Books by Marion Chesney

When Emily Goodenough and her father rent a house in Mayfair, Rainbird and the other Clarges Street servants discover that the new tenants are not what they seem to be.

Depressed after being humiliated and abandoned by the two men in her life, Agatha Raisin finds a new prospect in curate Tristan Delon, whose untimely death prompts Agatha to investigate strange mysteries surrounding the victim.

Wretched after being dumped by her husband, bored with pottering about Carsely, and wishing every man would sod off, including her neighbor John Armitage, Agatha Raisin is unmoved by news of the captivating new curate. But when she meets the golden-haired, blue-eyed Tristan Delon, she is swept off her feet, along with nearly every other female in the village. Wrapped in brightly colored dreams of the curate (never mind that he's a tad odd), Agatha is as ecstatic as a girl when he invites her to dine. But his cold body is found the next day, and Carsely is whisked from time-warp monotony to a hotbed of murder and intrigue, and a clear-headed Agatha Raisin is back on track, this time with John. As the corpses multiply, ever-obstinate Agatha trails clues from Lilac Lane to London, unmindful that someone wicked is arranging that Mrs. Raisin's cats never again hear their mistress' footfall on the path.

With her husband in France, training to become a monk, a depressed Agatha Raisin decides to escape her dreary Cotswold village for a holiday on a remote South Pacific island paradise, and becomes involved in an investigation into strangely similar crimes that took place half a world apart involving the mysterious death of young blond women. Reprint.

M.C. Beaton's indomitable heroine, Agatha Raisin, is feeling miserable and rejected by the world. She has recently lost her husband, not to another woman, but to God. At this very moment, James Lacey is in France, training to take holy orders at a monastery.

To escape the dreariness of her Cotswold cottage, Agatha takes a plane to a remote island in the South Pacific. There she observes a couple, a bearded man and a blond girl, but senses something is wrong, and the girl later turns up drowned. Upon returning home, Agatha comes upon another strange drowning of a pretty young blonde. The police say suicide, but Agatha suspects murder. With the help of her handsome new neighbor, she sets out to prove the police wrong.

DANCING LIGHTS, DISAPPEARING VALUABLES...AND MURDER-
A FANCIFUL MYSTERY FOR THE INDOMITALTE AGATHA

Feeling jilted, cross and desperate to reclaim the love of her life, James, Agatha Raisin follows a fortune teller's advice and rents a cottage in the picturesque village of Fryfam, where she hopes good fortune and true love will come chasing after her. Adding a bit of spice to her adventure, she's pronounced to the locals that she's a mystery writer penning a whodunit called Murder at the Manor. Unfortunately, her romantic notions are quickly dispelled by strange doings here in Fryfam. What are those strange lights in her backyard? Who is stealing paintings and pottery? Where are her beloved cats? And who murdered the local squire-ironically, at the manor? Agatha's nose for trouble leads her into a hodge-podge of jealousy, blackmail and dangerous liaisons-and a murderer who plans to keep irrepressible Agatha here in Fryfam permanently, as a resident corpse.

Agatha Raisin soon finds her newly married life in shambles when she suspects that her husband James is having an affair, and when he disappears, leaving only a bloodstain behind, Agatha finds her investigation interrupted by the murder of Melissa, James's suspected mistress, and Agatha joins forces with Sir Charles to find her husband and catch a killer. Reprint.

What Agatha expected to be a sparkling modern marriage in the middle of the romantic Cotswolds is turning out to be anything but. James Lacey, the love of her life, is proving to be a most irritated husband; he does not approve of her turning the laundry pink, and is equally censorious of take-away dinners. In turn, Agatha is quite put out by suggestions that James has been frequenting the company of his ex-lover, Melissa. Soon, though, James vanishes, leaving only a spot of blood for a remembrance, and Melissa dies violently. Agatha must recruit her own former lover, Sir Charles Fraith, to help search for James and find Melissa's killer, much to the already-high agitation of the village gossips.

