When Jen goes to her grandmother's house for the last time, she's determined not to dwell on the past. As a child, Jen adored Lily and suspected she might be a witch; but the spell was broken long ago and now her death means there won't be any reconciliation. In Lily's house, Jen and her daughter, Marianne, reluctantly confront the secrets of the past and present - and discover how dangerous we become when we're trying to protect the ones we love.
On Yorkshire's gradually-crumbling mud cliffs sits an Edwardian seaside house. In the bathroom, Jacob and Ella hide from their parents' passionate arguments by playing the 'Underwater Breathing' game - until the day Jacob wakes to find his mother and sister gone. Years later, the sea's creeping closer, his father is losing touch with reality and Jacob is trapped in his past. Then, Ella's sudden reappearance forces him to confront his fractured childhood. As the truth about their parents emerges, it's clear that Jacob's time hiding beneath the water is coming to an end.
Five years ago, Susannah Harper's son Joel went missing without trace. Bereft of her son and then of her husband, Susannah has rebuilt her life around helping others. But then, on the last night of Hull Fair, a fortune-teller makes an eerie prediction. She tells her that this Christmas Eve, Joel will finally come back to her. As her carefully-constructed life begins to unravel, Susannah is forced to confront the buried truths of her family's past.
It is autumn time, and on a peaceful Cornish beach, Finn and his sister Ava defy planning regulations and achieve a childhood dream when they build themselves an illegal beach hut. This tiny haven will be their home until Ava departs at Midwinter for a round-the-world adventure.In town, local publican Donald is determined to get rid of them. Still mourning the death of his wife, all he wants is a quiet place where he can forget the past and raise his daughter Alicia in safety. But Alicia is wrestling with demons of her own.As the sunshine fades and winter approaches, the beach hut stirs old memories for everyone. Their lives become entwined in surprising ways, and the secrets of past and present are exposed.
When her identical twin dies, seventeen-year-old Willow's life falls apart. With her parents' marriage faltering, she finds escape at her Uncle Joe's cottage. But even as they begin to get to know each other, Willow is plagued with memories of her sister. Then Lucas arrives in her life-troubled, angry, and with a dangerous past. Joe's cottage is idyllic, but the forest is filled with secrets. What is Joe hiding from her? What events have brought Lucas to her door? And who is the Slaughter Man who steals through Willow's sleep? As the lines between dreams and reality become blurred, Willow's torment deepens. It seems as if her only escape lies with the Slaughter Man.
Under the shadow of trauma, Liam has been discharged from the army. As night terrors torment him and he struggles to keep his anger intact, he finds himself in his car, his daughter Alannah asleep in the back, while his wife Emma has gone AWOL. With no idea where to go for shelter, his only goal is to hold onto his daughter at all costs. But Alannah is on a journey of her own.As the consequences of Alannah's choices unfold, nothing will ever be the same again.Soldier Boy is a gripping story about secrets, fear, longing, lies, and the power of being true to yourself, even when the price is higher than you could have imagined.
