Marion Chesney Books In Order

Agatha Raisin Books In Publication Order

  1. The Quiche of Death (1992)
  2. The Vicious Vet (1993)
  3. The Potted Gardener (1994)
  4. The Walkers of Dembley (1995)
  5. The Murderous Marriage (1996)
  6. The Terrible Tourist (1997)
  7. The Wellspring of Death (1998)
  8. The Wizard of Evesham (1999)
  9. The Witch of Wyckhadden (1999)
  10. The Fairies of Fryfam (2000)
  11. The Love from Hell (2001)
  12. The Day the Floods Came (2002)
  13. The Case of the Curious Curate (2003)
  14. The Haunted House (2003)
  15. The Deadly Dance (2004)
  16. The Perfect Paragon (2005)
  17. Love, Lies and Liquor (2006)
  18. Kissing Christmas Goodbye (2007)
  19. A Spoonful of Poison (2008)
  20. There Goes the Bride (2009)
  21. Busy Body (2010)
  22. As The Pig Turns (2011)
  23. Hiss and Hers (2012)
  24. Christmas Crumble (2012)
  25. Something Borrowed, Someone Dead (2013)
  26. The Blood of an Englishman (2014)
  27. Agatha’s First Case (2015)
  28. Dishing the Dirt (2015)
  29. Pushing up Daisies (2016)
  30. The Witches’ Tree (2017)
  31. The Dead Ringer (2018)
  32. Beating about the Bush (2019)
  33. Hot to Trot (With:R.W. Green) (2020)
  34. Down the Hatch (With:R.W. Green) (2021)

Hamish Macbeth Books In Publication Order

  1. Death of a Gossip (1985)
  2. Death of a Cad (1987)
  3. Death of an Outsider (1988)
  4. Death of a Perfect Wife (1989)
  5. Death of a Hussy (1990)
  6. Death of a Snob (1992)
  7. Death of a Prankster (1992)
  8. Death of a Glutton / Death of a Greedy Woman (1993)
  9. Death of a Travelling Man (1993)
  10. Death of a Charming Man (1994)
  11. Death of a Nag (1995)
  12. Death of a Macho Man (1996)
  13. Death of a Dentist (1997)
  14. Death of a Scriptwriter (1998)
  15. Death of an Addict (1999)
  16. A Highland Christmas (1999)
  17. Death of a Dustman (2001)
  18. Death of a Celebrity (2002)
  19. Death of a Village (2003)
  20. Death of a Poison Pen (2004)
  21. Death of a Bore (2005)
  22. Death of a Dreamer (2006)
  23. Death of a Maid (2007)
  24. Death of a Gentle Lady (2008)
  25. Death of a Witch (2009)
  26. Death of a Valentine (2009)
  27. Death of a Chimney Sweep / Death of a Sweep (2011)
  28. Death of a Kingfisher (2012)
  29. Death of Yesterday (2013)
  30. Death of a Policeman (2014)
  31. Death of a Liar (2015)
  32. Knock, Knock, You’re Dead! (2016)
  33. Death of a Nurse (2016)
  34. Death of a Ghost (2017)
  35. Death of an Honest Man (2018)
  36. Death of a Green-Eyed Monster (2022)

Changing Fortunes Books In Publication Order

  1. The Westerby Sisters (1983)

The Daughters of Mannerling Books In Publication Order

  1. The Banishment (1995)
  2. The Intrigue (1995)
  3. The Deception (1996)
  4. The Folly (1996)
  5. The Romance (1997)
  6. The Homecoming (1997)

Edwardian Candlelight Books In Publication Order

  1. Polly (1979)
  2. Daisy (1979)
  3. Kitty (1979)
  4. Lucy (1980)
  5. Molly (1980)
  6. Ginny (1980)
  7. Tilly (1981)
  8. My Lords, Ladies and Marjorie (1981)
  9. Susie (1981)
  10. Sally (1982)
  11. Maggie (1984)
  12. Poppy (1984)
  13. Pretty Polly (1988)

Edwardian Candlelight Books In Chronological Order

  1. Polly (1979)
  2. Molly (1980)
  3. Ginny (1980)
  4. Tilly (1981)
  5. Susie (1981)
  6. Pretty Polly (1988)
  7. Daisy (1979)
  8. Sally (1982)
  9. Maggie (1984)
  10. Poppy (1984)
  11. Pretty Polly (1988)
  12. Kitty (1979)
  13. Lucy (1980)
  14. My Lords, Ladies and Marjorie (1981)

Edwardian Murder Mysteries Books In Publication Order

  1. Snobbery with Violence (2003)
  2. Hasty Death (2004)
  3. Sick of Shadows (2005)
  4. Our Lady of Pain (2006)

A House for the Season Books In Publication Order

  1. The Miser of Mayfair (1986)
  2. Plain Jane (1986)
  3. The Wicked Godmother (1987)
  4. Rake’s Progress (1987)
  5. The Adventuress (1987)
  6. Rainbird’s Revenge (1988)

Ladies in Love Books In Publication Order

  1. Amaryllis (2015)

Poor Relation Books In Publication Order

  1. Lady Fortescue Steps Out (1992)
  2. Miss Tonks Turns to Crime (1993)
  3. Mrs. Budley Falls from Grace (1993)
  4. Sir Philip’s Folly (1993)
  5. Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue (1994)
  6. Back in Society (1994)

Regency Candlelight Books In Publication Order

  1. Henrietta (1979)
  2. Penelope (1980)
  3. Annabelle (1980)

Regency Flame Books In Publication Order

  1. Regency Gold (1980)
  2. The French Affair (1984)
  3. Those Endearing Young Charms (1986)
  4. To Dream of Love (1986)
  5. Miss Fiona’s Fancy (1987)
  6. Lessons in Love (1987)
  7. A Governess of Distinction (1992)
  8. Marriage of Inconvenience (1992)
  9. The Glitter And The Gold (1993)

Regency Flame Books In Chronological Order

  1. Regency Gold (1980)
  2. Marriage of Inconvenience (1992)
  3. A Governess of Distinction (1992)
  4. The Glitter And The Gold (1993)
  5. The French Affair (1984)
  6. To Dream of Love (1986)
  7. Miss Fiona’s Fancy (1987)
  8. Lessons in Love (1987)
  9. Those Endearing Young Charms (1986)

Regency Intrigue Books In Publication Order

  1. The Flirt (1985)

Regency Royal Books In Publication Order

  1. Lady Margery’s Intrigue (1980)
  2. The Marquis Takes a Bride (1980)
  3. The Ghost and Lady Alice (1981)
  4. The Highland Countess (1981)
  5. The Westerby Inheritance (1982)
  6. Love and Lady Lovelace (1982)
  7. Duke’s Diamonds (1982)
  8. The Viscount’s Revenge (1983)
  9. Lady Lucy’s Lover (1983)
  10. Lady Anne’s Deception (1986)
  11. The Paper Princess (1987)
  12. Milady in Love (1987)
  13. My Dear Duchess (1987)
  14. The Savage Marquess (1988)
  15. The Scandalous Marriage (1991)
  16. The Desirable Duchess (1993)
  17. The Sins of Lady Dacey (1994)
  18. The Dreadful Debutante (1994)
  19. The Chocolate Debutante (1995)
  20. The Loves of Lord Granton (1996)

Regency Royal Books In Chronological Order

  1. The Westerby Inheritance (1982)
  2. The Marquis Takes a Bride (1980)
  3. Lady Anne’s Deception (1986)
  4. Lady Margery’s Intrigue (1980)
  5. The Savage Marquess (1988)
  6. My Dear Duchess (1987)
  7. The Highland Countess (1981)
  8. Lady Lucy’s Lover (1983)
  9. The Ghost and Lady Alice (1981)
  10. Love and Lady Lovelace (1982)
  11. Duke’s Diamonds (1982)
  12. The Viscount’s Revenge (1983)
  13. The Paper Princess (1987)
  14. The Desirable Duchess (1993)
  15. The Sins of Lady Dacey (1994)
  16. The Dreadful Debutante (1994)
  17. The Chocolate Debutante (1995)
  18. The Loves of Lord Granton (1996)
  19. Milady in Love (1987)
  20. The Scandalous Marriage (1991)

