Audiobooks narrated by Katherine Manners

Woman Up: Pitches, Pay and Periods - the progress and potential of women's football

With the triumph of England's Lionesses at Euro 2022, the women's game has been in the spotlight like never before, enjoying unprecedented media attention. But this is the result of decades of struggle to get women's football – banned by the English FA for fifty years – on a more equal footing to its male counterpart. And while the current professional players are starting to reap the rewards of their success on the pitch, their personal journeys have often involved fighting against the odds, and they are still at a disadvantage in many areas, including access to medical treatment, playing facilities and salaries. So that a new generation of girls getting involved in football all over the world don't face the same obstacles as their predecessors, football journalist Carrie Dunn shines a light on the evolution of women's football and the gender gaps that still persist – on issues such as injuries, sportswear, period taboos and diversity. Packed with practical advice and first-hand accounts from leading female players, Woman Up is an inspirational, informative and entertaining account of women's football's painful past and its exciting future.

Carrie Dunn (Author), Katherine Manners (Narrator)

Audiobook

Don't Marry Thomas Clarke

A feel-good romance. Sometimes true love can be found where you least expect it... Perfect for the fans of Mhairi McFarlene and Fiona Gibson. Thomas Clark is a wealthy aristocrat. Sandy Price was the girl next door. They grew up spending their summer holidays on the same country estate, but Sandy couldn't stand Thomas and he hasn't crossed her mind since. Years later, an unexpected turn of events brings Thomas back into her life. At the reading of his grandfather's will, Thomas is set to inherit everything on one condition: he marries Sandy Price - otherwise the entire estate will go to charity. Thomas must find a way to make this happen. Sandy is unemployed and trying to renovate a bistro with some friends. But at the last minute the bank withdraws its loan offer. So, when she receives a call from Thomas offering her an attractive proposal, she has no choice but to accept... What readers are saying about DON'T MARRY THOMAS CLARK: 'I really enjoyed this book which is both clever and amusing, recommended as light reading' 'Hilarious.. I loved it. I read it twice!' 'Funny, bubbly, romantic, sweet and exciting!' - Celia Hayes works as a restorer and lives in Naples. Between one restoration and another, she loves to write. 'Don't Marry Thomas Clark' reached #1 in the Amazon Italian Ebook chart.

Celia Hayes (Author), Katherine Manners (Narrator)

Audiobook

Keep My Secrets

A life built on lies - now the truth could destroy her Frankie Turner knows what it's like to be unwanted; she was brought up in care. Now as a social worker to kids in the same system, she's someone who understands ... But Frankie is hiding an unthinkable secret: one that may have its roots in the murder of a young, beautiful woman fifteen years ago. Yet the past is out there. Someone knows what Frankie is hiding - and now they're back to shatter her perfectly constructed life, terrorizing her with menacing letters and silent calls to the house she shares with husband Alex. She may have reinvented herself, but Frankie's past is back to haunt her - and now, there's nowhere to run. A gripping psychological thriller that will have you hooked. Fans of Lisa Jewell and Erin Kelly won't be able to put this one down. - Elena Wilkes grew up in Walsall in the West Midlands and then worked for eighteen years in H.M Prison Service. The people she met there provided the basis for all her novels. Many of the prisoners there came across as very ordinary people who had committed the most appalling crimes but would, one day, walk straight back on the streets. This begged the question: how much do we know about anyone, really? The people who live amongst us may seem no different from us at all, but when you scratch a little deeper, you realize they hold some very dark secrets.

Elena Wilkes (Author), Katherine Manners (Narrator)

Audiobook

Perfect Meringues

It shouldn't have been like this. Being on television was meant to lead to fame and a glamorous social life. But for Lizzie Partridge, forty-something, divorced and TV cook on Midlands This Morning, it meant dinners for one, coping alone with an air-head adolescent daughter and following middle-aged men into corner shops pretending she needed a bottle of Lea & Perrins. Her good friend Louie – if only he wasn't gay – thought he knew what the trouble was: Lizzie was always on the wrong side of the glass, looking in at other people's lives. True or not, things for Lizzie were going to get a lot worse before they got better…

Laurie Graham (Author), Katherine Manners (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Cactus

In this witty and heartfelt debut, one woman's unconventional journey to motherhood means learning to embrace the unexpected Even the prickliest cactus has its flower... For Susan Green, messy emotions don't fit into the equation of her perfectly ordered life. She has a flat that is ideal for one, a job that suits her passion for logic and an "interpersonal arrangement" that provides cultural and other, more intimate, benefits. But suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother and the news that she is about to become a mother herself, Susan's greatest fear is realized. She is losing control. When she learns that her mother's will inexplicably favors her indolent brother, Edward, Susan's already dismantled world is sent flying into a tailspin. As Susan's due date draws near and her family problems become increasingly difficult to ignore, Susan finds help and self-discovery in the most unlikely of places. Featuring an endearing cast of characters and tremendous heart, The Cactus is a poignant debut and a delightful reminder that some things can't be explained by logic alone.