Agatha Raisin and James Lacey are on the brink of marriage when Agatha's first husband, a down-and-out alcoholic named Jimmy comes to town. Promptly jilted by her groom-to-be, Agatha pushes the offensive Jimmy in a ditch, where he is later found strangled. Both considered prime suspects, Agatha and James are thrown together again by their investigation of Jimmy's death. Martin's Press.

When Agatha Raisin returns to her cozy country cottage, she finds a beautiful newcomer, Mary Fortune, ensconced in the affections of her attractive neighbor, bachelor James Lacey. To make matters worse, Miss Mary seems superior in every way, especially in the garden. As garden Open Day approaches, Agatha longs for a nice, juicy murder and the opportunity to remind James of her extraordinary sleuthing talents. Luckily, a series of destructive assaults on the finest gardens is followed by a nasty murder and Agatha is able to seize the moment, yanking up village secrets by their roots and digging up all the dirt on the victim.

The tough and brassy Agatha Raisin goes to north Cyprus to track down her ex-fiance. Instead of having a honeymoon, the two witness the murder of an obnoxious tourist in a disco. Two sets of terrible tourists surround the unhappy couple, and Agatha won't rest until she finds the killer. Unfortunately, it also seems the killer won't rest until Agatha is out of the picture. Martin's Press.

Living in the English Cotwolds and ready for some romance and excitement in her life, amateur sleuth Agatha Raisin gets more than she had bargained for when the charming yet sinister new veterinarian is murdered.

In this, the seventh installment in Beaton's popular series, Agatha Raisin returns to her homey Cotswold village, moves back into her cottage next door to her ex-fiance James Lacey, and tries to settle back into her comfortable if lonely semi-retirement. True to form, however, Agatha gets involved in another murder when she discovers a body at the bottom of a local natural spring. Martin's Press.

After being shaved bald during a previous case, Agatha Raisin goes to a seaside resort and enlists the aid of a local witch to grow her hair back, putting her right in the middle of things when the witch is found dead. Reprint.

The local ladies deemed him a "wizard." So when, to Agatha's horror, she finds several coarse gray hairs poking out of her head--and the rinse she tries at home turns her hair a lovely shade of purple--she makes a beeline for Mr. John, the handsome Evesham hairdresser who promises to work his magic on Agatha's coif. And the charming beautician also seems to have designs on Agatha's heart. But their future together is cut short when Mr. John collapses dead from poisoning in his salon--and Agatha suddenly has a murder case in her hair. Was it one of Mr. John's many customers, all of whom divulged to him their darkest secrets? It's time for Agatha to get to the bottom of this hair-raising mystery.

In the fifth novel of the "School For Manners" series, set in Regency England, the Tribbles face their greatest challenge--getting the beautiful Maria Kendall married to the right gentleman, despite her hopelessly common and boorish parents.

While considering offers to sell The Poor Relation Hotel, the hotel inhabitants come to the aid of their newest guest, the recently widowed Lady Jane Fremney, rescuing her from bankruptcy and a failed suicide attempt by trying to find her a new husband.

After her father gambles away his fortune and their beloved estate, Mannerling, Isabella Beverley sets out to court Mannerling's new owner, Mr. Judd, but her schemes are undermined by the arrival of Lord Fitzpatrick, a dashing Irish aristocrat.

Middle-aged spinster and former housekeeper Hannah Pym sets off for Brighton, accompanied by Lady Beatrice Marsham, who, widowed by the death of her rakish husband, is fleeing a second undesirable marriage arranged by her parents.

When the coach carrying middle-aged spinster Miss Hannah Pym and her disgraced companion Belinda Earle, founders on its way to Bath, Hannah seizes the chance to find a proper chaperone, and husband, for the young lady.

Contented with her life among intellectual fellow spinsters, independent Harriet Tremayne sponsors a chocolate-loving and featherbrained niece and finds herself the unwitting target of rakish Lord Dangerfield. Original.

Bringing Regency England vibrantly to life, the fifth volume in The Poor Relation series follows the latest escapades of Colonel Sandhurst as he manages to acquire funds to save the hotel and helps a young woman avoid an unfortunate marriage.

Beautiful but vain, Daphne, Reverend Armitage's fourth daughter, finds herself heading into an engagement to a young man as conceited as herself.

Award-winning novelist and soap-opera scriptwriter John Heppel's writing class, given in the Lochdubh village hall, has not been terribly successful. Although he initially attracted several aspiring writers to the class, it's soon obvious that Heppel is a dull egomaniac and a savage critic of his students' work. When Heppel is murdered, suspicion immediately falls on his writing students, but Police Constable Hamish Macbeth is unwilling to believe any of his fellow villagers are guilty, and wonders if the culprit may actually lie elsewhere. This is the 20th cozy mystery in a series that inspired a British television series, HAMISH MACBETH.

Constable Hamish Macbeth finds himself confronted by a wealth of suspects when gorgeous, yet vindictive, BBC reporter Crystal French, who has made many enemies in the village of Lochdubh by insulting the shopkeepers and publicly humiliating Hamish, is found murdered. Reprint.

With this tenth book in a series that fans of British mysteries have come to relish more than fish 'n chips and a pint at the pub, M. C. Beaton returns with another baffling case for Hamish Macbeth, the stubborn, red-haired, one-man police department of the Highland village of Lochdubh. Praised for her wonderful characterizations, wry humor, and authentic local color, M. C. Beaton again adds the essential ingredient for an outstanding whodunit - a plot that keeps readers guessing right up to the very end. Hamish Macbeth's unofficial engagement to the stunning Priscilla Halburton-Smythe is reminding the constable of the old adage about answered prayers. His lovely fiancee has replaced his cozy wood stove with a modern electric one and is busy trying to "make a man of him". The only man Hamish wants to be is the one who slouches about the village, gossiping, fishing, and deftly solving a crime or two. Deciding that this may be a good time for a little retreat, Hamish ambles over to the nearby backwater of Drim - ostensibly to check out a posh English chap who's causing a most unusual problem. Single, wealthy, and terribly attractive, newcomer Peter Hynd has thrown the middle-aged matrons of Drim into a flutter, and put their men, dour Highlanders whose feelings run deep, on a slow burn. Hamish's instincts tell him this seemingly charming young man likes to stir up trouble, and it's not long before the seething emotions transform the sleepy village into a hotbed of threats, domestic rows, and violent murder. With Hamish's own relationship raising doubts about hearts and flowers, he's more than ready to do what he now must - investigate the darker side of love . . .

A blinding toothache sends Hamish Macbeth 120 miles out of Lochdubh to the dentist Frederick Gilchrist, only to find him dead. Since everyone is pleased the dentist is deceased--patients, several harassed women, and even his wife--Macbeth faces one of the more biting challenges of his career.

A lovely but murderous spring follows the quiet, snowbound winter in this addition to the long-running mystery series featuring Hamish Macbeth, a constable in the Scottish Highlands. Lochdubh newcomer Effie Garrard, discovered next to a poisoned bottle of wine, seems to have committed suicide, but Hamish Macbeth thinks otherwise. When he looks into the matter, Hamish finds that her artistic skills as a still-life painter and potter weren't what they appeared to be, either. Meanwhile, Hamish's personal life, previously limited to his beloved dog and wild cat, perks up when two ex-girlfriends come to town.

Scottish sleuth Hamish Macbeth investigates the murder of Fergus Macleod, the irascible, tyrannical head of Lochdubh's new recycling center, while coping with the bizarre edicts of Freda Fleming, a member of the Strathbane Council, his lazy new constable, and increasing labor unrest at the new oceanfront hotel. Reprint.

Suspecting that an elderly matron is not quite the kindhearted favorite her neighbors believe her to be, fractious constable Hamish Macbeth investigates the local inspector's suspicions when the lady dies under mysterious circumstances but harbors private opinions about what may have brought about her demise.

Suspecting that an elderly matron is not quite the kindhearted favorite her neighbors believe her to be, fractious constable Hamish Macbeth investigates the local inspector's suspicions when the lady dies under mysterious circumstances but harbors private opinions about what may have brought about her demise. Simultaneous.

