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Karen Woods started her career as a novelist after an adult literacy course aged 39. Since then she’s written more than 25 novels about her native Manchester, writing with true grit about the dark side of the city and drawing on her own life story. She works in a school for excluded pupils and campaigns to spread the transformative power of reading and writing in under-served communities.

‘The Northern Martina Cole. Karen Woods writes about Manchester with a pageturning fierceness.’ Melanie Blake‘Wow! Karen Woods has delivered a gripping read full of grit and with characters to keep you turning the pages. And that ending! I didn’t see that coming at all. Loved it. 5 huge stars from me.’ Caz Finlay, author of the Bad Blood series