Craving affection, Constance falls into the arms of Albie Jones, the cook’s grandson. But one fateful encounter leaves her ashamed and pregnant, and she is soon shunned from the family home. Winnie is running The Battersea Tavern at the onset of the Second World War, and alongside her faithful barmaid, Rachel, they welcome their regulars in with pleasant conversation and the promise of a pint. Winnie’s lazy husband, Brian, spends most of his time in his armchair, whilst their son, David, doesn’t have an honest bone in his body.

Victoria Oundjian, commissioning editor at Orion Fiction, acquired world English rights to the three new titles from Judith Murdoch at the Judith Murdoch Literary Agency.

Dear Rachel, another likeable character and with her own story to tell - as do many of the character's - and this is what made the story more interesting. Even though the Battersea Tavern is the heart of the story, it's what is going on with its inhabitants, the drama that kept the story flowing - there was never a dull moment! I think that the Battersea Tavern is London's equivalent to Manchester's Rovers Return. I enjoyed every moment of it. In 1966 I married and had two children, my daughter Samantha and son Michael. The marriage ended in divorce, and after being a single mum for many years, I met Jim, a wonderful man, and we have now been married for over thirty years. In 1987 we moved from London to Surrey and by then my lovely daughter had married, giving me a gorgeous grandson, Andrew. I was on tenterhooks at times and feared for a character who I also came to like and I was hoping that their life would get better.

Now 16 years old, she's finally managed to escape the cruel confines of the orphanage, and enter the real world. Finding work at a nearby café, Pearl is thrilled to start earning her own money, even if she must contend with sharp-tongued Dolly Dolby. Writing came into the picture soon after, an activity that added further stability to Kitty Neale’s life. She started out slow. At the insistence of a friend, Kitty started attending a regular gathering of writers. A catalyst happened in 1998 when my son died, and my life was never the same again. For a while, with the help of others who had lost a loved one to suicide, we formed a bereavement group, which I chaired for two years. I then had to have major surgery, after which I felt burned out and knew it was time to leave the group. This is an interesting look at a number of people and how they coped with life’s joys and problems amid the war. It was obvious once I started it that this was the second book in the series and I had not read the first Battersea Tavern book. But the author filled in the story enough to get the gist of what had gone before. Winnie, is a warm hearted character who is not judgemental and who mostly tries to see the good in people. Sometimes that leads to trouble. She is fiercely protective of Rachel and Martha. We also meet The Hampton siblings Errol and Cheryl. Cheryl is close to her father but Errol and Harry have always had an uneasy relationship.Kitty Neale blames one particular English teacher for the development. The man would always commend Kitty on her essays, taking note of the talent brimming in every bit of writing she submitted. Bessie has taken on Nora Dobbs, a young woman and she asks Pearl to take over her care when dies. Pearl, thinking that Bessie will recover from her illness and live for many more years, agrees, but less than a week later, Bessie passes away. Jennifer Lavender never felt like she belonged. She was always working so hard to earn her parent’s love and attention but nothing she did felt like it was ever enough. The Family Secret is a one can't put downable read, and boyo boy there's a lot along the way to surface as you read. Battersea Tavern is run by Winnie & Brian, but it is Winnie doing most of the running around. She was a wonderful character, someone who was there for everyone no matter what and listened to everyone. They was also her son David who could be exasperating but also very endearing. But he does cause his mum a lot of grief and definitely should have had more responsibility.

Aw you guys, Winnie is a wee soul, wholesome, she has such a kind heart and always wants to do for others, her goodness is emphasized by the shady characters around her. We see the community in the build up to the war, the disbelief it will come to be and how it affects those in and around Winnie's life. A chance encounter sees Winnie have to face the past and the ripples it creates in her present day life, secrets have a habit of always coming out and it isn't just Winnie who has secrets! This is overall, an enthralling story with characters that you'll take into your hearts, is full of secrets and you'll be rooting for them every step of the way. In the meantime, his ex wife Pearl Button has divorced him and remarried, determined to protect her son from knowing who his real father is.Kitty Neale is a British author that writes thrilling dramatic novels that explore friendships, family life and the hardships that plague normal life. Kitty’s stories are inspired by her own personal experiences and the tragedies she has encountered in her life. Then she hears two pieces of terrifying news – Kevin Dolby is up for parole and that her dear friend Bessie is gravely ill.