Samantha Howe

When a priceless family heirloom goes missing during a small private dinner party, Mel must find the culprit, and the painting, before Lord Jonathan and Lady Laura return home. Despite their moment of passion, Mel and Derrin are now estranged because there is still too much anger. Still trying to find her place as a ‘Greenway’ in the new world, Mel holds a small reunion soiree for her pre-war friends at Avonby while Lady Laura and Lord Jonathan are away in London for the season. Mel invites Derrin to try and patch up their relationship. But when a priceless Turner painting disappears from Jonathan’s study, Mel learns there is a thief at Avonby. With Derrin’s reluctant assistance, Mel locks in the guests and servants. No one is getting out until the painting is returned. But where has the culprit hidden it, and why? Locked in together the real motives, nature and resentment of her guests begin to emerge. Mel learns how little the Greenways are liked by the locals. She is forced to hide her increasingly debilitating illness from them, even as they surround her like a pack of feral wolves. A short flashback hints at the cause of Mel’s war induced trauma. As the truth comes to light, and a shock reveal brings Mel face to face with the culprit, she realises there are more enemies than friends in Avonby’s close-knit community, and there are those willing to do anything to get revenge – even commit murder.

'Samantha writes characters that I would love to play. Her Stories and dialogue are an actor's dream!' TV Legend, Frazer Hines'Samantha Lee Howe writes like a dream...twisty, turny and not to be missed!' Pop Icon, Ayshea Brough'Downton Abbey turned murderous.' Paul Finch, Sunday Times bestselling authorSecrets bloom where the roses die – and Mel Greenway is digging up the truth. In post-war Britain, Avonby estate is a crumbling relic hiding deadly secrets. Lady Melinda 'Mel' Greenway, a former army mechanic and the family’s poor relation, seeks solace in its overgrown gardens – until she unearths a body beneath the roses. The discovery drags Mel into a tangled web of lies, resentments, and buried truths, forcing her to clash with Inspector Derrin Bradley, her wartime lover turned investigator. As Derrin digs into the dark web of secrets entangling Avonby’s privileged residents and its resentful staff, Mel is determined to solve the mystery herself. As sparks fly and old wounds resurface, Mel’s relentless pursuit of the truth puts her at odds with both her family and Derrin, while making her a target for a killer desperate to keep the past buried. A tale of resilience, forbidden romance, and suspense, A Thorn in the Rose is a richly atmospheric mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Charlotte a Tom majú dokonalé manželstvo. Zatiaľ čo Tom vedie rodinnú firmu, Charlotte si kráti dni oddychovaním, obedmi s priateľmi či organizovaním charitatívnych akcií. To, čo navonok pôsobí ako šťastný život, je v skutočnosti luxusným väzením. Tom a jeho matka kontrolujú každý jej krok a robia za ňu aj tie najmenšie rozhodnutia. Nespokojnosť vženie Charlotte do náručia charizmatického Ewana, ktorý ju očarí vidinou nového života. No vo chvíli, keď naberie odvahu opustiť majetníckeho manžela, Ewan bez stopy zmizne. Pátranie po ňom neprináša žiadne výsledky, ale Charlotte postupne odhaľuje oveľa desivejšiu skutočnosť. Ak chce prežiť, nemôže veriť nikomu, a už vôbec nie ľuďom, ktorí sú jej najbližší.