brother Ross and a past of unhappiness and heartbreak. And then Jake Belfast, her best friend’s brother, strides back into her life, as acerbic and contrary as he is exciting and handsome. But Ross is becoming increasingly involved with a dangerous influence, which looks set to make Darcie’s problems with Jake pale into insignificance…