Regency Scandal Books In Publication Order

  1. The Scandalous Lady Wright (1990)
  2. His Lordship’s Pleasure (1991)
  3. Her Grace’s Passion (1991)

Regency Season Books In Publication Order

  1. Constant Companion (1980)
  2. Quadrille (1981)
  3. Sweet Masquerade (1984)
  4. The Original Miss Honeyford (1985)
  5. The Education of Miss Patterson (1985)
  6. At the Sign of the Golden Pineapple (1987)
  7. The Perfect Gentleman (1988)
  8. Dancing on the Wind (1988)
  9. Miss Davenport’s Christmas (1993)

Regency Season Books In Chronological Order

  1. The Original Miss Honeyford (1985)
  2. At the Sign of the Golden Pineapple (1987)
  3. The Education of Miss Patterson (1985)
  4. Sweet Masquerade (1984)
  5. Quadrille (1981)
  6. Miss Davenport’s Christmas (1993)
  7. The Perfect Gentleman (1988)
  8. The Perfect Gentleman (1988)
  9. The Perfect Gentleman (1988)
  10. Constant Companion (1980)
  11. Dancing on the Wind (1988)

The School For Manners Books In Publication Order

  1. Refining Felicity (1988)
  2. Perfecting Fiona (1989)
  3. Enlightening Delilah (1989)
  4. Finessing Clarissa (1989)
  5. Animating Maria (1990)
  6. Marrying Harriet (1990)

The Six Sisters Books In Publication Order

  1. Minerva (1982)
  2. The Taming of Annabelle (1983)
  3. Deirdre and Desire (1983)
  4. Daphne (1984)
  5. Diana The Huntress (1985)
  6. Frederica in Fashion (1985)

The Traveling Matchmaker Books In Publication Order

  1. Emily Goes to Exeter (1990)
  2. Belinda Goes to Bath (1990)
  3. Penelope Goes to Portsmouth (1991)
  4. Beatrice Goes to Brighton (1991)
  5. Deborah Goes to Dover (1992)
  6. Yvonne Goes to York (1992)

The Waverly Women Books In Publication Order

  1. The First Rebellion (1989)
  2. Silken Bonds (1989)
  3. The Love Match (1989)

Daring Debutantes Books In Publication Order

  1. Henrietta (1979)
  2. Penelope (1982)

Cozy Case Files Mystery Sampler Books In Publication Order

  1. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 1 (2017)
  2. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 2 (2017)
  3. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 3 (2017)
  4. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 4 (2018)
  5. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 5 (2018)
  6. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 6 (2019)
  7. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 7 (2019)
  8. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 8 (2020)
  9. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 9 (2020)
  10. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 10 (2020)
  11. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 11 (2021)
  12. A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Vol 12 (2021)

Agatha Raisin Book Covers

Hamish Macbeth Book Covers

Changing Fortunes Book Covers

The Daughters of Mannerling Book Covers

Edwardian Candlelight Book Covers

Edwardian Candlelight Book Covers

Edwardian Murder Mysteries Book Covers

A House for the Season Book Covers

Ladies in Love Book Covers

Poor Relation Book Covers

Regency Candlelight Book Covers

Regency Flame Book Covers

Regency Flame Book Covers

Regency Intrigue Book Covers

Regency Royal Book Covers

Regency Royal Book Covers

Regency Scandal Book Covers

Regency Season Book Covers

Regency Season Book Covers

The School For Manners Book Covers

The Six Sisters Book Covers

The Traveling Matchmaker Book Covers

The Waverly Women Book Covers

Daring Debutantes Book Covers

Cozy Case Files Mystery Sampler Book Covers

Marion Chesney Books Overview

The Quiche of Death

Putting all her eggs in one basket, Agatha Raisin gives up her successful PR firm, sells her London flat, and samples a taste of early retirement in the quiet village of Carsely. Bored, lonely and used to getting her way, she enters a local baking contest: Surely a blue ribbon for the best quiche will make her the toast of the town. But her recipe for social advancement sours when Judge Cummings Browne not only snubs her entry but falls over dead! After her quiche’s secret ingredient turns out to be poison, she must reveal the unsavory truth Agatha has never baked a thing in her life! In fact, she bought her entry ready made from an upper crust London quicherie. Grating on the nerves of several Carsely residents, she is soon receiving sinister notes. Has her cheating and meddling landed her in hot water, or are the threats related to the suspicious death? It may mean the difference between egg on her face and a coroner’s tag on her toe

The Vicious Vet

Beloved author M.C. Beaton has delighted readers and fans alike with her Agatha Raisin mysteries. Now here is the second novel in the series that started it all

A PURR FECT CRIME IN THE COTSWOLDS
Former London PR agent, Agatha Raisin still hasn t adjusted to village life where the only prospect for a hot evening out is a meeting of the Ladies Society. And since her overtures toward James Lacey the retired military man next door have failed, Agatha jumps at the chance to visit the new vet, who’s single and good looking. Although Agatha s tabby hasn t a thing wrong with him, Hodge endures having a thermometer shoved up his bum in the name of romance. Unfortunately his sacrifice is all for naught when the vet is soon found dead next to a high strung horse.

The police call the vet s demise a freak accident, but Agatha convinces the hard to get James Lacey, who s also bored in the Cotswolds, that playing amateur detective might be fun. Unfortunately, just like curiosity killed the cat, Agatha s inept snooping is soon a motivation for murder…

Anyone interested in a few hours worth of intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer

I simply love mysteries that have all the requirements necessary to make them great the characters, the action, the plots, and that thing we call humanity. Beaton has them all in
spades.
Tulsa World

The Potted Gardener

‘From the author’s sure fire plot comes this fail safe moral: It takes an outsider to open people’s eyes to the beauty and the evil within.’ The New York Times Book Review’Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance hungry Agatha.’ Chicago Sun TimesNever say die. That’s the philosophy Agatha Raisin clings to when she comes home to cozy Carsely and finds a new woman ensconced in the affections of her attractive bachelor neighbor, James Lacey. The beautiful newcomer, Mary Fortune, is superior in every way, especially when it comes to gardening. And Agatha, that rose with many thorns, hasn’t a green thumb to her name. With garden Open Day approaching, she longs for a nice juicy murder to remind James of her genius for investigation. And sure enough, a series of destructive assaults on the finest gardens is followed by an appalling murder. Agatha seizes the moment and immediately starts yanking up village secrets by their roots and digging up all the dirt on the victim. Problem is, Agatha has an awkward secret of her own…
.’Compare this one to lemon meringue pie: light…
with a delicious hint of tartness at its heart.’ The Washington Times’Delightful…
Hilarious…
Warning: Once you read one of Beaton’s books, you’re hooked. No one does the English cozy better.’ Romantic Times

The Walkers of Dembley

This is an unexpected hike to the Other Side…
After time away, Agatha Raisin returns to her beloved Cotswold village of Carsely and to her handsome neighbour, James Lacey. True, James seems less than thrilled to see her, but Agatha is soon distracted by a sensational murder. The victim, found in a field, is young hiker Jessica Tartinck, who spent her life enraging landowners by insisting on her right to roam. Hope springs eternal in Agatha’s breast as she lures the reluctant James into her investigation. There are so many leads to follow, for Jessica’s fellow walkers not to mention the landowners all seem able to commit murder. Praise for ‘The Agatha Raisin Series’: ‘M. C. Beaton’s imperfect hero*ine is an absolute gem’ ‘Publishers Weekly’. ‘The detective novels of M. C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status’ ‘The Times’. ‘Being a cranky, middle aged female myself, I found Agatha charming!’ ‘Amazon Customer Review. ‘I dream of being able to speak out like Aggie…
she’s a hero*ine!’ A. Lucas, Essex, ‘Reader Review’.

The Murderous Marriage

The morning of Agatha’s marriage to her neighbour James Lacey dawns bright and clear. But the storm clouds of the day before would have been more appropriate when Agatha’s first husband, Jimmy Raisin, turns up at the church just in time to keep her from committing bigamy. The ensuing uproar Agatha tries to strangle Jimmy, whom she had thought long dead anyway embarras*ses James, who abruptly breaks the engagement. When Jimmy is found murdered the next morning, Agatha and James are the prime suspects. Since the easiest way to clear their names is to find the real murderer, Agatha convinces James to help her investigate. But will their subsequent close proximity which has them, ironically, pretending to be man and wife be enough to win James second time around?

