Bristol, 1942, and following the death of her controlling husband, Margaret Routledge is no longer the downtrodden church mouse she once was.
Now she’s the talk of the Close, frequenting seedy pubs and clubs where men gather to pick up good-time girls.
It seems Margaret is past redemption until she sees neighbour Jenny Crawford’s headstrong 16-year-old daughter Gloria on the arm of a man of ill repute, and her motherly instincts return.
By contrast, Jenny’s eldest, land girl Tilly, has a heart of gold, but trouble brews when she helps a vulnerable mother and child hiding with a dangerous past.
A wayward daughter only adds fire to Jenny’s personal problems, which she chooses to keep to herself in the hope that they will go away.
Meanwhile, Thelma Dawson has landed herself a promotion, but will it conflict with her ongoing romance with Peter van Luntzen – and where is he?
Will he come back and make good on his promise?
Bad Company on Coronation Close by Lizzie Lane is published in paperback on 15 January, 2026.
If you love historical fiction, there’s plenty more in Historia’s round-up of over 110 books coming out in 2026.
