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Irish Secrets and Lies: A Working Class Historical British Novel
Irish Secrets and Lies
Newcastle upon Tyne, 1870s
She came from nothing but shame and silence. He could sell anything — except the truth about his own heart.
Martha Lowery flees her Irish family’s smallholding in Hexham with little more than her baking skills and a fierce will to survive. Haunted by the dark secrets of her childhood and a father whose cruelty drove her from home, working as a cook and cleaner. She hopes only for safety. Respectability seems far beyond reach.
Then she meets John “JB” Sutherland.
Charming, ambitious, and born into a brewing family on the banks of the River Tyne, JB has dreams far bigger than the smoky barrooms of Newcastle. With his brother Daniel, he plans to expand the family trade and build a brewery that will carry their beer across Tyneside. Martha is unlike any woman he has known—sharp, determined, and carrying secrets of her own.
Their passion leads to a child born out of wedlock—little John Thomas Sutherland—a scandal that could destroy them both.
At the heart of their future stands The Barley Mow, the bustling Tyneside pub run by JB’s ageing father and his formidable wife, Alice Curry. They are not ready to hand the business to a son who hesitates to marry the mother of his child—nor to a young woman whose past feels shadowed and suspicious. As family tensions simmer, whispers grow louder. Someone close to the Sutherlands knows the truth about Martha’s father… and the shame she has fought so hard to escape.
But Martha is not alone.
She forms an unlikely friendship with Elizabeth, a mysterious healer with a past as dangerous as Martha’s own—a woman who fled Barbados after killing the husband who abused her. Elizabeth teaches Martha to read, to think beyond survival, and to understand the quiet power women can wield in a world built to silence them.
Newcastle upon Tyne, 1870s
She came from nothing but shame and silence. He could sell anything — except the truth about his own heart.
Martha Lowery flees her Irish family’s smallholding in Hexham with little more than her baking skills and a fierce will to survive. Haunted by the dark secrets of her childhood and a father whose cruelty drove her from home, working as a cook and cleaner. She hopes only for safety. Respectability seems far beyond reach.
Then she meets John “JB” Sutherland.
Charming, ambitious, and born into a brewing family on the banks of the River Tyne, JB has dreams far bigger than the smoky barrooms of Newcastle. With his brother Daniel, he plans to expand the family trade and build a brewery that will carry their beer across Tyneside. Martha is unlike any woman he has known—sharp, determined, and carrying secrets of her own.
Their passion leads to a child born out of wedlock—little John Thomas Sutherland—a scandal that could destroy them both.
At the heart of their future stands The Barley Mow, the bustling Tyneside pub run by JB’s ageing father and his formidable wife, Alice Curry. They are not ready to hand the business to a son who hesitates to marry the mother of his child—nor to a young woman whose past feels shadowed and suspicious. As family tensions simmer, whispers grow louder. Someone close to the Sutherlands knows the truth about Martha’s father… and the shame she has fought so hard to escape.
But Martha is not alone.
She forms an unlikely friendship with Elizabeth, a mysterious healer with a past as dangerous as Martha’s own—a woman who fled Barbados after killing the husband who abused her. Elizabeth teaches Martha to read, to think beyond survival, and to understand the quiet power women can wield in a world built to silence them.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 24, 2025
1 person want to read
About the author
Debbie Wastling
6 books11 followersDebbie Wastling is the author of the Bell Series, a richly detailed collection of British historical novels inspired by the true stories of her own ancestors.
Born in Yorkshire and now living in Los Angeles, Debbie blends her deep love of British history, music, and storytelling to bring the past vividly to life. Her novels explore romance, family, and resilience across some of the most transformative decades of the 20th century from the excitement of the 1920s and the era of the Flying Scotsman, through the hardships of World War II, and into the social changes of the 1950s and 1960s.
Her writing journey began in high school with her first produced play, and she went on to professionally direct over 75 musicals and theatrical productions, as well as write new music. This lifelong connection to performance and storytelling gives her novels a strong sense of atmosphere, emotion, and rhythm. In recent years, Debbie has also become a successful grant writer for arts education, supporting creative programs for future generations.
Each book in the Bell Series tells a heartfelt, historically grounded love story from flappers and jazz-age romance, to wartime endurance in bombed-out Hull, to suffragist struggles in Newcastle, and the rise of family pubs along the River Tyne. At the heart of her work is a celebration of strong women, enduring love, and families who refuse to give up in the face of change.
Debbie’s novels are perfect for readers who enjoy British historical fiction, romantic family sagas, and stories inspired by real lives. Through her writing, she invites readers not just to read history but to feel it.
Born in Yorkshire and now living in Los Angeles, Debbie blends her deep love of British history, music, and storytelling to bring the past vividly to life. Her novels explore romance, family, and resilience across some of the most transformative decades of the 20th century from the excitement of the 1920s and the era of the Flying Scotsman, through the hardships of World War II, and into the social changes of the 1950s and 1960s.
