Celia Imrie Libri

One of the nation's favourite comedy actresses - with starring roles in Calendar Girls, Acorn Antiques and Dinnerladies - tells her extraordinary and highly entertaining life story.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The story of a mother's quest to find her children against all odds, set against the epic backdrop of the sinking of the legendary Titanic. 'Smashing . . . I was hooked on page one and literally could not put it down. I loved all that she wrote about the true story behind this thrilling tale' JOANNA LUMLEY Nice, France, 1911: After three years of marriage, young seamstress Marcela Caretto has finally had enough. Her husband, Michael, an ambitious tailor, has become cruel and controlling and she determines to get a divorce. But while awaiting the judges' decision on the custody of their two small boys, Michael receives news that changes everything. Meanwhile fun-loving New York socialite Margaret Hays is touring Europe with some friends. Restless, she resolves to head home aboard the most celebrated steamer in the world - RMS Titanic. As the ship sets sail for America, carrying two infants bearing false names, the paths of Marcela, Michael and Margaret cross - and nothing will ever be the same again. From the Sunday Times-bestselling author, Celia Imrie, Orphans of the Storm dives into the waters of the past to unearth a sweeping, epic tale of the sinking of the Titanic that radiates with humanity and hums with life. _____________________ 'Gripping . . . An epic adventure' ROSIE GOODWIN 'A gripping read' DAILY MIRROR, Summer reads

The deliciously effervescent new novel from Celia Imrie, beloved character actress and author of Not Quite Nice, follows the exploits of two women on a cruise ship. The phone hasn't rung for months. Suzy Marshall is discovering that work can be sluggish for an actress over sixty--even for the star of a wildly popular 1980s TV series. So when her agent offers her the plum role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in Zurich, it seems like a godsend. Until, that is, the play is abruptly cancelled under suspicious circumstances and Suzy is forced to take a job on a cruise ship to get home. Meanwhile Amanda Herbert finds herself homeless in rainy Clapham. The purchase of her new apartment has fallen through, and her children are absorbed in their own dramas. Then she spots an advertisement for an Atlantic cruise and realizes that a few weeks onboard would tide her over and save her money until her housing situation is resolved. As the two women set sail on a new adventure, neither can possibly predict the questionable characters and strange dealings they will encounter, nor the unexpected rewards they will reap. Vividly evoking the old-world glamour of a cruise ship--and the complex politics of its staff quarters--Sail Away is at once a hilarious romp and a thrilling adventure.

Fun . Her work has definite joie de vivre and a sunny, good-natured feel Wendy Holden Daily Mail

Theresa is desperate for a change. Forced into early retirement, fed up with babysitting her bossy daughter's obnoxious children, she sells her Highgate house and moves to the picture-perfect town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, just outside Nice. With its beautiful villas, its bustling cafes and shimmering cerulean sea, the village sparkles like a diamond on the French Mediterranean coast. Once the hideaway of artists and writers, it is now home to the odd rock icon and Hollywood movie star, and, as Theresa soon discovers, a close-knit set of expats. There's Carol, the infinitely glamorous American and her doting husband David; the erstwhile British TV star Sally; the ferocious Sian and her wayward Australian poet husband; the sharply witty Zoe with her strangely youthful face and penchant for white wine - and the suave Brian who catches Theresa's eye. As Theresa settles to the gentle rhythm of seaside life she embraces her new-found friendships and freedom. However, life is never quite as simple as it seems and as skeletons start to fall out of several closets, Theresa begins to wonder if life on the French Riviera is quite as nice as it first appeared.

___________________'Anything written by Celia Imrie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face' - Good Housekeeping___________________The beautiful town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and the plush red carpets of Cannes, is home to Theresa, Carol, William, Benjamin and Sally: five retired expats who have pooled their resources to set up La Mosaïque, a divine little restaurant.But there is trouble in paradise: the friends are desperately struggling to make ends meet, and when the much hoped for sale of their Picasso mosaic falls through they realise it will take every bit of their talent and gumption to save La Mosaïque...The witty and enchanting third novel from the well-loved actress and Sunday Times-bestselling author of Not Quite Nice and Nice Work (If You Can Get It), perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Fern Britton___________________Praise for the Nice series...'Her work has definite joie de vivre' - Wendy Holden, Daily Mail'Hugely enjoyable' - Katie Fforde'Utterly delicious' - Joanna Lumley'Warm, light-hearted, fast-paced' - Joanne Harris'Hugely entertaining' - Julian Fellowes'Such a charming romp' - Fern Britton'A shaft of early summer sunshine' - Daily Mail'A delicious piece of entertainment' - The Times

London, 1944. The air raid sirens are blaring, the bombers are hovering. England has been at war with Germany for four years, and there's no sign of peace coming. Dot Gallagher, newly arrived from Liverpool to offer her services as a nurse, hurries from her Red Cross hostel to the tube station to join the crowds of people taking shelter. A group of GIs have started dancing around a wind-up gramophone, and it doesn't take long for Dot to join them. As she jives along with one of the American soldiers, he tells her about Rainbow Corner, a social club in Piccadilly for US troops. There is always a demand for dance hostesses there, women who know how to jitterbug and rock'n'roll, to dance with the soldiers. Would Dot like to apply? As Dot discovers, Rainbow Corner is like no other place, an oasis in London where, once inside, the constraints of wartime Britain disappear.