Rachel Hore

The night before it all begins, Jude has the dream again . . . Can dreams be passed down through families? As a child Jude suffered a recurrent nightmare: running through a dark forest, crying for her mother. Now her six-year-old niece, Summer, is having the same dream, and Jude is frightened for her. A successful auctioneer, Jude is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband. When she's asked to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts belonging to Anthony Wickham, a lonely 18th century astronomer, she leaps at the chance to escape London for the untamed beauty of Norfolk, where she grew up. As Jude untangles Wickham's tragic story, she discovers threatening links to the present. What have Summer's nightmares to do with Starbrough folly, the eerie crumbling tower in the forest from which Wickham and his adopted daughter Esther once viewed the night sky? With the help of Euan, a local naturalist, Jude searches for answers in the wild, haunting splendour of the Norfolk woods. Dare she leave behind the sadness in her own life, and learn to love again? Praise for Rachel Hore: 'A beautifully written and magical novel about life, love and family' Cathy Kelly 'Engrossing, pleasantly surprising and thoroughly readable' Santa Montefiore 'Pitched perfectly for a holiday read' Guardian

A Place of Secrets

From the bestselling author of A Gathering Storm, and the Richard & Judy Bookclub pick A Place of Secrets, comes a gripping and moving story spanning 25 years and World War II, secrets, family and enduring love. The streets of Paris hide a dark past… September, 1937. Kitty Travers enrols at the Conservatoire on the banks of the Seine to pursue her dream of becoming a concert pianist. But then war breaks out and the city of light falls into shadow. Nearly twenty-five years later, Fay Knox, a talented young violinist, visits Paris on tour with her orchestra. She barely knows the city, so why does it feel so familiar? Soon touches of memory become something stronger, and she realises her connection with these streets runs deeper than she ever expected. As Fay traces the past, with only an address in an old rucksack to help her, she discovers dark secrets hidden years ago, secrets that cause her to question who she is and where she belongs … Praise for Rachel Hore's novels: ‘A tour de force. Rachel's Paris is rich, romantic, exotic and mysterious’ JUDY FINNIGAN ‘An elegiac tale of wartime love and secrets’ Telegraph ‘A richly emotional story, suspenseful and romantic, but unflinching in its portrayal of the dreadful reality and legacy of war’ Book of the Week, Sunday Mirror 'Pitched perfectly for a holiday read' Guardian 'Engrossing, pleasantly surprising and throughly readable' SANTA MONTEFIORE 'A beautifully written and magical novel about life, love and family' CATHY KELLY

A Week in Paris

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Last Letter Home, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick, comes a thrilling novel about a woman with an extraordinary life, based on a true story. ‘A superb novel. I absolutely loved it. Rachel Hore brilliantly contrasts the thrilling world of high-stakes politics with the inner life of a passionate woman leading a dangerous double existence’ Wendy Holden, author of The Governess Minnie Gray is an ordinary young woman. She is also a spy for the British government. It all began in the summer of 1928... Minnie is supposed to find a nice man, get married and have children. The problem is it doesn’t appeal to her at all. She is working as a secretary, but longs to make a difference. Then, one day, she gets her chance. She is recruited by the British government as a spy. Under strict instructions not to tell anyone, not even her family, she moves to London and begins her mission – to infiltrate the Communist movement. She soon gains the trust of important leaders. But as she grows more and more entangled in the workings of the movement, her job becomes increasingly dangerous. Leading a double life is starting to take its toll on her relationships and, feeling more isolated than ever, she starts to wonder how this is all going to end. The Russians are notorious for ruthlessly disposing of people given the slightest suspicion. What if they find out? Full of suspense, courage and love, A Beautiful Spy is a stunningly written story about resisting the norm and following your dreams, even if they come with sacrifices. 'Phenomenal! Absolutely loved it. I was rooting for Minnie from page one right to the very end... What a treat of a read' Tracy Rees, author of The House at Silvermoor Praise for Rachel Hore: 'Absorbing’ BARBARA ERSKINE ‘An emotive and thought-provoking read’ ROSANNA LEY 'A poignant story, rich in period detail' SUNDAY MIRROR ‘Readers are sure to be engrossed and swept away' JANE JOHNSON 'Engrossing, pleasantly surprising and thoroughly readable' SANTA MONTEFIORE ‘Her women are brave and good and you desperately want them to win’ DAILY MAIL ‘Rachel Hore's research and mastery of the subject is deeply impressive' JUDY FINNIGAN

