Showing results by publisher "Boldwood Books" in Historical Fiction

After years of fragile peace, the legendary warlord Arthur Pendragon is forced back into the bloody crucible of war to save Britain once more from Saxon invaders. His greatest battle, however, is not on the field, it is a fight for his own soul. When deep seated betrayals shatter his world, Arthur must abandon his throne and his people. He must decide whether to remain a broken mercenary in exile or return to confront a Britain ruled by his vengeful enemies and torn apart by savage armies. Can Arthur succeed and become a legend?

1842: London is preparing for Christmas, but Isabelle Burdett wants nothing to do with the world. Grieving her husband, she has withdrawn from work, family, and even her daughter. Yet as Christmas Eve draws to a close, an unexpected arrival at her door shatters her carefully built solitude – and brings a choice that could change everything. Present day: Emily, a history lecturer still mourning her father, is called to a crumbling house in Cheapside, where developers have discovered a stack of old notebooks. They tell the story of three ghostly visitors on a Christmas Eve long ago.

Bristol 1936. Jenny Crawford has resigned herself to a loveless marriage living hand to mouth with their two children. Like many others, husband Roy struggles to find work at the docks but a chance encounter turns the family's fortunes around. Not only does he get regular work but they are also allocated a council house on Coronation Close on the outskirts of the city. Jenny and the children are overjoyed, this is the fresh start she could only ever dream of. But trouble feels never too far away.

25 years ago, two-year-old Evie Albert disappeared without a trace from the Brittany seaside town of Morranez. So, when a stranger called Nicole Stevenson walks into the offices of Touissants Detective Agency declaring herself the missing girl, Mila Shepherd and her colleague Carter Jackson are suspicious. They are inclined to agree with Nicole’s sisters Imogen and Charlotte, that for whatever reason, Nicole is a fantasist looking for attention. But as Mila and Carter reopen the case of the missing toddler, a twisting tale of misdirection, a secret society and a forgotten mother slowly unfolds

Bristol, 1939. School leaver Maisie Miles suspects her father, a small-time crook, has an ulterior motive for insisting she gets a job at the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory but keeps it to herself. She's befriended by effervescent Phyllis Mason and kind-hearted Bridget Milligan who take pity on her and take Maisie under their wing. But beneath their happy-go-lucky exteriors, they all harbour dreams and worries about what the future holds.

Prince Vortimer has imprisoned his father, King Vortigern – The High King of Britain. With Woden's spear, Vortimer believes God has chosen him to lead an army south to banish the Jutes once and for all from Britain's shores. In a desperate fight for survival, Octa and the Jutish warlords, Hengist and Horsa, are trapped on Thanet, their island home, as Prince Vortimer's army surrounds them. With dwindling numbers, their only hope is to send for reinforcements, but winter is upon them, and the journey will be perilous.

Rebecca Spencer holds her struggling family together, working long hours as a match girl at Bryant and May, where the threat of ‘phossy jaw’ hangs over every shift. But when her brother falls in with dangerous men while mudlarking on the Thames, the Spencers are dragged into a world of ruthless crime. Rebecca already has secrets after her elder sister’s tragic end in a Whitechapel backstreet. Now scandal is looming once more, and echoes of the past bring haunting memories of unsolved murders… and a baby born out of wedlock.

As war rages and brave soldiers returning home from the frontline need nurses more than ever, fiercely proud redhead Sylvia Roberts is determined to help in any way she can. In spite of her mother’s belief she isn’t good enough, Sylvia believes that becoming a home front nurse is her calling. Together with the two friends she makes on her first day in the job – Freda and Veronica – she knows she can help save lives. And, as the devastation of war shows no signs of ceasing, their work becomes ever more vital.

When working class Christy Craig marries the wild and wealthy Andrew Melville, an unequal union is formed, frowned upon by both families. While Andrew is away at sea, Christy pursues a career producing perfume and cosmetics, causing tension with Andrew who believes she should devote herself to their two small children and himself. When a family tragedy drives Andrew to New Zealand, Christy is left at home juggling family life and revitalising her father's soap-making business.

The war has had a devastating effect on the Sweet family, with young Charlie Sweet, lost at sea, presumed dead and bombs falling on nearby Bristol. Still there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon in the form of Mary Sweet’s upcoming wedding to her Canadian beau. But even that has failed to rouse their father from his grief. But in London a baby has been found in a bombed out house, sheltered in the arms of his dead mother. A child to make life worth living again...

The year is 1885 and a young woman is on the run, knowing if she’s caught, she’ll be hanged for murder. Moments from a safe haven, she collides with a gruff stranger, falling and breaking her ankle. To her surprise, the man – Marcus Greybourne – convinces the local constable that she is his reclusive wife of ten years, Luna. He carries her back to the neglected and crumbling Ravenswood Hall, promising if she agrees to maintain this charade, he will keep her safe until her injuries have healed. But the house is haunted by shadows and secrets.

1937 - When a diphtheria outbreak sweeps through the Lancashire countryside, district nurse Lara Flynn faces one of the hardest seasons of her career. She and the small team at Ingleside Surgery must work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable in the village and surrounding farms: its children. A shocking discovery at the mill pond sends fear rippling through the close-knit community. As the ensuing police investigation gathers pace, the bonds of the village are tested.

In the dead of night, a young woman is abandoned on the steps of Orchard Country Hospital and a man is seen fleeing. Nobody knows their identities. When the young woman dies, Doctor Frances Brakespeare is keen to solve the mystery of her identity and find those responsible for her fatal injuries. With her mother’s failing health and a very patient admirer, the last thing Frances needs is a dream job offer from a top London hospital. Torn, Frances must decide what matters more to her; her career or remaining in a small town she’s become attached to surrounded by those who need and love her…

Dora Fairweather wasn’t cut out to be a wife and mother, and as soon as she’s able, she turns her back on her young daughter Lissie. With no parents to protect her, Lissie has no option but the dangerous streets of soot-sodden Bradford or the workhouse orphanage. Life in the orphanage is bleak and Lissie longs for the warm embrace of her beloved father. As the years pass, Lissie learns to enjoy the camaraderie of the other girls in the workhouse, and when she’s taken under the wing of matron Connie Briggs, things begin to look up..

Cambridgeshire – 1942. As a new year begins and the war continues, young Artie Talbot feels trapped. In his heart he longs to fight, like his two brothers, for his king and country but is duty tied to Blackberry Farm. As feelings grow between Artie and Jeanie Salmons, Artie wonders if marriage will help him to finally accept his lot and settle down. Meanwhile, his brother John Talbot must come to terms with the tragic loss of a lost love. Can he overcome his trauma and begin to build a new life for himself and his new born son?

1594, Bishopsgate Ward, London. Within the walls and without, unease and uncertainty lurk beneath the noise and bustle of a smoky, teeming city. Matthew Cutler, newly widowed and caring for two spirited daughters, takes his position as constable for the parish of Spitalfields very seriously. So when Paulo Brisco, a quiet Venetian perfumer is found brutally murdered in his own shop, Cutler throws himself into his first major crime, and one which threatens to set all Bishopsgate alight.

Octa, the son of a mighty Saxon warlord, stands in the shield wall for the first time, eager to make a name for himself. But instead of the promised battle glory, fear overpowers him and he flees the battle, causing the death of his cousin and bringing shame to his family. Disowned by his father, and hunted by his own people, Octa is spurred on by his mother’s vision for his future, a promise of greatness to come. A chance encounter with a wiry traveller offers Octa a chance of redemption with a quest to retrieve a sacred weapon.

1914: Anticipating a long summer of freedom at her friend's family estate in Cambridge, Grace Villiers is disappointed by an unexpected addition to their party. Then the new arrival offers to teach Grace to swim, and she is forced to see there is more to Algernon Lake than his reputation. But, with war brewing across Europe, this will be a summer that changes everything.

A country left in ruins after the fall of the Roman Empire is plundered and broken. Saxon hordes have invaded and conquered the East coast of Britain in a blood-soaked Great War which tore the old kingdoms apart. From Bernicia to Kent, land and kingdoms are now under Saxon rule. But these new conquerors want more…Britain's remaining kingdoms are jaded by the constant threat of war, their Kings old, alliances fickle and frayed. It seems Britain must fall enslaved to the brutal and marauding conquerors from across the sea.

The May Day celebrations are underway and offer some light relief from the daily hardships and a glimmer of hope for a brighter future for the folk of Norton Dene. Conscientious Sister Edith Harrison has her fortune told and a handsome, tall dark stranger is predicted to be on the horizon for her affections. Imagine her surprise when a mysterious stranger arrives in town with a hidden agenda that will upset those at Orchard Manor House. It seems like there are some ghosts from the past that need to be put to rest.