Books have been her only solace.Now they're about to change her life. 'Dorcas is as appealing and extraordinary in her circumstances as Elizabeth Bennett or Mrs Dalloway' ~ JJ Marsh, author of Salt of the Earth London, 1775: The only surviving child of six, Dorcas Turton should have been heiress to a powerful family name. But after her mother's untimely death, she is stunned by the discovery that her father's compulsive gambling has brought them close to ruin. With the threat of debtor's prison looming large, she must employ all her ingenuity to keep their creditors at bay. Fortunately, ingenuity is something Dorcas is not short of. An avid reader, novels have taught her the life lessons her governess failed to. Forsaking hopes of marriage and children, she opens a day-school for girls. But unbeknown to Dorcas, her father has not given up his extravagant ways. When the bailiffs...

London 1949. The lives of three very different women are about to collide. 'You don't read a Jane Davis novel – you inhabit it. This is no exception.' Clare Flynn, author of The Pearl of Penang. Like most working-class daughters, Caroline Wilby is expected to help support her family. Alone in a strange city, she must grab any opportunity that comes her way. Even if that means putting herself in danger. Star of the silver screen Ursula Delancy has just been abandoned by the man she left her husband for. Already hounded by the press, it won't be long before she's making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Patrice Hawtree was once the most photographed debutante of her generation. Now childless and trapped in a loveless marriage, her plans to secure the future of her ancient family home are about to be jeopardised by her husband's gambling addiction. Each believes she has already lost in...

When Tom Fellows proclaims that a Venn diagram is a far better way of illustrating modern family ties than a traditional tree, his young daughter Andrea has no idea that he is referring to their own situation.It is only when she loses both parents in a shocking car accident that she takes an interest in her own genealogy and begins to realize that her perfect upbringing was not all that it seemed... Half-truths & White Lies is a beautifully crafted, thought-provoking novel that questions the influence of the people who are missing from our lives. It examines the thin line between love and friendship, looking at our complex emotional needs. It also explores how one woman's life is dictated by her desire for children, whilst another's is shaped by her decision not to have them.