Marcia Beasley of St John's Wood is found in her home naked, shot in the head with a coal scuttle. Detective Sergeant Greenleaf is tasked with unravelling the layers of Marcia's life to bring meaning to her gruesome death.

When Edie Budd arrives at a shabby West London boarding house in October 1958, carrying nothing except a broken suitcase and an envelope full of cash, it's clear she's hiding a terrible secret. And she's not the only one; the other women of 73 Dove Street have secrets of their own. Tommie, who lives on the second floor, waits on the eccentric Mrs Vee by day. After dark, she harbours an addiction to seedy Soho nightlife - and a man she can't quit....

1953. Fifteen-year-old Clara Dolan's world is turned upside down following the shock death of her mother. Battling to keep what remains of her family together, Clara vows to keep her younger siblings, Bernadette and Harry, safe whatever the cost. With the arrival of the swinging sixties, Clara finds herself swept up in London's dark underworld where the glamour of Soho's dazzling nightclubs sit in stark contrast to the terrifying gangland violence...

Coronation Day, 1953. In the Somerset village of Sawbridge, young shopkeeper Molly Heywood slips away from the celebrations to her friend's cottage and is shocked to find Cassie is dead and her six-year-old daughter Petal has vanished without a trace. Molly seeks help from George, the village policeman, but no one can find Petal. The only clue is a letter from London, where Cassie once lived. Molly resolves to look for the missing child in the Blitz-ruined...

June, 1955. The Leader has been dead for two years. His assassination, on British soil, provoked violent retribution and intensified repression of British citizens, particularly women. Now, more than ever, the Protectorate is a place of surveillance and isolation - a land of spies. Every evening Rose Ransom looks in the mirror and marvels that she's even alive. A mere woman, her role in the Leader's death has been overlooked. She still works at the...

A novel with three narrative strands: 4th century Rome, Weimar Germany, and late 20th century London. In each place, a small coterie is closely connected and separated from the larger world. In each story, the larger world regards the small coterie and its passionately held beliefs and secrets with suspicion and hostility. It is the story of eccentricity, its struggle and its triumph.

1952. With smog blanketing London, little Grace is in trouble. Her grandmother is dangerously ill but she doesn't want Grace to tell anyone as she's worried they will take her away. But with no money and their food supplies dwindling, what's a little girl to do? Winnie Berry knows something is wrong when she catches Grace trying to steal some food. And she soon realises it won't be long before Grace is alone in the world. The big-hearted owner of...