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Linda Finlay

Linda Finlay LINDA FINLAY trained as an Image Consultant and has an avid interest in people, especially the synergy between appearance and perception and the effect it can have on their self-esteem. She has always loved writing, her first success was winning a competition in the local paper in Surrey and she has had short stories published in women’s magazines. A move to the spectacular Devonshire coast combined with her passion for local history inspired her to write her first novel THE ROYAL LACEMAKER and she has now finished her fourth THE SEA SHELL GIRL

In order to better understand her heroine’s lives, Linda has undertaken the task of learning each of the west country crafts she has written about in her novels. She can now make the delicate pillow lace, fashion a bonnet with ribbons dyed to match, formulate perfume and knit a fisherman’s gansey or knit frock as they are known in parts of Cornwall and is eager to undertake her next challenge.

FARRINGDON'S FORTUNE by Linda Finlay Published by Harper Collins 8th December 2022

Linda Finlay - Farringdon Fortune With Louisa betrothed to be married, Victoria about to make her debut into high Society and Beatrice insisting she become a nurse, things are not easy for Lord Farringdon, especially as he had to banish his wife from Nettlecombe Manor.

Charlotte is bitter and bent on spending all Edwin's money so that when Victoria is due to be presented in court she finds there is no suitable dress for her to wear. Jane Haydon the family seamstress manages to find her a beautiful piece of silk and in doing so unearths a fascinating secret of its past.

Victoria finally makes her debut in court only to find her jealous stepmother bent on making things as difficult as she can for her by trying to compete for attention of the handsome beaux.

Meanwhile Beatrice finds herself nursing alongside Florence Nightingale, Superintendent at The Hospital for Gentlewomen During Illness. Although unused to the discipline, Bea determines to knuckle down. Finding it hard to hold her tongue against the injustices to women she encounters, she turns to white witch Nan for guidance.

FARRINGDON'S FATE by Linda Finlay Published by HarperCollins

Nettlecombe Manor, nestled in the rolling hills of Devon is home to Lord Farringdon and his second wife, the snobbish Lady Charlotte.

With five daughters to keep them busy, Lady Charlotte, determined that betrothal of the eldest Louisa should be celebrated with a grand ball which is the envy of society, summons a corsetiere from Exeter to measure them all for special corsets.

Having never set foot in such a grand home, orphan Jane Haydon is scared of speaking out of turn. When she learns about the gypsy's curse which has haunted the family for generations and the prophecy that the wedding will never take place, dare she speak up and risk losing her position? And does an admirer help or hinder?

THE GIRL WITH THE SILVER BANGLE by Linda Finlay. Published in Paperback by Harper Collins HQ on 18th March 2021

London 1910 A cruel twist of fate means Daisy must give up the job she loves painting for a theatre company and move to Devon. Only the silver bangle she wears brings comfort, reminding her of a young man who once promised her his heart.

In Devon, life is very different. Lodging with her uncle at his busy tavern, Daisy must scrub and serve for her keep. Only her sketching keeps her going but when her uncle catches her, he forbids her to draw. But a chance meeting with two travelling artists offers Daisy a different way of life and steeling her courage, Daisy runs away with them to Lamorna, Cornwall, home to a famous group of bohemian artists. Shocked yet fascinated by their carefree ways, she agrees to pose as a model. As opportunities open up to her, can life, like her bangle, turn full circle?

THE GIRL WITH THE AMBER COMB by Linda Finlay Published by Harper Collins HQ 19th March 2020

Eliza lives with her Grandfather in a cottage in Somerset, surrounded by willow beds where she ekes out a living making laundry baskets and eel traps.

Poor but content, until childhood friend Clem regales her with tales of his adventures and she begins to wonder what life is like beyond the Droves.

When fate brings handsome, wealthy Theo into her life, a rosy future beckons. But things go awry and naive Eliza finds herself far from home and heartbroken.

Now she knows what matters in life - but is it too late? Will she ever be able to return home to those who love her?

THE BONBON GIRL by Linda Finlay is out now, published in paperback by Harper Collins HQ

Colenso Carne works with Serpentine Stone at her home on The Lizard. Betrothed to marry her beloved Kitto, she is horrified when her father insists she marries the Works Manager, Fenton instead. When she refuses, he threatens to kill her and in order to escape with her life, she flees with wise woman Mara. Travelling in her vardo with the kumpania, they visit the fairs and feast day celebrations around Cornwall, where in order to pay her way, Colenso learns to make and sell bonbons at the Panam. Although her new life is thrilling, she never forgets Kitto. But will he remember her, and will they be reunited again?

THE FLOWER SELLER published by Harper Collins HQ 8th March 2018

Isabella Carrington has been brought up in a life of privilege in London. Her life seems perfect until her father suddenly announces bankruptcy. To save Isabella from destitution he sends her to stay with family she has never met, far away on a violet farm deep in Devon.

Isabella is horrified to find her uncle expects her to work for her keep, packing up the flowers and selling them in the nearby market. However, she soon discovers that life on a violet farm may not be so bad, especially when she meets handsome local farmer Felix Furneaux.

ORPHANS & ANGELS published by Penguin on 18th MAY 2017 The second in the Red Cliffs Ragged School Series

When Solomon is orphaned after a fire at the family foundry, he is taken in by Sarah Sullivan, proprietress of Red Cliffs Ragged School in Torquay, an establishment that cares for abandoned children. Wracked by the guilty secret he cannot share, he is moody and unresponsive until feisty travelling mistress Sheena O’Sullivan breezes in and takes him under her wing. Generous hearted and full of fun, the children fall under her spell, as does the school master, Harry Higgins. As Sarah devotes more time to fund raising for the school and supporting the suffragist movement, Sheena is required to consult Harry on day to day matters regarding the children. Love blossoms between them and Sarah finds herself battling the green eyed monster she didn’t know she possessed. Just as Solomon seems to be settling and the girls are flourishing under her guidance, Sheena’s past comes back to haunt her with devastating effect.

