Bernadette Brown

When Larry is officially named the Happiest Man in the World, he has no idea the effect that fame will have on his love life.

Sacrifice is the story of consultant surgeon, Tora Hamilton, who moves with her husband, Duncan, to the remote Shetland Islands, 100 miles off the north-east coast of Scotland. Deep in the peat soil around her new home, Tora discovers the body of a young woman with rune marks carved into her skin and a gaping hole where her heart once beat. Ignoring warnings to leave well alone, Tora uncovers terrifying links to a legend that might never have been confined to the pages of the story-books.

John, a 35-year-old window cleaner, has dedicated his life to bringing up his 4-year-old son, Michael, after the child's mother left them soon after giving birth. When John is given only a few months left to live, he attempts to find a new, perfect family for Michael, determined to shield him from the terrible reality of the situation.

A Belfast housing project simmers with resentment at an influx of Polish immigrants. But Iris is too busy for "them and us." She pulls pints and struggles to raise her nephew's baby. Jamie has turned to drugs and lost his job after his ex Anna went back to Poland. Now Anna wants her baby back. Jamie vents his rage on the Poles he once worked with, and Iris must choose a side as her family is ripped apart.