"Nan Turpin is in trouble again, accused of stealing. She's guilty. Cast out by her family, she turns to the House of Help for Friendless Girls, which promises Nan a fresh start - it's the House or gaol. She and warden Hetty immediately clash, but Hetty has her own secrets to keep her busy. With her sister Amelia drawing ever closer to their dark family past, will Hetty find the courage to reveal the truth before it's too late? As romance blossoms for Nan outside of the House, can she resist falling back into her lightfingered ways and forge a future for herself?"
"In the dead of night, a young woman is found on the doorstep of the House of Help for Friendless Girls . . . Winter 1887. Matron Hetty Barlow suspects Hope is lying when she claims to be suffering from amnesia. The girl is taken in, but it isn't long before her pregnancy is discovered, which could put the future of the house - a new experiment in dealing with destitute women - in jeopardy. They named her Hope, but Emma Hyde knows she can't keep up her deception forever. She's hundreds of miles away from home, but her well-to-do parents will be searching for her. Amelia yearns to break away from her overbearing sister, Hetty. She meets a man who offers an escape, but her ticket to freedom means revealing Emma's secrets. Will she betray a friend for a chance at a new life?"
"Still recovering from the death of her watchman husband in a terrorist attack during the Outrages, Rose struggles with only her factory income. She takes on a lodger to help ends meet, and against her own wishes, considers sending her ten-year-old daughter to work in the factory. In a twist of fate, she meets middle-class Annie, who dedicates her time lobbying for better working conditions. While Rose is desperate to avoid making waves, can she really sit back and watch women and young girls - including her own daughter - continue to work in fatal conditions? While her husband's killer remains on the loose, all Rose wants is justice. But with other crimes happening in the factories, can she turn a blind eye to what's right in front of her?"
"Sheffield, 1867. It's the height of a long-running and violent campaign known as the Outrages, where murderous acts are carried out on behalf of a rogue union leader. Louisa Leigh, a former maid-of-all-work, is trapped into prostitution and desperate for money to escape. She befriends Ginny Hinchcliffe, a young widow who will do whatever it takes to break free from a life of servitude to her in-laws. The two women become entangled with Joe Crookes, henchman to the man responsible for the Outrages. Joe is looking for a way out even if that means betraying those closest to him. With a single act, Louisa's freedom would be paid for. But it's not just her life on the line, and she'll need to decide if she can live with the choices she's about to make. . ."
"Determined not to waste his life toiling for his cruel brother, Silas arrives in town to seek his fortune. Harriet has reconciled herself to a life of domestic service for her austere uncle. And John Gunson, Chief Engineer at the Sheffield Waterworks Company, has just completed his crowning glory – the Dale Dyke dam. But one stormy night, the unthinkable happens. The dam bursts. A wall of water is unleashed, destroying everything in its path. The aftershocks of the flood reach far beyond that night, with consequences that could never have been foreseen. Fatefully brought together, Silas and Harriet must now contend with their families as new love blooms. Meanwhile, Gunson faces not only an angry community but also a court of inquest looking for a scapegoat. Can any good come from the disaster, and will justice be served for those who lost everything?"