The Terrible Tourist

Agatha Raisin’s marriage was put off when her ex husband showed up, unfortunately alive. Fortunately, he was murdered and Agatha solved the crime. Now she is off to Cyprus to track down her ex fiance. Instead of enjoying their planned honeymoon, however, they witness the murder of an obnoxious tourist. Two sets of terrible tourists surround the unhappy couple, arousing Agatha’s suspicions. And, much to James’ chagrin, she won’t rest until she finds the killer. Unfortunately, it seems the killer also won’t rest until Agatha is out of the picture. Agatha is forced to track down the murderer, try to rekindle her romance with James, and fend off a suave baronet, all while coping with the fact that it’s always bathing suit season in Cyprus.

The Wellspring of Death

Agatha Raisin’s neighbouring village of Ancombe is usually the epitome of quiet rural charm, but the arrival of a new mineral water company which intends to tap into the village spring sends tempers flaring and divides the parish council into two stubborn camps. When Agatha, who just happens to be handling the PR for the water company, finds the council chairman murdered at the basin of the spring, tongues start wagging. Could one of the council members have polished off the chairman before he could cast the deciding vote? Poor Agatha, still nursing a bruised heart from one of her unsuccessful romantic encounters, must get cracking, investigate the councillors and solve the crime. Praise for the ‘Agatha Raisin’ series: ‘M.C. Beaton’s imperfect hero*ine is an absolute gem’ ‘Publishers Weekly’. ‘The detective novels of M.C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status’ ‘The Times’. ‘Being a cranky, middle aged female myself, I found Agatha charming’ Amazon customer review. ”Agatha Raisin’ is sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non PC. M C Beaton has created a new national treasure…
the stories zing along and are irresistible, unputdownable, a joy. If you buy one book a year, let it be this. ‘Agatha Raisin’ is ‘The Strongest Link” Anne Robinson.

The Wizard of Evesham

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.

The Witch of Wyckhadden

There is nothing more depressing for a middle aged lovelorn woman with bald patches on her head than to find herself in an English seaside resort out of season. Agatha Raisin, her hair falling out after a run in with a hairdresser murderess from a previous investigation, travels to an old fashioned hotel in order to repair the damage away from the neighbors in her all too cozy Cotswolds village. Unhappy about the slow results and prompted by the elderly residents of the resort, she consults the local witch for help. Agatha purchases a hair tonic and a love potion, just in case! and is soon sprouting hairs and capturing the fancy of the village police inspector. But the quiet town is stunned by the murder of the witch. Which one of the graying guests is capable of such a brutal crime? The brassy yet endearing Agatha won’t stop until she finds the culprit and, of course, a little love, too.

The Fairies of Fryfam

When a fortune teller from a previous case informs Agatha Raisin that her destiny and true love lies in Norfolk, she promptly rents a cottage in the quaint village of Fryfam. No sooner does she arrive than strange things start happening. Random objects go missing from people’s homes and odd little lights are seen dancing in the villagers’ gardens and yards. Stories soon begin circulating about the presence of fairies. But when a prominent village resident is found murdered, and some suspicion falls on her and her friend Sir Charles Fraith, Agatha decides she’s had enough of this fairy nonsense and steps up her sleuthing for a human killer. The prickly yet endearing Agatha will have fans dangling in suspense: Will she catch her crook and a husband?

The Love from Hell

Agatha Raisin Has Finally Married The Man Of Her Dreams.
But Now Her Life Is Nothing Short Of A Nightmare…

The honeymoon is most definitely over for Agatha Raisin and her new husband, James Lacey. It’s only been a short time since their wedding and already they aren’t getting on. But his wandering eye and her God awful housekeeping are the least of their problems. Just days after a very public, very ugly marital row, James disappears and when his mistress is later found murdered, he’s the prime suspect. Agatha just doesn’t buy it. Sure, he’s a liar and a sneaky, low down cheat. But a murderer? That’s bloody impossible! And as some speculate on the role Agatha may have played in his vanishing, the forever feisty Mrs. Raisin must piece together the most unsavory parts of the dead woman’s past to clear James’s name and her own…

The Day the Floods Came

Marital bliss was short lived for Agatha Raisin. Her marriage to James Lacey was a disaster from the beginning, and in the end, he left her not for another woman, but for God. After having been miraculously cured of a brain tumor, James has decided to join a monastery in France. Agatha can usually depend on her old friend, Sir Charles Fraith, to be there when times are tough, but even Charles has abandoned her, dashing off to Paris to marry a young French tart. Miserable and alone, Agatha hops on a plane and heads for a remote island in the South Pacific. To Agatha’s surprise, she makes friends with her fellow travelers easily, and keeps herself out of mischief, despite the odd feeling she gets from one particularly attractive honeymooning couple. But when she later finds that the pretty bride has drowned under suspicious circumstances, Agatha wishes she had found a way to intervene. Returning home to the Cotswolds, Agatha is grimly determined to move on with her life and to forget about James and Charles. They have, after all, forgotten about her. And what better way than to throw herself into another murder investigation? A woman, dressed in a wedding gown and still clutching her bouquet, has just been found floating in a river. The police say it’s suicide, but Agatha suspects the girl’s flashy young fianc . With the help of her handsome, and single, new neighbor, Agatha sets off to prove the police wrong.

The Case of the Curious Curate

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 coloured 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…

The Haunted House

Penelope Keith who starred as Agatha Raisin in the popular BBC Radio 4 series reads the whole of M. C. Beaton’s novel. Reports of a haunted house soon have amateur sleuth Agatha Raisin snooping around, only to discover the victim of the haunting is a universally disliked old biddy on whom someone is playing a practical joke. But then the old lady is murdered and, for Agatha Miss Marple with attitude solving a crime is much more fun than ghostbusting. Very soon she’s up to her usual tricks, involving the villagers, local police and, naturally, her handsome new neighbour…
Penelope Keith is probably best known for her roles in ‘To the Manor Born’ and ‘The Good Life’, but she has appeared in many other TV programmes including ‘Next of Kin’ and ‘Law and Disorder’. Her theatre performances include ‘Star Quality’, ‘Mrs Warren’s Profession’ and ‘Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit’. She has received several Bafta awards, and has been awarded an OBE.

The Deadly Dance

Bossy, impulsive, and unlucky in love, the all too human Agatha Raisin has proved to be a surprisingly effective and endearing amateur sleuth. But can Agatha make it as a private investigator? After getting mugged on vacation, in what she will always think of as the Paris Incident, she decides to find out. Agatha soon learns that running her own detective agency in the Cotswolds is not quite like starring in a Raymond Chandler movie. Instead of dames in distress with big shoulder pads, her clients are ladies with missing cats and a man whose son has run off with his car. Agatha even worries that she might be outclassed by her sixty seven year old secretary, Emma Comfrey. But then wealthy divorc e Catherine Laggat Brown walks in with their first ‘real’ case. Mrs. Laggat Brown’s daughter has received a death threat, and when Agatha thwarts an attack on the girl at a dinner dance, she recognizes an opportunity to show what Raisin Investigations can do. Even better, the case gives her a chance to reunite with her long absent friend, Sir Charles Fraith. As they scour the Cotswolds in search of leads, Charles’ insights prove invaluable and his charms irresistible, leading poor Emma to fall madly in love with him. As ever, Agatha bumbles her way through the case, trying her friends’ patience and flirting shamelessly with the chief suspect. Will she put her tiny agency on the map, or has even the outrageous Agatha finally bitten off more than she can chew?

The Perfect Paragon

AGATHA RAISIN…
AND THE CASE FROM HELLShe’s nosed in on murder investigations, annoyed law enforcement on two continents, and been targeted by everyone from a hit man to a killer secretary. But now Agatha Raisin must take on her greatest nightmare a divorce case. Bad enough that her struggling detective agency needs the whacking great fee pompous businessman Robert Smedley is offering to prove his wife is unfaithful; it’s even worse that Mrs. Smedley is the kind of sweet, accomplished, lovely, gentle, and all around perfectly wonderful spouse that Agatha couldn’t be in a thousand years. So, when Smedley turns up poisoned, Agatha is relieved enough to help his now desperate wife clear her name. And with the assistance of her firm’s eccentric new staff, Agatha enthusiastically follows leads and a batch of suspects through the English countryside’s seediest byways. But the police aren’t about to let an interfering ‘amateur’ beat them to the punch. And as Agatha hits one dead end after another, a particularly devious killer is looking forward to making sure the indomitable Agatha never has to worry about old age or anything else.

Love, Lies and Liquor

Agatha Raisin is lonely. Busy as she is with her detective agency and the meetings of the Carsely Ladies’ Society, she still misses her ex husband, James Lacey, so she welcomes his return to the cottage next door with her usual triumph of optimism over experience especially when he invites her on holiday at a surprise location that was once very dear to him. With visions of a romantic hideaway in Italy or the Pacific dancing in her head, Agatha goes off happily with James to…
Snoth on Sea, in Sussex. While James may have fond memories of boyhood holidays there, Snoth on Sea has seen better days, as has the once grand Palace Hotel, now run down and tacky and freezing cold. Nor do the other guests have much to recommend them, especially the brassy honeymoon couple, Mr. and Mrs. Jankers, who pick a fight with Agatha in the dining room. But trouble has a way of following Agatha even if romance does not: Just as she and James are preparing to flee to warmer climes, Geraldine Jankers is found dead on the beach strangled with Agatha’s scarf. So much for Agatha’s holiday fantasies: Not only is it time to put her detective skills to work, but the police are not even sure that she’ll be allowed to leave town.

A Spoonful of Poison

Cranky but lovable sleuth Agatha Raisin’s detective agency has become so successful that she wants nothing more than to take quality time for rest and relaxation. But as soon as she begins closing the agency on weekends, she remembers that when she has plenty of quality time, she doesn t know what to do with it. So it doesn t take much for the vicar of a nearby village to persuade her to help publicize the church fete especially when the fair s organizer, George Selby, turns out to be a gorgeous widower.

Agatha brings out the crowds for the fete, all right, but there s more going on than innocent village fun. Several of the offerings in the jam tasting booth turn out to be poisoned, and the festive family event becomes the scene of two murders.

Along with her young and much to her dismay pretty sidekick, Toni, Agatha must uncover the truth behind the jam tampering, keep the church funds safe from theft, and expose the nasty secrets lurking in the village all while falling for handsome George, who may have secrets of his own.

There Goes the Bride

James Lacey wandered over to the window of his hotel room. His fianc e, Felicity, was asleep. He was feeling some twinges of unease. What he loved about Felicity was the way she looked at him with her large eyes, appearing to drink in every word.

But on the plane journey, he wondered if she were listening to him. The order to charge was given, said James, and a spaceship landed in the valley and some little green men got out. Fascinating, breathed Felicity. You weren t listening! Just tired, darling. What were you saying?

James heard a commotion down below the hotel. He opened the window and leaned out. A woman had tripped and fallen getting into a cab. He only got a glimpse but he was suddenly sure the woman was Agatha. A familiar voice rose on the Crimean air, Snakes and bast*ards!

Bossy, impulsive, yet hopelessly romantic, Agatha is dreading the upcoming marriage of her ex husband, James Lacey. Although she has set her sights on a handsome and beguiling new Frenchman, she can t quite stop obsessing about James.

Her best intentions to move on with her life are put on hold when James’s young bride is shot to death just minutes before saying I do, and Agatha is named the prime suspect. Agatha s sleuthing sidekick Toni stands ready to help find the real killer, but the case proves trickier than ever.

Will her name be cleared, or has the outrageous Agatha finally had her last romp?

Busy Body

Agatha Raisin has always been ambivalent about holiday cheer, but her cozy little village of Carsely has long prided itself on its Christmas festivities. But this year Mr. John Sunday, a selfimportant officer with the Health and Safety Board, has ruled that the traditional tree on top of the church is a public menace; that lampposts are unsafe for hanging illuminations; that May Dimwoody’s homemade toys are dangerous for children Things have reached such a desperate pass that the Carsely Ladies Society joins forces with the ladies in the neighboring village of Odley Cruesis to try to put a stop to Mr. Sunday s meddling only to find that someone has literally put a stop to him with a kitchen knife. Agatha s detective agency is on the case, but when a man has made as many enemies as John Sunday, it s hard to know where to start

Hiss and Hers

Audio CD, BBC Audiobooks Ltd

Death of a Gossip

When a famous gossip columnist is murdered at the local fishing school, no one is ready to talk. It’s up to Hamish Macbeth, with the inspiring assistance of the lovely Priscilla Halburton Smythe, to sniff out the right rat amid all the cunning anglers with secrets to hide. But someone has baited a hook for him…

Death of a Cad

Murder Most Fowl When Priscilla Halburton Smythe brings her London playwright fiance home to Lochdubh, everybody in town is delighted…
except for love smitten Constable Hamish Macbeth. Yet his affairs of the heart will have to wait. Vile, boorish Captain Bartlett, one of the guests at Priscilla’s engagement party, has just been found murdered shot while on a grouse hunt. Now with many titled party guests as the prime suspects, each with a reason for snuffing out the despicable captain, Hamish must smooth ruffled feathers as he investigates the case. When the hidden culprit strikes again, Hamish will find himself trying to save Priscilla from a miserable marriage and catch a killer before he flies the coop.

Death of an Outsider

Murder is a Tasty Dish The most hated man in the most dour town in Scotland is sleeping with the fishes, or more accurately dumped into a tank filled with crustaceans. All that remain of the murdered victim are his bones. But after the lobsters are shipped off to Britain’s best restaurants, the whole affair quickly lands on the plate of Constable Hamish Macbeth. Exiled with his dog, Towser, to the dreary outpost of Cnothan, Macbeth sorely misses his beloved Lochdubh, his formerly beloved Priscilla Halburton Smythe, and his days of doing nothing but staring at the sheep grazing in a nearby croft. Now the lawman has to contend with a detective chief inspector who wants the modus operandi hushed up, a dark haired lass who has an ulterior motive to seduce him, and a killer who has made mincemeat of his victim and without doubt will strike again…

Death of a Perfect Wife

‘Offbeat, utterly endearing…
‘ Booklist.A Hamish Macbeth Mystery. When Paul and Trixie Thomas move to the village of Lochdubh, Trixie jumps into things with a vengeance. She organizes an anti smoking league, promotes vegetarian cooking, even starts a birdwatching society. It’s too much…
too perfect. It doesn’t feel like the old Lochdubh anymore. So when Trixie is murdered, not everyone is exactly devastated. Constable Macbeth, head over heels in love with beautiful Priscilla Halburton Smythe, must interrupt his romance at the most inopportune time to solve the mystery. But how to do that when the list of suspects includes the entire town?

Death of a Hussy

‘Splendid fun.’ The New York Times Book ReviewA Hamish Macbeth mystery. Wealthy Maggie Baird is neither nice nor kind nor generous. Once she was beautiful, but now, although middle aged, she retains the appetites of a beautiful woman. When Maggie’s car catches fire with her inside it, suspicion focuses on the five houseguests staying at Maggie’s luxurious Highlands cottage: her timid niece and four former lovers, once of whom Maggie had intended to pick for a husband. All five are impecunious. All five had ample opportunity to monkey with Maggie’s car. So finding who did it requires all Police Constable Hamish Macbeth’s extraordinary common sense and insight into human nature. And lazy lout though he may be, Hamish lets no grass grow under his feet when it comes to solving a murder. Especially when he may be the next target.

Death of a Snob

‘Pure bliss.’ Atlanta Journal & ConstitutionA 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…

Death of a Prankster

‘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!

Death of a Glutton / Death of a Greedy Woman

There’s not a cloud in Constable Hamish Macbeth’s sky…
. Just plenty of warm sunshine and not quite enough of beautiful Priscilla Halburton Smythe. But as eight hopeful members of the Checkmate Singles Club converge on Tommel Castle Hotel for a week of serious matchmaking, the clouds roll in. The four couples, carefully matched by dating director Maria Worth, immediately dislike each other. The arrival of Maria’s gross, greedy partner, Peta, kills the last vestige of romance. And as love goes out the window, murder comes in the door. Peta soon slurps up her last meal, and Hamish is left with a baffling puzzle: who shared the fateful outing that left Peta dead with a big red apple in her mouth? Surely not one of those singles…
.

