Lady Jane Lovelace has conceived the idea of approaching the most notorious man about town, Lord Charles Welbourne, with a most unique proposition. But when he counters her offer with a condition that he thinks will halt her impudence, much to the surprise of both, she accepts. A novel of passion and intrigue, The Westerby Inheritance is the first volume of this new and emotionally charged romantic saga all played out against a backdrop of elegant eighteenth century society.

After a home dye job ruins her hair, Agatha Raisin, the prickly yet lovable amateur sleuth, turns to the wonderful new hairdresser in the neighboring town for help. And as Agatha soon learns, Mr. John is as skilled at repairing her coiffure as he is at romancing her heart. But the charming Mr. John isn't all he appears to be. According to gossip around the salon and the village, some of his former clients seem to be afraid of him. Could Mr. John really be a ruthless blackmailer? When a murderer strikes at the busy salon, Agatha must discover the truth and the killer's identity before it's too late.

Left with bald patches thanks to the wicked doings of a murderer from a previous investigation, Agatha flees to the coastal resort of Wyckhadden to grow her tresses back in privacy. When a local witch provides her with hair tonic Agatha's hair begins to flow–but the witch is found bludgeoned to death.The odd elderly residents who inhabit Agatha's elegantly faded hotel seem innocuous enough, but as she delves into the killing she turns up secrets best left undiscovered, and powerful motives for revenge. Balancing the amorous attentions of police inspector Jimmy Jessop with an increasingly treacherous search for the culprit, Agatha is at her wit's end–and ready to cast a spell of her own...

This little piggy went to investigate… After a disappointing Christmas season, the touristy Cotswold town of Winter Parva is upping the stakes with an old-fashioned pig roast, complete with music, merriment, and medieval Morris-dancing. Always one for a good roasting, Agatha Raisin is looking forward to the event, especially after a heated dispute over a traffic ticket has her picturing a certain boorish cop turning on the spit. But when the big night arrives—and the smoke clears—Agatha notices that the slow-roasting “pig” has a tattoo with the name Amy on it. It’s the body of the policeman who had Agatha all fired up. And now his ex-wife Amy wants her to find the butcher who did the deed—and solve a murder that’s disturbingly well done...

Finding out who set a rich tart’s car on fire while she was still in it requires all Scottish Police Constable Hamish Macbeth’s extraordinary common sense and insight into human nature. When it comes to solving a murder, Hamish lets no grass grow under his feet – not even when the killer appears to be the wrong person entirely.

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.From Library JournalMeek and mousy Miss Tonks bravely sets out to steal from her wealthy but overbearing sister to get the needed funds to resurrect the hotel she runs with her compatriots. Though they despair of her ability to do so, Miss Tonks returns not only with the goods but with her niece Cassandra as well. Cassandra is fleeing her domineering mother's attempts to marry her to Lord Eston and sees her aunt's single, independent lifestyle as attractive. This second volume of Chesney's latest series, "The Poor Relation," combines zany characters with light-hearted romance and a well-developed scenario to produce an engaging Regency, despite the silly title. Followers of Chesney and Regency readers will enjoy.- Leslie A. Bleil, Western Michigan Univ. Lib., KalamazooCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.