The Story Collector

‘Utterly compelling’ Heidi Swain 
‘Evocatively written, poignant and compulsive' Emma Curtis 
‘Brilliant, twisty’ Sara Sheridan 
 
Three women. A long-buried secret. One voice will free them all… 
 
London, 1915: Amid the wartime chaos, Katerina is hailed as a beacon of hope for her bakery, which offers divination alongside sweet treats. But the dark truth she’s hiding could cost her everything. 
 
Germany, 1918: Miriam secretly vows to help a mute British soldier in the prisoner-of-war camp she’s stationed at. Soon she must make an impossible choice: will she save the one she loves, or herself? 
 
Cornwall, Present Day: Edie is astonished to discover a mysterious box hidden in the wall of her newly renovated cottage. As Edie starts to investigate, she uncovers a secret that has lain hidden for over a century... 
 
Sweeping through the cobbled streets of war-time London, a German WWI camp, and the sea-swept cliffs of Cornwall, The Story Collector is a thrilling, richly woven story about three women, bound by a long-held secret. 
 
----- 
 
PRAISE FOR IRIS COSTELLO 
 
'A rich and tender story' Ruth Hogan, The Keeper of Lost Things 
 
'The perfect winter read' Amanda Prowse, To Love and Be Loved 
 
'Spellbinding, addictive, and beautifully written' Sophie Irwin, A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting 
 
'Richly atmospheric, evocative and moving' Abbie Greaves, The Ends of the Earth 
 
‘Makes for a spellbinding read' Rhiannon Ward, The Shadowing 
 
'Beautifully written with a story that draws you in' Jane Corry, I Died on a Tuesday

Praise for Iris Costello: 
A rich and tender story of fortitude, family and friendship

A moving, page-turning story that is both beautifully written and heartfelt. A treasure of a novel - I fell hard and fast for the full cast of characters

Simply spellbinding, very addictive, and so beautifully written

Sophie Irwin, A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting

Richly atmospheric, evocative and moving - a triumph of storytelling

Iris Costello is the pseudonym of bestselling author, Nuala Ellwood. She has a BA Hons degree in Sociology from Durham University and a Master's in Creative Writing from York St John University where she is a visiting lecturer. She is the author of seven highly acclaimed novels, the most recent of which was The Secrets of Rochester Place. The Story Collector is her eighth book.

London, 1915: Tarot reader Katerina is trying to hold her life together amid the wartime chaos. When she opens a bakery that offers divination alongside sweet treats, she is hailed as a beacon of hope. But Katerina is hiding a dark truth that could cost her everything. 
Germany, 1918: A mute British soldier is taken to a prisoner of war camp where he meets Miriam, a researcher. She is drawn to his gentle manner and secretly vows to help him. But soon she will have to make an impossible choice: will she save the one she loves, or herself? 
Cornwall, Present Day: Recently widowed Edie is astonished to discover a mysterious box hidden in the wall of her newly renovated cottage. As Edie starts to investigate, she uncovers a secret that has lain hidden for over a century... 
A long-held secret ties the tales of three women, from the cobbled streets of war-time London to an isolated German WWI camp, and the sea-swept cliffs of Cornwall. Beautifully told, moving and unforgettable.

Unravel this spellbinding tale of family drama, love and betrayal

The Secrets of Rochester Place

A beautiful story of love and survival for fans of Ruth Hogan and Sally Page. 
 
----- 
 
A LOST CHILD. A LONG-KEPT SECRET. THE HOUSE THAT HOLDS THE KEY 
 
Spring 1937: Teresa is evacuated to London in the wake of the Guernica bombing. She thinks she's found safety in the soothing arms of Mary Davidson and the lofty halls of Rochester Place, but trouble pursues her wherever she goes. 
 
Autumn 2020: Corinne, an emergency dispatcher, receives a call from a distressed woman named Mary. But when the ambulance arrives at the address, Mary is nowhere to be found. Intrigued, Corinne investigates and, in doing so, disturbs secrets that have long-dwelt in Rochester Place's crumbling walls. Secrets that, once revealed, will change her life for ever . . . 
 
Who is Mary Davidson? And what happened at Rochester Place all those years ago? 
 
Set between the dusty halls of Rochester Place and the bustling streets of modern-day Tooting, this emotive, intricately layered mystery tells the spellbinding story of two people, separated by time, yet mysteriously connected through an enchanting Georgian house and the secrets within its walls. 
 
----- 
 
'A moving, page-turning story - beautifully written and heartfelt' Amanda Prowse, To Love and Be Loved 
 
'A rich and tender story of fortitude, family and friendship' Ruth Hogan, The Keeper of Lost Things 
 
'Simply spellbinding, very addictive, and so beautifully written' Sophie Irwin, A Ladies Guide to Fortune Hunting 
 
'Richly atmospheric, evocative and moving - a triumph of storytelling' Abbie Greaves, The Silent Treatment 
 
'Full of intrigue and loss, this beautifully written gothic tale makes for a spellbinding read' Rhiannon Ward, The Quickening 
 
'This atmospheric tale of family, friendship and long held secrets is a compelling read' My Weekly 
 
'An intriguing story which skilfully entwines the past and present' Heidi Swain, A Taste of Home 
 
'Absorbing, moving and multi-layered... A book to curl up with' Emma Curtis, Keep Her Quiet 
 
'Beautifully written with a story that draws you in' Jane Corry, We All Have Our Secrets

A treasure of a novel . . . The perfect winter read

An intriguing story which skilfully entwines the past and present

Sophie Irwin, A Ladies Guide to Fortune Hunting

Spring 1937: Teresa, a young Basque girl, is evacuated to London in the wake of the Guernica bombing. She thinks she has reached safety in the lofty halls of Rochester Place and the soothing arms of Mary Davidson, but trouble seeks her out wherever she goes... 
 
Autumn 2020: Corinne, an emergency services operator, receives a call from a distressed woman called Mary. But when the ambulance arrives at Rochester Place - the address the woman gave them - she is nowhere to be found. No matter how hard she tries to forget, memories of Mary's raw fear haunt Corinne and secrets, long-hidden in Corinne's family tree, begin to surface. 
 
Is Mary calling from beyond the grave? And what actually happened at Rochester Place all those years ago? 
 
Set between the dusty halls of Rochester Place and the bustling streets of modern-day Tooting, this emotive, intricately layered mystery tells the spellbinding story of two people, separated by time, yet mysteriously connected through an enchanting Georgian house and the secrets within its walls. The perfect escapist read for fans of Kate Morton, Eve Chase and Lulu Taylor.

Iris Costello

Evocatively written, poignant and compulsive

How far will they go to find their story? 
 
When Alexis meets Maeve – a reclusive woman in her eighties – they feel an unexpected and beautiful kinship. Alexis is embracing nomad life after burning out as a big-shot editor. And Maeve is mourning her glory days as a bestselling author. 
 
Their friendship inspires Maeve to write again. Her last novel pours out of her - a story of love and heartbreak, centred around a bookshop in 1950s Paris. 
 
But the line between fact and fiction is as fine as a whisper, and the novel unfurls a long-buried mystery, one that has haunted Maeve’s existence. 
 
And will reverberate into the lives of both women, decades later…

Iris Costello

Praise for The Paris Bookshop Secret

Utterly compelling

Evocatively written, poignant and compulsive

Brilliant, twisty

Utterly compelling

Evocatively written, poignant and compulsive

Brilliant, twisty

Utterly compelling

Evocatively written, poignant and compulsive

Brilliant, twisty

Books by Iris Costello

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter