Judi Earl

A sharp detective with a messy life, DCI Vera Stanhope patrols her “patch” of northeast England, pursuing the truth in cases of murder, kidnapping, and blackmail. Vera is obsessive about her work and faces the world with caustic wit, guile and courage.

After taking his young son Roddy to a remote Northumberland village, Peter Greenbank meets a violent death, leaving the boy alone with no family to speak of. Roddy is adopted and raised by Kate Makepeace, a good friend of his father’s, and develops a close friendship with Hal and Mary Ellen. But their sibling bond is put to the test as they mature. The hidden secrets of the past are painfully unearthed as their lives are intertwined by a tragic destiny.

When Stevie meets Neil on the day he comes to deliver her brand new kitchen, it's already too late for love at first sight. Too late for both of them. Stevie is already five minutes pregnant by her Italian footballer husband. And too late for Neil too - his wife Jenny has already applied to adopt an African girl. But too late or otherwise, love at first sight is exactly what happens. How can Neil and Stevie get out of their mistaken marriages and into each others arms?