Annie Aldington has narrated 109 audiobooks on Listento.it by 44 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.5★ across 564 ratings. The most-rated is Homeless Bodies and Other Stories.
A Ration Book Childhood
Summary
Jean Fullerton, the queen of the East End, returns with a wonderful new nostalgic novel. In the darkest days of the Blitz, family is more important than ever. With her family struggling amidst the nightly bombing raids in London’s East End, Ida Brogan is doing her very best to keep their spirits up. The Blitz has hit the Brogans hard, and rationing is more challenging than ever, but they are doing all they can to help the war effort. When Ida’s oldest friend Ellen returns to town, sick and in dire need of help, it is to Ida that she turns. But Ellen carries a secret, one that threatens not only Ida’s marriage but the entire foundation of the Brogan family. Can Ida let go of the past and see a way to forgive her friend? And can she overcome her sadness to find a place in her heart for a little boy, one who will need a mother more than ever in these dark times?
©2019 Jean Fullerton (P)2019 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
Deceit
Summary
Someone’s watching you.... Living in a beautiful home on the edge of a council estate, Kara Bannon can’t imagine what it’s like to have nothing. An eerie phone call plays on her mind and within three days she loses everything – her job, her home and Justin, the only person she thought she could trust. Alone and terrified, she makes a decision that will change her life forever. Suddenly she has to enter a new world – Prison. Revenge is not always so sweet.... The gripping new gangland crime thriller from best seller Kerry Barnes. Perfect for fans of Kimberley Chambers, Martina Cole and Jacqui Rose.
©2018 Kerry Barnes (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
The Christmas Card
Summary
The new novel from Sunday Times best seller Dilly Court. She turned the picture of the Christmas card over with her frozen hands. The scene showed a family at Yuletide as they gathered around the magnificent tree. Standing stiff with cold on the icy cobbles, Alice could only dream.... With the snow falling steadily, Alice and her ailing mother have found themselves on the cold streets of London with only debts to their name - forced to rely on the begrudging charity of cruel Aunt Jane. Determined to rid herself of an expensive responsibility, Jane instead tries forcing Alice into a monstrous marriage. Even though Alice knows her aunt will turn her out, she refuses the marriage and is sent to work in a grand house to earn her keep. Finding herself in sole charge of the untamable and spoilt young miss of the house, Alice's only ally is handsome Uncle Rory, who can see she's more than a mere servant. But when someone sets out to destroy her reputation, Alice can only pray a little Christmas spirit will save her from ruin....
©2016 Dilly Court (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers
Voice of Reason
Summary
A heart-stopping thriller with so many twists and turns it will leave you breathless. When Dionne married a nightclub owner, Luke Mason, a whisper in her ear told her she would have it all - the money, the house and the luxury lifestyle. But she never expected her life to turn upside down the day they became parents to twins. After a Mason family member is murdered, a psychiatrist is asked to assist with the investigation. Dr Renee, a research psychiatrist, has spent her life’s work studying the existence of the ‘Gemini Gene’ - a gene believed to exist in a few high-functioning psychopaths. Little does she know that she is not alone in her quest. In the shadows lurks someone who also has a special interest in the gene. Will Dr Renee discover if the Gemini Gene exists, or will it be the voice of reason who has the answers?
©2020 Kerry Barnes (P)2020 W F Howes
The River Maid
Summary
The stunning new novel from Sunday Times best seller Dilly Court London, 1854: 20-year-old Essie Chapman lives with her father in poverty-stricken Limehouse, working on the river as a boatman. Her life seems set before her, never to leave this part of London and forever at her father's beck and call. Then, one night, she must transport a mysterious man from a foreign ship to the banks of the Thames, a man who ends up renting a room in Essie's house, identifying himself only as 'Raven'. When curiosity gets the better of her, Essie follows him and unwittingly becomes involved in something far greater than she could ever have guessed. Finding herself on a ship bound for the penal colonies in Australia with Raven and his cousin Alice, this is only the start of a remarkable journey taking her to the other side of the world and back again....
