The Loner (Abridged‪)‬

The powerful new bestseller from Josephine Cox – the country’s favourite storyteller.

After a tragic accident resulting in the death of his mother, and the disappearance of his father, young Davie flees his hometown of Blackburn, unsure of what the future holds for him. Devastated, he must escape the vicious rumours about his mother as well as his memories of her. With nothing more than the shirt on his back, he sets off – to find his father, a livelihood and maybe a glimpse of happiness.

Meanwhile, back home, those Davie has left behind wait anxiously. There's Kathleen, his childhood friend who has held a secret close to her heart these past few years, and Joseph, his grandfather whose guilt at the events which unfolded that dreadful night burns right to his soul. Will they ever see their beloved Davie again?

Eventually, after months of wandering, Davie finds somewhere he can call home. But tragedy stalks him once more and it's not long before everything comes to a dreadful impasse. It's time for him to make a decision – to keep running or go back home and face the past once and for all…

Reviews

Praise for Josephine Cox:

‘This latest novel from the nation's biggest-selling saga writer is…one for true romantics.’ YOU Magazine

'Cox's talent as a storyteller never lets you escape the spell.’ Daily Mail

'Impossible to resist'. Woman's Realm

'Driven and passionate.' Sunday Times

About the author

Josephine Cox was born in Blackburn, one of ten children. At the age of sixteen, Josephine met and married her husband Ken, and had two sons. When the boys started school, she decided to go to college and eventually gained a place at Cambridge University. She was unable to take this up as it would have meant living away from home, but she went into teaching – and started to write her first full-length novel. She won the 'Superwoman of Great Britain' Award, for which her family had secretly entered her, at the same time as her novel was accepted for publication.