The arrival of a gluttonous woman at the Tommel Castle Hotel in the Scottish Highlands has the hotel's staff and guests thoroughly disgusted, especially when the woman is later found murderd.

Police Constable Hamish Macbeth is called in to investigate the death of the unpopular Lady Jane, a malicious gossip and student at the Lochdubh School of Casting, Salmon and Trout Fishing, set in the Scottish Highlands.

Recently banished Scottish Police Constable Hamish MacBeth, grateful for Lochdubh newcomer Maggie Baird's efforts to restore him, suddenly must dig into her sordid past to ferret out her killer.

Everybody in Lochdubh knew that the Macho Man, a mean bully claiming to be a professional wrestler. His insults at the local pub caused some bonny brawls. His sneaking around aroused suspicion that the was romancing some Lochdubh wives. And his challenging policeman Hamish Macbeth to a public bout triggered an epidemic of bookmaking. Everyone expected Hamish to take a bloody pounding; no one expected a murder. Amid all the excitement Hamish would rather be fishing for salmon instead of clues. But the brutal Macho Man left a trail of hated and feared in his wake -- even managing to disrupt Hamish's career . . . reason enough for a stubborn Scots cop to comb the Highlands if necessary to track down a heartless killer.

Less than delighted when he wins the maid services of Mrs. Gillespie, a notorious and malicious gossip, in the local church raffle, Hamish Macbeth suddenly finds himself investigating the death of the local cleaning woman, who may have known too many secrets about her clients' lives. By the author of Death of a Dreamer. Reprint.

Lochdubh costable Hamish Macbeth is more dour than ever after losing both his promotion and his girl, the lovely Priscella Halburton-Smythe. A trip to the charming seaside inn with his dog Towser is meant to raise his sagging spirits. Instead he arrives at "friendly House" to find the ambiance chilling, the food inedible, and his fellow guests less than neighborly. There's an amorous spinster, two tarty girls, a retired military man, a secretive London family and Bob Harris who so nags his wife, Doris, that everyone wants to kill him. Then somebody does. Soon Macbeth is called upon to act -- to dig into the past and deep into the heart to deliver something more daunting than merely the culprit: justice.

As a series of poison pen letters sweeps through the town of Lochdubh, Hamish Macbeth begins to suspect a sinister motive, a suspicion that is justified when the local postmistress is found hanged, a supposed suicide, but Hamish's investigation is complicated by the arrival of the distracting Jenny Ogilvie. Reprint.

"A case that Hamish Macbeth fans will relish." --Booklist. A Hamish Macbeth Mystery by the author of "Death of a Snob."When it comes to murder, Constable Hamish Macbeth can't see the joke. Rich, old practical joker Andrew Trent summons his kin to remote Arrat House in the dead of winter for a deathbed farewell. But when they arrive, the old coot is in perfect health, cackling at his joke and ready to torment them with others. But it turns out the joke's on Trent. As the saying goes, he who laughs last, kills first! And when Trent is murdered, Constable Macbeth must step in and solve the crime before the punchline of the next killing joke knocks him right into an early grave!

With the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe away in London, Constable Hamish Macbeth pines for company during the long Scottish winter. He gets his wish--and more--when a troupe of flashy filmmakers clamors into the nearby town of Drim. Before long, bedlam erupts and culminates in the sudden appearance of one very real corpse. As the culprit strikes again, Hamish must quickly find the right killer--or script the wrong finale to a show gone murderously awry. Mystery Guild featured alternate.

"Pure bliss." --Atlanta Journal & Constitution. A Hamish Macbeth Mystery by the author of "Death of a Hussy."With a cold in his head and no place to go for Christmas, Hamish snaps up the invitation of drop-dead gorgeous Jane Wetherby to spend the holiday at her Scottish island health farm -- and figure out who is trying to kill her.When Hamish arrives on the island of Eileencraig, he finds threatening locals and fellow guests barely more civil, especially a terrible snob named Heather Todd. It seems like everyone on the island has a grudge against Jane. How to choose among so many suspects?But then one suspect is eliminated. Heather Todd is murdered. And suddenly Hamish's Christmas is looking very black indeed . . .

When Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth, along with a new promotion and more money, is given a new partner--young, eager P. C. Willie Lamont--and he and Lamont race to solve a mystery involving a handsome young drifter.

Constable Hamish Macbeth heads for the quaint village of Stoyre to investigate why its citizens are leaving in droves and encounters an unusual series of baffling goings-on, dangers, and mysteries, including the a sunken World War I German ship containing a fortune in gold bullion. Reprint.

Suspicious of a local woman who has been charming the villagers and using questionable potions, Scottish police officer Hamish Macbeth faces strong opposition from the woman's supporters and becomes romantically involved with a forensics expert.

Constable Hamish Macbeth goes undercover to investigate the mysterious death of a recovered heroin addict, whose church has been suspected of being in the drug trade. Reprint.

Scottish police Constable Hamish Macbeth investigates the haunted house of English newcomer William Mainwaring and finds the case complicated by a gruesome murder.

Forever the matchmaker, Miss Hannah Pym is certain that with a little bit of guidance, Lady Deborah Western, encouraged in her wild antics by her twin brother, could win the hand of handsome Lord Ashton.

Attempting to win back the family estate that had been gambled away by their father, twins Abagail and Rachel Beverley learn a lesson about love when Abagail sets her sights on Harry Devers and sees his true colors.

Following in the footsteps of her sisters, Minerva and Annabelle, lovely Deirdre sets out to dazzle London Regency society and the dashing Lord Desire.

Alice Lacey marries a man she does not love despite her affections for another, but when startling revelations surface about both men, she must convince the man she married that they are in love. Original.

Diana Armitage meets Lord Charles Dantry while hunting and learns that there is another kind of chase that is infinitely more exciting.

The Marquess of Grantley attempts to restore the unruly, tomboyish Mira Markham to respectability after her jealous antics and hoydenish behavior threaten to ruin her social acceptance.

An ultimatum from her strict guardian, Lord Charles Gaunt, forces lovely young Miss Patricia Patterson to abandon her capricious and flirtatious nature and act the part of a perfectly well-bred young woman.

When her employer dies, leaving her a tidy legacy, middle-aged spinster and housekeeper Miss Hannah Sym takes to the roads of Regency England, searching for adventure and earning a reputation as "The Travelling Matchmaker"

The matchmaking Tribble sisters, Amy and Effy, have their hands full with Clarissa Vevian, a lovely lummox whose ungainliness may lose her the hand of the Earl of Greystone.

Forced to live with her cruel, miserly uncle, Elizabeth Markham comes up with a daring plan to snare a husband, but finds herself betrothed to the arrogant Lord Charles Lufford and threatened by her uncle's sinister plans, after she receives a large inheritance.

The haughty Beverley family is obsessed with regaining Mannerling, the exquisite seventeenth-century mansion gambled away by their now-deceased father, Sir Beverley. Three of the six Beverley daughters, including Rachel's twin, have failed to win back their ancestral estate - settling for love matches over Mannerling's heirs. Now it is Rachel's turn to woo the latest eligible bachelor-in-residence, handsome widower Charles Blackwood. But her plan to win the autocratic Charles almost comes to naught: At their first meeting, Rachel forgets herself and admonishes Charles for neglecting his two small children. The antics of young Beth and Mark Blackwood successfully throw Charles and Rachel together, but does Rachel love Charles for himself or for Mannerling?

Frederica's five sisters and father, Reverend Armitage, feel little optimism about her prospects for marriage, until she unexpectedly attracts the interest of the Duke of Berham.

Lady Charteris, a lovely young widow, agrees to abide by her parents' wishes and marry Comte Jules Saint Pierre, a man whom she has never met.

In The Ghost and Lady Alice, a mistreated scullery maid is transformed into a lady by the ghost of a duke, while in Duke's Diamonds, an orphan and her canine charge inherit a fortune in precious gems. Original.

When Ginny Bloggs, a coal miner's daughter, surprisingly inherits the estate of Lord Gerald de Fremney, his relatives are unwilling to accept her.

Forced into marriage under false pretenses by two impoverished families hoping to recoup their fortunes, Fanny and her new groom are nevertheless determined to set things right. Original.

The inheritor of a vile Gothic estate and its two fifteen-year-old girls, Lord Percy hires a governess to ensure the girls' marriageability and discovers that he has become marriage-minded in the process. Original.

A prisoner of her cruel and openly unfaithful husband, Matilda, Duchess of Hadshire, dreams of her true love, the Earl of Torridon, also trapped in a loveless marriage.

Christmas is an ancient Roman festival, not to be celebrated by decent folk in the Scottish Highlands. Police Constable Hamish Macbeth has always loved the festivities, but this year his family is vacationing in sunny Florida. He is stuck with the long, lonely Christmas shift in freezing Lochdubh. A cranky old lady kicks off the holidays by reporting her cat missing. Then the Christmas lights and tree in a nearby village disappear soon after the local council voted to allow decorations. As Hamish finds a way to bring Christmas to the Highlands and make a little girl's dreams come true, he finds -- to his delight -- that he has the best Christmas ever.

Lizzie, the youngest of the six haughty Beverley girls, has seen each of her sisters nearly marry for Mannerling, not for love. All were obsessed with regaining the exquisite seventeenth-century ancestral mansion that had been gambled away by their now-deceased father, Sir Beverley. In the end each girl followed true love and forgot about Mannerling. Lizzie, however, has always been different from her sisters. Red-haired and saucy, she has never cared about Mannerling - or marriage, for that matter. Unfortunately, her mother, Lady Beverley, knows that Lizzie is her last chance if she ever hopes to preside over Mannerling again. But Lizzie would rather die an old maid than marry for anything but love. And how could she ever love Mannerling's new owner, the stuffy and rude Duke of Severnshire? Suddenly it seems that no one, including the duke, is what he seems, and for the first time canny Lizzie is at a loss for words. Still, is a homecoming really what she wants?

The second in Marion Chesney's Regency series which revolves around Mannerling, the lost, beloved mansion of the Beverley family, which their father gambled away, and the latest plot to recapture it. "Chesney's novels are fresh, crisp, and delightful."--Baton Rouge Advocate

Bored with the routine cases coming her way, Agatha Raisin finally gets the chance for some excitement with the arrival of her handsome ex, James Lacey, and the poisoning death of a wealthy widow, Mrs. Tamworthy, who had sent Agatha a letter warning that she believed that someone in her family intended to kill her. 75,000 first printing.

Determined to marry before her beautiful, spoiled sister, Lady Anne Sinclair sets out to win the Marquess of Torrance, but when her new husband discovers the reasons for the marriage, their relationship is threatened by pride.

Tired of being a poor relation to England's upper crust, Lady Fortescue persuades the equally down-and-out Colonel Sandhurst to help her open a posh hotel.

Lady Lucinda Esmond discovers that she has been betrothed by her womanizing, gambler father to a young man who had kidnapped her when she was ten years old--after having been cheated by her father--and who is now a wealthy marquess.

While Felicity is finding success as a writer of romance novels, her sizzling prose attracts the attention of the Marquess of Darkwater, who longs to meet the woman who could write such enticing stories.

THE LOVE MATCH By day Felicity championed womens rights, but by night she dreamed of romance. She was even the secret author of a scandalous new novel--the tale of a lady "rake" and her passionate exploits. Yet one titled gentleman grew ever more intrigued with this headstrong young woman, and Felicity would soon learn that real life was infinitely more interesting than fiction. . . QUADRILLE Everyone in the Haute Ton knew that Lord Hubert Challenge had married country mouse Mary Tyre for her dowry. But no one guessed that the lady had actually fallen in love with her husband! And she would try anything--sumptuous clothes, a saucy manner, even flirting with another man--to get her handsome husband's attention. Until she learned that two could play at that particular game. . . .

