Audiobooks narrated by Rachel Atkins

A Family Secret: My Shocking True Story of Surviving a Childhood in Hell

‘Each time my mother laid a finger on me… it was another step into the jaws of hell. Her abuse, more so than any other, destroyed me. It was the ultimate betrayal.’ Abused from the age of eight by her older brother and then her step-father, Maureen Wood quickly became numb to the constant suffering. But Maureen’s world crumbled when her own mother started to abuse her too… A Family Secret is the harrowing true story of how one little girl survived sickening abuse by the people who should have loved her most, and how an innocent baby finally saved her.

Maureen Wood (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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A Sting in the Tale: Five Eerie Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Five full-cast BBC Radio Dramas to send a chill up the spine Thrilling, creepy, and utterly unforgettable, these five stories of strange voices, haunting passions, and terrifying nightmares will stay with you forever... In No Conferring, four students from Bracewell College, Cambridge, attempt a Christmas bonding week in order to prepare for their upcoming University Challenge appearance. But the isolated moorland cottage stay soon goes very, very wrong. Written by Jonathan Holloway. Myrtle, Mahonia and Rue finds a young landscape gardener who loves her work, but will do anything to escape the terrible nightmares she suffers from. Her only hope is a drastic course of action... Written by Bryony Glassco. Voices from Another Room sees an artist troubled by the voices he thinks he's hearing - voices discussing his murder. And what is worse: the voices are in the future, and the murder is due to happen at any moment. Written by Philip Martin. In Sally Go Round the Moon, Sally is working hard at her job - perhaps too hard. Is it stress that's making her hear the voice of a child no one else can? Or is she really being haunted? Written by Natalia Power. Ghosting is the tale of a young novelist, who agrees to some ghostwriting work on the memoir of supermodel Vita. Soon he discovers exactly how seductive Vita is - but how much will he risk for his work, and for Vita herself? Written by Gregory Evans. Featuring a star-studded cast including Neil Dudgeon (Midsomer Murders, Life of Riley, Common as Muck), Claire Cage (Casualty, Submarine), Damian Lynch (EastEnders, Tommies, Little Britain), Jaimi Barbakoff (The Archers, Black Mirror, The Power), Lydia Leonard (The Crown, Gentleman Jack, Ten Percent), Rachel Atkins (Absolute Power, Ed Reardon's Week, Mrs Sidhu Investigates), Jimi Mistry (Coronation Street, East is East, The Syndicate), and Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle's War, Lewis), this is just the collection for those who love the chilling, spine-tingling dramas of The Man in Black, The Price of Fear, and Fear on 4. ©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Briony Glassco, Gregory Evans, Jonathan Holloway, Natalia Power, Philip Martin (Author), Chris Moran, Chérie Taylor Battiste, Claire Cage, Damian Lynch, Frances Jeater, Full Cast, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Honeysuckle Weeks, Ioan Meredith, Jaimi Barbakoff, Jimi Mistry, Kenny Blyth, Lydia Leonard, Neil Dudgeon, Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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An Almond for a Parrot

‘I would like to make myself the heroine of this story – an innocent victim led astray. But alas sir, I would be lying…’ London, 1756: In Newgate prison, Tully Truegood awaits trial. Her fate hanging in the balance, she tells her life-story. It’s a tale that takes her from skivvy in the back streets of London, to conjuror’s assistant, to celebrated courtesan at her stepmother’s Fairy House, the notorious house of ill-repute where decadent excess is a must… Tully was once the talk of the town. Now, with the best seats at Newgate already sold in anticipation of her execution, her only chance of survival is to get her story to the one person who can help her avoid the gallows. She is Tully Truegood. Orphan, whore, magician’s apprentice. Murderer?

