A Scandal of Secrets

Anthony Crawford is young, rich, and lazy. With aspirations to take the film world by storm, he never quite seems to motivate himself enough to do anything about it - until he meets the beautiful Cecile. Wife to Robert Ford, who is Anthony's stepfather’s business associate and close confident, Cecile is older, wiser, and wants Anthony to be her next little plaything, but will an affair with her be Anthony's making or his downfall?

The oncoming Christmas season provides a perfect opportunity for Anthony's mother and stepfather to throw a party, but what happens to turn a glittering, dreamlike celebration, the pinnacle of the social calendar of the rich and famous, into Anthony's personal nightmare, and more importantly, will he survive?

A SCANDAL OF SECRETS is a cleverly presented murder mystery set in the environs of 1920's English high society and is JOHN F HOWARD'S debut novel. He is currently busy writing the sequel, with the working title PAST SECRETS.

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by Jane Murray 4 March 2026
All their lives, Hex and Maddison have been as close as a brother and a sister could be, until Hex is found hanging in the woods near their home. After Hex’s death, Maddison continues to live in the shadow of his memory, fleeing from home and the disapproval of her mother and father. Living alone in the city, in a bedsit where her only company is her own voice and a bottle, Maddison’s apathy becomes fear when she acknowledges that she can foretell when people are going to die, although she is eaten with regret that she could not prevent Hex’s death. When Maddison meets Hugo, she feels the stirrings of love but cannot rid herself of her obsession with Hex. Her disturbing visions of death begin to overtake Maddison’s mind and lead her to a strange and dangerous conclusion about her lover, one which could ultimately lead to murder. Because of You is Dawn Treacher’s first foray into the world of psychological thrillers and is a dark and despairing look at a broken mind and what happens when familial love becomes obsession. Talented author Dawn is also an accomplished children’s fiction writer as well as the Green Fingered Sleuth murder mystery series of cosy crime books and one speculative fiction work. We look forward to more from this prolific and popular author. Because of you is available to pre-order on eBook now with release of both paperback and eBook on 26th March 2026!
by Jane Murray 25 February 2026
Every American High School has its stars. The Elite, The Ath – Elites and the Blonde Squad form part of the Manatee High School’s much envied cliques of beautiful, talented, slim and gifted pupils. But what happens when you’re none of those things? What happens when you’re a geek, a nerd, an outcast? How do you cope and what would you do if one of those stars promised you a make-over that would literally transform you from an ugly duckling into a swan? Would you turn your back on your friends to make new ones who could turn you into one of them? But what happens to the friends you leave behind? What happens if you’re just another one? D.C. Rivera’s dark and gritty YA novel explores some of the hidden pressures of high school life and what happens when the bullied outcast decides to become the bully.
by Jane Murray 25 February 2026
Four couples, four disastrous relationships. That's why they need Cupid, in the human (ish) form of Valentine Degas, to sort out their love lives. It's Valentine's (or Cupid's) job to sort them out and get them all in the right relationship along with the help of his best friend, Jesus. (Yes, you read that right)! Valentine thinks he's got it all sorted out but he hasn't bargained for good old fashioned human frailties and people's abilities to mess up their lives without even trying. Plus, he's got a rather wonky set of arrows that don't often hit the right target at the right time. Coupled with a forthcoming promotion to Jesus's righthand man, when the Archangel Michael gives in his notice, Valentine has his work cut out making sure the course of true love runs smoothly. Will his eight friends end up with the right people? And more importantly, at least to Valentine, will he get his promotion? Jane Murray's novella is a Valentine's Day treat of light hearted, tongue in cheek humour coupled with humankind's innate ability to mess up well, almost everything. A wonderful, funny, sad, look at relationships in a cleverly plotted speculative fiction.
by Jane Murray 8 November 2025
Bah, humbug! It's not another Christmas anthology - well, maybe just a little bit, but Jane Murray and the other contributing authors from Provoco Publishing have tried very hard to avoid the subject! So, this could be the perfect gift for your favourite grinch! Join some of the Provoco authors, Christopher Grumley, John Howard, Dawn Treacher, K E Jennings, Emma Hardy, Ella Blackthorn, and A H Martin in an alternative take on the traditional Christmas book that's full of snowy scenes, reindeers and beautifully decorated trees. Yes, that's right - there's hardly any of that in Not Another Christmas Anthology!
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