REBECCA SHAW
Village Gossip Novel 7
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For the locals in the village of Turnham Malpas the rural peace is shattered when a visitor comes to stay. Hugo, an old friend of Jimbo and Harriet's at the local store, is a famous actor and has come to the village to recuperate from a serious illness.
But Hugo is soon bored with the day to day pattern of country life and when he meets Caroline, the Rectors wife, he is instantly attracted to her. Soon he has agreed to direct and star in a play with the villagers as the supporting cast - and Caroline is leading lady. And it seems the attraction between her and Hugo goes well beyond the scenes are stage.
Before long the villager's lives are turned upside down: a marriage is wrecked, a proud man humbled, and two people are brought closer as gossip, scandal and jealously mount.
Trouble in the Village Novel 8
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Caroline is deeply worried about her husband, Peter's, disappearance. The Rector's absence has an even greater effect on the people of the village, whose entire way of life is in jeopardy.
Mr Fitch at the Big House plans to destroy an ancient hedgerow and timid Lady Muriel Templeton leads a protest to stop im, although she is fearful she will have to carry out her threat to lie down in front of the diggers. But there are worse problems in store for the villagers. A new verger has arrived and although at first he seems ideal for the job, events from his past return to haunt him, bringing violence and danger to the peace of the village.
When Peter returns, his calm, sensible, approach to the problems brings solutions - but only Caroline can resolve the difficulties between the two of them...
A Village Dilemma Novel 9
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The villagers of Turnham Malpas are celebraing their annual Stocks Day when an unwelcome visitor arrives. Bryn Fields, one time licensee of the Royal Oak, fled the village four years ago under the worst possible circumstances. The villagers are determined to find out why he is back - and are not at all happy to discover that he has plans to use the village as a key attraction for visiting Americans.
For the Rector and his wife, Peter and Caroline, there are more serious to cope with when their twin children start asking about their real mother. Having agonisingly accepted the result of Peter's indiscretion ten years before, Caroline finds facing up to it again now is almost more then she can bear.....
Intrigue in the Village Novel 10
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Everyone in the village of Turnham Malpas is invited to the Big House for a celebration of Craddock Fitch's increasingly successful business - but it soon becomes apparent that there is more to it than that. When they are all assembled, they find out the party is in fact a lavish wedding reception for two very suprising people...
When the festivities are over Turnham Malpas is thrown into preparations of a different nature. It is the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the village school and the Head teacher, Kate, is arranging a big celebration. She enthusiastically starts making plans, but there is one problem of which she is unaware. In asking the previous Head teachers to attend she unwittingly places the Rector and his wife Caroline in an impossible situation...
Whispers in the Village Novel 11
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When the Rector, Peter, takes his family to Africa fo a year or so that he can work in a Mission, the villagers are bereft. What's more, the locum, Anna, has rather modern ideas and the parishioners are determined to keep an eye on her. Then she brings a down-and-out petty thief into their midst, sparking conflict within the community.
The Womens Institute comes up with the idea of raising funds for Peter's Mission, and holds an upmarket pyjama party, midnight skinny dipping and an afternoon's horse racing. Then a message arrives with Peter with the most devastating news - and the villagers are more determined than ever to raise a substantial sum for the Mission.
A Village Feud Novel 12
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With the Rector Peter Harris and his family back from Africa, the villagers of Turnham Malpas heave huge sighs of relief - everything seems to be back to normal. But Peter has other ideas, and returns to Africa to fulfil a promise. In Turnham Malpas, the family he leaves behind is a very troubled one - the twins, Beth and Alex, are still disturbed by their traumatic experiences in Africa, and Caroline is finding it hard to deal with the fact that they will not share their feelings with her.
The villagers are also missing Peter's guidance,especially when the village store is the target of petty theft and violence. Everyone is banking Peter's return to help restore harmony -but will he make it back before things get out of hand..?