A Beautiful Spy

Photographer Lucy Cardwell has recently lost her troubled father, Tom. Amongst his papers she finds an intriguing letter written ten years before, from a woman, Beatrice Marlow, begging to meet him to disclose important family information. Some months later Lucy finds herself on holiday in Cornwall. She visits her father's childhood home, the once-beautiful Carlyon Manor, and tracks down the letter-writer. Beatrice, now an old woman, has an extraordinary story to tell. Growing up in the 1930s, Beatrice played with the children of Carlyon Manor - especially pretty, blonde Angelina Wincanton, who was Lucy's grandmother. The Wincantons are a glamorous but unconventional family. The four Wincanton children bear the brunt of their parents' unhappiness, and Beatrice is much valued as a steadying influence. There comes a summer when the Wincantons are away, that Beatrice, now fifteen, falls in love with a young visitor to the town: Rafe Ashton, whom she rescues from the sea when his boat is caught up in a storm. The dark clouds of war are gathering and Beatrice, Rafe, and the Wincantons will all be swept up in the cataclysm of events that follows. It's a story that will take Beatrice from Cornwall to London, and France; a powerful tale of courage and betrayal in which friendship and true love are tested to the utmost, with ramifications reaching down the generations. For as Lucy listens to Beatrice's story, she learns a secret that will change everything.

The Gathering Storm

Vaseem Khan

Veronica Henry

Katie Fforde

Jenny Eclair

Mark Watson

Dorothy Koomson

Richard Madeley

Eva Verde

Helen Lederer

A seriously entertaining collection of feelgood stories guaranteed to put the smile back on your face written especially by ten bestselling novelists: Jenny Éclair Mark Watson Veronica Henry Eva Verde Richard Madeley Katie Fforde Dorothy Koomson Vaseem Khan Helen Lederer Rachel Hore From a hilarious race against time to a moment of unexpected eavesdropping, from righting wrongs in rural India to finding joy in unlikely places, these stories are all rich in wit and humour, guaranteed to lift your spirits and warm your heart. Stories to Make you Smile is a co-commission between The Reading Agency and Specsavers as part of World Book Night 2021.

The Reading Agency

Stories To Make You Smile

A romantic, moving and highly resonant story of a high-flying urban couple searching for the good life and finding so much more..

The Dream House

Lamorna Cove - a tiny bay in Cornwall, picturesque, unspoilt. A hundred years ago it was the haunt of a colony of artists. Today, Mel Pentreath hopes it is a place where she can escape the pain of her mother's death and a broken love affair, and gradually put her life back together. Renting a cottage in the enchanting but overgrown grounds of Merryn Hall, Mel embraces her new surroundings and offers to help her landlord, Patrick Winterton, restore the garden. Soon she is daring to believe her life can be rebuilt. Then Patrick finds some old paintings in an attic, and as he and Mel investigate the identity of the artist, they are drawn into an extraordinary tale of illicit passion and thwarted ambition from a century ago, a tale that resonates in their own lives. But how long can Mel's idyll last before reality breaks in and everything is threatened?

The Memory Garden

A seriously entertaining collection of feelgood stories guaranteed to put the smile back on your face written especially by ten bestselling novelists: Jenny Éclair Katie Fforde Veronica Henry Rachel Hore Vaseem Khan Dorothy Koomson Helen Lederer Richard Madeley Eva Verde Mark Watson From a hilarious race against time, to a case of mistaken identity, from righting wrongs in rural India to finding joy in unlikely places, these stories are all told with wonderful wit and warmth, and are guaranteed to lift your heart and make your spirits soar.

