Secrets Of The Railway Girls

The first novel in the wonderful new Railway Girls series, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Ellie Dean. _____________________ 'Stunning writing [and] perfectly paced' Frost Magazine 'A story of true friendship, love, loss and trust' Candis _____________________ In February, 1922, at the western-most entrance to Victoria Station in Manchester, a massive plaque was unveiled. Beneath a vast tiled map showing the lines of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway network, a series of seven bronze panels recorded the names of the men of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway who gave their lives for King and Country in the Great War - a total of 1,460 names. In March, 1940, a group of women of varying ages and backgrounds, stand in front of the memorial, ready to do their bit in this new World War... _____________________ Mabel is determined to make a fresh start as a railway girl where no one will know the terrible thing she did and she can put her guilt behind her... Or is she just running away? Meanwhile Joan will never be as good as her sister, or so her Gran keeps telling her. A new job as a station clerk could be just the thing she needs to forget her troubles at home. And Dot is further into her forties than she cares to admit. Her beloved sons are away fighting and her husband - well, the less said about him the better. Ratty old sod. She is anxious to become a railway girl just like her dear mam - anything to feel she is supporting the sons she prays for every night. The three women start off as strangers, but soon form an unbreakable bond that will get them through the toughest of times... _____________________ **Maisie's brand new novel THE RAILWAY GIRLS IN LOVE is available to pre-order now. Just search: 9781787463981**

The second novel in the uplifting railway girls series. Perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Margaret Dickinson. --------------------------------- Manchester, November 1940 As the war continues and secrets threaten the railway girls, they will discover the true meaning of friendship. --------------------------------- For Dot, her job on the railways is everything. Transporting parcels around the country gives her pride that she is doing her bit for the war effort, but a growing friendship causes problems when home and work collide. Joan loves her boyfriend Bob dearly, but when tragedy strikes, her heart is torn apart, and she is forced to make a decision that could hurt those she loves most. Meanwhile Mabel has finally found a place to call home and her relationship seems to be going from strength to strength. However, the relentless bombing in the Christmas blitz is about to destroy everything she holds dear, and she will need her friends' courage and generosity now more than ever. Brought together by their work on Manchester's railways, the three women find that with the support and encouragement of each other, they can get through even the most challenging of times. --------------------------------- **Maisie's brand new novel THE RAILWAY GIRLS IN LOVE is available to pre-order now. Just search: 9781787463981** Readers LOVE the Railway Girls . . . 'Beautifully written with a quiet charm' Jaffareadstoo 'Suberbly written . . . a gripping read' Ginger Book Geek 'Stunning . . . perfectly paced' Frost Magazine 'Poignant' Donna's Book Blog

The brand new Railway Girls novel set in Manchester during WWII. Perfect for fans of Nancy Revell, Daisy Styles and Margaret Dickinson. ___________________ Readers LOVE the Railway Girls: 'Gripping and intriguing' 'Great story lines' 'Exceptional story . . . a must-read' 'Poignant' 'Emotional . . . strong women' ___________________ Love is in the air, and together the railway girls can overcome even the hardest of times. Mabel has finally put the past behind her, and her relationship with the dashing Harry is stronger than ever. That is, until an old flame shows up, leaving Mabel questioning her future. Meanwhile Joan has made amends with Bob - if only she could do the same with Gran. And there's still that family mystery she wants answer to, isn't there? As a mother and grandmother, Dot Green has always put her family first. Her job as a parcels porter has brought new purpose to her life, so is it finally time to start following her heart . . . Life as a railway girl is busy but as war rages on and air raids disrupt daily life, the women realise they need each other more than ever, especially when there might be wedding bells on the horizon.

'Heartwarming historical fiction ... The perfect stocking filler for fans of Nancy Revell, Daisy Styles and Margaret Dickinson' Eastern Daily Press ___________________ Manchester, 1941 Christmas is the season for family and friends, and this year the railway girls will need each other more than ever. Cordelia appears to have the perfect life. When her daughter Emily arrives home unexpectedly, she can't wait to introduce her to her friends. But when things don't go to plan, Cordelia must decide where her loyalty lies. Things aren't going too smoothly for Alison either. Her beloved boyfriend has yet to propose, but there's a charity fundraiser dance and she's dressed up specially. Surely, tonight must be the night. Colette's friends are envious of her devoted husband; he meets her after every shift on the railway, and accompanies her around town. But Colette has a secret, one that will change her life - if only she knew who to confide in. With the festive season fast approaching, the railway girls are hoping for some Christmas magic... ___________________ Readers LOVE the Railway Girls: 'Make yourself a cuppa and find a comfy spot on the sofa because you are not going to be able to put this down' 'I simply cannot wait for the next one - I am hooked!' 'Gives a vivid picture of women's lives in wartime Manchester' 'Dramatic, intriguing and sprinkled with plenty of wit and heart' 'It's just like catching up with old friends'

