Kitty Neale Books In Order

Publication Order of Candle Lane Books

Publication Order of The Battersea Tavern Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Kitty Neale is a British author that writes thrilling dramatic novels that explore friendships, family life and the hardships that plague normal life. Kitty’s stories are inspired by her own personal experiences and the tragedies she has encountered in her life.

+Biography
Kitty Neale comes from a working-class family. She grew up in South London. Her parents worked in the local factories. Kitty spent a lot of time on the streets around Battersea.

Electronic forms of entertainment were not quite as widespread back then, so Kitty and her friends had to find ways of keeping one another busy on the streets of Lavender Hill.

Even as a child, Kitty had an incredible imagination. She was always telling her friends and family stories some of which were quite horrific; though, to her family, they were more of a source of amusement than a cause for concern.

Even though Kitty knew that she enjoyed telling stories, it wasn’t until she arrived at Tennyson Street Secondary school that the notion of pursuing a career in writing and publishing finally took root in her mind.

Kitty Neale blames one particular English teacher for the development. The man would always commend Kitty on her essays, taking note of the talent brimming in every bit of writing she submitted.

While she clearly struggled with punctuation, the teacher told Kitty that she had so much potential as a writer that if she stuck with it, and if she kept practicing, nothing could stop her from succeeding on the literary landscape.

Most modern authors would have used such affirmation as a reason to immediately make their mark in publishing. However, even though her writing talents were so clear to everyone who knew her, it would be years before Kitty Neale sat down to write fiction.

Life just kept getting in the way. Kitty transitioned through a number of careers and jobs during the first couple of years of her adult life. She wore a multitude of hats from shop assistant to secretary but nothing ever truly stuck.

She could do a little bit of everything but there wasn’t one skill she had truly mastered because no particular arena of employment ever satisfied her. And after a while, Kitty’s family came into the picture at which point they became the primary focus of her life.

The author married her first husband in 1966. Their son and daughter were born soon after. Then came the divorce, followed by a number of years during which Kitty struggled to survive as a single mother.

It wasn’t until she met Jim, her second and final husband, that Kitty Neale achieved a sense of stability in her life. By the time they got married, Kitty’s children had grown up and started lives of their own, so Kitty was free to indulge in her passions.

The author does not know if she would have ever pursued her writing dreams if tragedy hadn’t come into her life. Kitty’s son was 27-years-old when he died. The occurrence nearly broke Kitty.

She might have never recovered if it wasn’t for a bereavement group she joined, one that constituted women who had lost children in tragic circumstances. The group allowed Kitty to heal.

And after a while, as her own life began to attain a semblance of normalcy, she found that she had plenty to give back to the group, especially to the new members. Kitty chaired the bereavement group for two years before a surgical procedure forced her to pull out.

Writing came into the picture soon after, an activity that added further stability to Kitty Neale’s life. She started out slow. At the insistence of a friend, Kitty started attending a regular gathering of writers.

From there she began to master the craft, fixing her punctuation and gaining a basic understanding of the publishing industry. Writing was just a distraction at that time, a means of burying her grief by getting immersed in imaginary worlds.

Over time, her work began to take on a life of its own. Kitty found that she could take the people she had met over her lifetime and the experiences she had encountered and turn them into compelling stories.
Many of the author’s books are set in South London, in locations with which Kitty is intimately familiar. She writes a lot about dysfunctional families and tragedies.

When the author wrote her first novel (A Cuckoo in Candle Lane), Kitty Neale had no intention of actually seeing it published. She had enjoyed the cathartic effect of the writing process and hadn’t really contemplated submitting her work to potential publishers.

Her friends were the ones who pushed her to do just that. She did not expect to attract any positive feedback when she sent in her synopsis and the first couple of chapters. But her agent, Judith Murdoch, was so impressed by her work that she immediately took steps to secure Kitty a book deal.

+Forgotten Child
Jennifer Lavender never felt like she belonged. She was always working so hard to earn her parent’s love and attention but nothing she did felt like it was ever enough.

But then she learned that she was adopted and she finally understood the true nature of her plight. Jenny would have loved nothing better than to find her real family and to finally understand where she came from.

But it turned out that her mother died when she was born. As an adult, Jennifer has tried to fill the void in her heart. She married Marcos because she was convinced he would finally make her happy.

When their marriage is upended, Jennifer must go on a journey with a young woman she just met to discover a truth that might be too much for either of them to bear.

+A Cuckoo in Candle Lane
Neither Elsie nor Bert nor their children wanted to move to Candle Lane. The street in Battersea is modest but they all miss their home in Wimbledon, especially the kids, Ann and Arthur.

But the family has to make the sacrifice. Only by moving to Candle Lane can Bert find the money to fund his new business. Fortunately, they are a happy family and they have one another. Unfortunately, things are not quite as warm in the house next door.

9 Responses to “Kitty Neale”

1. Gwen Bailey: 5 months ago

   I recently treated myself to Another time, another place and No time for tears. Then I discovered I had already read these two books in the form of A Mother’s Ruin a year ago. Never mind, I thought. I’m quite happy to read a book again and the earlier versions of A Mothers Ruin came with very attractive covers.

   Reply
2. Sue: 2 years ago

   Having read `Family Betrayal` I read the synopsis of `Lost & Found`, and read it on Kindle, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, the story I read at the end of `Family Betrayal`, is not what is being described at the end.
   Please can you tell me what this book is? The story is about a lady called Betty Grayson, who has a daughter called Ann, and a dog called Treacle. She meets a young woman in a park called Val Thorn and invites her to tea.
   I inadvertently pressed the wrong button, which is why you received it before I finished.

   Reply
   • Graeme: 2 years ago

     I believe it is called Desperate Measures.

     Reply
3. Phil: 2 years ago

   Was A Mother’s Struggle previously under another title. Thank you

   Reply
   • Graeme: 2 years ago

     Hi Phil – yep it was A Father’s Revenge

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     • Joseph Spicer: 11 months ago

       My wife loves to read your books. Which is the last one you wrote, and when’s is the next one on sale. Regards joe

       Reply
4. Sharon Stracey: 2 years ago

   Hi has a mothers secret been published yet please

   Reply
   • Graeme: 2 years ago

     Yep it was published in March 🙂

     Reply
     • Christine Cassidy: 1 year ago

       ordered yesterday from amazon arrived today but I didn’t realise it was the second book so I’ve ordered The first now so I have to be patient and wait 😃so book one a Mother’s Secret book two A Family Secret (which you prob already know lol 😂

       Reply