Stories to Make You Smile

From the bestselling author of A Week in Paris, and A Place of Secrets, comes a timeless love story, lost in letters of the past . . . THE RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK 2018 Can a chance encounter unlock one woman's past? On holiday in Italy, Briony Wood becomes fascinated by the wartime story of a ruined villa hidden amongst the hills of Naples. Not only is it the very place where her grandfather was stationed as a soldier in 1943, but she also discovers that it harbours the secret of a love long lost. Handed a bundle of tattered letters found buried at the villa, Briony becomes enraptured by the blossoming love story between Sarah Bailey, an English woman, and Paul Hartmann, a young German. The letters lead her back almost seventy years to pre-war Norfolk. But as Briony delves into Sarah and Paul’s story, she encounters resentments and secrets still tightly guarded. All too quickly it is clear that what happened long ago under the shadow of Vesuvius, she suspects, still has the power to cause terrible pain . . . Praise for Rachel Hore's novels: 'Compelling, engrossing and moving; a perfect holiday indulgence' SANTA MONTEFIORE‘ Fascinating, hugely readable’ JUDY FINNIGAN ‘An elegiac tale of wartime love and secrets’ Telegraph ‘A tender and thoughtful tale' Sunday Mirror 'Pitched perfectly for a holiday read' Guardian

The Richard and Judy Book Club pick 2018

Last Letter Home

Brilliantly evoking the changing attitudes of the time, The Love Child is a novel about love, family, separation, despair, and hope, full of tenderness and deep feeling. A young mother’s sacrifice. A child’s desperate search for the truth... London, 1917 When nineteen-year-old Alice Copeman becomes pregnant, she is forced by her father and stepmother to give up the baby. She simply cannot be allowed to bring shame upon her family. But all Alice can think about is the small, kitten-like child she gave away, and she mourns the father, a young soldier, so beloved, who will never have the chance to know his daughter. Edith and Philip Burns, a childless couple, yearn for a child of their own. When they secretly adopt a baby girl, Irene, their life together must surely be complete. Irene grows up knowing that she is different from other children, but no one will tell her the full truth. Putting hopes of marriage and children behind her, Alice embarks upon a pioneering medical career, striving to make her way in a male-dominated world. Meanwhile, Irene struggles to define her own life, eventually leaving her Suffolk home to find work in London. As two extraordinary stories intertwine across two decades, will secrets long-buried at last come to light?

The Love Child

The streets of Paris hide a dark past ... September, 1937. Kitty Travers enrols at the Conservatoire on the banks of the Seine to pursue her dream of becoming a concert pianist. But then war breaks out and the city of light falls into shadow. Nearly twenty-five years later, Fay Knox, a talented young violinist, visits Paris on tour with her orchestra. She barely knows the city, so why does it feel so familiar? Soon touches of memory become something stronger, and she realises her connection with these streets runs deeper than she ever expected. As Fay traces the past, with only an address in an old rucksack to help her, she discovers dark secrets hidden years ago, secrets that cause her to question who she is and where she belongs ...

A week in Paris

Silent Tide

Sterrennacht Rachel Hore Jude Gower, een jonge Londense veilingmeester die recent haar man heeft verloren, wordt naar Wickham Hall gestuurd om een verzameling achttiende-eeuwse astronomische instrumenten te taxeren. Het oude, statige landgoed intrigeert Jude: haar overgrootvader was er tussen de twee wereldoorlogen jachtmeester. Onderweg naar Norfolk, waar Wickham Hall ligt, stopt Jude voor een bezoek aan haar oma. Die vertelt haar over een mysterieuze affaire die er ooit heeft plaatsgevonden. Terwijl Jude op het landgoed bezig is, vormt ze zich een beeld van Anthony Wickham, de eenzame amateur-astronoom die het huis bewoonde in de achttiende eeuw, en van zijn dochter, Esther. Ook ontmoet ze er de schrijver Euan. Terwijl Jude het tragische verhaal van Anthony en Esther ontrafelt, leert Euan haar alles over de helende kracht van de natuur en de sterren. Geleidelijk aan leert Jude de tragedies in haar eigen leven te vergeten en opnieuw lief te hebben.