Being a railway girl isn't always easy but together, they can overcome every challenge that stands in their way... ___________________ Manchester, 1942 A new year brings new hope for the railway girls. Alison's romance with the charming Dr Maitland is blossoming, but then she is posted away from Manchester. Working in a canteen isn't part of her plan, nor is meeting her beau's old girlfriend - one who just happens to want him back. Margaret is supportive of her friend's new relationship until she realises exactly who he is. Torn between keeping her secret and warning Alison, she turns to Joan for help. Working in Lost Property wouldn't be Joan's first choice of job, but with a baby on the way she knows she can't continue being a station porter. As she looks to the future, can she put the troubles of her past behind her? Readers LOVE the Railway Girls: 'Make yourself a cuppa and find a comfy spot on the sofa because you are not going to be able to put this down' 'I simply cannot wait for the next one - I am hooked!' 'Gives a vivid picture of women's lives in wartime Manchester' 'Dramatic, intriguing and sprinkled with plenty of wit and heart' 'It's just like catching up with old friends'

“How can you do this work if you have a child?” asked her mother. “It is because I have a child that I do it,” replied Cecile. “This is not a world I wish her to grow up in.” On January 24, 1943, 230 women were placed in four cattle trucks on a train in Compiegne, in northeastern France, and the doors bolted shut for the journey to Auschwitz. They were members of the French Resistance, ranging in age from teenagers to the elderly, women who before the war had been doctors, farmers’ wives, secretaries, biochemists, schoolgirls. With immense courage they had taken up arms against a brutal occupying force; now their friendship would give them strength as they experienced unimaginable horrors. Only forty-nine of the Convoi des 31000 would return from the camps in the east; within ten years, a third of these survivors would be dead too, broken by what they had lived through. In this vitally important book, Caroline Moorehead tells the whole story of the 230 women on the train, for the first time. Based on interviews with the few remaining survivors, together with extensive research in French and Polish archives, A Train in Winter is an essential historical document told with the clarity and impact of a great novel. Caroline Moorehead follows the women from the beginning, starting with the disorganized, youthful and high-spirited activists who came together with the Occupation, and chronicling their links with the underground intellectual newspapers and Communist cells that formed soon afterwards. Postering and graffiti grew into sabotage and armed attacks, and the Nazis responded with vicious acts of mass reprisal – which in turn led to the Resistance coalescing and developing. Moorehead chronicles the women’s roles in victories and defeats, their narrow escapes and their capture at the hands of French police eager to assist their Nazi overseers to deport Jews, resisters, Communists and others. Their story moves inevitably through to its horrifying last chapters in Auschwitz: murder, starvation, disease and the desperate struggle to survive. But, as Moorehead notes, even in the most inhuman of places, the women of the Convoi could find moments of human grace in their companionship: “So close did each of the women feel to the others, that to die oneself would be no worse than to see one of the others die.” Uncovering a story that has hitherto never been told, Caroline Moorehead exhibits the skills that have made her an acclaimed biographer and historian. In this book she places the reader utterly in the world of wartime France, casting light on what it was like to experience horrific terrors and face impossible moral dilemmas. Through the sensitive interviews on which the book is based, she tells personal and individual stories of courage, solace and companionship. In this way, A Train in Winter ultimately becomes a valuable memorial to a unique group of heroines, and a testimony to the particular power of women’s friendship even in the worst places on earth.

A gripping thriller about three young girlfriends, a dark obsession and a chilling crime that shakes up a quiet Iowa town, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence. For twelve-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover—movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences. Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora—and why? In an investigation that leaves no stone unturned, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted—not even those closest to Cora. Before She Was Found is a timely and gripping thriller about friendship and betrayal, about the power of social pressure and the price of needing to fit in. It is about the great lengths a parent will go to protect their child and keep them safe—even if that means burying the truth, no matter the cost. And don’t miss Heather’s latest book, AN OVERNIGHT GUEST! You’ll be chilled and riveted from start to finish with this story of an unexpected visitor and a deadly snowstorm! Check out these other riveting novels of suspense by bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf: The Weight of Silence These Things Hidden One Breath Away Little Mercies Missing Pieces Not a Sound This is How I Lied

When Willie arrives in Indian Territory, she knows only one thing: no one can find out who she really is. To escape a home she doesn't belong in, she assumes the name of a former classmate and accepts a teaching position at the Cherokee Female Seminary. Nothing prepares her for what she finds. Her pupils are the daughters of the Cherokee elite--educated and more wealthy than she--and the school is cloaked in mystery. A student drowned in the river last year, and the girls whisper that she was killed by a jealous lover. Willie's room is the very room the dead girl slept in. The students say her spirit haunts it. Willie doesn't believe in ghosts, but when strange things start happening at the school, she isn't sure anymore. She's also not sure what to make of a boy from the nearby boys' school who has taken an interest in her--and whose past is cloaked in secrets. Soon, even Willie has to admit that the revenant may be trying to tell her something. . . .