Death of a Travelling Man

‘ENTRANCING…
A GEM.’ Ocala Star BannerHamish Macbeth’s life is going to pot. He’s been promoted horrors!, his boss is a dunce, and to add insult to injury a sinister self proclaimed gypsy and his girlfriend have parked their rusty, eye sore of a van in the village. Hamish smells trouble and as usual he’s right. The doctor’s drugs go missing. Money vanishes. Neighbors grow suddenly unneighborly. And when the unsavory newcomer is murdered, Hamish regrets it only because his bones tell him the killer may be one of his friends. Nobody wants to volunteer even a scrap of useful information, so canny Hamish single handedly sets about the delicate work of worming the facts out of his neighbors. Yet in the process he uncovers a story so bizarre that neither he nor the villagers may ever recover from it…
. ‘EXCELLENT…
. A cast of winning characters.’ Publishers Weekly’Scottish writer M. C. Beaton develops the locals with humor and verve.’ The Christian Science Monitor

Death of a Charming Man

All Sergeant Hamish Macbeth wants to do is fish and drink coffee with his fiance. Then a mysterious stranger moves into the neighboring village a rich, unmarried heartbreaker, causing rivalry among the local women. It is amusing until death threats, assault and murder shatter the tranquil countryside. Hamish must investigate the darker side of love and desire.

Death of a Nag

Taking a vacation in order to ride out the storm of a broken engagement, Constable Hamish Macbeth visits a bed and breakfast at coastal Skay, where he meets an annoying array of characters and finds himself the prime suspect in a murder.

Death of a Macho Man

When Hamish Macbeth, local constable of the Scottish village of Lochdubh, tries to break up one of the many fights involving Randy Duggan, the ruffian challenges him to a fistfight. But on the chosen day, Duggan is found shot to death and Macbeth is rumored to be the likely suspect. Macbeth must find the murderer, clear his name, and restore his Highland paradise to its usual tranquility.

Death of a Dentist

Lovable Scottish constable Hamish Macbeth who would rather be fishing than detecting must root out another criminal in his thirteenth charmingly clever case. As the small village of Lochdubh has no dentist, locals travel 20 miles to Frederick Gilchrist’s dental surgery in the town of Braikie. Although Lochdubh’s one man police force, Hamish Macbeth, prefers the more modern, painless procedures practiced by dentists in the city of Inverness, a blinding toothache one morning convinces him to give Gilchrist a try. Upon arriving, Hamish finds the dentist dead on the floor, a victim of nicotine poisoning. Discovering that the deceased was a non smoker, Hamish must put his own toothache on ice to extract a murderer on the loose.

Death of a Scriptwriter

HOLLYWOOD IN THE HIGHLANDSWith the lovely Priscilla Halburton Smythe away in London, Lochdubh Constable Hamish Macbeth pines for company during the long Scottish winter. He gets his wish and more when a troupe of flashy, urbane filmmakers clamors into the nearby town of Drim. Before long bedlam erupts around their make believe mystery…
and culminates in the sudden appearance of one very real corpse. The initial suspect in the killing is one Patricia Martyn Broyd, the aging mystery writer furious that her musty old cozies are getting a risque face lift in their TV reincarnation. Yet, going behind the scenes, Hamish soon finds a town full of locals bitten by the movie bug and a cast of quarreling show business types, all harboring their own secrets, lies, and hidden agendas. And as the culprit strikes again, Hamish must quickly find the right killer or script the wrong finale to a show gone murderously awry.

Death of an Addict

5 Cassettes. With their engaging plots, mellow Scottish ambiance, and droll humor, the Hamish Macbeth mysteries always provide readers a bonnie time. The charming antics of their hopelessly unambitious and love crossed hero have earned the series a dedicated following. Death of an Addict continues the Hamish Macbeth tradition of superb entertainment, with some fascinating twists. When a recovering addict dies while recuperating near Lochdubh, our red headed hero suspects foul play. To complete his investigation, Constable Macbeth must leave his idyllic home and travel to Amsterdam to match wits with big time drug dealers. Fans will enjoy seeing a new, tougher side of Macbeth as he dons smart suits and falls in love with his gorgeous superior officer. With her authentic accents and impeccable timing, narrator Davina Porter provides the perfect voice for this series wonderfully quirky characters.

A Highland Christmas

Celebrate the Holidays with M. C. Beaton, The Queen of The Cozy Mystery. In the dark, wintry highlands of Lochdubh, Scotland, where the local Calvinist element resists the secular trim*mings of Christmas, the spirit of Old St. Nick is about as welcome as a flat tire on a deserted road. Nor is crime taking a holiday, as Constable Hamish Macbeth soon finds himself protecting an unhappy girl, unlocking the secrets of a frightened old woman, and retrieving some stolen holiday goods. Now the lanky lawman must use all his Highland charm and detective skills to make things right. And he had better do it quickly, for the church bells will soon toll and all of Lochdubh will be forced to face another dreary winter without the comforting embrace of Yuletide cheer.

Death of a Dustman

Lochdubh’s dustman, Fergus Macleod, a sour little man given to domestic violence and drinking, gets by with a one day work week collecting the village’s trash. But when Mrs. Freda Fleming, wrath of the Strathbane Council, decides to make an environmental example out of Lochdubh, Fergus is promoted at double his usual salary to man the new and elaborate recycling center. Now a bullying tyrant with a neat uniform and a new truck, he issues harsh fines and enforces petty rules until he is found dead, stuffed into a recycling bin. Enter Hamish Macbeth, who now not only has to solve the murder, but juggle Freda’s edicts, his lazy new constable, and labor trouble washing over the new oceanfront hotel.

Death of a Celebrity

Murder on the Telly Lochdubh, a remote village reached only by a one track lane, nestles serenely amid Scotland’s hills…
until well known TV reporter Crystal French races into town in her bright BMW. And Constable Hamish Macbeth, dourly wed to duty instead of the fiancee who dumped him, promptly gives her a summons for reckless driving. Outraged, Crystal makes Macbeth’s life a misery with a TV report on policing in the Highlands. When she also rakes up old local scandals for her new hit show, Macbeth notes that someone besides himself might be dead keen to stop her. Then someone does with stealth and violence. Now, finding out who did it will lead the laconic Macbeth down roads he never envisioned, into a dark story of passion and vengeance…
and perhaps a crisis of the heart all his own.

Death of a Village

Intent on having a quiet time by just sitting in a deck chair in his garden, Hamish Macbeth is quite disturbed when a very agitated Elspeth Grant, Loch dubh’s local reporter and astrologer, arrives. It seems that three citizens of nearby Stoyre have moved to Loch dubh but they are quite unwilling to offer Elspeth any facts as to why, causing the reporter in her to suspect they were frightened out of their former village. So now it’s up to constable Hamish Macbeth to step into the case and take a small trip to investigate the goings on in Stoyre. After many frights and dangers, Hamish soon discovers that a sunken German ship from World War I and its cache of gold bullion are the key to solving the strange demise of the once lively village.

Death of a Poison Pen

Poison pen letters lead to murder in this new Hamish Macbeth mystery from M.C. Beaton. When the townspeople of Lochdubh begin receiving poison pen letters, no one takes them very seriously, even if they are full of wild accusations. But Hamish fears that they might lead to something deadly. His instincts prove correct when the town’s postmistress is found hanging from a rope with a poison pen letter at her feet. Though it appears to be a suicide, Hamish suspects something more sinister. Attempting to trace the letters, the last thing Hamish needs is any distractions, but soon Jenny Ogilvie arrives in Lochdubh determined to seduce him. Realizing that she is unable to take Hamish’s mind off his case, Jenny decides to do a little investigating of her own. Now, Hamish finds himself in a race to solve the mystery of the poison pen letters before someone else dies, including one likely target Jenny.

Death of a Bore

Minor writer John Heppel has a problem he’s by all accounts a consummate bore. When he s found dead in his cottage, there are plenty of suspects. But surely boredom shouldn t be cause for murder, or so thinks local bobby and sleuth Hamish Macbeth, whose investigation of Heppel s soap opera script uncovers much more than melodrama. Popular reader and actor Graeme Malcolm makes this intricate whodunit set in Beaton s beloved Scottish village a memorable audio experience. This is the newest title in the popular Hamish Macbeth series.