©2018 Dilly Court (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
The Rules
Summary
The second instalment of Kerry Barnes’ explosive new series! Do you live by the rules or die by them? Holed up in prison, Mike Regan is offered a deal - his freedom in exchange for his firm taking down the gang that is supplying a new dangerous drug that has hit the streets. What starts as a game soon becomes a shocking revelation with devastating consequences. Meanwhile, Mike’s fiancé, Zara Ezra, has her own firm to run. But when the so-called Governor is out to take her down, she has her own decision to make - either fight, run, or write her own rule book....
©2018 Kerry Barnes (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
The Schemer
Summary
The heir to Martina Cole’s crown with a story of murder, the underworld, violence and treachery. It’s 1983 and Stephanie Crouch’s life is dull. She is desperate to escape the run-down, pokey council house she shares with her overbearing family, but at fourteen years old she has nowhere to go. When Stephanie meets East End wide-boy Barry, his cockney charm and quick tongue soon have her head over heels in love. Finally Stephanie feels like her dreary life is on the up. But too young to control their fate, Stephanie and Barry are torn apart when he is whisked away to Spain by his family. Lonely and heartbroken Stephanie turns to Barry’s childhood friend Wayne for comfort, and their friendship soon blossoms into romance, leaving Barry fuming and promising revenge.... ,P>Ten years later Barry returns to England. Within one month Stephanie's happy world with Wayne is turned upside down. People immediately start to point the finger of accusation at Barry, but is he the one to blame? Or, should Stephanie look elsewhere to find the schemer who has ruined her life?
©2012 Kimberley Chambers (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
A Gift from Woolworths
Summary
Will the war be over by Christmas? As the war moves into 1945, the lives of the women of Woolworths continue. When store manager Betty Billington announces she is expecting Douglas’ baby, her future life is about to change more than she expects. Freda has fallen in love with the handsome Scottish engineer, but will it end happily? Maisie loves being a mother and also caring for her two nieces, although she still has her own dreams. When her brother appears on the scene, he brings unexpected danger to the family. Meanwhile Sarah dreams of her husband’s return and a cottage with roses around the door, but Woolworths beckons. Will our girls sail into times of peace, or will they experience more heartache and sorrow? With a wedding on the horizon, surely only happiness lies ahead - or does it? A Gift from Woolworths is the next installment in Elaine Everest's much-loved Woolworths series.
©2018 Elaine Everest (P)2018 Macmillan Digital Audio
Raising a Gangster
Summary
A gripping story of revenge - the prequel to Cruel Secrets - from the gangland governor, Kerry Barnes! Bermondsey, London. With an absent father and a penniless mother, Cyril Reardon is determined to be the man of the house. As young as eight, Cyril is a charmer, a planner, and a risk-taker. A rare trip to the country, shows Cyril a completely different world, and it opens his eyes to how the other half lives. A young man wants Cyril shot dead but receives a nasty scar and a few injuries that set him on a path of revenge. Little does he know that all the time he was being raised a lord, Cyril Reardon was being raised a gangster. Only one of them is a gentleman. Only one of them plays the cards they were dealt.
©2020 Kerry Barnes (P)2020 W F Howes
Life of Crime
Summary
Sometimes crime does pay, but at what price? Some people are made for a life of crime. Dragged up on a council estate, Jason Rampling was determined to change his lot. Jason's a chancer, shameless with his good looks and his gift for earning a few quid. Life is easy when the money rolls in. Some people are ruined by it. Melissa thought she'd struck gold marrying Jason. Being on his arm meant she was finally a someone. But there's no glamour in waiting for your husband to come home or waiting for a knock on the door. Melissa made her bed the day she made her vows - will she lie in it without a fight? Some would kill for it. After a stretch inside, Jason wants to pull off just one last job, the biggest of all. It could solve all of their problems. But this is a game that could cost them everything....
