Alexandra Von Reinhardt Volgorde van de boeken (chronologisch)

Readers of Elizabeth Noble, Erica James, and Amanda Prowse will be captivated by this gripping tale of love, marriage, and the ties that bind us, from bestselling author Joanna Trollope. With her keen portrayal of rural, middle-class life and astute characterisation, she reveals the seductive allure of financial security, conformity, and marriage, while also highlighting their fragility. The story revolves around Alice Jordan, who believes she has achieved the perfect life with her loyal yet dull husband, three children, and the ideal house. However, as her family settles into village life, Alice feels an unsettling void that escalates into a scandal, shaking the community and unearthing past wounds. This upheaval forces Alice to confront her reality, ultimately leading her to discover hope, humor, understanding, and compassion as she embarks on the journey of rebuilding her life. Critics praise the novel as an outstanding exploration of human relationships and conflicting loyalties, with readers noting its rich texture and readability. It’s a compelling narrative that prompts the question: Would you take a chance to set something in motion that could change everything?

The lady and the commoner... Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn was not opposed to marriage. But she demanded to be married on her own terms, not as punishment for a romantic indiscretion, and especially not to a common merchant. Yet she was in for a shock when she met David de Abyndon. For she was confronted by no ordinary merchant but a man of extraordinary poise and virility. He was unaffected by their difference in social status. And even less affected by her well-thought-out arguments against their upcoming betrothal. Instead, it was Christiana who felt uneasy in the presence of this naturally lordly man behind whose cool blue eyes she sensed the most uncompromising of passions. David de Abyndon understood Christiana's dilemma, for he too harbored a secret pain. How could he tell her that there was more to this arrangement than met the eye? How could he tell her about his deal with the king--a deal that meant he had all but bought Christiana sight unseen? What's more, now that he had seen this beautiful, spirited woman, how could he convince her that the love she sought was not in the callow knight she had romanticized but in the flesh-and-blood arms of the man who may have bought her body--but in the bargain lost both his heart and soul?

1957. Het begon allemaal met een zesjarige jongen. Hij speelde tijdens een stortbui met een papieren bootje in de goot. Plotseling verdween het bootje in een kuil. Hij viel op zijn knieën en tuurde in het donkere gat. Een paar felgele ogen staarde hem aan... Zevenentwintig jaar later. Twee jongens slaan op straat een man meedogenloos in elkaar. Daarna gooien ze hem vanaf een brug in het water. Later vertellen ze aan de politie een vreemd verhaal. Hun slachtoffer werd door een clown uit het water gehaald. En toen gebeurde het: op een afstand leek het alsof de clown zijn tanden zette in de oksel van de man. Dit was nog maar het begin van een reeks onverklaarbare, angstaanjagende gebeurtenissen die het plaatsje Derry plotseling teisterden.