Then the inspectors insist the school must close unless all the facilities are brought up to date. Can Sarah save her precious Red Cliffs and it’s pupils this time around? And will Harry be willing to set their differences aside and help her?

MONDAY’S CHILD The first in the Red Cliffs Ragged School Series

A little girl is found abandoned on a beach one chilly October morning, alone apart from her mother’s body cold beside her. Rendered silent by her traumatic experience, she is given the name Monday by the woman who finds her and takes her to the Red Cliffs Ragged School, a crumbling building perched on the cliffs overlooking Tor Bay.

Her saviour, twenty two year old Sarah Sullivan has also had a tough life, but finds her own second chance within its walls. Now she will do anything to help the mischievous, loveable children there, especially Monday whose continued silence tears at her heart.

But with Samuel’s health failing and his nephew Christian eager to inherit, the future of Red Cliffs is under threat. Sarah needs to fight. The children need her and surprisingly she finds she needs them too. Will she be able to save the school and protect the little girl she has come to love so much – the one she has named Monday’s child?

THE SEA SHELL GIRL Published by Penguin 19th May 2016

With her white-blond hair and blue eyes so different from the other Cornish villagers, Merry has never felt she fitted in. Her mother tells her she takes after her father, a man of the sea, who left their lives before she was born. Living with her mother and grandmother in a tiny cottage in the little close knit fishing community, she helps them eke out a living by making the local knit frocks and salting and packing the pilchards when they arrive. When the son of the fish factory declares his intention to marry her, she is horrified and determines to make an independent life for herself away from home.

When she is offered a job in a new store that is opening in Plymouth, it seems the answer to her prayers and Merry seizes the opportunity. With her talents recognised by the store’s proprietors, she is given new responsibilities and promotion and Merry is sure her life has changed for good. However, the wealthy Meredith family arrive at the store and everything she thought she knew seems about to unravel.

A FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS Published by Penguin 19th November 2015

Eliza is just fourteen years old when she is forced out of her home one freezing winter’s night. Lost and alone, she struggles across the snowy moors of Exmoor before collapsing on the doorstep of the reclusive Fay, who with the help of Duncan the Druid, slowly nurses her back to health. Eliza falls in love with the wilderness of her surroundings, discovering an unexpected talent for making medicines and perfumes from the abundant local flowers.

Just when she's beginning to feel she belongs, Fay drops her bombshell. She has arranged for Eliza to take an apprenticeship with a master perfumer in Devonshire. Her parting gift is a little black bottle and the promise that if Eliza can discover the scent of the lingering scent, her future will be assured. Eliza is devastated, thinking that yet again she is no longer wanted. Although eager to learn the art of perfume making, her new position brings misery and when she discovers what her charming employer is really up to, she fears for her life and is forced to flee once more.

Determined to make a new life for herself, Eliza sets out to discover the flowers that comprise the scent in the black bottle. As she widens her search, she meets a handsome young man who invites her into his heart and home. Dare she hope for a happy ending – and a family for Christmas at last?

THE GIRL WITH THE RED RIBBON Published by Penguin 23rd April 2015

At just eight years old, Rowan is devastated when her mother dies. Working closely with her father on the family farm, where they carry out the practice of moon gardening, she continues the ancient rituals handed down by her mother to ensure a good harvest. Years later, her father remarries a scheming woman who makes it clear she doesn't see Rowan as part of the family and she finds herself facing a desolate future at an asylum on Dartmoor.

Drawing strength from her mother's cherished red ribbon of life, which she always wears around her wrist, she plots a daring escape. Finding work as an apprentice Milliner and Mantua Maker in an East Devon seaside town she discovers a natural talent for colour and detail that brings success beyond her wildest dreams. Then she falls in love with the handsome Preventative, Jack, but her past still casts a shadow over her happiness. Torn between her new life and the family she longs for, will she ever find a place to call home?


THE ROYAL LACEMAKER (published by Penguin October 2014)

17 year old Lily Rose scratches a meagre living making lace from her cottage in Devonshire and is responsible for her siblings following the death of their parents. Then opportunity beckons. Hundreds of miles away in London, Queen Victoria is preparing for her wedding. She will wear the most exquisite dress, bearing the famous Honiton lace. When Lily is selected to work on this top-secret commission, it is the answer to her prayers.

An expert lace maker and natural leader of women, there are those who want to see her fail, including Squire Clinsden who issues her with a terrible ultimatum – give up her job and go into service for him or the family will lose their home. Should she risk being subjected to his unwelcome advances or put her loved ones in danger? Torn between duty and dreams of a better life, Lily must battle the odds to ensure her family’s survival.

Bibliography

Farringdon's Fortune by Linda Finlay. Published in Paperback by Harper Collins HQ on 8th December 2022.

Farringdon's Fate by Linda Finlay. Published in Paperback by Harper Collins HQ on 14th December 2021.

The Girl With The Silver Bangle by Linda Finlay. Published in Paperback by Harper Collins HQ on 18th March 2021.

The Girl With The Amber Comb, published by Harper Collins HQ 19th March 2020

The Bonbon Girl published by Harper Collins HQ 27th December 2018

The Flower Seller published by Harper Collins HQ 8th March 2018

Orphans & Angels published by Penguin 18th May 2017

Monday's Child published by Penguin 20th October 2016

The Sea Shell Girl published by Penguin 19th May 2016

A Family For Christmas published by Penguin 19th November 2015

The Girl With The Red Ribbon published by Penguin 23rd Aprll 2015

The Royal Lacemaker published by Penguin 7th October 2014