Search results for ""mirror books""

For 46 years, Carol Minto has quietly gone about her life, carrying with her the most extraordinary and heartbreaking secrets. Born into poverty and with mostly absent parents, Carol helped to raise her nine siblings. But when she was just 11 years old, her older brother began to sexually abuse her. After four years, Carol managed to escape - and ran away from home. Picked up by social services they place her at Aston Hall in Derby; a psychiatric hospital now infamous for the ghoulish 'truth serum' experiments it carried out on children. Over three years, Carol was stripped, sedated, assaulted and raped by Kenneth Milner, the doctor in charge. Eventually she is released back into the community, aged 18, and has a daughter. But the baby is taken away for adoption and Carol's trauma intensifies.In 2010 Carol finally plucked up the courage to speak out about the abuse she suffered - and received justice, at last. In The Asylum, Carol tells the full story of how she overcame unimaginable suffering, to find the happiness and solace she has today as a mother and grandmother.

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Prison is a word which conjures up different things to the people who hear it. To some, it is a place where people are simply locked away for a period of time, away from society. Others may think it is place where torture, fear, violence and hopelessness are common place, whereas some may think it a place of rehabilitation. Then there are those who believe it is a state of mind. In the best-selling ‘34 Years In Hell’, author Jamie Morgan Kane told the story of how, after being born on the Isle of Man, he was taken to Canada as a baby and then transported into the United States of America where, at the age of 14, he was sold to an American couple to replace, as he found out many years later, a child they had previously adopted who had mysteriously disappeared. He recounted how he had joined the US military the day he left school in the belief that he was an American citizen; how circumstances persuaded him to plead guilty to a crime he did not commit, and how that had resulted in him being sentenced to prison for more than three decades. Since then, he has been asked many times: “But what was prison really like?” This new follow-up book attempts to answer that question. This is the ultimate guide to what it’s like to be behind bars in America. It lays bare the day-to-day existence of prisoners and the hustles they get up to in order to survive. It is a fascinating, sometimes shocking and raw account of life at its most brutal.

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She doesn't want this baby.She can't look after this baby.She will never be able to love this baby.Little Abby's life begins badly, then just gets worse.Now foster mum Louise and her family must help her deal with the truth of her past to give her the chance of a future.Abby's Story is the latest book in the series THROWN AWAY CHILDREN by author and foster mum Louise Allen.

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Over his 30-year police and forensic psychology career, Dr Kris Mohandie has come face-to-face with kidnappers, serial killers, stalkers, and terrorists.With his expertise and insight, Dr Mohandie analyses and evaluates the thought processes that motivate the most dangerous people who have ever walked among us.This is the first-hand account of his work, covering shocking cases like the 'Angel of Death' serial killer, racist serial assassin Joseph Paul Franklin, and even the O.J. Simpson case.Learn shocking new revelations about hostage takers, serial killers, mass murderers, violent 'true-believers', terrorists, and some of the worst predators on the planet.***Previously published in the US as Evil Thoughts, Wicked Deeds.

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The astonishing, gripping and long-awaited inside story of an ordinary man who became an extraordinary spy.After years of living in semi-isolation, David Rupert speaks for the first time about how a trucker from New York ended up being recruited to the FBI and MI5 at one of the most crucial moments in British political history.Including shock revelations about Rupert's discoveries working within the Real IRA - such as sending plastic explosives and detonators, hidden inside toys, to a primary school in Donegal. Author Sean O'Driscoll tells the incredible story of David, 'The Big Yank', a 6ft7 American tourist who found himself at the centre of a chilling campaign of terror that targeted civilians, the forces and Prime Minister Tony Blair.Countless lives have been saved by David Rupert's decision to risk his neck working for years within one of the most brutal and ruthless terrorist organisations in the world - an organisation whose language of violence left women and children amongst the dead in the Omagh atrocity.An unprecedented bombing campaign was planned to destroy any hopes of a peace agreement. In a trial that rested entirely on the evidence of the 'Big Yank', those plans for ongoing bloodshed and an end to the Good Friday Agreement were brought to a halt.

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The book behind the sensational Netflix series The Ted Bundy Tapes.Now the subject of a major motion picture, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, starring Zac Efron.He was a sadistic monster.A master manipulator.His grisly killing spree left at least 30 innocent young women dead.This is Ted Bundy in his own words.Readers can't get enough of Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer:'Truly terrifying.''Absolutely chilling. This book really opened my eyes.''I enjoyed this short time inside the devil's mind.'

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Deryn Blackwell is a walking, talking miracle.At the age of 10, he was diagnosed with Leukaemia.Then, 18 months later, he developed another rare form of cancer called Langerhan's cell sarcoma. Only five other people in the world have it. He is the youngest of them all, and the only person in the world known to be fighting it alongside another cancer......making him one in seven billion.He and his parents were told that there was no hope of survival. And so, at the age of 14, after four years of intensive treatment, exhausted by the fight and with just days to live, Deryn planned his own funeral.But on the point of death, Deryn's condition suddenly and dramatically changed. His medical team had deemed this an impossibility. His recovery was nothing short of a miracle. Unexplainable.However, Deryn's desperate mother, Callie was hiding a secret...An inspirational story that will grip you from the very first pages.

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'Stella is just like a tiny bird. This is my first impression of her. A quiet little sparrow of a girl.'In her brand-new series 'Thrown Away Children', Louise Allen shares the harrowing stories she is exposed to as a foster mother.The first in the series, Stella's Story, tells the astonishing true story of a young girl scarred by an abusive past.Named after the lager that christened her at birth, Stella's life is characterised instability and neglect. Her teenage mother abandons her in the first few weeks of her life, and left in the 'care' of her father, she ends up lying deserted in a house with no food, no water, no clothes, and no warmth.She eventually lands in the care of foster carer Louise, who is determined to change her life for the better. Things seem to be going well - but when Stella has a startling response to having her photo taken, it becomes clear the scars of her abuse run deeper than anyone could have ever guessed.

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I was a good girl who was just 'helping Daddy' in the hell that I called home.Scarlett is just 8 years old when the horrific abuse at the hands of her father begins.It creates a world of shocking normality, one that she can only escape in her mind.Little Scarlett dreams of a time when she can be free . . . and then she meets Ed.Groomed and trafficked by her boyfriend, Scarlett realises she has been primed for abuse ever since she was a child.This is her harrowing story.

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As one of the most recognisable faces in showbiz today, Kerry Katona has seen more than her fair share of ups and downs played out in public. Once labelled 'the nation's sweetheart,' the Atomic Kitten singer rose from foster care to international stardom, but soon found herself judged and ridiculed as mental health problems and bad decisions derailed her life. From a picture perfect yet fractured marriage to one of the biggest pop stars in the world, to her fall from grace in a haze of drink and drugs while wed to her taxi driving second husband, Kerry has been loved and derided in equal measure. But since her bestselling autobiography was released in 2012, which documented her troubled childhood and subsequent life in the limelight, Kerry has faced her most devastating challenges yet. In this riveting read, Kerry documents how, in the decade since, she's welcomed her fifth child, suffered a debilitating injury, a cancer scare, several tragic losses and a career slump she thought she'd never recover from. Yet the most significant event in that time was her marriage to third husband, George Kay. Stuck in an abusive relationship she felt powerless to leave, Kerry opens up about her struggles living with a violent man, whose mental health problems and drug use would see her and her family trapped in a cycle of helplessness and despair that only ended when George died in 2019, having eaten a sock filled with cocaine while staying in a local Travel Inn. Kerry bravely reveals her hell at the hands of a man who would unleash physical and emotional torture on her, in an all too familiar situation so many women face every day. But this is also a story of hope, strength and survival. Of how Kerry, with the support of her now -fiance Ryan and her children, built herself up from the lowest point imaginable, with sheer grit and determination, to get her life and career back on track in the wake of such devastation. It's a story of survival and peace and how, after years of desperately trying to find her way, she has finally started to feel - in the words of her most famous song -Whole Again.

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In national treasure Dame Kelly Holmes' most personal book yet, she tells the true story behind her extraordinary life from army recruit to Olympic hero and much- loved TV personality. Last year, Dame Kelly came out publicly as being gay and revealed that for the first 52 years of her life she'd been living a LIFE OF FEAR. Now in a heart-rending and inspirational new memoir she tells of her journey from hiding her sexuality as a young soldier at a time when being gay in the military was illegal, to her fears of being outed as she stood on the podium at the Athens Olympics, the games which catapulted her to fame as a double-gold medallist. Dame Kelly tells how she has managed to find happiness and inner peace as she has opened herself to a world where she's finally free to be herself, and proud. In the last year she has become an unofficial ambassador for the LGBT community and has become one of the best- loved faces of daytime TV, joining the regular panel of ITV's Loose Women. This honest memoir is a tale of self-discovery, overcoming struggles and learning to be true to yourself. This honest memoir is a tale of self-discovery, overcoming struggles and learning to be true to yourself. Dame Kelly says: "80,000 people were chanting my name as I stood on top of a double-decker bus and did a victory lap of my hometown. I'd won two Olympic gold medals, the first woman the UK to ever do that, and I should have been on top of the world at my homecoming parade but even in that magical moment I had this deep fear that someone was going to go to the media and out me for being gay. "All my life I lived with that fear and anxiety of not being accepted if I lived publicly as my true self. But 18 years later I was standing on stage in Trafalgar Square at London Pride, and people were chanting for me again, this time for the person I have become and I was finally free to be me. Nothing is perfect, the journey continues and I'm learning every day about the community I'm now proud to be part of. But I'm being true to myself and that means everything."

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Capital DJ Roman Kemp has achieved much success but he hasn't had an easy ride. He's battled depression since the age of 15, once contemplated suicide, and has bravely fought to smash the stigma still surrounding medication and mental health. The lifelong Arsenal supporter grafted his way to Capital's highly coveted Breakfast slot - and pulled in record-beating listeners with his cheeky sense of humour. Who else could convince Ed Sheeran to tattoo Roman's leg on air, drive around London playing cab-roulette with James Corden, get Craig David to freestyle rap, or rope Lewis Capaldi into a life-drawing class? Then, in 2019, Roman won over yet more fans coming third in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, with his uncanny impressions of everyone from Ant and Dec to his mate Harry Styles. Here, for the first time, Roman's ready to reveal the things that weren't captured on camera, and how his time in the jungle changed his whole outlook on life. During the pandemic Roman's life changed when his best friend - the producer who'd nurtured his career every step of the way - tragically took his own life. Amidst the shock, loss and confusion, Roman bravely made a moving BBC3 documentary about the alarming rates of suicide amongst young males. He's well aware he too, could have been a statistic. In this page-turning book - peppered with hilarious and surprising anecdotes from his youth - Roman also unflinchingly tackles the taboo of suicide, in the hope that by talking about his own struggles and sharing advice, he can help others. Roman shares all the experiences that have shaped him, and why love, marriage and having his own family one day are so important to his future dreams.

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"It was like going through a door which had been locked all my life. I had walked past it every single day, afraid to even rattle the handle. Now I was smashing the locks, I was wrenching it from the hinges, and I was marching through. Here I am!" A woman whose mother twice tried to kill her as a child has won a ground-breaking battle in the supreme courts for the right to claim compensation. Monica Allan’s legal victory set a precedent and has opened the floodgates for others to claim in her wake. Thanks to her 12-year legal fight, other victims now have hope. Other victims now have a voice. In her memoir, Monica, 54, tells the story of her childhood, when her mother, Betty Mount, forced her head under running bathroom taps and tried to strangle her. She had previously tried to kill Monica as a baby. Monica was taken into foster care, where her new parents ran a brutal regime. To the outside world, the family was devoutly religious and respectable, but behind closed doors, Monica was physically and sexually abused. Failed by a second mother figure, she moved into her own home aged 18 and went on to have four children. Monica loved her children but battled constantly with the demons from her past. She carried her dark secrets around with her for 40 years until in 2010, haunted by her trauma, she finally decided to seek justice. She was told she could not seek compensation because of the ‘same roof’ rule, meaning victims who lived with their attackers up to 1979 were ineligible for pay-outs. For the past 12 years Monica has been fighting her case through the Supreme Courts and was recently awarded compensation from CICA in respect of the sexual abuse she suffered in foster care. She is awaiting a second settlement for the attacks by her mother.

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The Doomsday Mother is the astonishing and twisted tale of Lori Vallow, accused of having her two children murdered to start a new life with her new husband, doomsday prepper Chad Daybell. At first, the residents of Kauai Beach Resort took little notice of their new neighbours. The glamorous blonde and her tall husband fit the image of the ritzy gated community. The couple seemed to keep to themselves until the police knocked on their door with a search warrant. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell had fled to Hawaii in the midst of being investigated for the disappearance of Lori’s children back in Idaho, Tylee and JJ, who hadn’t been seen alive in five months. For years, Lori Vallow had lived a life of devotion to her children and her Mormon faith. But when her path crossed with Chad Daybell, a religious zealot who taught his followers how to prepare for the end-times, the tumultuous relationship transformed her into someone unrecognizable. As authorities searched for Lori’s children, they uncovered more suspicious deaths with links to both Lori and Chad, including the death of Lori’s third and fourth husbands, her brother, and Chad’s wife. In June 2020, the gruesome remains of JJ and Tylee were discovered on Chad’s property. In a shocking development, horrifying statements revealed that the couple’s fanatical beliefs had convinced them the children had become zombies. John Glatt takes readers deeper into the devastating crimes of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell in an attempt to unravel the lethal relationship of this doomsday couple.

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Amsterdam, 2001. A shoot-out in the city's docklands leaves one man grievously injured and a rival drug dealer killed outright. The injured man is Tony Spencer from Coventry. Aka The Old Man. Once a prolific businessman, he is now considered Public Enemy No. 1 by the National Crime Squad and the head of several smuggling rings operating between the UK, Holland, Morocco, and Spain. At the age of 50, with bank robberies, counterfeiting, and several fortunes gained and lost behind him, he is on the run and living abroad. As Spencer's life hangs in the balance, his son Jason arrives in Amsterdam. While he prays for a miraculous recovery, he ponders who his father really is. He has raced anxiously to be by his bedside and yet he is somebody he doesn't know well at all. Jason begins digging in earnest. He begins to piece together the story of The Old Man's life. It's a story that is riddled with contradictions: a man who makes millions but saves nothing, prizes freedom but spends years inside, works in a violent world but who - seemingly - avoids violence. Spencer was absent, often in prison, for much of his upbringing but now, as his father recovers from the shooting, Jason begins to wonder. Maybe, if he can come to understand his father's life, he can begin to understand his own...

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CLASH OF THE CLANS is a story that traces the emergence of the Irish mafia from the streets of Dublin to the highest echelons of global organised crime and right into the heart of professional boxing. When a weigh-in turns into a gangland bloodbath, the tables begin to turn on the powerful Kinahan Organised Crime Group. But is it too late to tame the beast or can the law finally catch up with the mob? Bestselling author and award-winning crime journalist Nicola Tallant brings the reader on her own journey of discovery as she delves into the dangerous underworld where a golden era of cocaine turned a brat pack of street dealers into an international mafia. With a unique insight into the rise of mob and its reach into boxing through a tapestry of confidential informants and some too-close-for-comfort experiences, Tallant brings to life one of the most extraordinary stories in modern organised crime. Following the trail from the local authority estates of the Irish capital to the gilded mansions of Dubai, Clash of the Clans: The Rise of the Irish Narcos and Boxing's Dirty Secret powers through the intriguing tale of the cocaine cowboys and the rivalries that threaten to bring down an empire.

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Murder at Roaringwater is the inside story of the final days of young Frenchwoman, Sophie Toscan du Plantier. This is a violent, unresolved murder, where the victim seemed to have a premonition of her own terrible end. For six years, Nick Foster has been piecing together the life and death of Sophie, who was brutally killed outside her cottage in rural West Cork in 1996. He also developed an ongoing 'friendship' with the Englishman long-suspected of her murder, Ian Bailey, and his partner, Jules, the couple at the centre of the case. This story is as fascinating as it is tragic. It follows Nick in Paris and Ireland during his dedicated investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sophie's murder, his quest to reveal her killer and efforts to understand what the motive could have been for such a terrible crime. Ian Bailey was recently found guilty of Sophie's murder 'in absentia' in a French courtroom.

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25 years after her passing, Audrey Hepburn remains the most beloved of all Hollywood stars. Several biographies have chronicled her stardom, but none has covered her intense experiences through five years of Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. According to her son, 'The war made my mother who she was.' Audrey Hepburn's war included participation in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor's assistant during the 'Bridge Too Far' battle of Arnhem, the brutal execution of her uncle, and the ordeal of the Hunger Winter of 1944. She also had to contend with the fact that her father was a Nazi agent and her mother was pro-Nazi for the first two years of the occupation. Audrey's own reminiscences, new interviews with people who knew her in the war, wartime diaries, and research in classified Dutch archives shed light on the riveting, untold story of Audrey Hepburn under fire in World War II.

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In the 60 years that Yorkshire farmer Roger Nicholson has lived at Cannon Hall Farm near Barnsley, he has turned what was once a humble small family farm into an inspiring success story. This book covers the history of the Nicholsons and their farming dynasty, which dates back to the 1600s. From tales of Roger's father, Charlie, and his prize-winning beer-drinking bull, to how Roger had to take over the farm at just 16 years old. Decades of financial struggle followed for Roger, his wife and their three children, but through love and sheer determination, the family turned their lives around. This is a story of dedication, optimism and heart

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On Valentine’s Day in 1981, a fire in the Stardust nightclub in Dublin killed 48 young people, and left behind one orphan, Lisa Lawlor. Now, on the 40th anniversary, Lisa tells her story of the tragic events of that evening and how they have shaped her life.She was just seventeen months old when the Stardust nightclub went up in flames. Her parents, Francis and Maureen Lawlor, were a young couple very much in love. Since Lisa’s birth, they rarely went out at night, but this time they allowed a friend to persuade them to go for a few drinks at the Stardust. They never came home. In the wake of the disaster, Lisa’s paternal grandparents stepped in and took care of her. Throughout her childhood, they tried to fill the gaping hole in her life with gifts, but nothing really helped — and inevitably resentment started to simmer in the extended family. As several members of her family succumbed to addiction and crime, she suffered abuse and struggled to find her own path. Stardust Baby is the heart-breaking story of a woman whose every waking moment has taken place in the shadow of those awful flames and of an extended family that toppled into dysfunction in the overwhelming face of tragedy. It is also an uplifting story of resilience, hope, love and determination — as, despite it all, Lisa found the strength to carry on, for herself and her children. A percentage of the royalties from sales of the book will be donated to the Stardust campaign.

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'[It] manages to be funny, moving, activist, and challenging.' Harriet Minter, TalkRadio'I loved this book - I thought it was really interesting' Jane Garvey, BBC Radio 4 Woman's HourHealth Visiting is one of those professions that most people think is a bit of a non-job. 'You just sit on sofas and drink tea, don't you? It's not like you're a real nurse, in hospital.'Well, Health Visitors are real nurses, with at least three years' training, and they are out there, on their own. No back-up team or support structures to call for help if they're in a dicey situation. No warm lights, tea breaks spent chatting in the canteen, nobody else to ask, 'is this okay, what do you think?'Over 40 years working in the NHS, Rachael Hearson has been chased down an isolated stairwell by crack-fuelled drug-addicted pimps, threatened by a knife-wielding wife-beater in a hostel, unwittingly visited a brothel...And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

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'This is the most complete self-portrait ever painted by a serial killer... as unique a document as Bundy was a killer. There are lessons in this book for everyone' ROY HAZELWOOD, FORMER FBI PROFILERCharismatic. Articulate. Evil. Killer.Two journalists with unprecedented direct access speak to Ted Bundy and those closest to him - friends and family.What follows is a candid and chilling full account of the life and crimes of the most notorious serial killer in history.What Bundy had to say in over 150 hours of face-to-face interviews is as relevant today as it was at the time.

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A deadly secret. A horrifying discovery.A daughter tells the devastating true story her mother tried to hide…Growing up in a chaotic home on Merseyside, young Joanne raised herself and her brother and sister, while her mother lapsed into a downward spiral of drinking and casual sex.But the consequences of her mother's messy lifestyle turned out to be far worse than Joanne could ever have imagined.In Silent Sisters, the daughter who was falsely accused of murdering her own baby sister tells the full story for the first time since exposing her mother's crimes.

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'Truly remarkable' DAMIEN LEWISTrapped in a living nightmare, former-para Nick Dunn, one of the 'Chennai Six', was wrongly imprisoned in an Indian jail.While battling to be heard both at home and abroad, Nick summoned the resilience and endurance of his elite training to survive inhumane conditions, keep himself alive and fight for his right to return home.Now, he tells his full story of struggle and survival for the very first time.

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'What a fantastic read, but not for the faint-hearted!' MARTINA COLE'True crime has never been more female - or more deadly.' KIMBERLEY CHAMBERS'Admired and respected by the men who worked with her, she is the real deal.' FREDDIE FOREMANIf you think you know everything about the East End's toughest gangsters, think again.Meet Linda Calvey, aka the Black Widow.Growing up after the war in the East End of London, Linda falls in with local gangsters including the Krays, Freddie Foreman and Ronnie Cook. When the love of her life, Mickey Calvey, is gunned down on a job gone wrong, Linda resolves to carry on his work.But in 1990, after years of living in fear of her lover Ronnie Cook, Linda finds herself accused of his murder alongside Danny Reece, in a trial that shocks the nation. Still, Linda sticks to her code of honour, refusing to confess. Until now...After 18 years behind bars alongside notorious names including Rose West and Myra Hindley, she is released.This is the final truth about her life and what happened the day Ronnie Cook was murdered.

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Encouraged by the sizeable pay increase and high divorce rate, Chris decided that answering a recruitment ad for the Thames Valley Police was just the thing for a much-needed overhaul of her life.It was 1984, a time before political correctness, at the height of the miners' strike, in the middle of five years of race riots.Perfect timing.Expanding her police knowledge, and her love life, undeterred by sexist remarks and chauvinists, she decided to make her mark - kissing goodbye to her previous dull and conventional existence.Chris captures the colourful characters and humour of the situations she found herself in, but the job had its serious side, too. She was at the centre of a riot in Oxford, during which her life was saved by a young black man she had previously stopped and questioned.Consistently coming up against the effects of Margaret Thatcher's politics - controlling miners' picket-lines, covering (poorly) for striking paramedics during the ambulance dispute, responding to drunken disturbances caused by the haves (Yuppies and Oxford students) and the have-nots (alcoholic homeless and unemployed youth) - Chris also tackled sex crimes and abuse.A humorous, candid and no-holds-barred reflection of the life of a policewoman in the 80s, this book offers a personal account of a life in uniform, while touching on the Newbury Bypass demos, the effects of Scarman, the Hungerford Massacre, the bombing of Libya, the AIDS epidemic, and working under the notorious Ali Dizaei.

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'G.D. Abson is an author at the absolute top of his game' - David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child and Stasi Wolf'A twisty, fast-paced thriller' - The Times and Sunday Times Crime Club'Gripping... Readers will want to see more of the feisty, uncompromising Natalya' Publishers WeeklyFrom the author of the Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick MOTHERLAND.Deep in the heart of Putin’s Russia, a dead body lies half-buried in snow. There are no signs of injury, and plummeting temperatures have destroyed all trace of an attacker.But when the victim is discovered to be an anti-government activist, investigating officer Natalya Ivanova suspects the authorities have something to hide.Determined to expose the truth, Natalya is forced to put her family and career on the line as she goes undercover to hunt down the murderer.

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My mother was a prostitute. My grandmother and great-grandmother were prostitutes.Maybe I should have given the family business a chance...BBC RADIO 4 PICK OF THE WEEK, Katie Puckrik'Eliska's story is an extraordinary and powerful read. It's the ultimate book about survival and an against-all-odds fight to make it in life. Highly recommend.' Clover Stroud'A scintillating, devastating memoir, and a fiercely witty and unabashed tribute to the toughness of the human spirit.' Damian Le Bas__________________________________________________To westerners, being Gypsy means being wild, romantic and free.To Eliska Tanzer, it means being rented out to dance for older men. It means living without running water. It means not being allowed a job or an education. It means being stuffed into a bare room with all your aunts and cousins, fighting over the thin, stained blanket the way you fight over the last piece of half-mouldy bread.It means joining the family prostitution ring when you're still a child.But Eliska was given a way out. Slung out of Hoe School and shipped to England in a washing machine box, she thought she had made it. But her dream soon turned into a nightmare.A moving and timely memoir from a powerful new voice in literature.

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John Caudwell is one of Britain's wealthiest, most successful - and most colourful - businessmen. He was just six years old when he made a promise to himself that he would make enough money to give huge sums of it away to help his family and others who were struggling with poverty. Born in a terraced house in Stoke-on-Trent, Caudwell went from bullied child to insecure trainee engineer at a local Michelin plant to self-made billionaire, befriending Sir Elton John, Eva Longoria, Hugh Grant and Robbie Williams, who have all taken part in his charity balls to raise money for Caudwell Children. It was at a car auction in 1987, the height of Mrs Thatcher's booming Britain,that he spotted the future. A mobile phone that came in an unwieldy suitcase. Within two decades Caudwell sold his Phones 4u business for GBP1.46 billion. Love, Pain & Money retraces the inspirational journey, from the very shaky beginnings of his phone empire to owning yachts, private planes, a fleet of top flight cars, a Jacobean mansion in the Midlands and London's most expensive home (featured in a Channel 4 documentary). It's a fascinating insight into the drive, ambition, focus and vision required to become a billionaire. It is also a very British story. Caudwell is a man who - despite his vast wealth - still knows the price of a pint of milk, buys his clothes from Marks & Spencer and despite having swapped the Michelin plant for Michelin-starred restaurants and hotels, can often be found in a roadside B&B, eating home-made sandwiches after one of his many cycling expeditions. And it is more than merely a rags to riches story. It is a tale of battling endless career misfortunes and overcoming a series of personal tragedies to rise to the top. Failure, disaster and horrendous private heartbreaks are all part of this tale of a troubled child who never won the approval of his father who died when John was a teenager. Love, Pain & Money - The Making of a Billionaire is a tale of our times, full of humour, grit, lessons in business and an understanding of what it takes to succeed against all odds. John Caudwell will be donating all his profits from the book to the Caudwell Children charity.

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When Katie Price found out she was pregnant with her first child Harvey, she could never have imagined the challenges that would lie ahead. From the very beginning, Katie has single-handedly raised her disabled son after his father Dwight Yorke cut contact. Katie is open about the struggles she and Harvey face, but only those close to her know the true reality of what goes on behind closed doors. For the first time, Katie will share a full and exclusive insight into her life with Harvey - and there's no sugar coating. With never-before-told stories and access to unseen photographs, the book will document their mother and son relationship - the highs and the lows. From details about Harvey's condition, to his relationship with his siblings, to dealing with cruel online trolls, there's trauma, sadness, joy and laughter. As Harvey now transitions into adulthood, Katie prepares for what the future holds for them both.

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A heartwarming love letter to the places, people and creatures of Yorkshire by the county's beloved vet, Channel 5's Peter Wright.The Yorkshire Vet takes us on an enchanting journey through the hidden gems of the most beautiful county in the world, sharing charming tales of his life in Thirsk as well as fascinating nuggets of local history.Packed with engaging tales of the animals, people and places around him, Peter Wright looks back on the bygone ways of his childhood, while also exploring the fusion of tradition and modernity that characterises the Yorkshire countryside today.Peter's passion for nature shines through on every page, as he explains why our environment is so important - and what we can do to protect it for future generations.

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Multi-award-winning Scandi crime from the third bestselling author in Denmark. When an unidentified man is found murdered in a local cemetery, rough-hewn Superintendent Axel Steen is called to the scene. A nearby youth house soon falls under suspicion along with the police force itself.

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It all started with a date in the Two Puddings pub in East London in 1963 and nearly 60 years on, Harry and Sandra Redknapp are still in love. Already a well-known and respected face in the world of football, it wasn’t until Harry’s stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle that their married life was propelled into the spotlight. Viewers fell in love with the couple as Harry regaled funny and touching tales of their lives together – with plenty of jam roly-poly along the way. Now they are sharing their entire love story for the first time. From early courting mishaps, wedding day jellied eels and a hapless honeymoon in Torquay to the joyful arrival of sons Mark and Jamie, Harry and Sandra reveal the highs and lows of their marriage in this joint autobiography. They will open up about happy holidays, health scares, house moves and the horror car crash that left Harry feared dead. Sandra speaks movingly about the devastating death of her beloved sister at just 58 and Harry talks about dark days as a football boss, a triumphant court battle... and the moment he accidentally ran his wife over in his car, crushing her foot... Harry and Sandra are one of the nation’s most-loved couples who have been on an extraordinary adventure together. Their story is an honest, heart-warming tale of love, loss and loyalty.

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The disappearance of schoolboy Philip Cairns has baffled detectives and his family and remains unsolved 35 years later, despite an intensive garda investigation, extensive searches and multiple media appeals. The quiet 13-year-old was snatched in broad daylight while returning to school in Rathfarnham, Dublin, on a bright autumn day, never to be seen again. The Boy Who Never Came Home will give the inside story on the investigation from the detectives who worked on the case as well as their theories on what they believe may have happened to the missing teenager. The book scrutinises in-depth the only named suspect, prolific paedophile Eamon Cooke, who was dubbed Ireland's Jimmy Savile. New revelations unearthed by the author about the serial child abuser also potentially connect him further to the young boy's disappearance. World renowned forensic psychologist Dr Julian Boon, who is known as the English 'real life Cracker' and worked on high-profile murder cases including that of serial killer Harold Shipman, also gives his thoughts on what he believes happened to the young boy. While behind all the headlines is a family who have never given up searching for Philip and who have had to endure the trauma of not knowing what happened to their loved one. Their only wish now if to be able to recover his body so they can have a grave to visit.

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As one of the most recognisable faces in showbiz today, Kerry Katona has seen more than her fair share of ups and downs played out in public. Once labelled 'the nation's sweetheart,' the Atomic Kitten singer rose from foster care to international stardom, but soon found herself judged and ridiculed as mental health problems and bad decisions derailed her life. From a picture perfect yet fractured marriage to one of the biggest pop stars in the world, to her fall from grace in a haze of drink and drugs while wed to her taxi driving second husband, Kerry has been loved and derided in equal measure. But since her bestselling autobiography was released in 2012, which documented her troubled childhood and subsequent life in the limelight, Kerry has faced her most devastating challenges yet. In this riveting read, Kerry documents how, in the decade since, she's welcomed her fifth child, suffered a debilitating injury, a cancer scare, several tragic losses and a career slump she thought she'd never recover from. Yet the most significant event in that time was her marriage to third husband, George Kay. Stuck in an abusive relationship she felt powerless to leave, Kerry opens up about her struggles living with a violent man, whose mental health problems and drug use would see her and her family trapped in a cycle of helplessness and despair that only ended when George died in 2019, having eaten a sock filled with cocaine while staying in a local Travel Inn. Kerry bravely reveals her hell at the hands of a man who would unleash physical and emotional torture on her, in an all too familiar situation so many women face every day. But this is also a story of hope, strength and survival. Of how Kerry, with the support of her now -fiance Ryan and her children, built herself up from the lowest point imaginable, with sheer grit and determination, to get her life and career back on track in the wake of such devastation. It's a story of survival and peace and how, after years of desperately trying to find her way, she has finally started to feel - in the words of her most famous song -Whole Again.

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Capital DJ Roman Kemp has achieved much success but he hasn’t had an easy ride. He’s battled depression since the age of 15, once contemplated suicide, and has bravely fought to smash the stigma still surrounding medication and mental health. The lifelong Arsenal supporter grafted his way to Capital’s highly coveted Breakfast slot - and pulled in record-beating listeners with his cheeky sense of humour. Who else could convince Ed Sheeran to tattoo Roman’s leg on air, drive around London playing cab-roulette with James Corden, get Craig David to freestyle rap, or rope Lewis Capaldi into a life-drawing class? Then, in 2019, Roman won over yet more fans coming third in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, with his uncanny impressions of everyone from Ant and Dec to his mate Harry Styles. Here, for the first time, Roman’s ready to reveal the things that weren't captured on camera, and how his time in the jungle changed his whole outlook on life. During the pandemic Roman’s life changed when his best friend - the producer who’d nurtured his career every step of the way - tragically took his own life. Amidst the shock, loss and confusion, Roman bravely made a moving BBC3 documentary about the alarming rates of suicide amongst young males. He’s well aware he too, could have been a statistic. In this page-turning book - peppered with hilarious and surprising anecdotes from his youth - Roman also unflinchingly tackles the taboo of suicide, in the hope that by talking about his own struggles and sharing advice, he can help others. Roman shares all the experiences that have shaped him, and why love, marriage and having his own family one day are so important to his future dreams.

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As an Art Tutor working in Britain's jails, Steven Tafka's job was to teach the supposedly unteachable. The longer he did the job, the more it seemed like it was him that was serving a sentence. Writing this darkly comic book gave him a release and helped him to survive. From the initial job interview, 'The Art of Crime' charts the journey of a rookie prison art tutor from idealism to the depths of the prison underworld. Written in diary form it details the tragi-comic, often absurd daily experiences of trying to help prisoners to achieve a qualification against all the odds. Tafka had to discover the art of teaching watercolours to violent gangsters and introduce murderers to Monet. He finds himself doing swimming pool designs for an armed robber and trying to keep order in a classroom where one of the learners thinks he is Picasso Peppa Pig. And all this is happening as he is having to count the latex gloves in and out (so the prisoners can't smoke them) and watch out for illicit hooch brewing behind the classroom radiators. This book gives a rodents-and-all insight into the dysfunctionality of prison life, the often-abject conditions, but more importantly the power of art to transform lives. There is an undoubted fascination with the art prisoners make, because it has something to tell us about the human condition and this book reveals the characters behind it.

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Murder at Roaringwater is the inside story of a young Frenchwoman, Sophie Toscan du Plantier. This is a notorious and unresolved murder, where the victim seemed to have a premonition of her own terrible end. For six years, Nick Foster has been piecing together the life and death of Sophie, who was violently killed outside her cottage in the remote West Cork countryside in 1996. He also developed an ongoing friendship with the Englishman long-suspected of her murder, Ian Bailey. This case is as fascinating as it is tragic. It follows Nick s dedicated investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Frenchwoman s murder and his quest to find her killer and understand how such a terrible crime could have happened. Bailey was recently found guilty of Sophie's murder 'in absentia' in a French courtroom.

