Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chocolate Girls | 2003 | Annie Murray | Buy |
| 2 | The Bells of Bournville Green | 2008 | Annie Murray | Buy |
| 3 | Secrets of the Chocolate Girls | 2022 | Annie Murray | Buy |
| 4 | Wartime for the Chocolate Girls | 2023 | Annie Murray | Buy |
Chocolate Girls (2003) launched the series and drew on the real history of the Bournville factory and its community of workers. Murray researched the factory’s wartime operations and the lives of the women who worked there, turning a specific piece of Birmingham industrial history into a family saga of love, secrets, and survival. The novel became one of her bestsellers.
The Bells of Bournville Green (2008), Secrets of the Chocolate Girls (2022), and Wartime for the Chocolate Girls (2023) extend the saga across different generations and time periods. The factory and the Bournville neighborhood remain the connecting thread, giving the series a strong sense of place rooted in real Birmingham history. For readers new to Annie Murray, the Chocolate Girls series is a good entry point — it shows her strengths at their clearest.