Death of a Dreamer

Enticed by fantasies of the simple life, dreamers are occasionally drawn north by the rugged Scottish landscape. They usually don t last, defeated by the climate or by inhospitable locals. But it looks as if Effie Garrand has come to stay. When local constable Hamish Macbeth calls on her after a particularly hideous winter, he’s amazed to find the small woman still in residence. Unfortunately, Effie is also quite delusional, having convinced herself and everyone else that local artist Jock Fleming is in love with her, and that they are engaged. After a huge fight with Jock, Effie is found in the mountains, poisoned by hemlock. Now, it’s up to Macbeth, the self styled ‘unambitious man,’ to find the dreamer s killer before any more nightmares unfold. M. C. Beaton s intricate plotting and lively characters are masterfully displayed in this unabridged audio version.

Death of a Maid

Done, dusted…
and dead! Armed with a bucket and mop, Mrs Gillespie is destined to bring misery into the life of Hamish Macbeth when he wins her maid services in a church raffle, knowing she is likely to do more snooping than actual cleaning. Yet Hamish has more upsetting issues to ponder his former girlfriend Elspeth Grant is back in Lochdubh for a holiday with her new boyfriend. Hamish feels an ill wind coming and sure enough, Mrs Gillespie is soon found dead under suspicious circumstances. And as he investigates the case, Elspeth’s presence torments the red haired bobby , making him resort to foolish antics instead of concentrating on the murder in hand. Praise for ‘The Hamish Macbeth Series’: ‘First rate…
deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere’ ‘Booklist’. ‘The detective novels of M C Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status’ Anne Robinson, ‘The Times’. ‘It’s always a treat to return to Lochdubh’ ‘New York Times’. ‘Readers will enjoy the quirks and unique qualities of the cast…
Beaton catches the beauty of the area’s natural geography and succinctly describes its distinct flavour’ ‘Library Journal’. ‘Befuddled, earnest and utterly endearing, Hamish makes his triumphs sweetly satisfying’ ‘Publishers Weekly’. ‘The much loved ‘Hamish Macbeth Series’…
beguiling blend of wry humour and sharp observations about rural life’ ‘Good Book Guide’.

Death of a Gentle Lady

Gentle by name, gentle by nature. Everyone in the sleepy Scottish town of Lochdubh adores elderly Mrs. Gentle everyone but Hamish Macbeth, that is. Hamish thinks the gentle lady is quite sly and vicious, and the citizens of Lochdubh think he is overly cranky. Perhaps it’s time for him to get married, they say. But who has time for marriage when there’s a murder to be solved? When Mrs. Gentle dies under mysterious circumstances, the town is shocked and outraged. Chief Detective Inspector Blair suspects members of her family, but Hamish Macbeth thinks there’s more to the story, and begins investigating the truth behind this lady’s gentle exterior. Presented unabridged on 5 CDs.

Death of a Witch

Returning from a foreign holiday, Constable Hamish Macbeth senses a dark cloud of evil hanging over his Scottish village of Lochdubh. A newcomer, Catriona Beldame, has cast a spell over the town, and word of her magical powers spreads as fast as the Highland fog. The local men are visiting Catriona’s cottage at all hours of the night and the women are outraged, ready to cast this witch into the sea loch. Hamish himself is charmed by her, too, until he begins to suspect that she is a danger to the town. The townsfolk simply don’t believe that Catriona is a serious threat, saying that the loveless constable has turned against all women, and before he can prove them wrong, she is murdered. Catriona, in her own wicked way, curses Hamish from beyond the grave, making him the prime suspect in her murder case. Hamish will call upon the assistance of a pretty female forensic expert as he attempts to clear his name perhaps he will find romance at last! Lochdubh’s loyal constable won’t give up until he can bring peace and quiet back to his beloved village.

Death of a Valentine

Amazing news has spread across the Scottish countryside. The most famous of highland bachelors, police sergeant Hamish Macbeth, may actually marry at last. The entire village of Lochdubh adores Macbeth’s bride to be. Josie McSween is Hamish’s new constable, and she is a pretty little thing, with glossy brown hair and big brown eyes. The local folk think that Josie is quite a catch, but Hamish couldn’t be more miserable.

The wedding wouldn’t be happening if it weren’t for the murder of a beautiful woman in a nearby village. After the gorgeous woman receives a deadly Valentine’s Day gift, Hamish and Josie take on the case. However, they soon discover that the list of the victim’s admirers is endless. The case confirms Hamish’s belief that love is extremely dangerous, but he still can’t avoid the events that lead up to his celebrated engagement.

Death of a Chimney Sweep / Death of a Sweep

In the south of Scotland, residents get their chimneys vacuum cleaned. But in the isolated villages in the very north of Scotland, the villagers rely on the services of the itinerant sweep, Pete Ray, and his old fashioned brushes. Pete is always able to find work in the Scottish highlands, until one day when Police Constable Hamish Macbeth notices blood dripping onto the floor of a villager’s fireplace, and a dead body stuffed inside the chimney. The entire town of Lochdubh is certain Pete is the culprit, but Hamish doesn’t believe that the affable chimney sweep is capable of committing murder. Then Pete’s body is found on the Scottish moors, and the mystery deepens. Once again, it’s up to Hamish to discover who’s responsible for the dirty deed and this time, the murderer may be closer than he realizes.

Death of a Kingfisher

When Scotland is hit by the recession, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth notices that the Highland people are forced to come up with inventive ways to lure tourists to their sleepy towns. The quaint village of Braikie doesn’t have much to offer, other than a place of rare beauty called Buchan’s Wood, which was bequeathed to the town. The savvy local tourist director renames the woods ‘The Fairy Glen,’ and has brochures printed with a beautiful photograph of a kingfisher rising from a pond on the cover. It isn’t long before coach tours begin to arrive. But just as the town’s luck starts to turn, a kingfisher is found hanging from a branch in the woods with a noose around its neck. As a wave of vandalism threatens to ruin Braikie forever, the town turns to Hamish Macbeth. And when violence strikes again,the lawman’s investigation quickly turns from animal cruelty to murder.

The Banishment

‘Charming…
A delight.’ Detroit Free PressCOULD SHE EVER LOVE A GENTLEMAN AS MUCH AS SHE LOVED HER MAGNIFICENT HOME?Isabella Beverley is blessed with unparalleled beauty but, unfortunately, has been raised in the most snobbish and haughtiest of families. And when her father gambles away their fortune including Mannerling, the exquisite family mansion Isabella discovers there is very little sympathy for her plight. As the eldest, Isabella is chosen to court Mr. Judd, the roguish bachelor who won Mannerling. Surely no sacrifice is too great to regain Mannerling? But tempting her away from Mr. Judd is Lord Fitzpatrick, an Irish rake who fears Isabella can never love a man as she does her home but is nonetheless determined to convince her to choose man over manse!’ANOTHER WINNER.’ Rendezvous

The Intrigue

NOTHING COULD STOP HER QUEST EXCEPT, PERHAPS, LOVE…
. Mannerling, the splendid family estate gambled away by Sir Beverly, remained the passionate desire of his daughters. Beverly himself had died; the eldest daughter, Isabella having failed in her bid to reclaim their home was blissfully wed. The mantle of savior then fell to the next eldest daughter, Jessica. How fortunate that the new owner of Mannerling had a marriageable son. In truth, Harry was a brutal lecher, a drunkard, and a wastrel, but Jessica, blinded by determination, vowed to secure a betrothal. She was barely aware of the attentions of handsome, charming Professor Robert Sommerville, whose affection for Jessica was equaled only by the fear that her obsession to secure Mannerling would lead to disaster for all concerned. As scandal and intrigue swirl around her, Jessica must discover where the heart finds true happiness…
.

The Deception

IT WAS AN UNFAIR DECISION TO BE FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HER HOME AND HER HEART…
. When one of her sisters is attacked by Harry Devers, the lecherous son of Mannerling’s present owner, Abigail Beverley puts her obsession with reclaiming the mansion on hold. And then Abigail meets the dashing and extremely eligible Lord Burfield, fresh back from the army and in full time pursuit of a bride. Yet unexpected circumstances force the insufferable Harry Devers to recuperate from a riding accident in the Beverley home, where Abigail’s twin sister Rachel nurses him back to health and into betrothal. Stirred from its brief slumber, Abigail’s fury returns, alive and kicking. So when Rachel begins to have doubts about marrying Harry, Abigail devises a daring plan to win back Mannerling once and for all. But perhaps Abigail would be better off concentrating on Lord Burfield, lest he be snapped up by Prudence Makepeace!

