Josephine Cox

Don't miss the brand new epic family drama from the nation’s favourite storyteller… Will a dark shadow destroy her family? As a servant below stairs at the big manor house, Rose dreams of running her own teashop one day, and carefully saves a few shillings each week from the money she sends back home to her mother. But on her next visit home to see her family, Rose is shocked to discover that their savings have disappeared, and her headstrong sister Daisy is keeping secrets. Discovering that a poisonous menace has taken root in their happy family, Rose feels powerless to stop it. Can she save them from disaster, before they lose everything?

Don't miss the brand new epic family drama from the nation's favourite storyteller...

Don't miss the brand new epic family drama from the nation’s favourite storyteller… Working in service as a cook in a big house, Rose dreams of running her own teashop one day. But her life takes a dark turn, when her family fall prey to an unscrupulous family member and her mother, a milliner, falls into debt. As Rose takes charge of her younger, wilder sister their lives are thrown into turmoil when tragedy strikes. Is Rose’s dream of a better life destined to remain just that, or will her love for her family bring better days?

After growing up in bitterness, can she overcome past events to find the happiness she deserves? Take This Woman is a powerful saga about learning to put your past behind you in the pursuit of happiness, from bestselling author Josephine Cox. Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Kitty Neale.Blackburn, 1947. In the tiny front parlour fourteen-year-old Laura Blake watches her beloved father die. But not before he tells her she will make something of her life. Laura never forgets his words. Yet her path to success proves to be a rocky one. Forced to trundle a cart around the back streets, selling other folk's cast-offs to support her family, Laura learns enough to start work in her uncle's furniture shop. But then fate deals another cruel blow when Laura is brutally raped. Bearing the child of her attacker in secret, she vows to make the world pay for its injustice towards her.As she grows older her protective shell hardens even as her beauty blossoms, and her new toughness helps her forge a successful career in the antiques business. But it is in affairs of the heart that Laura stumbles, and before she can find fulfilment, she must learn to put the past behind her, and give as well as take. What readers are saying about Take This Woman: 'Has you gripped from first page onwards. You get lost in amongst the characters, feeling like you are there with them every inch of the way''The story was full of twists and turns. I found it difficult to put down, reading well into the night sometimes! Brilliant''Loved it. Fantastic read and very exciting'

Jessica's Girl by Josephine Cox, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lonely Girl and Whistledown Woman, is a classic that will appeal to fans of Catherine Cookson and Lyn Andrews alike. 'Cox's talent as a storyteller never lets you escape' - Daily Mail.'Don't let him break you, child.'Despite a deathbed warning from her beloved mother, Phoebe Mulligan has no choice but to throw herself on the mercy of her uncle, Edward. Wrenched from all she holds dear, the tragic young girl is delivered to Blackburn town, where she must live in a household terrorised by the cold, forbidding presence of her mother's brother.Phoebe cannot understand why she is treated so harshly by Edward Dickens. She is not to know the guilty secret that lies in his past, a secret that casts a sinister shadow over his feelings for his lovely niece . . .But Phoebe's spirit will not be broken. Her natural warmth and cheerfulness win her many friends and although she must endure horror and heartbreak, all the riches a woman can have come within her reach . . . What readers are saying about Jessica's Girl: 'A very good read, keeps you guessing until the end. Found it hard to put down''Great story like always - [Josephine Cox] takes me to another world''[Josephine Cox's] books never fail to keep me interested and intrigued as to the outcome. Really enjoyable'

Beth is a woman of rare courage and fortitude, but there is danger and heartbreak to be endured before she can find peace and happiness... Don't Cry Alone is an unforgettable saga from Josephine Cox, of the power of love, hope and jealousy. Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Cathy Sharp.'Hailed quite rightly as a gifted writer in the tradition of Catherine Cookson' - Manchester Evening PostBeth Ward and Tyler Blacklock share a love they know will last forever. But Beth's mother, Esther, is jealous of the girl and seizes an opportunity to be rid of her daughter. Banished in disgrace from the family home, Beth takes the northbound train and alights at Blackburn, friendless and alone.On this day, Fortune smiles, for Beth is taken in by warm-hearted Maisie Armstrong, a widow with two children. Money is scarce, but love abounds in the cosy house on Larkhill, and Beth is content there to await the birth of her child. But she cannot forget Tyler, and is tormented by the belief that he has betrayed her. What readers are saying about Don't Cry Alone: 'Wonderful! Totally believable. Complex story of highs and lows, laughter and tears. Completely absorbing, it's an emotional roller coaster. I loved it''This is a story of heartache, caring, loss and coming together. A story that warms the heart, that turns out well, as good stories should, and [leaves you with] a smile''Kept me gripped throughout. I enjoyed the book immensely, an excellent love story with lots of twists and turns'