©2018 Kimberley Chambers (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
The Take
Summary
An uncompromising and haunting story of betrayal and violence from the best-selling author Martina Cole. Freddie Jackson thinks he owns the underworld when he gets out of prison. He's done his time, made the right connections, and now he's ready to use them. His wife Jackie just wants her husband home, but she's forgotten the rows, the violence, and the girls Freddie can't leave alone. Bitter, resentful, and increasingly unstable, Jackie watches her life crumble while her little sister Maggie's star rises. In love with Freddie's cousin Jimmy, Maggie is determined not to end up like her sister. Families should stick together, but behind closed doors, jealousy and betrayal can fester until everyone's life is infected. And for the Jacksons, loyalty cannot win out. Because in their world you can trust no one. In their world everyone is on the take.
©2005 Martina Cole (P)2012 Headline Digital
Wedding Bells for Woolworths
Summary
July 1947. Britain is still gripped by rationing, even as the excitement of Princess Elizabeth’s engagement sweeps the nation. In the Woolworths’ canteen, Freda is still dreaming of meeting her own Prince Charming. So far she’s been unlucky in love. When she has an accident on her motorbike, knocking a cyclist off his bicycle, it seems bad luck is still following her around. Anthony is not only a fellow Woolworths employee but was an Olympic hopeful. Will his injured leg heal in time for him to compete? Can he ever forgive Freda? Sarah's idyllic family life is under threat with worries about her husband, Alan. Does he still love her? The friends must rally round to face some of the toughest challenges of their lives together. And although they experience loss, hardship and shocks along the way, love is on the horizon for the Woolworths girls.... Wedding Bells for Woolworths is the fifth instalment in Elaine Everest's much-loved Woolworths series.
©2020 Elaine Everest (P)2020 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd 2020
A Mother's Sacrifice
Summary
A gritty and emotional family drama from the Sunday Times best seller. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Katie Flynn. Beaten Glenda Jenkins has been beaten by her husband, Harry, one too many times - and this time he's put her in a hospital bed. Battered and bruised, Glenda slowly makes her recovery. But she fears what awaits her back at home.... Broken When Glenda meets kind hospital porter Frank, he offers her a lifeline she can't refuse. The pair decide to run away together, escaping the terror of Harry. But, fearing for her life, Glenda has to make the biggest sacrifice of all and leave her baby, Johnnie, behind. Bereft Safe on the Kent coast, Glenda finally has the life she dreamed of. But without Johnnie, she's a broken woman. Will she ever see her baby again? And will she ever be able to escape the fearsome shadow of Harry after all?
©2017 Kitty Neale (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
The Sting
Summary
Two childhood friends.... Best friends Tommy Boyle and Scratch always had each other's backs. Dragged up in care and cruelly betrayed by everyone they trusted, they made a pact to fight their way out of the gutter together. Two sides of the law.... Old loyalties die hard on the streets of London. Tommy throws his lot in with the notorious Darling family even if it means leaving Scratch to the wolves. She's destined for a different path, reinventing herself as copper Kim Regan. One deadly showdown.... Now they're on opposite sides of the law. Running Operation Sting, Kim will rip the heart out of the Darlings' empire, and only her old pal Tommy stands in her way. As gritty and dangerous as the London streets in which it's set, this is number one best seller Kimberley Chambers at her best. Get ready for a shocking listen with a sting in the tail....
©2019 Kimberley Chambers (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Christmas at Woolworths
Summary
Even though there was a war on, the Woolworths girls brought Christmas cheer to their customers. Best friends Sarah, Maisie and Freda are brought together by their jobs at Woolworths. With their loved ones away on the front line, their bonds of friendship strengthen each day. Betty Billington is the manager at Woolworths and a rock for the girls, having given up on love...until a mysterious stranger turns up one day - could he reignite a spark in Betty? As the year draws to a close and Christmas approaches, the girls must rely on each other to navigate the dark days that lie ahead.... With so much change, can their friendship survive the war? Christmas at Woolworths is the heartfelt sequel to Elaine Everest's best-selling debut The Woolworths Girls.
©2017 Elaine Everest (P)2017 Macmillan Digital Audio
Maura's Game
Summary
The electrifying sequel to Martina Cole's Dangerous Lady combines emotional drama and shocking realism. Maura Ryan was the queen of the criminal underworld when she pulled off the most audacious gold bullion robbery of all time. Since then she's retired from a life of crime to be with the only man she's ever loved. But enemies from her past are closing in and they're about to learn that they should never cross Maura Ryan. The dangerous lady is back and she's as lethal as ever.... Maura's Game is an explosive novel of East End violence and corruption from one of the most original voices in fiction today. Martina Cole's unique blend of emotional drama and shocking realism combine in this electrifying new best seller.
©2002 Martina Cole (P)2012 Headline Digital
Beyond a Misty Shore
Summary
The compelling new novel from the Sunday Times best-selling author of To Love and to Cherish. It is 1945 and the war is finally over. For sisters Sophie and Maria, though, the upheaval is just beginning. For they have no choice but to leave their beloved home on the Isle of Man. It is a huge wrench for 18-year-old Maria, who can't forget Hans Bonhoeffer, a young Austrian, interned on the island during the war. For widowed Sophie, Liverpool offers a new beginning with her daughter Bella. She has no room for distractions - until she falls in love with Frank Ryan, a man married to a woman who, although she doesn't love him, has no intention of letting him go. Without the men they love, will the sisters ever find happiness?
©2011 Lyn Andrews (P)2011 Headline Digital
Wartime at Woolworths
Summary
The Woolworths girls have come a long way together.... Fun-loving Maisie is devoted to her young family and her work at Woolworths. But her happy life with her RAF officer husband and their baby daughter leads her to think of the family she left behind. With the war now into its fourth year, what will she find when she sets about searching for them? Sarah and her husband, Alan, are blissfully happy and long for a sibling for their daughter. But dark days lie ahead for this close family. Freda heads home to Birmingham, to go in search of her family, back to the life she fled - far from the safety of Woolworths and her new friends. With families separated by war, will the Woolworths girls be able to pull together? Wartime at Woolworths is the third moving installment in the much-loved Woolworths series by Elaine Everest.
©2018 Elaine Everest (P)2018 Macmillan Digital Audio
The Ghost of Lily Painter
Summary
The first time Annie Sweet sees 43 Stanley Road, the house is so perfect she feels almost as if it has chosen her. She longs to move in, but with her husband increasingly distant, and her daughter wrapped up in childhood, Annie is left alone to mull over the past. She soon becomes consumed by the house and it's previous inhabitants, especially a young chorus girl called Lily Painter, a rising star of the music hall whose sparkling performances were the talk of the town. As Annie delves further into Lily’s past, she begins to unravel a dark episode from Edwardian London, that of two notorious baby farmers, who lured young unmarried mothers with the promise of a better life for their babies. Until Annie solves the mystery at the heart of the scandal, the ghost of Lily Painter will never be able to rest. Based on true events from London’s rich history and spanning a century, from the journals of an Edwardian police inspector to a doomed wartime love affair, Caitlin Davies skilfully brings to life a fascinating snapshot of our sinister past.
©2011 Caitlin Davies (P)2011 Random House Audiobooks
When the Lights Go Down
Summary
It is 1938, and the threat of war looms on the streets of London. But when the lights go down in the cinema aisles, usherette Daisy Blake is transported to a world of glamour and romance. Among the staff there is much merriment, and Daisy soon falls in love with the handsome organist, Al Dawson. Then war is declared, and, just after Al leaves for the front line, Daisy discovers she's pregnant. Her mother is distraught; she doesn't think Al is right for her daughter, and when Daisy's letters to him go unanswered, her mother encourages her to marry John, the cinema's projectionist, to spare her further heartache. As the blitz rages over London and disaster strikes, Daisy's morale is boosted by her work, and her young son, Sam, brings her comfort and joy in the troubled times ahead....
©2016 Pamela Evans (P)2016 Headline Digital