Wray Delaney (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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An Almond for a Parrot

'shades of Sarah Waters...irresistible' - The Guardian 'I would like to make myself the heroine of this story - an innocent victim led astray. But alas sir, I would be lying...' London, 1756: In Newgate prison, Tully Truegood awaits trial. Her fate hanging in the balance, she tells her life-story. It's a tale that takes her from skivvy in the back streets of London, to conjuror's assistant, to celebrated courtesan at her stepmother's Fairy House, the notorious house of ill-repute where decadent excess is a must... Tully was once the talk of the town. Now, with the best seats at Newgate already sold in anticipation of her execution, her only chance of survival is to get her story to the one person who can help her avoid the gallows. She is Tully Truegood. Orphan, whore, magician's apprentice. Murderer? A compelling mix of bawdy romp and magical realism.' -Sarra Manning, Red magazine

Wray Delaney (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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An Imitation of Darkness: A DC Ruth Hunter Murder Case Book 3

London 1998. A murdered, young actress. A predatory American film producer. DC Ruth Hunter and her partner, DC Lucy Henry, find themselves embroiled in the dark and sleazy side of the entertainment business, where it's more than looks that kill. Ruth and Lucy are called to the brutal killing of young actress and it seems that her murder might be connected to a cover up of serious sexual misconduct in London's film industry. However, when the investigation is thwarted at every turn, they begin to wonder if they will ever solve the case. When a lucky break turns their attention to a man suspected of stalking the actress, Ruth and Lucy think they now have the prime suspect in their sights. With the clock ticking, will they be able to collect enough evidence to charge the man before he escapes abroad? An Imitation of Darkness is the third book in the DC Ruth Hunter Murder Case prequel series. If you like chilling police procedurals, true-to-life characters, and psychological twists, then you'll love this book.

Simon Mccleave (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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Armadale

Two young men linked by a familial murder mystery, a beautiful yet wicked governess who spins a web of deceit, and five individuals named Allan Armadale: Wilkie Collins’s follow-up to The Woman in White and No Name is an innovative take on mistaken identity, the nature of evil and the dark underbelly of Victorian England. The story concerns two distant cousins, both named Allan Armadale, and the impact of a family tragedy, which makes one of them a target of the murderous Lydia Gwilt, a vicious and malevolent charmer determined to get her hands on the Armadale fortune. Will the real Allan Armadale be revealed, and will he survive the plot against his life?

Wilkie Collins (Author), David Rintoul, John Sackville, Lucy Scott, Nicholas Boulton, Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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Blunt Force

Jane Tennison must navigate the salacious world of theatre to solve a brutal murder in the heart of London's West End, in the brilliant new thriller from the Queen of Crime Drama, Lynda La Plante. Things can't get much worse for detective Jane Tennison. Unceremoniously kicked off the adrenaline-fuelled Flying Squad, she now plies her trade in Gerald Road, a small and sleepy police station in the heart of London's affluent Knightsbridge. With only petty crime to sink her teeth into, Tennison can feel her career slowly flatlining. That is until the discovery of the most brutal murder Jane has ever seen: Charlie Foxley has been found viciously beaten to death with a cricket bat - his body dismembered and disembowelled. As a big-time theatrical agent, Foxley had a lot of powerful friends - but just as many enemies. And alongside her old friend DS Spencer Gibbs, Tennison must journey into the salacious world of show business to find out which one is the killer, before they strike again.

Lynda La Plante (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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Call You Right Back, Mum

'She did not call back. Nor will she, ever again. How I started loathing those two little words, never again.' In a heartbeat everything can change. This is the gripping, true story of how a young woman was murdered and a family lost a daughter. Like most young girls her age Nadine lives a life filled with family, friends and thoughts about the future. At seventeen she meets Gerold and they fall in love. But a darkness gradually falls upon their relationship and after almost three years Nadine calls the relationship off. Gerold does not accept this decision and keeps contacting her, despite her rejecting his advances. Yet, one day in December 2006 he manages to lure her to his house one more time. A visit that turns out to be fatal. With countless stabs he brutally ends her young life. Not long after, he is caught and sentenced to 12 years in prison and afterwards a treatment facility for mentally ill prisoners. In 2009 Gerold sends a letter to Nadine's family, where he apologizes and pleads for them to meet with him. 'Call You Right Back, Mum' is the life story of Nadine, written by her mother Wanda. It deals with everything from pregnancy to that fatal moment where her life ended. In the book she follows up on the reconstruction, the trial and the sentencing. Furthermore, this revised 16th edition includes the killer's letter to the family and the family's recollection of what happened after receiving it. - Wanda Beemsterboer-Avenarius published the book 'Call You Right Back, Mum' in 2010, and since then more than 23,000 copies have been sold, now also in English.This is the revised 16th edition. The book serves as an ode to Nadine, but can also help other young girls in abusive relationships. Nadine's parents and sister founded the Nadine Foundation in 2007 against senseless violence and to promote animal welfare. In 2014, Wanda and Jacques received the Right of Speaking Award from the Herstel & Terugkeer Foundation for the book and for their work with the Nadine Foundation.

