Hearts of Gold Series by Catrin Collier

Trainee midwife Bethan Powell lives in the shadow of the workhouse during the Depression. It's difficult to say which is harder for her and fellow nurse Laura Ronconi--their grueling work in the hospital, or the frictions and financial hardships at home. Bethan's Communist miner father, rigidly Chapel mother, unruly brothers, and delightful but dubiously honest aunt, and Laura's vast Italian cafe-running family, cause the girls as much worry as any difficult case or strict ward sister... moreTrainee midwife Bethan Powell lives in the shadow of the workhouse during the Depression. It's difficult to say which is harder for her and fellow nurse Laura Ronconi--their grueling work in the hospital, or the frictions and financial hardships at home. Bethan's Communist miner father, rigidly Chapel mother, unruly brothers, and delightful but dubiously honest aunt, and Laura's vast Italian cafe-running family, cause the girls as much worry as any difficult case or strict ward sister. But working-class Pontypridd agrees on one thing--the "crache," or gentry, who live in the big houses on the Common, may be just the other side of town, but they inhabit a different world. So when Bethan and Laura are smitten by two young doctors, can love really bridge the divide? Or is the pull of family too strong, the gulf too wide? less

Ronnie Ronconi, the eldest son of a large, Italian/Welsh cafe-owning family is as ruthless in his private life as he is in business. He demands that Ronconi business affairs to take precedence over all else - and his sisters to marry Catholics. Right up until the moment he falls in love with Welsh, chapel-going, consumptive Maud who has been sent home from her post in Cardiff Infirmary to die. And for the first time hard-hearted Ronnie finds himself wanting the impossible - he wants Maud

"A powerful tale of survival and hardship, very well crafted and with strong characters" - Publishing News In strictly chapel Pontypridd in 1938, tongues are quick to wag when Alma Moore, abandoned by her lover, is rushed to hospital with stomach pains. The doctor may call it appendicitis, but the scandal-mongers think they know better... more"A powerful tale of survival and hardship, very well crafted and with strong characters" - Publishing News In strictly chapel Pontypridd in 1938, tongues are quick to wag when Alma Moore, abandoned by her lover, is rushed to hospital with stomach pains. The doctor may call it appendicitis, but the scandal-mongers think they know better. And then Bethan John, who's too good for the rest of them since she married a doctor, comes back to her mining family's house with her new baby - but without her husband, or any word of explanation. Ostracised by most - even their own mothers - Alma and Bethan face a lonely struggle to survive. Then taciturn Russian Charlie, an outsider haunted by his own past, reaches out the hand of friendship to them both, and in so doing begins to thaw his own heart... The series was adapted for TV by the BBC. Ideal for readers who have enjoyed books by Maeve Binchy, Catherine Cookson and Marie Maxwell. less

Cornish smuggler Devlin 'Devil' Varcoe braves winter weather and revenue men to fetch the contraband on which Porthinnis depends for survival. Drawn to Jenefer Trevanion, whose father finances the smuggling operation, Devlin is seduced by beautiful wild-child Tamara Gillis. When fire destroys her home, Jenefer is forced to work in the pilchard cellars. Meanwhile, craving Tamara for himself, Thomas Varcoe plots murder to rid himself of the brother he hates... moreCornish smuggler Devlin 'Devil' Varcoe braves winter weather and revenue men to fetch the contraband on which Porthinnis depends for survival. Drawn to Jenefer Trevanion, whose father finances the smuggling operation, Devlin is seduced by beautiful wild-child Tamara Gillis. When fire destroys her home, Jenefer is forced to work in the pilchard cellars. Meanwhile, craving Tamara for himself, Thomas Varcoe plots murder to rid himself of the brother he hates. Rejected by Devlin, a pregnant Tamara is pressured to marry Thomas. Finally recognising the love he never felt he deserved, Devlin is on his way home after successfully undertaking a secret mission when a once-in-a-lifetime storm faces him with a terrible choice. less

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work for yourself? Since the recent recession figures show that more and more people, both young and old, would rather set up their own business than continue searching for jobs that are scarce, and often end up being poorly-paid. In Be Your Own Boss, dozens of ordinary people who have taken the plunge and launched their own successful businesses, share their know-how on how to get started and on the common mistakes to avoid... moreHave you ever wondered what it would be like to work for yourself? Since the recent recession figures show that more and more people, both young and old, would rather set up their own business than continue searching for jobs that are scarce, and often end up being poorly-paid. In Be Your Own Boss, dozens of ordinary people who have taken the plunge and launched their own successful businesses, share their know-how on how to get started and on the common mistakes to avoid. Whether it's baking cakes to make a bit of spare cash, leaving school at 16 to launch a magazine, turning redundancy into an opportunity or attracting money from the stars of TV's Dragons' Den, their stories will inspire. Business experts also share their top tips on where to go for money and advice to take your ideas from the bedroom to the boardroom. This book has all you need to start on the journey to be your own boss. less

Jack-Knifed' is the first novel featuring DCI Martin Phelps and his team, based in the world-famous and vibrant Cardiff Bay. Mark Wilson, a decent, well-liked gay man, lives alone in a beautiful house in Cardiff. One Saturday evening, his closest friends go to his house for an evening of drinks and catching-up. Finding no answer, the concerned friends break in - to a horrific murder scene. For Mark Wilson has been brutally, sadistically murdered in his own home... moreJack-Knifed' is the first novel featuring DCI Martin Phelps and his team, based in the world-famous and vibrant Cardiff Bay. Mark Wilson, a decent, well-liked gay man, lives alone in a beautiful house in Cardiff. One Saturday evening, his closest friends go to his house for an evening of drinks and catching-up. Finding no answer, the concerned friends break in - to a horrific murder scene. For Mark Wilson has been brutally, sadistically murdered in his own home. As DCI Phelps investigates, Mark's traumatic early life is revealed. Was his killer someone from his past? Was his sexuality a motive? What about his violent, homophobic father - a man who has already killed more than once ... Meanwhile, Mark's estranged sister Amy broods on the hatred she has for her brother, blaming him for turning their father into a killer. As she sinks further in to the depths of drug addiction, who's to say what her next move will be? As the body count rises, Phelps and his sergeant, Matt Pryor, soon realise they are on the trail of a serial killer ... less

The third novel in the Long Road to Baghdad series, a vivid, moving, historically accurate account of a conflict between Eastern and Western Empires. 1916, Mesopotamia. The Turks order prisoners from the siege of Kut to march the hundreds of miles to Baghdad. The men are weak from starvation after the five-month siege, with many suffering from dysentery and diseases. They have no medical supplies - and then the hot weather begins.. moreThe third novel in the Long Road to Baghdad series, a vivid, moving, historically accurate account of a conflict between Eastern and Western Empires. 1916, Mesopotamia. The Turks order prisoners from the siege of Kut to march the hundreds of miles to Baghdad. The men are weak from starvation after the five-month siege, with many suffering from dysentery and diseases. They have no medical supplies - and then the hot weather begins... Hundreds of men die on the march, the stragglers killed by Arab tribesmen; those too ill to move are left behind to die. Soon, though, the tide of war turns, and eventually the British march victorious into Baghdad. Having taken control of Mesopotamia, the British find they do not have the resources to govern it. What will be the country's fate? Meanwhile, the POWs who survived imprisonment re-enter an uncertain world - among them John Mason, his health ruined and future unsure. His old friend Charles Reid is more optimistic as love blossoms. But nothing is clear-cut anymore ...Harry Downe remains with his Bedouin wife's tribe: how much of his past does he truly remember? His journalist brother Michael seeks answers amidst the ruins of war as, for their friends and comrades, the struggle to survive goes on despite the conflict's end. less

The shadow of the workhouse looms large over everyone in Pontypridd in the 1930's. A terrifying reminder of the fate of the sick and unemployed unable "pay their way" but Christmas is Christmas and while the workhouse staff, Drs Andrew John, Trevor Lewis and Nurses Bethan Powell, Laura Ronconi among them, try to bring cheer to the poor and dispossessed, a newly orphaned child waits for a Christmas miracle.

In contrast to those who joined wagon trains to seek their fortune in the American West, John Hughes and his workers trek east. Shipping the machinery needed for his ironworks across the steppe by bullock train, Hughes heads for the land he's bought from Count Beletsky, who has no time for either foreigners or industry. Beletsky is at odds with his wilful, forward-thinking son, Alexei, who is protected by his quick-witted grandmother, the Dowager Catherine Ignatova... moreIn contrast to those who joined wagon trains to seek their fortune in the American West, John Hughes and his workers trek east. Shipping the machinery needed for his ironworks across the steppe by bullock train, Hughes heads for the land he's bought from Count Beletsky, who has no time for either foreigners or industry. Beletsky is at odds with his wilful, forward-thinking son, Alexei, who is protected by his quick-witted grandmother, the Dowager Catherine Ignatova. Nearby is the Cossack village of Alexandrovka, where men hew coal out of shallow pits, and a Jewish shtetl, home to Nathan Kharber, a doctor forced to return to his village by the death of his parents. To Nathan's horror, he discovers his sister Ruth has fallen in love with Alexei. He knows, as they do, that if their love is discovered both risk being ostracized, if not killed, by their communities. The trek from the port of Taganrog to the immigrants' new home is long, onerous, and beset by problems when the autumn rains begin. Fighting mud and disease, Hughes's party are escorted by the Tsar's Cossack soldiers. There, on the journey, Alexei discovers it is not only the civilian Cossacks he and Ruth need to fear, but an entire regiment hell bent on wiping Jews from the face of the earth ... less