Angels Cry Sometimes is a heartrending novel of discovering happiness again through heartbreak, grief and despair from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling storyteller Josephine Cox.The marriage of Marcia and Curt Ratheter seemed idyllically happy. As much in love as on their wedding day, nothing could mar their joy. But one fateful day in 1931 brought Marcia's world tumbling about her ears and left her and her two daughters bereft.Barty Bendall had always loved her, he said; and the girls needed a father. Marcia moved to Blackburn with him, where she tried to forget the past. Barty, though, sank into bad ways, tyrannizing the family. In particular he would vent his aggression on Polly, Curt and Marcia's first-born, blonde as an angel but afflicted since birth with an ominous shadow over her health.Even in troubled times, lovely raven-haired Marcia was a fighter. But the news that Curt Ratheter had reappeared would render her the helpless prey of wildly conflicting emotions. What readers are saying about Angels Cry Sometimes: 'All [Josephine Cox] books really engross me and Angels Cry Sometimes is no exception. Very moving''Enjoyable and realistic characters that we can all identify with''One of the best books I have read in a long time'

What if everything you've been brought up to believe was a lie? Whistledown Woman is the moving story of a beautiful girl growing up unaware of her true inheritance, from bestselling author Josephine Cox. Perfect for fans of Kitty Neale and Lindsey Hutchinson.On a moonlit night in 1898, Kathleen Wyman lies in labour at Bessington Hall. Her husband, Edward, is sure that she has been unfaithful to him. In his blind, jealous rage he later gives away the baby to gypsy Rona Parrish, summoned to help with the delivery. Kathleen, frenzied with grief, is soon after locked away in an asylum.Rejected by her father, the little girl begins her new life with only a valuable brooch pinned to her shawl as a clue to her true origins. Named after Rona's own mother, the lovely raven-haired Starlena grows up in ignorance of her true parentage and vast inheritance, believing her birthplace to be the beautiful Whistledown Valley. And Rona, always afraid, stays watchful over the years for any sign that someone might track Starlena down - someone who wishes her harm... What readers are saying about Whistledown Woman: 'A brilliant novel by Josephine Cox. Gripping and romantic combined with subterfuge. A very unusual storyline makes this a different story''Couldn't put this book down, had everything: romance, sadness, suspense''I loved the story, lots of twists and turns - such a realistic, descriptive style which transported me into the story'

The brand new epic family drama from the nation’s favourite storyteller. Where can a daughter turn when her father’s love is stolen away? When heart-broken Sarah Quinn is left to care for her father and siblings when her mother dies, it’s hard to watch their loving dad, Fred, drift into drink and despair. With money tight, Sarah is determined to keep the family together. But they receive a shock when Fred Quinn announces he is to marry Mavis Swindel, the landlady of a boarding house on the edge of the moors. Mavis seems to offer the answer to the family’s problems, and soon they are all moving into her shabby lodgings. It quickly becomes clear that their stepmother has plans for her new family, and slowly but surely, Mavis takes over their lives. As her father becomes a stranger to his children, Sarah becomes convinced that Mavis has something to hide. But as her doubts turn into an obsession, does Sarah risk destroying everything she loves in her search for the truth?

Queenie's past threatens more than one person's futureQueenie Bedford fled her native Blackburn and the bitter knowledge that she and Rick Marsden, the man she loved, could never marry. But in 1965 she returned north again to stand by her friend Sheila Thorogood, imprisoned for running a brothel with her mother Maisie. Though Rick had vowed to find her, Queenie took care that he should not know of her whereabouts.The magnificent Edwardian house in Blackpool was sadly neglected - but Queenie moved in with the ailing Maisie, and set about transforming it into a sparklingly clean, highly respectable guesthouse. Meanwhile, Queenie was to meet the frail and confused Hannah Jason, locked away years ago for murder, and desperate for news of her long-lost son. As Rick continued his dogged search for Queenie, she set out to find Hannah's son. But both their enquiries threatened to unlock the cage where crucial secrets had long been held captive.

As history threatens to repeat itself, the actions of one young woman lead to tragic consequences... In the first instalment of the Emma Grady trilogy, Josephine Cox's Outcast is an extraordinarily powerful saga of a passionate, yet impossible, love. Perfect for fans of Cathy Sharp and Kitty Neale.On a fateful night in 1860, Thadius Grady realises, too late, that he has made a grave mistake. In blind faith he has put himself and his daughter Emma at the mercy of his sister and her conniving husband, Caleb Crowther - for he has entrusted to them his entire fortune and the daughter he adores. With his dying breath he pleads to see his daughter one last time - but Caleb's heart is made of stone.A feared Lancashire Justice, Caleb Crowther is a womaniser and a gambler, and now the inheritance due to Emma is as much in his hands as is the beautiful Emma Grady herself. But Caleb lives in fear of the past, for how did Emma's mother mysteriously die? And what made Thadius and Caleb hate the river people so intensely? History seems likely to repeat itself when Emma falls helplessly in love with Marlow Tanner, a young bargee. For Marlow and Emma, it is an impossible love - a love made in Heaven, but which could carry them both to Hell... What readers are saying about Outcast: 'A dark and somewhat disturbing tale of intrigue, mystery and romance; of treacherous relatives and doomed love affairs''I loved this story. You can really feel the emotions of the characters and the threats they face. The actions and settings are so vividly described that you could almost be in the scenes yourself''One of the best books I've ever read'