Wanda Beemsterboer (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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Calling Detective Crockford

This nostalgic and absorbing memoir tells the story of a real-life female police detective in post-war Britain, as she navigates a man's world. It's 1956, and the Berkshire Constabulary has never had a woman detective before. That is, until bright and ambitious WPC Gwen Crockford passes out of Hendon Detective Training School with flying colours... After five years serving as one of Britain's first policewomen, Gwen Crockford becomes one of its first female detectives. Swapping crime prevention for detection, she must soon become comfortable with attending murder scenes and post-mortems, investigating sex crimes and going undercover. Her police work is diverse and challenging: dealing with Teddy boy violence, arson, a paedophile 'war hero', and solving an unexplained death are all part of her remit. Gwen is sharp and quick to learn, considered 'one of the boys' by her colleagues, DS Kinch and DS Le Mercier. Until, that is, the traumatizing death of a child, the arrival of a new sexist DS, and near-zero opportunity for promotion force Gwen to reevaluate her career. Written and researched by Gwen's daughter Ruth from family papers, remembered stories from her mother and contemporary newspapers, this is a fascinating insight into late-1950s society and the challenges faced by female police officers. This is the second book in the Crockford series, following Calling WPC Crockford – Gwen's time as a pioneering uniform policewoman in the early 1950s.

Ruth D'alessandro (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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Calling Sergeant Crockford

It's the dawn of the Swinging Sixties. The Cold War is at its height and support for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is building. The Berkshire Constabulary's Detective Gwen Crockford is promoted to Woman Police Sergeant in Newbury – the town at the heart of Britain's atomic weapons programme. Gwen's initial reservations that her posting in rural Berkshire will be boring soon prove to be unfounded. A serial sex attacker on the loose, an attempted murder at Greenham Common US Airforce Base, and a charismatic heiress with a family secret keep things interesting for the capable sergeant. Laser-focused on her police career – and resigned to the single life – Gwen is forced to re-evaluate her plans when a nature-loving war veteran PC walks into the station with an orphaned fox cub, and there's a shocking discovery in a railway station lavatory. Written by her daughter Ruth and rich in social history, this is the story of a real-life woman police sergeant at the top of her game, guiding her WPCs through the immense societal changes of the early 1960s.

Ruth D'alessandro (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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Calling WPC Crockford: The Story of a 1950s Police Woman

In the early 1950s, the Berkshire Constabulary finally opened its ranks to more women. And WPC Crockford was one of those early pioneers... When 21-year-old Gwendoline Crockford signed up to join the Berkshire Constabulary in 1951, she had little idea of what she was getting herself into. Whether carrying a human skeleton out of the woods, finding a missing child, investigating thefts, or chasing an escaped zebra, every day brought fresh adventures. In this nostalgic, tender and honest account of post-war British society, we follow a bright, determined woman navigating a man's world, serving as many people as she can. From performing traffic duties to unravelling a dark secret at the heart of an impoverished family, WPC Crockford's career was full of joy, thrills – and heartbreak. Written by her daughter Ruth, this is the story of a real-life woman police constable as she embarks on her police career.

Ruth D'alessandro (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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Close to Me

Jo Harding can't remember the last year of her life. And her husband wants to keep it that way. When Jo falls down the stairs at home, she wakes up in the hospital with partial amnesia. In fact, she finds that she's lost an entire year of memories. She can't remember what she did, or anything that happened the night she fell. A lot can happen in a year, and she begins to discover that she may have been leading a double life before the accident. As she questions the details of the past year and why her family wants her to stay in the dark, she begins to realize she might not be as good a wife and mother as she might have hoped . . .

Amanda Reynolds (Author), Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Rachel Atkins