'TWAS A MOST ODD AND UNSUITABLE FRIENDSHIP . . .AND VERY PRECIOUS INDEED! As the youngest of four unmarried vicar's daughters, Frederica feared her destiny was to die of tedium in the sleepy village of Barton Sub Edge. Her looks deemed "unfortunate," her willful notions damned as "difficult," she never dreamt the arrival of a rake would challenge her fate in the most surprising way. For Frederica and the worldly gentleman from the city, Lord Granton, had something in common: boredom. And thus a secret friendship was formed. Frederica lived vicariously through his tales of adventure while he found a delightful respite from the simpering females thrown his way. But when had their summer idyll turned to love? When had a country miss become a breathtaking lady? Worse, what the devil was a certified rogue who was much too old for her going to do about it?

Lovely Maggie MacLeod is charged with the murder of her cruel husband, a police inspector, only to find herself married to the Earl of Strathairn after he makes a drunken wager and she is released by the jury.

Disguised as a selfish ice princess to thwart unwanted proposals, Isabella nevertheless becomes engaged to Harry, who is disguised himself as a mincing dandy. Original.

From the author of more than 25 Regencies, a scintillating story of a deranged arranged marriage. Much to Isabella's relief, Lord Harry stated quite bluntly that theirs would be a marriage in name only. Adding adventure to the marital mayhem are a search for buried treasure and a thwarted suitor out for revenge. Original Regency Romance.

Effy and Amy Tribble take on the task of introducing Harriet Brown, the proper daughter of a Methodist minister, to Regency society, but their quest is frustrated by Lord Charles Marsham, a rakish gambler, who is perversely wooing their charge.

Features the staff of a reputedly unlucky house, in London's Mayfair district, and describes the new tenants, a dissolute Scot and his beautiful ward, who take the town by storm.

The dour, puritanical Davenport sisters shock their parents when they trade in their somber attire for modish gowns and hairstyles and throw a huge Christmas celebration--complete with society's most handsome men. Original.

When Lady Fortescue's hotel for financially insolvent aristocrats burns to the ground, poor Miss Tonks decides to steal something from her rich relations that will help get the hotel back on its feet.

With the inhabitants of the Poor Relation Hotel requiring more money, Lucy Budley plans to convince a rich, senile, old Marquess that she is a relative, only to find that the handsome Marquess is neither senile nor old.

Marjorie Montmorency-James, a lovely and impressionable young lady of the middle class, falls madly in love with Lord Philip's picture in the newspaper, never suspecting that she will soon encounter her dream lover in the flesh. Hardcover Reprint.

In The Perfect Gentleman, an arrogant lord has his feathers ruffled by a country miss, while in The Paper Princess, a young woman impersonates royalty in order to escape an arranged marriage, until her disguise is penetrated. Reprint.

Freed from domestic service by a substantial inheritance, Miss Hannah Pym accompanies Miss Penelope Wilkins on a trip to Portsmouth and hopes that their handsome traveling companion, Lord Augustus, will enliven her trip.

Lord Andrew has always obeyed his parents wishes, going as far as agreeing to marry the passionless Miss Worthy, but when he meets the attractive Penelope, he must obey a higher authority.

Recovering after nearly being killed by both a hired assassin and her former secretary, Agatha Raisin is looking for a low-key case and takes on an investigation into Robert Smedley's possibly adulterous wife, until her client turns up dead, poisoned with weed killer, leaving his young wife the prime suspect to inherit a fortune. Reprint.

Spinsters Amy and Effy Tribble take on another client at their school for manners, but it seems that Fiona Macleod needs very little tutoring.

In order to introduce herself to the picturesque English village where she has just retired, Mrs. Agatha Raisin enters a quiche in a local competition and promptly finds herself a murder suspect when the judge dies from her poisonous pie. Reprint.

In the conclusion to the six-volume Regency series, the wealthy and snobbish Duke of Pelham spends a season at his Clarges Street townhouse, where he falls in love with the beautiful but equally snobbish Jenny Sutherland, much to the dismay of the servants.