Her writing journey began in high school with her first produced play, and she went on to professionally direct over 75 musicals and theatrical productions, as well as write new music. This lifelong connection to performance and storytelling gives her novels a strong sense of atmosphere, emotion, and rhythm. In recent years, Debbie has also become a successful grant writer for arts education, supporting creative programs for future generations.
Each book in the Bell Series tells a heartfelt, historically grounded love story from flappers and jazz-age romance, to wartime endurance in bombed-out Hull, to suffragist struggles in Newcastle, and the rise of family pubs along the River Tyne. At the heart of her work is a celebration of strong women, enduring love, and families who refuse to give up in the face of change.
Debbie’s novels are perfect for readers who enjoy British historical fiction, romantic family sagas, and stories inspired by real lives. Through her writing, she invites readers not just to read history but to feel it.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 9, 2026
Irish Secrets and Lies is a grounded, emotionally resonant historical novel about survival, respectability, and the cost of reinvention. Martha’s journey from Irish poverty to becoming a respected figure in Newcastle’s pub scene is told with restraint and care, making her strength feel earned rather than overstated.
Martha is a compelling central character. She’s practical, determined, and deeply human, driven by the need to secure a better life for her son in a society that offers little grace to women with complicated pasts. Her marriage feels less like a fairytale and more like a strategic partnership shaped by love, necessity, and shared ambition, which fits the Victorian setting perfectly.
What stands out most is how the novel handles secrets. They’re not treated as dramatic twists for shock value, but as quiet burdens that shape choices, relationships, and identity over time. The tension comes from knowing that no matter how carefully Martha builds her new life, the past is always close behind.
The backdrop of Victorian England is vividly rendered without overwhelming the story. The pub is more than a business, it becomes a symbol of stability, respect, and hard-won belonging. Debbie Wastling’s writing excels in showing how social class, morality, and reputation intertwine, especially for women trying to hold their ground in a judgmental world.
This is a thoughtful, character-driven read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction who appreciate strong women, family legacy, and stories where resilience matters more than spectacle.
Martha is a compelling central character. She’s practical, determined, and deeply human, driven by the need to secure a better life for her son in a society that offers little grace to women with complicated pasts. Her marriage feels less like a fairytale and more like a strategic partnership shaped by love, necessity, and shared ambition, which fits the Victorian setting perfectly.
What stands out most is how the novel handles secrets. They’re not treated as dramatic twists for shock value, but as quiet burdens that shape choices, relationships, and identity over time. The tension comes from knowing that no matter how carefully Martha builds her new life, the past is always close behind.
The backdrop of Victorian England is vividly rendered without overwhelming the story. The pub is more than a business, it becomes a symbol of stability, respect, and hard-won belonging. Debbie Wastling’s writing excels in showing how social class, morality, and reputation intertwine, especially for women trying to hold their ground in a judgmental world.
This is a thoughtful, character-driven read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction who appreciate strong women, family legacy, and stories where resilience matters more than spectacle.
January 28, 2026
Martha casts off the coat of Irish poverty and carves out a life of determination and resilience in Victorian Newcastle. This historical fiction novel is both sweeping and intimate, blending the grand scope of societal change with deeply personal stakes. The narrative skillfully portrays the struggles of building a livelihood, maintaining family bonds, and navigating social hierarchies in a world where secrets can alter destinies.
The novel excels in immersing readers in the era: the attention to period detail, the richness of setting, and the emotional depth of the characters all make Martha’s journey feel both authentic and compelling. Fans of historical fiction who appreciate a strong, resourceful protagonist and a plot that weaves personal and social stakes will find themselves captivated.
February 12, 2026
Martha is a formidable and deeply sympathetic protagonist. Her resilience, intelligence, and guarded vulnerability create a character who feels authentic and compelling. JB is portrayed with nuance ambitious and charismatic, yet flawed in his hesitation and emotional conflict. Supporting figures, particularly Alice Curry and the mysterious Elizabeth, add strength and dimension. Elizabeth’s backstory introduces a broader perspective on female survival and agency, enriching the narrative’s thematic depth.
January 31, 2026
What a wonderful book encompassing 3 generations of two different families. There are several different open ended story lines that will keep you looking forward to the next book on the Sutherland family tales.
I wish there would have been more discussion and interaction on/with JT, the forgotten.
I wish there would have been more discussion and interaction on/with JT, the forgotten.
February 12, 2026
Such an emotional and gripping historical read. Martha’s strength and quiet resilience really stood out to me, and the family tensions around love, scandal, and ambition kept the story compelling. I especially appreciated the powerful female friendship at its heart. A moving and beautifully layered story.
January 7, 2026
A richly told story about class, survival, and the cost of ambition. The atmosphere is vivid, the characters feel authentic, and the secrets woven through the story add just the right amount of tension. I couldn’t put it down.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews