Lesley Pearse Knihy

London, 1914. Belle Reilly finally has the life she's dreamed of thanks to a devoted husband in Jimmy and the hat shop she's wanted to own since she was a child. But as the storm clouds of World War One begin to gather, Belle's already turbulent life is to change in ways she never imagined possible. When Jimmy enlists in the army and leaves for the battlefields of Ypres, her world is shattered and she realises she can no longer stand by and watch, she must volunteer to help the wounded. But her work as a Red Cross ambulance driver in France throws her into the path of Etienne, the enigmatic man who played a significant role in her childhood, and Belle finds herself torn agonisingly between forbidden passion and loyalty to a good man. But the past returns to haunt her present in other - more unpleasant - ways and Belle's character is put to the test like never before. Can she survive this most brutal of wars with her spirit intact? And will destiny finally lead her to lasting happiness even while war rages all around?

Be transported from London to New Orleans and beyond in this powerful, moving historical novel from the international bestseller Lesley Pearse She witnessed a murder - and now her life is in danger . . . Fifteen year-old Belle, though raised in a London brothel, is an innocent young girl. But when she witnesses one of the girls brutally strangled by a client, she is cast into a cruel, heartless world. Snatched from the streets and sold into prostitution, she is made a courtesan in New Orleans. At the mercy of desperate men who crave her beauty and will do anything to keep her, Belle's dreams of home, family and freedom appear futile. Are Belle's courage and spirit strong enough to help her escape? And what will await her at the end of the long, dangerous journey home? Praise for Lesley Pearse 'With characters it is impossible not to care about . . . this is storytelling at its very best' Daily Mail 'Lose yourself in this epic saga' Bella 'Glorious, heartwarming' Woman & Home 'An emotional and moving epic you won't forget in a hurry' Woman's Weekly

How far must you go to find love?The Queen of Storytellers is back - with a triumphant tale of one woman's struggle over adversity.In 1786 a fisherman's daughter from Cornwall called Mary Broad was sentenced to be hung for theft. But her sentence was commuted, and she was transported to Australia, one of the first convicts to arrive there.How Mary escaped the harsh existence of the colony and found true love, and how she was captured and taken back to London in chains, only to be released after a trial where she was defended by no less than James Boswell, is one of the most gripping and moving stories of human endeavour (based on an amazing true story) you will ever read

It is 1938 and Mariette Carrera is a defiant, strong-willed and selfish seventeen-year-old. And sooner or later, if she stays in the small, gossipy town of Russell, New Zealand, she'll get herself into some serious trouble

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND WOMAN & HOME BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER 'Storytelling at its best' Daily Express Did you ever wish you could run away from your life and start again? When Betty's husband returns from the war broken and haunted, she knows her marriage is doomed. Taking a fleeting chance to escape, she goes on the run armed with a new identity. But penniless and alone, Betty quickly finds that starting again is much harder than she thought. And she never imagined it could end in murder . . . Sometimes you have to keep running if you want to survive. Praise for Lesley Pearse: 'Storytelling at its very best' Daily Mail 'Evocative, compelling, told from the heart' Sunday Express 'Glorious, heart-warming' Woman & Home

Twenty-three-year-old Katy Speed has always been fascinated by the house across the street. The woman who lives there, Gloria, is the most glamorous neighbour on the avenue, owning a fashionable dress shop in Bexhill-on-Sea. But who is the woman who arrives in the black car most Saturdays while Gloria is at work? Sometimes she brings women to the house, and other times the women come with children.Then one night, the house burns down. In the wreckage, the bodies of Gloria and her daughter are found. Katy is sure the unexplained strangers must be responsible, until her father is arrested and charged with murder.Surely the police have arrested the wrong person? Is the rest of the street safe. Can Katy find the truth before it’s too late?

Sussex, 2003. When a beautiful blonde girl is found half-drowned on a beach, she has no memory of who she is or what horrors have left her there. But an article about her in a Brighton newspaper rings alarm bells for beautician Dale, who shows the police photographs of Lotte Wainright. The girls met working on a cruise ship and their friendship blossomed as they sailed the seas of South America, until Lotte fell under the sinister influence of an older American couple. To her regret, Dale hasn't seen Lotte since leaving the ship months earlier ... but the girl on the beach - although badly bruised - is indeed her much missed friend. Their reunion only marks the beginning of a dangerous tidal wave of secrets, lies and nightmares. Where has Lotte been? Who is the man who seems to want to kill her? And what has become of the baby she's recently given birth to? Dale and Lotte must dig deep and find the strength to hold on against the odds if they are to rebuild their friendship and survive Lotte's stolen - and deadly - past ...

From a much-loved author, a gripping story about two children sent to an Australian orphanage in the fifties. All her life, people have told little Dulcie Taylor they'll look after her and her sister May. And every time, her trust has been betrayed. Yet when they are given a new start in a young and exciting country, she really believes it will be a fresh chance for them both. But the new life the sisters hoped for turns out to be a vicious illusion. Then Dulcie meets Ross, another orphanage survivor, and finds a kindred spirit - but the pain of the past is always there, and for Dulcie and May it will be a hard struggle to learn to trust again. Unloved, unwanted, does Dulcie have enough strength and spirit to fight for the happiness she deserves, and protect her younger sister?

Never Look Back is the latest from bestselling author Lesley Pearse. One good deed takes her into another world . . . Sixteen-year-old Matilda is a poor Covent Garden flower girl until the day she saves the life of Tabitha, a minister's daughter. Welcomed into Tabitha's family, Matilda is offered the chance of a lifetime. She leaves behind London's slums and enters the darkest corners of New York. And she travels across the plains to the Wild West, where San Francisco is in the grip of the gold rush. Streetwise and strong-willed, Matilda forges a new life for herself and Tabitha among pioneers like Captain James Russell - a man to whom she is deeply attracted. Yet a civil war will soon rip apart this new nation. Can Matilda and those she loves brave separation and carry on, never looking back? Lesley Pearse is the author of bestsellers Gypsy and Remember Me. Never Look Back is a historical novel of love and survival at the time of the American Civil War. Fans of Susan Lewis will love the way Lesley Pearse weaves her plots and characters together. Praise for Lesley Pearse: 'With characters it is impossible not to care about ... this is storytelling at its very best' Daily Mail 'Lose yourself in this epic saga' Bella 'An emotional and moving epic you won't forget in a hurry' Woman's Weekly Find Lesley on Twitter @LesleyPearse or find out more on her website, www.lesleypearse.co.uk.

Set against a background of post-wartime deprivation, glittering showgirls and seedy provincial boarding houses, this is the story of two young girls from different backgrounds. The girls form a strong friendship as they both follow their ambitions to make a living for themselves on the stage.