Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Mark | 2019 | Heather Burnside | Buy |
| 2 | Ruby | 2019 | Heather Burnside | Buy |
| 3 | Crystal | 2020 | Heather Burnside | Buy |
| 4 | Amber | 2021 | Heather Burnside | Buy |
| 5 | Sapphire | 2022 | Heather Burnside | Buy |
The Working Girls is Heather Burnside’s most substantial series, running five books from 2019 to 2022. Starting with The Mark and continuing through character-named entries — Ruby, Crystal, Amber, Sapphire — the series follows women caught up in Manchester’s sex trade and the criminal ecosystem surrounding it.
Burnside writes these characters with empathy while being direct about the dangers and exploitation they face. Each book focuses on a different woman’s experience, building a broader picture of the community and the systemic forces — poverty, addiction, coercion — that keep women trapped in dangerous situations. The series has been praised for its honesty and for treating its subjects as complex individuals rather than victims defined solely by their circumstances.