The latest crime thriller from best-selling author Kerry Barnes.

1964 - London. Dolly Vincent is born to an East End gangster but is sent away for her own protection. Mad Mick is hell-bent on his revenge and will stop at nothing to kill her. Estranged from her family, she becomes a successful barrister, but after defending a young Italian man she finds herself caught up in a secret held by a high court judge. Tortured and left for dead, she flees London and heads to New York. Only the Vincents know where she is...but even they don't know the truth.

Having spent her life watching her father run his East London firm, Zara Ezra has learnt a thing or two about being a gangster, and she’s ready to take over when the time comes. Mike Regan, a blast from Zara’s past, is the head of his own firm, but when his son is kidnapped in the middle of a gangland feud, Mike has no choice but to accept help from the Ezras to get his little boy back alive. With a rival firm playing increasingly dirty, murder moves to the top of the agenda and Zara has some big choices to make.

A gripping thriller that will shock you to the core. Controlled all her life by her religious mother, 15-year-old Kelly Raven commits the ultimate sin. She soon discovers that running away to the cold, frightening streets of London is less harsh than her previous life. A drug dealer, two fraudsters, and a prostitute are her new family now, and she becomes the woman she was destined to be. Little does she know that Eddie Raven is coming for her, but she is no sweet four-year-old child, and he is certainly no doting father.

When Dionne married a nightclub owner, Luke Mason, a whisper in her ear told her she would have it all - the money, the house and the luxury lifestyle. But she never expected her life to turn upside down the day they became parents to twins....

Gangs rule the streets of the rough Gallowburn Estate in Glasgow, but the deepest rivalry of all is between Jamie Gray and his friends, known as the Blood Brothers, and their enemies, the Lawsons. The two gangs clash frequently, but when a phone containing incriminating evidence disappears after a particularly brutal run-in, the stakes are higher than ever. Jamie’s mother Jackie is as hard as nails and is not going to let anyone hurt her boy – even if she has to roll up her sleeves and get stuck in.

London, 1935. Ruby is always hungry, but she will go without if it means her young brothers can eat. 1930s Bermondsey might be called the larder of London, with its pie, pickle and jam factories, but for the poor working classes, starvation is often only a heartbeat away. When Ruby's neighbour suggests she ought to go to the Methodist Mission for free food, Ruby knows her father will be furious, but she has no other option.

At the heart of Dover's Market Square lies the Castle's Café. A bustling, homely place run by the formidable Nellie Castle and her six children. Since the scandalous birth of her beloved son 10 years before, Marianne, Nellie's eldest daughter, has preferred to stay in the kitchen, hidden away from the town gossips. Overcome with shame, Marianne has never revealed the name of Donny's father - not even to her own mother. But with World War II just around the corner, Marianne's past catches up with her. And suddenly the lives of the Castle family become a lot more complicated.

Set in 1920s London, this is the inspiring story of Kate Goss' struggle against poverty, hunger and cruel family secrets. Her mother died in a fall, her father has vanished without trace, and now her aunt and cousins treat her viciously. In a freezing, vermin-infested garret, factory girl Kate has only her own brave spirit and dreams of finding her father to keep her going. She has barely enough money to feed herself, or to pay the rent. The factory where she works begins to lay off people and it isn't long before she has fallen into the hands of the violent local money-lender.

Thirty years ago, Nicola Watson lived with her parents and older brother in a respectable suburb. Now a successful lawyer in the city, with a life poles apart from her dark beginnings, Nicola has returned home for her mother’s funeral. All Carol wanted was to protect her children, but escaping her husband was only the beginning of the story. And when Nicola learns the truth of what her mother did, it will change everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. A gripping, emotional story of family secrets, and the strength of a mother’s love in the darkest times.

I nearly threw the letter about the inheritance away with the recycling. Late for work, worrying about how I would afford new school shoes for Kate, I just assumed it was a mistake. But perhaps moving to a new home in a quiet seaside town would be the fresh start we both need. Away from the school bullies making Kate’s life a misery, and out of the clutches of my dangerous ex.

Some things are better left hidden.... Tom Paretski’s not just a plumber with a dodgy hip courtesy of a schoolboy accident. He also has a sixth sense for finding hidden things. Called in by the police to help locate a body near Brock’s Hollow, he’s staggered to encounter Phil Morrison, his old school crush - and the closeted bully whose actions contributed to Tom’s accident. Phil’s all grown up now, and Tom’s unwilling attraction to him is back with a vengeance.

Life is full of second chances, if only you keep your heart open for them. Spring Hill Square is a pretty sanctuary away from the bustle of everyday life. And at its centre is Leni Merryman's Teashop on the Corner, specialising in cake, bookish stationery and compassion. And for three people, all in need of a little TLC, it is somewhere to find a friend to lean on.

In the 1950s, ex-boxer Norman Alonso is a determined and humble Jamaican who has immigrated to Britain with his wife and children to secure a brighter future. Blighted with unexpected illness and racism, Norman and his family are resilient, but are all too aware that their family will need more than just hope to survive in their new country.

"There’s someone I want you to meet," Belle says, as a man draws up to her side. He’s tall with dark hair and stubble on his square jaw. He’s not exactly smiling, but the corner of his mouth curls upwards as he slides his hand around my daughter’s waist.

1964 - London. Dolly Vincent is born to an East End gangster but is sent away for her own protection. Mad Mick is hell-bent on his revenge and will stop at nothing to kill her. Estranged from her family, she becomes a successful barrister, but after defending a young Italian man she finds herself caught up in a secret held by a high court judge. Tortured and left for dead, she flees London and heads to New York. Only the Vincents know where she is...but even they don't know the truth.

Before leaving prison, having served 12 years, Harper Kane makes a promise - to find out what happened to an inmate’s missing teenage daughter. But first, she must secure a well-paid job and a place of her own to take back custody of her son. What she falls into is a frightening discovery of human trafficking. Forced to make an inconceivable decision, Harper will use everything she has learned inside to protect her family, even if that means resorting to murder.

Scarlet Drew isn’t to be messed with. As the daughter of a notorious London gangster, she’s got enough street smarts to take on the world. But when the most important person in Scarlet’s life is murdered in cold blood on the East End streets where she grew up, she can only think of one thing - revenge. Scarlet’s aunt, Lily, is fierce, straight-talking and a force to be reckoned with. As head of the family firm and queen of the London underworld, she welcomes her niece into the business and swears to help her get revenge - after all, family comes first.

A gripping thriller that will shock you to the core. Controlled all her life by her religious mother, 15-year-old Kelly Raven commits the ultimate sin. She soon discovers that running away to the cold, frightening streets of London is less harsh than her previous life. A drug dealer, two fraudsters, and a prostitute are her new family now, and she becomes the woman she was destined to be. Little does she know that Eddie Raven is coming for her, but she is no sweet four-year-old child, and he is certainly no doting father.

If you met a troubled stranger who needed help, what would you do? If she had a haunted air about her, startled, hunted eyes, would you reach out? Tanya Smith, a beautiful East End stripper stumbling her way through life, finds herself gaining an impromptu flatmate one night after a chance meeting with a lost young woman. Anna Davis, on the run from a dangerous and stormy past, starts up a new life, keeping one eye over her shoulder and her secrets close to her chest.

Daisy meets Adam on their first day of university. Immediately, they become friends. But when tongues wag and their relationship is questioned, Adam shares his secret with Daisy, who promises to stand by him. When their grandmother dies, Adam’s older brother Ryan returns from abroad, and Daisy quickly falls for him. After a troubled upbringing at the hands of a drunken mother and jailbird father, Adam and Ryan have only each other. In adulthood, their bond holds firm, glued together by Daisy with whom they are now both in love.

Two years ago, Beth Farrow turned her back on her three-year-old niece, Jenna, for just a few seconds. She disappeared without a trace. How does a three-year-old go missing from a crowded summer fete without anyone noticing? When Beth leaves the country to try and escape her guilt, someone sends her a photograph from an anonymous number. It's a photograph of Jenna. She's older, but Beth is sure it's her niece. She is determined to do what the police cannot: Find Jenna and bring her home. But someone isn't pleased when Beth returns.

Emily thought she knew what love was—until she found herself locked away in a secluded cabin by the one person she trusted the most. What began as a romantic weekend escape quickly turns into a twisted nightmare. Jason, her seemingly perfect boyfriend, takes control of everything—where she goes, what she eats, even when she sleeps. As the walls of their idyllic cabin close in, Emily starts to see the truth behind Jason’s charm: a dark obsession that runs deeper than she ever imagined. But Jason isn’t the only one hiding secrets. When Rachel, a mysterious woman with her own dark past...

Before then her bedroom was a dark, windowless cellar, her activities confined to cooking and cleaning. She'd grown used to being maltreated by the Songoli family - to being a slave. She's never been outside, doesn't know how to read or write, and cannot speak English. At least that's what the Songolis believe. But Muna is far cleverer - and her plans more terrifying - than the Songolis or anyone else can ever imagine....

Mags Barkworth still suffers the effects of a life-changing tragedy over a decade ago. She knows her husband loves her. She knows he would never do anything to hurt her, or their daughter. But what if the voice in her head, the one she's pushed away with therapy and anti-depressants, is telling the truth? What if it's all a lie? When Tam, their daughter, draws an uncannily detailed picture of a place she's never been, Mags's life starts to unravel. But even in her most paranoid moment, Mags could never have guessed the secret she is destined to uncover.

Alone after the tragic loss of her parents, Felicity finds herself in a relationship with volatile and troubled Jay. Reluctantly drawn in to a twisted revenge plan against Jay's former best friend, Felicity soon becomes trapped, and as Jay turns increasingly controlling and abusive she questions everything he has told her about his past and his former girlfriend Sammie. But when she wants to expose the truth she comes up against an even greater threat: Someone obsessed and dangerous. Someone who has always been in the background of Jay's life. Someone who will do anything for him.

Laura Swallow is dead. A life cut tragically short, says the newspaper obituary. But that's a lie. Estate agent Laura did not die in a car accident. She is alive and well. At first, Laura thinks it's a sick joke. But multiple announcements of her death are followed by increasingly sinister real-life events. Already fragile, struggling to recover from a recent divorce, Laura is plunged into a living nightmare. Who can she trust? Her new lover? Her clients and work colleagues? What about her ex-husband and his smug fiancee? Can Laura even rely on her best friends?

Ten-year-old Annie Warren hasn't made it home from school and with every passing hour, hopes of finding her alive are fading fast. Her parents, Cathy and Kit, are frantic with worry, fearing the worst. Could their daughter, the miracle child who came as a surprise to them both, have been abducted? The police are coordinating a massive search but seem totally clueless, while the Warrens' home is under siege from a news-hungry press pack crawling over themselves to cover the story.

An unhealthy friendship takes a sinister turn. Almost everyone has a friend whom they barely tolerate. It’s that person whose jokes are always annoying, who tries to butt in on nights out, or who keeps coming over unannounced. For Martha, that friend is her new neighbor, Jennie.

What if a death sentence meant you could get away with murder? Claudia and Heather both decide to leave their husbands. Together, they get a flat - but their peace is short-lived when Claudia is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Heather takes on caring for Claudia, but a lethal meeting with James, Claudia’s ex-husband, causes complications. As life for Claudia and Heather begins to unravel, the answer to their problems becomes clear...it’s murder.