The Folly

HER MISSION WAS TO MARRY BUT FOR LOVE OR FOR DUTY?The pampered world of the six Beverley sisters came crashing down when their father gambled away the family’s exquisite estate, Mannerling. Each sister secretly dreamed of marrying some new owner of their old home and getting it back. Three have wed, happily choosing love over Mannerling. Like her sisters, Rachel, too, wishes to regain Mannerling. Now a new and most eligible bachelor has taken up residence: the handsome Charles Blackwood. But a bad first impression, a calculating Incomparable, and other intrigue stand between them along with an undeniable passion…
.

The Romance

SHE WAS DETERMINED TO RECLAIM HER CHERISHED HOME AT ANY COST…
. As one of the two remaining unmarried Beverley sisters, Belinda considered herself the last hope for Mannerling, the beloved estate gambled away by their father. Each of her four elder sisters had hoped even schemed to marry one of Mannerling’s successive owners. But all had chosen true love over their ancestral home. Practical and duty bound, Belinda would woo and wed Lord St. Clair, current holder of the estate. True, he was a silly fop, hardly what she desired in a husband, but she vowed to make the man love her even at the expense of her own happiness. However, dashing Lord Gyre could hardly ignore the ridiculous drama. Belinda was far too good for that dandy St. Clair. Therefore, his lordship decided it was his duty to win the lovely Belinda’s heart!

The Homecoming

WILL THE LAST BEVERLEY DAUGHTER MARRY FOR MANNERLING?Lizzie is the sixth and youngest daughter of the late Sir Beverely, the patriarch who gambled away their beloved estate, Mannerling. Each of Lizzie’s sisters had been entrusted by their ambitious mother to cast lures for the various owners of their former home. Instead, each one happily married for love. Now it’s Lizzie’s turn to save Mannerling. Yet the new owner, the Duke of Severnshire, is far too arrogant for Lizzie’s heart. And while the duke has no intentions toward the saucy chit, her curt dismissal of him is perplexing for no woman has ever refused him! Now, as his lavish house party to select a bride becomes a whirlwind of mismatches and scandal, lovely Lizzie is turning the duke’s own thoughts away from a suitable marriage to the wonders of falling in love!

My Lords, Ladies and Marjorie

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

Pretty Polly

Charlotte Manners was as stupid as she was beautiful. But she was bright enough to lure Verity Bascombe to her home in London and to convince Verity to write love letters in her name to the Duke of Denbigh. But then the Duke came to London and fell in love with both of them! Original Regency romance.

Snobbery with Violence

Set during the British aristocracy’s most decadent era an exciting new Edwardian mystery series When the beautiful if rebellious Lady Rose Summer is expected to receive a marriage proposal, her father wants to ascertain whether Sir Geoffrey Blandon’s intentions are hon orable. He calls on Captain Harry Cart wright, the impov erished younger son of a baron, to do some intelligence work. After his success in uncovering Geoffrey’s dishonorable motives, Harry fashions a career out of ‘fixing’ things for wealthy aristocrats. So when the Marquis of Hedrey finds one of his guests dead at a lavish house party, he knows just the man to call. But when Harry is pulled between his client’s desire for discretion and his suspicion that a murder may indeed have been com mitted, he considers entering into a dangerous pact with Superin tend ent Kerridge of the Scotland yard. Set in an Edwardian world teeming with house parties, hun dreds of servants, and the desperate fear of scandal, Snobbery with Violence is a marvelous combination of murderous intrigue and high society.

Hasty Death

Hasty Death An Edwardian Murder Mystery Marion Chesney ‘Fans of the author’s Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin mysteries, written under the name M. C. Beaton, will welcome this new series of historical whodunits.’ Booklist Eager to join the working clas*ses, Lady Rose Summer has abandoned the comforts of her parents’ home to become self supporting. Life as a working woman isn’t quite what Rose had imagined, but her drudgery ends soon enough with the untimely death of an acquaintance. In order to investigate the murder properly, Rose finds it necessary to return to London high society. With the help of Captain Harry Cathcart and Superintendent Kerridge of Scot land Yard, Rose prepares to do the social rounds uncovering a devious plot to blackmail and an unexpected killer. Praise for Snobbery with Violence: ‘Old hand Chesney…
maintains her charm and sassiness while indicting evergreen pomposity and class status stupidity.’ Kirkus reviews ‘Fans of the author’s Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series should welcome this tale of aristocrats, house parties, servants and murder.’ Publishers Weekly MARION CHESNEY, the widely acclaimed author of historical romances, also writes under the name M. C. Beaton. She currently divides her time between the English Cotswolds and Paris. Mystery 0 312 30453 6 $22. 95 / $32. 95 Can. 51/2′ x 81/4′ / 224 pages Hardcover

Sick of Shadows

Captain Harry Cathcart and Lady Rose Summer have entered into an engagement of convenience convenient for Rose, who wants to avoid being sent to India with all the other failed debutantes. Despite her considerable good looks, Rose’s sharp intellect and radical ideas have served to repel her would be suitors. Rose’s parents, unaware of the deception, are hardly thrilled that their only child is marrying a man in trade, but Harry comes from a good family, and at the very least, they hope he will keep their troublesome daughter out of mischief.

Unfortunately, even a pretend engagement cannot save Rose from trouble. Bored with endless parties, teas, and balls, she befriends Dolly Tremaine, a beautiful young girl newly arrived from the country and overwhelmed by the demands of the Season. Rose is delighted to have a prot g e but their friendship is cut tragically short when Dolly is found floating in a river. Harry is summoned immediately to help solve the mystery of Dolly’s death, and to keep Rose from being the murderer’s next victim.

Our Lady of Pain

THIS DEBUTANTE IS TO DIE FORLady Rose Summer, the wayward Edwardian debutante who keeps getting mixed up in disreputable adventures, would swear she is not a jealous woman. After all, she knows her engagement to private detective Captain Harry Cathcart is only a ploy to keep her parents from shipping her off to India to find a husband. But then Harry’s latest client, Dolores Duval a vision of curves with a seductive Parisian accent starts appearing everywhere at his side. And that changes everything. In a fit of rage, Rose threatens the French siren only to be found the very next day, standing over her dead body. Ooh la la! The newspapers rush to convict Rose, but can Harry and Superintendent Kerridge of Scotland Yard clear her name, and put the real murderer behind bars?

Miss Tonks Turns to Crime

Disguised as a highwayman, faded spinster Miss Letitia Tonks holds up the carriage that is transporting her lovely young niece, Cassandra, causing Lord Eston, himself in disguise, to fall in love with Cassandra in the process.

Mrs. Budley Falls from Grace

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.

Sir Philip’s Folly

The family plots an elaborate deception when Sir Philip brings home the vulgar and greedy Mrs. Budge, while Lady Carruthers pas*ses off her daughter as a school miss and sets her own cap for the young Earl of Denby whom the daughter also pursues. LJ.

Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue

Hoping to induce Sir Randolph Gray into paying an owed amount to the hotel, Colonel Sandhurst offers refuge and French culinary lessons to Gray’s daughter, Frederica, at The Poor Relation hotel and then pretends to hold her for ransom.

Back in Society

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.

To Dream of Love

Tired of living in poverty, Harriet Clifton invites herself to the posh London home of her widowed sister and attracts the attention of the dashing Marquess of Arden, on whom her vain, selfish sister has set her sights. Originally in paperback.