Sarah Haywood (Author), Katherine Manners (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Children of Willesden Lane: A True Story of Hope and Survival During World War II (Young Readers

Fourteen-year-old Lisa Jura was a musical prodigy who hoped to become a concert pianist. But when Hitler's armies advanced on pre-war Vienna, Lisa's parents were forced to make a difficult decision. Able to secure passage for only one of their three daughters through the Kindertransport, they chose to send gifted Lisa to London for safety. As she yearned to be reunited with her family while she lived in a home for refugee children on Willesden Lane, Lisa's music became a beacon of hope. A memoir of courage, survival, and the power of music to uplift the human spirit, this compelling tribute to one special young woman and the lives she touched will both educate and inspire young readers. Featuring line art throughout and B&W photos.

Lee Cohen, Mona Golabek (Author), Katherine Manners (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dangerous Crossing: A Novel

Servants and socialites sip cocktails side by side on their way to new lives in this "thrilling, seductive, and utterly absorbing" (Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author) historical suspense novel in the tradition of Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile and Ken Follett's Night Over Water. The ship has been like a world within itself, a vast floating city outside of normal rules. But the longer the journey continues, the more confined it is starting to feel, deck upon deck, passenger upon passenger, all of them churning around each other without anywhere to go... 1939: Europe is on the brink of war when young Lily Shepherd boards an ocean liner in Essex, bound for Australia. She is ready to start anew, leaving behind the shadows in her past. The passage proves magical, complete with live music, cocktails, and fancy dress balls. With stops at exotic locations along the way-Naples, Cairo, Ceylon-the voyage shows Lily places she'd only ever dreamed of and enables her to make friends with those above her social station, people who would ordinarily never give her the time of day. She even allows herself to hope that a man she couldn't possibly have a future with outside the cocoon of the ship might return her feelings. But Lily soon realizes that she's not the only one hiding secrets. Her newfound friends-the toxic wealthy couple Eliza and Max; Cambridge graduate Edward; Jewish refugee Maria; fascist George-are also running away from their pasts. As the glamour of the voyage fades, the stage is set for something sinister to occur. By the time the ship docks, two passengers are dead, war has been declared, and Lily's life will be changed irrevocably.

Rachel Rhys (Author), Katherine Manners (Narrator)

Audiobook

Weycombe: A Novel of Suspense

Living in the wealthy gated village of Weycombe with her titled English husband is a fantasy come true for American Jillian White. But the murder of a local estate agent mars the pretty surface of her life and home. Worried about a killer on the loose, Jill tries to piece together clues hidden in the many versions of truth she hears from her suspicious neighbors. But as she plunges deep into the investigation, her own suspicions grow into a warped web of lies and treachery.

G.M. Malliet (Author), Katherine Manners (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dangerous Crossing: The captivating Richard & Judy Book Club 2017 page-turner

A stunning atmospheric novel in the great tradition of DEATH ON THE NILE and Patricia Highsmith - tells of a young girl's journey on a cruise liner from England to a new life on the brink of the Second World War. 'Thrilling, captivating. Simply stunning' Daily Express 5 ***** 'An exquisite tale of love, murder and dark secrets' LISA JEWELL 'Intoxicating. I loved this book!' SANTA MONTEFIORE 'An utter treat . . . a glorious mix of proper old-school glamour and a labyrinthine plot full of class war, politics and sexual tension . . . A masterful storyteller.' VERONICA HENRY ***************************** England, September 1939 Lily Shepherd boards a cruise liner for a new life in Australia and is plunged into a world of cocktails, jazz and glamorous friends. But as the sun beats down, poisonous secrets begin to surface. Suddenly Lily finds herself trapped with nowhere to go ... Australia, six-weeks later The world is at war, the cruise liner docks, and a beautiful young woman is escorted onto dry land in handcuffs. What has she done? *************************************** Candis magazine BOOK OF THE MONTH Red Magazine PICK OF THE MONTH: 'Think Patricia Highsmith on the seas' Prime Magazine pick of SIX INTRIGUING READS 'Bag a copy of this Daphne du Maurier-style debut!' Press Association 'Thrilling, seductive, utterly absorbing.' PAULA HAWKINS, author of The Girl on The Train 'A gorgeously atmospheric read, prepare to be transported . . .' RUTH WARE, author of The Woman in Cabin 10 'Completely compelling and atmospheric. I absolutely loved it' JANE FALLON, Author of MY SWEET REVENGE 'What a world of glamour, uncertainty and intrigue! . . . It is a gem of a book' COLETTE MCBETH, author of The Life I Left Behind

Rachel Rhys (Author), Katherine Manners (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Katherine Manners