In need of revenue, elderly sisters Amy and Emily hire themselves out as professional chaperones and face the challenge of teaching manners to Miss Felicity Baronsheath or seeing their business venture fail.

Miss Trumble, Belinda Beverley's governess, feels as though her charge's obsession with regaining Mannerling has faded. Little does she know that quiet, demure Belinda has found out the name of the new owner: Lord Luke St. Clair. Although Lord Luke's lack of intelligence makes him easy prey for Belinda's wiles, the young lady has found herself in love with someone of more depth--the tall, handsome, bright Lord Gyre. Will Belinda follow her destiny and save her ancestral home, or listen to her heart?

Miss Lucinda Westerville, a country vicar's daughter, agrees to a marriage in name only to the Marquess of Rockingham, despite his reputation as a rake.

While everyone else is convinced that Lady Emma has murdered her husband, the vile Lord Wright, the handsome philanderer Comte Saint-Juste vows to help her prove her innocence.

Horrified at the family choice of husbands for her younger sister, Belinda, Lucy Bliss is determined to go to any length to keep her innocent sibling from falling into the hands of the notorious Duke of Wardshire. Original.

Tells of the rearing, wooing, and winning of three young Regency-era ladies whose mother raised them as feminists.

The scandalous Lady Dacey injects some much-needed excitement into the lives of Pamela Perryworth and Honoria Goodham, as the two young ladies steal the hearts of two of London's most notorious rakes. Original.

Everything appears to be running smoothly in the Poor Relation Hotel, until the horrible Lady Carruthers arrives with her daughter, and the poor relations try to rid themselves of the mother while finding the daughter a husband.

When Fellworth Dolphin's mother dies, he teams up with a plain young woman named Maggie to determine the source of the mysterious inheritance he's received. The answers lie with one of the inhabitants of the quaint English village where Fellworth and Maggie live--but which one?

Ever since the death of his father, poor Fellworth Dolphin has slaved away as a waiter to support his miserly, cold-hearted mother. When his mother suddenly dies, Fellworth is shocked to discover that she has left him a sizable inheritance. Confused, Fell teams up with Maggie, a plain girl with a similar background, to investigate the source of the riches. But what they find is a closet full of skeletons.

Is it really possible Fell's father was involved in a long-ago train robbery? Who's the mysterious woman in the portrait hidden in his mother's wardrobe? As Maggie and Fell poke around the village for answers, they find themselves on a surprise-filled path to danger and adventure, and, just possibly, love. But Fell's sudden good fortune could come to an abrupt end if he doesn't stay one step ahead of a cunning killer.

A former London PR expert, private detective Agatha Raisin takes on the job of publicizing the local church festival and finds herself falling for the fair organizer, handsome widower George Selby, but she begins to regret her involvement when several offerings in the jam-tasting booth turn out to be poisoned and the festive family event becomes the scene of two murders. An extended-list best-seller. Reprint.

A collection of romance tales by today's romance masters features a tale of love at a royal birthday party, the story of a chaperone's unexpected chance at love, and a tale of love at Brighton. Original.

Reverend Armitage's second daughter, the high-spirited and willful Annabelle, searches for love and romance amid the glitter and intrigue of Regency society.

When the Earl of Devenham returns after ten years to marry Mary Anstey, Mary's younger sister, Emily, comes up with a bizarre scheme to prevent the unhappy wedding.

Investigating the mysterious "accidental" death of a veterinarian, former London public-relations executive Agatha Raisin teams up with James Lacey, a retired military man, and finds surprising mixed feelings in the village about the dead man. Reprint.

When Harriet Metcalf is appointed guardian of Sir Benjamin Hayner's twin daughters, malicious rumors spread about her relationship with her late neighbor.

Setting off for York in search of adventure--and leaving painful memories of her unrequited love for George Clarence behind her--Miss Hannah Pym decides to try to find a match for Yvonne Grenier, a charming, young Frenchwoman.