Sterrennacht

In a tiny stained-glass shop hidden in the backstreets of Westminster lies the cracked, sparkling image of an angel. The owners of Minster Glass have also been broken: Fran Morrison's mother died when she was a baby; a painful event never mentioned by her difficult, secretive father Edward. Fran left home to pursue a career in foreign cities, as a classical musician. But now Edward is dangerously ill and it's time to return. Taking her father's place in the shop, she and his craftsman Zac accept a beguiling commission - to restore a shattered glass picture of an exquisite angel belonging to a local church. As they reassemble the dazzling shards of coloured glass, they uncover an extraordinary love story from the Victorian past, sparked by the window's creation. Slowly, Fran begins to see her own reflection in its themes of passion, tragedy and redemption. Fran's journey will lead her on a search for the truth about her mother, through mysteries of past times and the anguish of unrequited love, to reconciliation and renewal. Rachel Hore is also the author of the bestseller A Week in Paris and Richard and Judy Book Club selection A Place of Secrets.

The Glass Painter's Daughter

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of LAST LETTER HOME, a 2018 Richard and Judy Book club pick, comes a gripping story of family secrets, all-consuming love and the chaos of war.

A Gathering Storm

Nathan Hamilton

The world-renowned UEA Creative Writing MA presents its new batch of young talent, featuring work from all four strands of the course: fiction, life writing, poetry and scriptwriting.

UEA Creative Writing Prose Anthology 2012

Londoners Kate and Simon are balancing the raising of two young children whilst holding down stressful jobs. As things start to fall apart, they decide to uproot to the Suffolk coast. Kate battles to make a new life for the family under her mother-in-law's roof, while they search in vain for the perfect home. When she stumbles upon the house of her dreams, it's tantalisingly out of reach. It belongs to a frail old lady, Agnes. As the two become close friends, Kate is amazed to discover how much the dying woman's story echoes her own. As past and present intertwine, Kate comes to realise how uncertain and unsettling a life built on dreams can be.

Love Child

Loyalty and betrayal, hope and despair, One Moonlit Night tells the captivating story of a husband and wife separated by secrets as well as by war. 'Brimming over with everything I love about this author's writing: atmosphere, intrigue, wonderful characters and a beautiful love story. Pure delight to read' Tracy Rees 'So complex and moving, with a sense of mystery as powerful as the sense of love and betrayal' Cathy Kelly 'Beautifully rich in period detail - an absorbing and touching story' Erica James, Sunday Times bestselling author of Mothers & Daughters Accept it, he is dead. No, it's not true. It is. Everyone thinks so except you. Forced to leave their family home in London after it is bombed, Maddie and her two young daughters take refuge at Knyghton, the beautiful country house in Norfolk where Maddie's husband Philip spent the summers of his childhood. But Philip is gone, believed to have been killed in action in northern France. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Maddie refuses to give up hope that she and Philip will some day be reunited. Arriving at Knyghton, Maddie feels closer to her missing husband, but she soon realises that there's a reason Philip has never spoken to her about his past. Something happened at Knyghton one summer years before. Something that involved Philip, his cousin Lyle and a mysterious young woman named Flora. Maddie's curiosity turns to desperation as she tries to discover the truth, but no one will speak about what happened all those years ago, and no one will reassure her that Philip will ever return to Knyghton. The extraordinarily powerful new novel from bestselling author Rachel Hore.

Rachel Hore

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