Double Lives

Award-winning New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe returns with an outrageous new tale of Depression-era Southern drama starring identical twin sisters with a talent for switching lives and hiding the scandalous results--until one risk too many changes the game forever . . . Since childhood, identical twins Leona and Fiona Dunbar have been getting in--and out--of trouble by pretending to be each other. Yet underneath, they couldn't be more different. Outspoken Leona lives to break rules, have a good time, and scandalize their respectable hometown of Lexington. Fiona is a seemingly-demure churchgoing girl who is the apple of her domineering, widowed mother Mavis's eye. But together, the twins have fooled teachers, boyfriends, bosses, racist police--and most importantly, strait-laced Mavis. Even when Leona does jail time for Fiona, their unbreakable bond keeps them fiercely loyal. . . . So when Fiona feels stifled in her passionless marriage, and Leona is heartbroken over losing her one true love, it's perfect timing to change places once again . . . Leona is shocked to discover she enjoys the security of being a wife and homebody. And the unexpected spark between her and Fiona's husband is giving her all kinds of deliciously sexy ideas. Meanwhile, Fiona enjoys being free, single, and reveling in the independence she's never had. And the more she indulges her secret, long-repressed wild child, the more Leona's ex-lover becomes one temptation she's having trouble resisting . . . As the sisters' masquerade ignites desires and appetites they never expected, it also puts their most damning secrets on the line. Once the fallout rocks their small town, can Fiona and Leona's deep sisterhood shield them from total disaster and help them reconcile their mistakes? Or will the trust between them become a weapon that shatters their lives for good?

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE 2021 Shortlisted for the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2021 Longlisted for the HWA Non-Fiction Crown 2021 'Fabulous' - The Times 'A milestone in women's history' - Observer 'Groundbreaking ... a fascinating read' - Herald In Britain today, three-quarters of mothers are in employment and paid work is an unremarkable feature of women's lives after childbirth. Yet a century ago, working mothers were in the minority, excluded altogether from many occupations, whilst their wage-earning was widely perceived as a social ill. In Double Lives, Helen McCarthy accounts for this remarkable transformation and the momentous consequences it has had for Britain. Recovering the everyday worlds of working mothers, this groundbreaking history forces us not only to re-evaluate the past, but to ask anew how current attitudes towards mothers in the workplace have developed and how far we have to go. 'Impressive and nuanced' - Guardian 'Brilliant' - Literary Review

The story of how Lenin and Stalin's propaganda agent, Willi Munzenberg, manipulated the Western intellectuals and politicians into effectively collaborating with the Soviet Union.

“A thrilling page-turner.” —Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train “Breathtaking . . . As shocking as it is satisfying.” —The New York Times Book Review A riveting and sophisticated page-turner inspired by one of the most shocking true crimes in 20th century Britain: the Lord Lucan case. “A better person would for­give him. A different sort of better person would have found him years ago.” Claire is a hardworking doctor leading a simple, quiet life in London. She is also the daughter of the most notorious murder suspect in the country, though no one knows it. Nearly thirty years ago, while Claire and her brother slept upstairs, a brutal crime was committed in her family's townhouse. The next morning, her father's car was found abandoned near the English Channel, with bloodstains on the front seat. Her mother insisted she'd seen him in the house that night, but his powerful, privileged friends maintained his innocence. The first lord accused of murder in more than a century, he has been missing ever since. When the police tell Claire they've found him, her carefully calibrated existence begins to fracture. She doesn't know if she's the daughter of a murderer or a wronged man, but Claire will soon learn how far she'll go to finally find the truth. Loosely inspired by one of the most notorious unsolved crimes of the 20th century – the Lord Lucan case – A Double Life is at once a riveting page-turner and a moving reflection on women and violence, trauma and memory, and class and privilege. Named a Must-Read by Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, O Magazine, BBC, CrimeReads, and PureWow

“Terrifying” true stories of criminals who live seemingly normal lives, perfect for fans of Mindhunter—”these are the stories that keep me up at night” (Sgt. Joseph Kuns, LAPD). “He seemed so normal” is an all-too common sentiment from the neighbors of violent criminals when their heinous acts are finally exposed. There are often no obvious indicators that separate the pleasant neighbor from the sadistic murderer. Even serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and John Wayne Gacy managed to circulate unnoticed among their communities. They are neighbors and students, professionals and friends living out criminal double lives. In Double Lives, true crime author Eric Brach presents both a nonfiction exposé and a nationwide search that details the exploits of some of the worst criminals in recent American history, all of whom succeeded in going undetected for years while perpetrating one crime after another—all in their own hometowns. Monsters of every race, age, gender, and socioeconomic class are profiled in this roller-coaster of crime. Along the way, the author discusses the criminals he grew up with in his own seemingly innocent community, and provides a personal look at the current scourge of opioid addiction, making Double Lives a sensational yet sobering read.

An unsung classic of nineteenth-century Russian literature, Karolina Pavlova’s A Double Life alternates prose and poetry to offer a wry picture of Russian aristocratic society and vivid dreams of escaping its strictures. Pavlova combines rich narrative prose that details balls, tea parties, and horseback rides with poetic interludes that depict her protagonist’s inner world—and biting irony that pervades a seemingly romantic description of a young woman who has everything. A Double Life tells the story of Cecily, who is being trapped into marriage by her well-meaning mother; her best friend, Olga; and Olga’s mother, who means to clear the way for a wealthier suitor for her own daughter by marrying off Cecily first. Cecily’s privileged upbringing makes her oblivious to the havoc that is being wreaked around her. Only in the seclusion of her bedroom is her imagination freed: each day of deception is followed by a night of dreams described in soaring verse. Pavlova subtly speaks against the limitations placed on women and especially women writers, which translator Barbara Heldt highlights in a critical introduction. Among the greatest works of literature by a Russian woman writer, A Double Life is worthy of a central place in the Russian canon.

The colourful story of Don Harron’s 77-year career in the entertainment business. After 15 books about somebody else (mostly alter ego Charlie Farquharson) plus one book by his drag-queen character, Charlie’s rich city cousin Valerie Rosedale, Don Harron now presents the story of his 77-year stint in the entertainment business. The actor’s colourful career includes such highlights as making money in 1935 as a 10-year-old cartoonist doing mother-and-son banquets; winning an ACTRA Award as best radio host for Morningside; six stage shows on Broadway, three in London’s West End, and 10 years of Shakespeare in three countries; a Gemini Award for lifetime achievement; writing the lyrics for five musicals, including Anne of Green Gables; and being appointed to the Canadian Country Music Hall of Honours due to his appearances on Hee Haw. Whether playing a serious stage role or hamming it up as Charlie Farquharson, Harron is always insightful and provides a unique perspective on a long life in the entertainment business.

"First published in 1999 by Talk Miramax Books."