Miss Fiona’s Fancy

The Misses Penelope Yarwood, Euphemia Perkins, and Letitia Helmsdale all smugly informed her that the Marquess of Cleveden was at once the most eligible and the most elusive catch in the London marriage mart. Society’s most dazzling beauties had failed to win him over yet, and a newcomer like Fiona didn t stand a ghost of a chance of having him look at her twice. That was all that fiery tempered Fiona needed to hear, and she bet far more wealth than she possessed that she would snare the maddeningly elusive marquess before the season s end. Now Fiona faced the risk of losing a wager she could not repay and more, the even greater danger of losing her heart ABOUT THE SERIESLovers are joined by force by family pressure, by societal pressure, and cultural mores, but Chesney s heros and hero*ines never seem to want to give up on their search for the real thing. They are willing to go through almost anything in their hunt to find love they ll jump through hoops to avoid the tricks of outsiders who thrust them together for fortune that doesn t exist, they ll dance their way into the hearts of the most eligible bachelors using all of their charms, and if it takes even lessons in love the title of one of these page turners then so be it. The Love Series is all about love in its various forms, from lukewarm to searing hot and we re along for the ride. ABOUT THE AUTHORFrom 1977 to the early 1990s, Marion Chesney wrote over one hundred romance novels. Now writing as M. C. Beaton, she is the bestselling award winning author of two internationally successful mystery series HAMISH MACBETH and AGATHA RAISIN. She lives in the United Kingdom.

Lessons in Love

One of Chesney’s best Regencies features a young woman betrothed at the tender age of 10 to the gentleman that had kidnapped her. Her father had no idea when he arranged the engagement what a beauty his daughter would become.

Marriage of Inconvenience

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

The Glitter And The Gold

Fanny and her bridegroom had been tricked. Both sets of parents had decided to recoup their familes’ losses by marrying their children to a wealthy neighbour. But niether family had a penny to their name. As they set out to help each other find a partner with money, they discover that true love might have nothing to do with riches.

The Marquis Takes a Bride

Miss Jennie Bemyss was in a position that any intelligent young lady would envy. The wealthy Marquis of Charrington has proposed a marriage of convenience, and the handsome Guy Chalmers, whom she has loved since childhood, proposed to aid her in enjoying her freedom to the fullest. Why, then, did she feel so confused? Regency romance original.

The Ghost and Lady Alice

Winner of the Romantic Times Award for Outstanding Regency Series WriterAlice Lovesey and the long deceased Eighth Duke of Haversham met quite accidentally one night as she gazed into his handsome portrait and called upon someone to save her from her miserable life as a servant in the home of the cruel Tenth Duke. Though unwilling at first, His Grace soon saw some promise in the chit. Included only in Romance 12 Series.

Duke’s Diamonds

Emily had been retrieved from orphanage life for the exclusive position of companion to Sir Peregrine’s hound, Duke. Upon the gentleman s death, Emily and Duke inherited a fortune in diamonds. But Duke soon fell prey to greedy relatives, and Emily had to protect herself from Lord Storm, who had declared Emily s pedigree quite unsuitable, while at the same time threatening to steal her heart ABOUT THE SERIESCountesses, Marquises, Lords and Ladies, Viscounts and Princesses all meet in the Royal series where they at once both live and try to avoid lives of scandal and sin, where love we pray trumps all but revenge is sometimes the name of the game, especially if inheritance, notoriety and fortune are part of the hand. Here, many threads are skillfully interwoven in a highly entertaining series that never fails to please or fall short of its mark. ABOUT THE AUTHORFrom 1977 to the early 1990s, Marion Chesney wrote over one hundred romance novels. Now writing as M. C. Beaton, she is the bestselling award winning author of two internationally successful mystery series HAMISH MACBETH and AGATHA RAISIN. She lives in the United Kingdom.

The Viscount’s Revenge

A labyrinth of love and larceny evolves after the theft of a Duke’s fabled family jewels, his love for a penniless young girl, and his forthcoming marriage to a most beautiful and suitable Lady. Follows AT THE SIGN OF THE GOLDEN PINEAPPLE.

Lady Lucy’s Lover

Lucy meets the charismatic Duke of Habard at a ball and imagines being released from her marriage to a dissolute playboy whom, he reveals, was paid by her parents to marry her.

My Dear Duchess

Sloe eyed, winsome Frederica Sayers, fresh from the schoolroom, married the Duke of Westerland and set the Ten thousand a twitter! All because her social climbing stepsister, Clarissa, missed her chance to snare him, never guessing he would soon claim a coronet. Now the beautiful Clarissa again casts her shimmering nets for his lordship. And jet haired little Frederica, wed in haste, must win her young Lord’s love…
before he succumbs to Clarissa’s golden charms.

The Desirable Duchess

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.

The Dreadful Debutante

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

Constant Companion

I am Miss Lamberton. Miss Constance Lamberton. I hoped that you would employ me as your companion. So it was that quiet, reserved Constance came to the household of the haughty but beautiful Lady Amelia. She would serve as the lady’s chaperone throughout the Season s many festivities, finding herself an unwitting accomplice in Lady Amelia s scheme to trap the very eligible Lord Philip into marriage. But it was not Lady Amelia who won Lord Philip s heart. It was the pale, golden eyed Constance herself. And very soon, Constance became Lady Philip Cautry. It was not a marriage made in heaven, but surely in time And then Constance disappeared. Lord Philip didn t know how or why. Nor did he care. All that mattered to him was the safe return of his beloved Constance ABOUT THE SERIESDetermined hero*ines run the gamut from those who set out by running a confectioners sweet shop to others who are willing to disguise themselves as boys to get by and do what they have to do. Whatever the matter, the Regency series brings us hero*ines of style, grace, and determination women who are not afraid to use their smarts to seek the stature or standing they feel they need. They may come from humble beginnings or not, depending but what these hero*ines share is a determination unmatched that leaves us turning page after page as we follow them in their dance. ABOUT THE AUTHORFrom 1977 to the early 1990s, Marion Chesney wrote over one hundred romance novels. Now writing as M. C. Beaton, she is the bestselling award winning author of two internationally successful mystery series HAMISH MACBETH and AGATHA RAISIN. She lives in the United Kingdom.

The Education of Miss Patterson

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.

The Perfect Gentleman

Regency RomanceLarge Print EditionLord Andrew Childe was every inch The Perfect Gentleman. But his arrogant composure was shattered by the impertinent Penelope Mortimer, an achingly lovely country miss with a decided knack for ruffling his feathers. Her knack for trouble landed Mr. Perfect in some awkward situations, not the least of which was love…
Chaste

Dancing on the Wind

I am going to die, Polly thought. The crowd clamoured for a speech. Polly raised her hands and they fell silent. From the foot of the gallows, she asked the spectators why she, a poor woman, should hang for theft, while the abbess of Covent Garden can commit murder on the souls of innocent country girls over and over again, and yet go free. And then she condemned them to hell.

Emily Goes to Exeter

A dead employer’s legacy of five thousand pounds allows spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and find adventure travelling the English countryside by stagecoach. But adventure soon finds Miss Pym in the form of Miss Emily Freemantle, a spoilt violet eyed beauty fleeing an arranged marriage to a rake she has never met. What the girl s darkly handsome betrothed boards their stage, Miss Pym is certain Emily was rash to bolt from this aristocratic catch! And so as soon as the travellers repair to an inn, Miss Pym begins her matchmaking and although Lord Ranger Harley complains he ll not marry an ungrateful minx, Miss Pym suspects once she s marshalled the couple into sharing intimate household chores, all romantic knots will be untangled!

Penelope Goes to Portsmouth

Certain that practical minded Penelope Wilkins, the daughter of a rich merchant, would be the perfect mate for handsome but carefree Lord Augustus, Miss Pym uses her skills to bridge the gap between their personality differences. K.

Beatrice Goes to Brighton

Fleeing a forced marriage on the stagecoach to Brighton, Lady Beatrice Marsham, the lovely widow of a brutish gambler, encounters Miss Hannah Pym, who sets out to match the lady with the handsome, kindly Lord Alistair Munro.

Deborah Goes to Dover

Miss Pym has her matchmaking work cut out for her when, enroute to Dover, she meets Lady Deborah Western, a lovely lady who is determined to be a tomboy.

Yvonne Goes to York

En route to York, shy Miss Yvonne Greneir a fugitive of the French Revolution is frightened when an enemy boards the stage, but Miss Hannah Pym soon places her in the hands of an able gentleman.

Silken Bonds

RomanceLarge Print EditionThough Frederica chafed at the restricted life she lived as the adopted daughter of an infamous bluestocking, she did agree with the philosophy. Until men learned to appreciate intellectual equals, Frederica was better off without them. But her sisters elopement sparked fires of romance in Fredericas well educated head. She was ripe for the considerable charms of Lord Harry Danger who had saved her from a pack of drunken thugs. Now if he would only treat her as an equal and stop the silly flirting…

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