The stunning final book in the classic Emma Grady trilogy by Sunday Times bestselling author Josephine Cox.Twenty-two years ago Emma Grady was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to transportation to Australia. Just before her departure she bore and lost her baby daughter - conceived during a passionate affair with Marlow Tanner. It is now 1885, and Emma has returned to Blackburn. Reunited with Marlow, she has a loving family, yet she is still haunted by the past, unable to forget how her uncle Caleb Crowther ignored her desperate plea to save her and her tragic first-born.Crowther curses his niece's return and also hounds Molly, Emma's lost daughter. Molly and her children run away and, contending with hunger, exhaustion and the unwelcome attentions of the men who are drawn to Molly's dark beauty, their life at times is almost unbearable. But Molly has inherited Emma's indomitable spirit...

To return to those she loves, she must also return to the past... In the second instalment of her Emma Grady trilogy, bestselling author Josephine Cox brings us Alley Urchin, a gripping saga of a woman determined to overcome the brutality of life as a convict to return to the man she loves. Perfect for fans of Kitty Neale and Rosie Goodwin.By 1870 Emma Grady has spent seven years of servitude as a convict in Australia. Emma lives for the day when she will return to England, to face those who cheated and betrayed her. And to Marlow Tanner, the man she loves - and whose tragic child she had borne and then lost.Emma struggles to make something of her life in Australia despite the sinister presence of her employer's evil son, Foster. His determination to 'have' Emma leads to dark and terrifying consequences. As Emma battles against adversity, she is unaware that in England the child she has given up for dead is being lovingly raised by Marlow's sister Old Sal, who teaches Emma's daughter Molly to be an expert pickpocket.Will Emma ever be reunited with Marlow? Even if she finds him, will he still love her? And what of the child lost to both of them? Emma is plagued with fears but her love for Marlow never weakens - and can never be forgotten... What readers are saying about Alley Urchin: 'Josephine Cox has the unique talent of writing books which provoke every emotion in the reader. This book in the Emma Grady trilogy has all this - and more. We feel for the characters as if we know them and, as with all Josephine Cox books, it is very hard to put down the book once started... You will find yourself impatient to get to the end!''Another great, thrilling book which keeps you guessing till the end. The story is well written with some great twists''Totally absorbing. Unputdownable!'

Queenie must fight against the suffering caused by her fatherQueenie seemed born to suffer. Her mam died giving birth to her, her drunken father George Kenney either ignored her or cursed her, and only beloved Auntie Biddy provided an anchor for the little girl. Growing up in post-war Blackburn, life could be tough when Biddy had to take in washing to make ends meet - at a time when the washing machine began to gain popularity. After Auntie Biddy's death there was only Queenie to care for the home and to earn money, and no one to protect her from the father who blamed his daughter for her mother's death. But Queenie was resilient. And in spite of hardship, she grew up tall and strikingly beautiful with her deep grey eyes and her abundant honey-coloured hair. Love, in the shape of Rick Marsden, might have released her from the burden of the drink-sodden George. But the sins of the fathers would not be easily forgotten . . .

The brand new epic family drama from the nation�s favourite storyteller. Where can a daughter turn when her father�s love is stolen away?

The Woman Who Left is a dramatic and gripping tale of jealousy, sibling rivalry and revenge.Louise and Ben Hunter's loving marriage is marred only by their unfulfilled longing for a child. Living and working with Ben's father, Ronnie, they are quietly contented. But when Ronnie dies, their whole world changes.Ben's lazy brother, Jacob, returns, convinced he stands to inherit Ronnie's small fortune. And he means to have his brother's wife; though just as she did years before, Louise warns him off. Jacob, however, is not so easily dismissed. When he realises Ben will inherit everything, Jacob is beside himself with rage, and commits a terrible deed, one that threatens to destroy everything his brother and Louise hold dear . . .

Powerful, hard-hearted Leonard Mears is a man with a dark secret; an illegitimate daughter that he forced his sister to bring up.The girl is now a young woman who, unbeknown to him, is determined to find the father that abandoned her.James Peterson, a gifted young man, runs Mears' factory with more success than Leonard's own sons. He lives for the day he can have his own business and make his fortune. Only then will he be able to declare his love for beautiful Isabel Mears who he means to release from the gilded cage her father has created. But when the lonely, lovely Sally comes in to his life, his heart and dreams are turned upside down.