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'Powerful, vital and visionary' - Jimmy McGovern SOMETHING unusual happened in Britain during the spring of 2020. As the nation went into lockdown to fight a killer pandemic our view of what constituted a hero changed. Suddenly celebrity businessmen, actors, sports stars, singers, even royals seemed irrelevant. The people we were truly in awe of were the low-paid lifesavers, so much so that we stood outside our homes every Thursday to applaud them. As spring turned to summer and the Black Lives Matter movement gathered momentum, action was taken against those from past generations who had been feted, such as Bristol slave trader Edward Colston whose statue was hauled down. It felt as though the country was re-evaluating the notion of heroism. But how did we arrive at such a skewed version of it? 'Diamonds in the Mud' asks why the British have traditionally been taught to venerate kings and queens, generals and Eton-educated Prime Ministers, while, a few notable exceptions aside, those who changed history from below rarely got a look-in. It does so by telling the stories of a selection of working-class heroes the award-winning writer has met through life and journalism. Men and women who rose from humble backgrounds to change the world. Some in a huge way, others in a smaller way, but all made the people they came from immensely proud. From relentless matriarchs like Doreen Lawrence and the Hillsborough mothers to Omagh bomb victim Donna Marie McGillion whose stoicism told the men of terror they wouldn't win; from football men like Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley who brought their people joy to the Fans Supporting Foodbanks group and Marcus Rashford who fed the poor; from class warriors like Dennis Skinner to glass-ceiling breakers like Barbara Castle; from trade union leader Jack Jones who fought fascists in Spain to Muhammad Ali who inspired a generation of British black people to stand tall; from sacked dockers who opened a social justice hub for all-comers to NHS nurses who lost their lives on the Covid frontline as they battled to save others. The book argues that these are the type of heroes we should be teaching future generations about. That, perhaps, if children in state schools were taught about the achievements of those from the same class as them they would have a fraction of the confidence enjoyed by public school pupils and realise that they too have the capability to change the world. And maybe Britain would become less of a cap-doffing nation that teaches ordinary people the main thing they need to know is their place.

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'A really emotional read... it's wonderful' - Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2'It's such a lovely book!' - Holly Willoughby, This Morning 'A lovely read... it's got everything - emotion and lots of laughs' - Alex Jones, The One Show'A gorgeous book!' - Lorraine'From Wham! to Spandau Ballet, from success to chaos in the blink of an eye - Martin and I are two ordinary people who have been on an extraordinary adventure together. Through it all, our commitment to each other and to our family is what has always mattered the most.' Shirlie KempWith a heartwarming foreword by Noel Fitzpatrick,IT'S A LOVE STORY tells the incredible story of Martin and Shirlie Kemp – from the moment they set eyes on each other, through their stellar careers, to raising a family together.For the first time, fans and readers will have an insight into their journey together, the lessons they have learned in the spotlight and behind the scenes, and their secrets to success, happiness and raising a loving family. The book will uncover the personal highs and lows of Britain's favourite couple, and the unbreakable bond that has kept them strong, no matter how hard the fight gets.'40 years together has been filled with incredible highs, when every teenage dream and every wish literally came true, to the most horrifying of lows that belonged in our nightmares. Shirlie and I are always asked, "What's the secret to a long marriage?" - well, hopefully within the pages of this book we all might find the answer to that question!' Martin Kemp

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THIS HEARTBREAKING, HEARTWARMING, TRUE STORY FOLLOWING THE HISTORY OF A FAMILY IN WALES IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS EVER WRITTEN.'I am a proud supporter of our National Health Service which has shown yet again what an important and valued institution it is in the UK. As the first NHS baby through to her work today, Aneira's story shows her dedication and passion for protecting this phenomenal service for future generations.' KEIR STARMER'This book speaks from the heart about a passion to preserve our NHS - as powerful a symbol of goodness as we have. Nye's own experience and that of her family represents our deep need to fight for a society where all are equal in worth and value. And how the NHS stands fast as a symbol of equality, of fairness, and of compassion for all.' MICHAEL SHEEN'Aneira has written a memoir which is a deeply personal, richly researched and incredibly timely tribute to Britain's commitment to provide free and equal healthcare to all.' - DAILY MAIL Book of the Week, 22 May 2020'Moving tribute to the NHS.' - WI Life_____________________________________________________________'Edna,' says the doctor, coming to stand beside her bed. 'You need to wait. It's not long now. Don't push. Just hold on, Edna!'The birth of the National Health Service coincided with the birth of one little girl in South Wales: Aneira 'Nye' Thomas, the first baby delivered by the NHS.This is the touching story of Nye's family - their loves and losses - and the launch of a treasured public service that has touched the lives of every family in the nation.

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'What a fantastic read, but not for the faint-hearted!' MARTINA COLE'True crime has never been more female - or more deadly.' KIMBERLEY CHAMBERS'Admired and respected by the men who worked with her, she is the real deal.' FREDDIE FOREMANIf you think you know everything about the East End's toughest gangsters, think again.Meet Linda Calvey, aka the Black Widow.Growing up after the war in the East End of London, Linda falls in with local gangsters including the Krays, Freddie Foreman and Ronnie Cook. When the love of her life, Mickey Calvey, is gunned down on a job gone wrong, Linda resolves to carry on his work.But in 1990, after years of living in fear of her lover Ronnie Cook, Linda finds herself accused of his murder alongside Danny Reece, in a trial that shocks the nation. Still, Linda sticks to her code of honour, refusing to confess. Until now...After 18 years behind bars alongside notorious names including Rose West and Myra Hindley, she is released.This is the final truth about her life and what happened the day Ronnie Cook was murdered.

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