Margaret Yorke – författare

Philip Winter has no other option but to fake his own death - his life as he knows it is over. A mild, sweet-tempered salesman at an elite department store, he never suspects a nicely dressed woman will make a pass at him . . . and then accuse him of rape when he turns down her advances. Even though he is acquitted, he loses everything including his job and his wife's trust. He just wants to disappear, and finds himself joining the lost world of the homeless.When Philip drifts into the village of Chingbury, his life intersects with a group of animal-rights activists led by a rather frightening young woman named Tessa. Tessa has her own obsessions, which are taking those around her in a terrifying direction. Philip's world will soon be shaken, or ended, by emotions exploding in very unexpected ways.

Peaceful Mickleburgh is the perfect English market town - or so it seems. In fact, it is a perfectly constructed façade, having successfully hidden the secrets of its inhabitants for generations. But the casual murder of a man trying to prevent an act of vandalism shatters the genteel appearance. Parents are forced to consider whether their children could be involved, friends avoid each other's eyes, and partners word their conversations carefully. Somebody in the community is close to the murderer - someone with a past that threatens to resurface, bringing damage and devastation to a whole community.

When Isabel's god-daughter, Emily, turns up after years of no contact and in need of help, she feels duty-bound to take her under her wing. To her surprise, Emily is determined to be independent and takes a job as nanny. Emily's charge turns out to be the illegitimate child of the naïve daughter of a well-to-do couple and a ne'er-do-well conman who disappeared before the baby was born. And now he is back, intent on exploiting his parental status in return for cash.Before she knows it, Emily is caught up in his botched attempts at blackmail, trying desperately to protect her charge from harm, while also shielding Isabel from becoming entangled in the drama. But when events beyond her control force her to act instinctively, with horrendous effect, all their lives are put terribly at risk.

Louise Widdows has never been happy in her marriage. From a generation where the woman's role was one of support and supplication, she provided both in exchange for a secure roof over her head. But her facade of gentility disguises two secrets: a child born in adultery and given away at birth, and a small inheritance she has always kept hidden. But then events align in her favour: her husband abruptly leaves her, and the father of her illegitimate son dies, allowing her the possibility of finding him after all these years.Abandoning the shabby matrimonial home, she moves into a cottage and begins to blossom in her independence. But things are not destined to run smoothly. Two bodies are discovered near her old home, and she discovers that her husband has absconded with a charity's funds, as well as the contents of their bank account. Suddenly her new life seems very precarious indeed, putting in doubt that she will ever locate her unknown son.

Jerry and Peter have been successfully conning vulnerable householders for years. But then Jerry decides to try the straight and narrow, getting an honest job in a chip shop. Once there he meets Imogen, pregnant and temporarily living with her step-grandmother, Charlotte Frost. In his new role as a good citizen - and hopeful suitor - Jerry agrees to tackle Charlotte's neglected garden.But Charlotte has her own troubled past. Recently widowed, her departed husband's family are deeply suspicious. And as her life becomes entangled with Jerry's, lies and deceits from their pasts begin to surface, until on a night none of them will ever forget, Charlotte disappears, and Jerry is the number one suspect.A novel of subtle suspense and creeping tension, A Case to Answer is effortlessly crafted crime fiction, in which human weakness and vulnerability lead to secrets, lies and tragedy.

What secret could be so terrible that a mother would endure years of abuse to keep it concealed?Susan Trent is in her sixties, living in a house she loves, in a prosperous village. She has a nice job in the local estate agents which keeps her active, and she very much enjoys her garden: she ought to be well-satisfied with her lot. Instead she lives in constant terror of her semi-employed, abusive, middle-aged son. Her friends suspects that the cuts and bruises she explains away as her own clumsiness are really caused by his fists, but no-one steps in, unsure of why she puts up with it.Then a stranger comes to lodge in the village, triggering a series of events which will eventually bring to light why Susan has really been so protective of her son. But not until much more of her blood has been spilled.

Bicklebury is a small village of some three hundred inhabitants, a church and a pub, but no shop, no school, and certainly no crime - until two ex-cons decide it is the ideal location to pull a robbery. Derek Jarvis and his daughter Hannah are home when the two armed men break in, and Derek, fearing for their safety, urges Hannah not to resist. The tactic backfires as one of the men brutally attacks her, leaving her broken and revolted. Derek's marriage and his daughter are never the same again. As his family falls apart, he finds his wife and daughter blame him for what happened, refusing to forgive him even after the men are caught. And so Derek Jarvis, a mild-mannered accountant, conceives a plan to avenge his family. But Derek has never truly looked at himself or anticipated the terrifying twist his quest for revenge may take, as it leads him down the darkest back alleys of the psyche, strips away his controls and confronts his soul with a shocking choice . . .

It should have been her sanctuary - until things got murderous...'Few authors are better than Margaret Yorke in generating a real sense of fear' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'The mistress of unease' DAILY TELEGRAPHRuth Castle - alone, proud, defiant - is determined to rescue some personal happiness from the wreckage of her life. In Haverbury village, she makes friends with Marjorie and Robert Bretherton, and is soon involved in the affairs of other relatives who come to stay for Christmas.Family conflicts emerge, and one night, turning to Ruth for support in a sudden crisis, Marjorie realises that things are not as straightforward as she thought - and that her very life is threatened ...

'A star in our galaxy of crime writers' FINANCIAL TIMESSuperb crime fiction from the CWA Diamond Dagger Award Winner'Yorke practised deception artfully and with style' GUARDIAN'Mistress of the skilfully spun suspense novel' SUNDAY TELEGRAPHNesta Falconer, an attractive widow, lives with her fifteen-year-old daughter Philippa, managing brother-in-law Charles Falconer's household after the breakdown of his marriage. Nesta's comfortable position is threatened when her sister Claire, returning from America, comes to stay at her cottage.Charles realises that Nesta is a menace to Philippa's happiness, and that she has been responsible for much distress. His mother, a formidable old lady, plays a part in revealing Nesta not only to her family but to herself as a negative person who contributes little to the happiness of others.

She lost her memory - will she lose her life? Superb crime fiction from 'A star in our galaxy of crime writers' FINANCIAL TIMES'The mistress of unease' DAILY TELEGRAPHMrs Anderson is starting to forget where she has put things, what she has bought, or even eaten. Living alone in a rambling mansion, she is isolated from the town.But Mrs Anderson has a visitor. A young man comes every night, through the dining room window. He helps himself to food and money, and has even made himself comfortable in the attic. A young man who enjoys power, he might take over the whole house and make it his. It's a place where no one will think to look for him, where no one will find him - no matter what he's done.

A bank holiday - memorable for murder...'Few authors are better than Margaret Yorke in generating a real sense of fear' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'A star in our galaxy of crime writers' FINANCIAL TIMESIt's August Bank Holiday, and the great Bramsbourne Fete and Flower Show. But this one is going to be particularly memorable.Everyone takes part in the preparations, and families gather from far and near. Brigadier and Mrs Trent welcome their daughter Susan, her husband and two children, and their daughter-in-law Elizabeth. Only their son Victor is absent, a sorrow they silently agree not to mention.Into this carefree scene comes a man on the run. His efforts to evade the tightening police net affect, one after another, everyone in the village. But Brigadier Trent and his wife, and the war-disabled vicar, are more concerned than anyone ...