Showing results by narrator "Lesley Harcourt" in All Categories

A thousand years ago in an ancient Scottish landscape, a woman is on the run with her three bosom companions–a healer, a weaver and a seer. If the men hunting her find them, they will kill her because she is the only one who stands between them and their violent ambition. She is no lady: she is the first queen of Scotland, married to a king called Macbeth. Shakespeare fed us the myth of the Macbeths as power-hungry murderous conspirators. But now Val McDermid drags the truth out of the shadows, exposing the patriarchal prejudices of history.

It should be the most wonderful time of the year for Samantha and Josh as they prepare for the arrival of their first baby. But life at Hedgehog Hollow rarely goes to plan and the pair are faced with adversaries, old and new, and unexpected challenges to overcome. Fizz's job at the heart of the rescue centre is a dream come true but her personal life is more like a nightmare. With her love life a disaster and her past about to dramatically catch up with her, she needs the love and support of her Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever.

When Clare becomes a widow, her response is something that shocks her – relief. All she wants to do is move on and figure out how to continue her life, alone, no matter the guilt that brings. So when Vic, her closest friend, comes to her, showing the signs of trouble in her own marriage, she is more than supportive in helping her leave Rob. But Vic doesn’t get the chance to do that. Because as they go over to Vic's house to collect her things, they find a body. Rob’s. It appears someone else had an axe to grind.

When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it's an opportunity to start over with her three daughters - Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she's frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.

Upon the cliffs of a remote Scottish island, Lòn Haven, stands a lighthouse. A lighthouse that weathered more than storms. Mysterious and terrible events have happened on this island. It started with a witch hunt. Now, centuries later, islanders are vanishing without explanation. Coincidence? Or curse? Liv Stay flees to the island with her three daughters, in search of a home. She doesn’t believe in witches, or dark omens, or hauntings. But within months, her daughter Luna will be the only one of them left.

I am safe here, in my cottage in the woods where no one knows me or my real name. All is peaceful and calm and the real world can’t hurt me – because I know how cruel it can be. But then I see her again. I see her pale, white face. Watching me. Taunting me. And then the notes begin to appear. I know who you really are... I know what you did... All of a sudden, the walls of my cottage feel like a prison, the peaceful woods around me a maze that will trap me forever.

Jennifer McAndrew thinks she’s living her best life in London – wonderful man, great job, happily child-free. Except the ‘wonderful man’ turns out to have a secret that ruins everything. Shocked and devastated, Jen doesn’t know what to do. So, she packs her bags and runs for the hills – away from her problems, all the way to her childhood home in Scotland and the safety of her dad. But her dad is a changed man. Busy with his girlfriend, golf and G&Ts, he doesn’t have time for Jen’s worries. And she can’t see her sister, Isla, who she fell out with years ago.

When two teenagers are found dead in a fire, DI Laura Henshall and DS Will Peters are called in to investigate. They believe it was a revenge attack gone wrong. But soon fires are cropping up everywhere, and the police suspect they’re dealing with something much bigger...something that could bring the city to its knees. With time running out, can the detectives find the arsonists before the city goes up in flames?

Rescuing the reputation of her 18th-century local highwayman means Poppy Summers must make a stand against her community - and deliver the truth.... Poppy Summers is packing her suitcase to spend a two-week holiday back in her seaside hometown of Port Starr. However, when she returns, her parents inform her they have decided to take that year-long trip around the world they always dreamed of and they plan to sell their ailing holiday cottage business, which has been in the family for years.

When Rosa Hammond splits up from her partner, Marcus, her mum, Dora, suggests a summer in Malta. Not one to sit back and watch her daughter be unhappy, Dora introduces Rosa to Zach in the hope that romance will bloom under the summer sun. But Rosa’s determined not to be swayed by a handsome man - she’s in Malta to work, after all. Zach, meanwhile, is a magnet for trouble and is dealing with a fair few problems of his own. Neither Rosa or Zach are ready for love - but does fate have other ideas?

Murder is just around the corner... The Connection Investigation Agency is under new management, with partners Tessa, Luke, and Beth at the helm. As they reopen the office, a chilling discovery is made - a body hidden in the outhouse, bones lying undiscovered for twenty-five years. While Luke faces his first solo case, Tessa, a former DI, must prove herself, unravelling the mystery behind threatening notes sent to two women who later become murder victims.

