Dilly Court

Dilly Court grew up in the suburbs of north east London, and started writing at a very early age. Her first commercial success was an advertisement for Co-op tea, which she wrote aged 12, receiving a hamper of goodies from the Co-operative Wholesale Society and a nice thank you letter as a token of their appreciation. Having started work as a secretary with Associated Rediffusion, the first London commercial television station, she went on to write advertising copy.

She gave up work in order to bring up her family, but she continued to write in her spare time, and her first novel Mermaids Singing, was published by Arrow Books in 2005. She has since had twelve Cockney sagas published with another coming out at the end of 2011.

Dilly Court also writes under the name of Lily Baxter and her WW2 book, Poppy’s War was published in 2010

For more information visit: www.dillycourt.com

Latest Book: THE LUCKY PENNY Sunday Times Number One Bestseller published by Harper Collins on 1st February 2024.

Dilly Court A chance meeting and a good deed alters six-year-old Flora Lee’s life forever. Rescued from a life of poverty on the streets of London by the wealthy Stewart family, Flora is treated like one of their own. Raised with their daughter Arabella, Flora learns to be a lady, although she is well aware that one day Arabella will marry a rich man. Flora must make her own way, if she is ever to discover where she truly belongs. Then a twist of fate calls her back to the cobbles and her new life is torn apart.

A THIMBLE FOR CHRISTMAS Sunday Times Number One Bestseller published by Harper Collins October 2023.

Living hand to mouth ever since her mother’s tragic death, Amelia sells the last of her treasured possessions to avoid being cast out of her home onto London’s streets. Her estranged grandfather unexpectedly bequeaths a small, struggling factory making mourning dresses and Amelia dares to dream… Drawing sketches by candlelight, she longs to sew elegant gowns from fine silks and beautiful ribbons for the rich. As the cold winter wind begins to bite, Amelia’s future hangs by a thread – can she keep her hopes alive?

Dolly’s Dream published by Harper Collins February 2023. No 1 bestseller.

Dolly Blanchard dreams of a bigger life. She wants to make her mark on the world, not simply wait for a husband to come along. So when an impoverished actress offers her a lifeline, Dolly flees to London, determined to make it on the stage and prove to her family – and herself – that she can strike out alone. But the dark city streets are full of danger. With her dreams fading, Dolly soon finds herself in peril. With the family’s future under threat at Rockwood Castle, and secrets tumbling out of the shadows, she faces a difficult choice. Will her heart call her home?

Snow Bride published by Harper Collins October 2022. No 1 best seller.

A chance encounter brings Nancy Sunday to the streets of London, where she finds herself amongst a band of street urchins. Her heart may have been broken by love, but it’s big enough to help those less fortunate than herself. Nancy takes these unloved orphans in – but when one of them is accused of a serious crime, the neighbourhood turns against her. A gypsy foretells happiness for Nancy. She hears bells and see Nancy surrounded by the beauty of snow, but the colder the cruel grip of winter grows, the more mouths Nancy finds herself having to feed. Can her good heart and strength bring them all through? Will the gypsy’s predictions come true?

Sunday’s Child published by Harper Collins June 2022. No 1 bestseller.

Named after the day she was left on the steps of an orphanage as a newborn baby, Nancy Sunday’s life changed forever when fate led her to the Blanchard family at Rockwood Castle. Although loved and treated like an adopted daughter, Nancy longs to discover her true identity. Now eighteen and having been introduced to high society, Nancy still feels as if she does not fit in. The mysteries around her birth stop her from following her heart, but she has caught the eye of the devious Gervase North, who has reasons of his own for discovering her parentage. Uncovering the past may put Nancy in grave danger …

Runaway Widow published by Harper Collins February 2022. No 1 bestseller.

After the sudden death of her politician husband, Patricia Greystone is left with nothing, and at twenty-four, finds herself a penniless widow. As the youngest child of a large family she has always been headstrong and proud. She is determined not to return cap in hand to her old home, Rockwood Castle, and she decides to pursue a career in opera, emulated her famous mother. But Patricia soon discovers that ambition is not enough without the necessary talent, and she is forced to earn her living by singing on the back streets of London. She discovers to her cost that the city is an unfriendly and dangerous place. Without her family to support her, Patricia finds herself involved in an increasing desperate situation.

Winter Wedding published by Harper Collins October 2021. Sunday Times bestseller.

Christmas is coming to the village of Rockwood, but the happiest time of the year is marred by the news that Rosalind Blanchard’s husband, Piers, is close to death after a shipwreck at sea. The fate of her beloved family home, the crumbling Rockwood Castle, is once more in her hands. She must find the strength to keep her family together. Pregnant, Rosalind comes face to face with the only man who ever made her heart truly sing: her husband’s brother, Alex. As the Christmas bells ring, news of Piers arrives that changes everything, and another chance of happiness might be the gift that Rosalind has been waiting for …

Fortune’s Daughter published by Harper Collins June 2021. Sunday Times bestseller.

Abandoned by her parents, headstrong Rosalind Carey has no choice but to take charge of her younger brothers and sister in Devonshire’s grand Rockwood Castle. Their much-loved home is crumbling and the family fortunes have dwindled to almost nothing. Living hand to mouth and desperate to provide for the estate that depends on them, the Carey family are one debt away from ruin. Until the day comes when the dashing Piers Blanchard appears on their doorstep, claiming he’s a distant relation and Rockwood is his. Piers says he wants to help pay off the family’s debts, but how can Rosalind be sure he isn’t out to take Rockwood and leave them all homeless? Only a closely-guarded secret will convince Rosalind that she can trust Piers to protect her family.

The Reluctant Heiress published by Harper Collins February 2021. Sunday Times bestseller.

Arriving back in London after years overseas, Katherine Martin finds the city is far crueller than she remembers. Her eyes opened to the plight of London’s poor, Kate is determined to do what she can to help – even if it means defying her strict parents. In secret, she opens a soup kitchen, but there is a world of criminals within London’s poorest alleys. Attracting the notice of Harry Trader and his gang, Kate is out of her depth. She does not realise her enemies might not be who she thought. Luckily, true friends can be found in the darkest places.

The Country Bride published by Harper Collins June 2020. Sunday Times bestseller.

For most of her life, Judy Begg has been a loyal servant at Creek Manor and to Jack Fox, its future lord, but just as their childhood friendship blossoms into a secret engagement, he abandons her. And with Creek Manor up for sale, Judy and her family lose everything. Devastated, Judy is nonetheless determined to make the best of her life. Resolving to forget about Jack, she battles to keep her family from poverty’s door and her mother from the hands of her violet husband. Rob Dorning, the new owner of the manor, seems to be the answer to all of Little Creek’s problems, but Judy isn’t convinced. And when the ghosts of her past resurface, Judy will need to find more courage than ever before.