Showing results by author "Maria Frankland" in All Categories

Seven drownings. Three months. Who is to blame? Lauren is fed up with covering local small-town news in Northern England. The bride-to-be and mother-of-one dreams of recognition and accolades as a national journalist. Yet, the dark and disturbing reporting opportunity that lands on her doorstep is one she would never have invited. When it is thrust on her, she is duty bound, both professionally and personally to investigate. Lauren is the voice for the women whose lives have been cut short in the river Alder.

I’m dreading turning fifty more than I’ve dreaded any other birthday in my life. Now that my kids are at university, the prospect of spending the rest of my life with my bullying, balding, and boring husband is a miserable one. Which is why I employed Jay. He gives me the reason I need to get up, to go on and to look forwardand I’ll do anything to keep him.

They don’t need to name the dangerous prisoner who’s escaped whilst in transit between prisons. The chill that snakes up my spine tells me exactly who it is. And I know the first place he’ll be heading. With a history of my own escape from him twelve years ago, I can already foresee the relentless manhunt that’s about to unfold. The question is, will he be caught before he can do any more damage? As a fresh wave of killings creeps closer to our new hometown on the east coast, I know one thing for certain. That he’s coming back for me.

Inmitten einer Menge von Urlaubern bin ich die einzige Außenseiterin–ohne Begleitung, ohne Gepäck. Ein Rätsel inmitten der unbeschwerten Menge. Ich frage mich, was sie tun würden, wenn sie wüssten, wer ich bin. Wer ich wirklich bin...Wovor läuft Liz weg? Wer ist diese Frau, die mein Vater geheiratet hat? Hatte er eine Ahnung, wozu sie fähig war?

Panic tears through Whispering Pines. Accusations fly and fingers point in every direction–until they settle on one person. Me. And now, the only way out of this winter retreat is to survive it.

Most people dread turning fifty. Not me. I’ve been counting down the weeks to our luxury holiday in Aruba – seven sun-soaked days to celebrate not just my own fiftieth birthday, but those of three lifelong friends. Two of them are just as excited as I am. The fourth? She took some persuading. With our partners in tow, we arrive at our lavish villa, bubbling with excitement and Prosecco. We’re here to relax, reconnect, and make memories. But in the heat and haze of paradise, inhibitions slip – and secrets spill.

Nunca me he sentido bienvenida en la casa familiar de mi marido, Dominic. Sus padres han dejado claro que soy una pobre sustituta de su perfecta exmujer, Carla. Cuando Carla llega, queda claro que no solo quiere recuperar a Dominic: quiere que yo desaparezca. Para siempre… Y, con la tormenta rugiendo fuera, estamos aislados aquí. Pero lo que los demás no saben es que soy mucho más fuerte de lo que creen.

As I stand outside the registry office with my husband-to-be, Hugh, I can tell something isn’t right. He won’t speak to me, he won’t even look at me and it’s almost making me have second thoughts. Almost. Despite the feeling in my gut, I’m sure I’m doing the right thing. After all I’ve been through in the last year—the death of my parents, and my partner of ten years walking out, I deserve this chance of a new start. I can’t return to my lonely life—I don’t want to be alone again.

The important thing is that my daughter and son are safe after the fire that ripped apart their world as they knew it. And we’re trying to move forward together. Except there’s something I can’t let go of. My frustration at being ripped off with most of what I owned and taken for a fool. Going after the person responsible risks exposing the dark secrets I’ve been forced to keep, yet I can’t seem to stop myself.

In the midst of a sea of holidaymakers, I find myself the lone outsider – no companion, no luggage. An enigma among the carefree crowd. I wonder what they’d do if they knew who I am. Who I really am… What is Liz running away from? Who is this woman my father married? Did he have any idea of what she was capable of? My gaze fixates on the once-familiar house that now feels like a distant memory. I can hardly believe how much my life has changed and that Liz, the woman who puts the word wicked into stepmother has completely vanished.

I stand at the front door and meticulously check my reflection in the glass. I must look perfect to meet Lou’s new boyfriend. I haven’t been invited but best friends don't require invitations, right? Scott's arrival coincides with Donna's, leaving me with no choice but to welcome her in, though I've made it clear she's an unnecessary addition to today's gathering. This meal is about introducing Scott to my mother and daughter – a fact Donna conveniently ignores.

All I want is get back to normal. Whatever ‘normal’ is these days. After all, our family will be scarred forever after everything that’s happened. My sister-in-law falling prey to the serial killer that stalked our usual peaceful town is something I’ll never get over. But equally, I’m beyond relieved that my husband has been exonerated of involvement in any of the women’s deaths. Our nightmare is finally over. Or is it?

Ich habe meine Flucht minutiös geplant. Aber das Schicksal hat andere Pläne… Heute ist der Tag. Die Sachen, die ich gepackt habe, sind versteckt und ich warte auf grünes Licht, um die Schlüssel für das neue Haus abzuholen. Ich bin so nah dran, Justins Launen, seinem Alkoholkonsum und seinen gewalttätigen Tendenzen zu entkommen, die immer schlimmer werden.

Ich steh vor der Haustür und überprüfe mein Spiegelbild im Glas ganz genau. Ich muss perfekt aussehen, um Lous neuen Freund zu treffen. Ich wurde nicht eingeladen, aber beste Freunde brauchen doch keine Einladungen, oder? Scott kommt zur gleichen Zeit wie Donna, sodass ich keine andere Wahl habe, als sie hereinzubitten, obwohl ich klar gemacht habe, dass sie bei dem heutigen Treffen nicht dabei sein muss. Bei diesem Essen geht es darum, Scott meiner Mutter und meiner Tochter vorzustellen – eine Tatsache, die Donna bequem ignoriert.

Watching and listening to Lou and Charlie used to leave me fraught with envy and loneliness. But now, living next door to my old adversary Liz, I long for the old days—when I was left alone. My sister Jenna can’t understand how the girl who was my childhood bully could now want to be my friend. People change, I tell her. But do they? Neither can she understand why Liz is paying for a cruise to atone for the misery she once caused me. There must be strings attached, Jenna says. She’s right. There is.

Es sollte ein Urlaub werden, um die Risse in unserer zerrissenen Familie zu kitten. Ich wusste, dass die sieben Tage endlos sein würden, aber ich hätte nie gedacht, dass einer von uns nur sechs davon überleben würde. Als ich meinen Koffer in das charmante und rustikale Cottage trage und meine Schwägerin Kelli anlächle, erlaube ich mir einen Moment der Hoffnung. Vielleicht wird dieser Urlaub unsere Familie dazu zwingen, sich mit unserem lang gehegten Groll auseinanderzusetzen und mit dem Versprechen einer glücklicheren Zukunft abzureisen.