2019. Dawn. The River Humber. A misty February walk. Surprise early daffodils. A picture taken. Then forgotten. Because five hours later, my world shattered. My mother jumped off the Humber Bridge. Had those yellow flowers not delayed me, I might have been there. Could I have stopped her? In the aftermath of this violent act, I turned to my writing, to my beloved siblings, to our only uncle. I was forced to look at events that led to this suicide attempt. At relationships wrecked by alcoholism. At chronic depression. At our care records. At my childhood. At my mother.

Callie has taken multiple jobs to make the money she desperately needs. Her favourite is being the new guide for Lerwick Manor's alpaca walks. But her troublesome past is making it difficult to prove to others that she's learned from her mistakes. Heather has been content breeding Sheltie sheepdogs and taking care of her grownup daughters. But now she feels that something is missing. Taking the leap into online dating, she makes an unexpected connection to which her daughters react very differently.

She's your best friend. And your worst enemy... A gripping new thriller with a jaw-dropping twist, for fans of "B.A. Paris", "The Wife Between Us" and "Gone Girl". Beth: Beth is running from her past - and her abusive ex-boyfriend. She's building a new life, but can't shake the feeling that someone is watching her. Victoria: Victoria is unhappily married to Greg. She knows he’s cheating, but doesn’t know what to do - until she contacts an old friend, someone who has never let her down.

It’s 1952 in smog-shrouded London. Christmas might be fast approaching, but with her mum away and Uncle Frank busy running the post office, Penny Black is lonelier than ever. All that changes when Penny discovers a small, fluffy, funny, springy talking creature in the post office one night, trying to make off with a letter. But Wishyouwas is no thief. He’s a Sorter and he introduces Penny to a secret world hidden in the tunnels underneath the city’s streets. Self-appointed guardians of lost mail, the Sorters have dedicated their lives to rescuing letters that have gone astray.

Unicorns are NOT horse creatures with horns. In fact, they are the most powerful magical beings on the planet and they look just like you and me. They live in a secret realm known as the Universe, and the horse with a horn thing was just something a unicorn called Greg made up to distract the humans – and it really worked! But a young human girl called Neon Gallup is about to find the last remaining Universe portal opener (an old, battered green lipstick) and step into a zany world where magic is made with goo and the possibilities are endless!

When Ada set up her own PR firm from a coffee shop, she didn't expect to meet journalist Fraser. Also working there daily, he soon becomes a friend. Reporting on interesting things to do around Edinburgh, Fraser ropes Ada into accompanying him on his assignments. As they work side-by-side Ada can't help but notice how attractive Fraser is, and how well they get along. But, Ada has been chatting to a guy she met on an Agatha Christie fan fiction site, and she can't stop wondering about him. His interests are the same as hers, and the anonymity helps them both be more honest and open.

Amber. As the top performer at Angel Silk gentleman’s club, she’s seen it all, been forced to do things she never wanted to do. She’s tired of this life... but can she escape it? Lizzy. To the women at Angel Silk, she’s the strong queen bee, mother to the girls. But she’s hiding her own dark secrets - and if they come to light, her life could be destroyed. Jade. The newest dancer at Angel Silk, she’s innocent, beautiful... and trapped.

Life in the beautiful Cotswolds village of Treweham could never be described as boring, but the arrival of a documentary film crew means that things are even busier than normal. For the ever-so dashing Lord of the Manor Tobias Cavendish-Blake and his new wife Megan, it's a great advertising opportunity as they've recently opened up their home, Treweham Hall, to the public. And for the chef at the local pub The Templar, Finula, the arrival of the brooding director Marcus Devlin, means her love life is looking up.

Welcome back to Treweham, a village of scandal and secrets. For Christie Newbury, moving to the Cotswolds as the new owner of The Templar, a quaint countryside inn, was supposed to be a dream come true. But then her husband drops a bombshell that turns her life upside down. Architect Daniel James has just one month to find the perfect home. When his search takes him to the village of Treweham, his instant attraction to the Templar's beautiful – and newly single – owner is a distraction he can't afford. Christie needs an expert's eye. Daniel needs a place to stay.