Lovely Rachel Beverley, 19, having narrowly avoided an entanglement with a cad more interested in her former family home, Mannerling, than in her lissome person, is surprisingly still in that house's spell. The new owner, widower Charles Blackwood, is thought at "nearly forty" to be too old for marriage prospects by the remaining Misses Beverley, including Rachel. But a chance meeting with him, during which Rachel castigates the man for his inattention to his two children, shows her what a handsome and impressive "old" man he is. Shades of the Von Trapps, with fewer kids and no singing nuns. Two potential rivals are introduced to quell this budding attraction, as are hauntings, intrigues and a near-murder. And then there is the Beverleys' scheming reputation: for although Mannerling seems to be loosening its hold on Rachel, does she really want the man or the manor? Chesney's sketchy plotting and facile resolution of the lovers' situation will not disturb her many fans.From Publishers WeeklyFollowing hard on the heels of The Deception (1996), the fourth installment of the Daughters of Mannerling series is yet another frothy good time. Lovely Rachel Beverley, 19, having narrowly avoided an entanglement with a cad more interested in her former family home, Mannerling, than in her lissome person, is surprisingly still in that house's spell. The new owner, widower Charles Blackwood, is thought at "nearly forty" to be too old for marriage prospects by the remaining Misses Beverley, including Rachel. But a chance meeting with him, during which Rachel castigates the man for his inattention to his two children, shows her what a handsome and impressive "old" man he is. Shades of the Von Trapps, with fewer kids and no singing nuns. Two potential rivals are introduced to quell this budding attraction, as are hauntings, intrigues and a near-murder. And then there is the Beverleys' scheming reputation: for although Mannerling seems to be loosening its hold on Rachel, does she really want the man or the manor? Chesney's sketchy plotting and facile resolution of the lovers' situation will not disturb her many fans. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. From BooklistChesney's Daughters of Mannerling, her sixth Regency series, continues in a fourth volume that addresses the marital hopes of Rachel Beverley. Like her older sisters in The Banishment , The Intrigue , and The Deception (1996), Rachel is obsessed with Mannerling, the estate her family lost due to her late father's gambling debts. She hopes to impress widower Charles Blackwood, who has moved to Mannerling with his young children and his father, a retired general; however, at their first meeting, she rashly berates him for neglecting the children and consigning them to a spiteful governess. The Beverleys' enigmatic, seldom-paid governess, Miss Trumble, plays her usual deus ex machina role, bringing the Beverleys and the Blackwoods together despite gossip and other obstacles, and The Folly, which refers to both the Beverleys' foolish edifice complex and the Grecian temple the Blackwoods have built to replace the structure destroyed in an earlier volume, closes with multiple marriage proposals. Formula fiction, but Chesney's formula produces lively characters and an entertaining story. Mary Carroll

The newest master of 67 Clarges Street--that good address in London’s fashionable Mayfair--is a single gentleman, the handsome, rich, and notorious rake Lord Guy Carlton. After years of fighting in the wars against Napoleon, the dashing lord is determined to kick up his heels with wine, women, and song, undeterred by appalled reaction. Never before have the Clarges Street servants earned so much money or eaten so well, but their pleasure-loving master seems liable to die of dissipation. In desperation, the staff, led by the witty and resourceful butler, Rainbird, sets out to find a “good woman” who can calm the lord’s boisterous spirit and save his black soul. Their search ends with the discovery of Miss Esther Jones of Berkely Square, a prim and righteous woman who seems the perfect reformer. But complications lie ahead as the servants’ ingenious scheme creates warmhearted chaos both above and below the stairs at 67 Clarges Street, and no one, not even Miss Jones herself, is prepared for the transformation that ultimately takes place. ### From Publishers Weekly The fourth volume in Chesney's Regency romance series (A House for the Season pits the libertine renters of the seasonal house on Clarges Street against a beautiful but moralistic spinster in a nearby residence. Followers of the series are acquainted with the colorful retainers, led by the butler Rainbird, who constitute the below-stairs "family," and who cope with the antics of their ever-changing employers. This time, rich, womanizing Lord Guy Carlton and his buddy, bent on erasing memories of their experiences in the Napoleonic wars, throw wild parties in the house. The butler disapproves but sees an opportunity for "a good woman to reform a rake" by bringing together the dissipating lord and Miss Esther Jones, a prim beauty who keeps an open Bible on display in her forbidding parlor. Predictably, the reformer's role is reversed; Esther succumbs to the now erstwhile rake, as Chesney once again adroitly manipulates the floating upstairs population that keeps the downstairs on its toes. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. ### From Library Journal In this fourth volume of a series of six, "A House for the Season," all the elements for a good Regency finally come together. The house at 67 Clarges Street and its domestic staff serves as the linking entity of the series. Rainbird, the butler, heads a motley crew of servants. They have banded together as a family; their aim in life is to buy a pub and leave service behind. Into this menage comes Lord Guy Carlton, invalided home from the Napoleonic Wars. Lots of wine and women are the order of the day for this young buck of the ton. At 120 Berkeley Square resides Miss Esther Jones, repressed spinster of 26, with her young brother and sister. Rainbird et al. connive to bring together this unlikely pair. Add a mistaken identity for my lord's foreign valet and this is a witty, charming, touching bit of Regency froth. Highly recommended. Paula M. Zieselman, Sarah Lawrence Coll. Lib., Bronxville, Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth’s new promotion means more money, but it also means that an eager beaver of a policeman has been thrust upon him, interfering with Hamish’s easygoing way of life. Fans of the lazy Hamish will delight in seeing him pitted against a zealous young officer while solving a disturbing murder.

Occasionally, the rugged landscape of Scotland attracts dreamers who move north, wrapped in fantasies of enjoying the simple life. 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, he is amazed to find the small woman still in residence after a particularly hideous winter. 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 Hamish Macbeth to find the dreamer’s killer – before any more nightmares unfold.

When Priscilla Halburton-Smythe brings her London playwright fiancé home to Lochdubh, the whole town is delighted – save perhaps for love-smitten bobby Hamish Macbeth. But the morning after a posh engagement party, one of the guests, Captain Bartlett, is murdered on a grouse hunt. Unfortunately, the prime suspects are the party guests. And a second murder soon follows the first. Now Hamish Macbeth must cut through the alibis before the killer strikes again…all the while trying to woo the lovely Priscilla from her jealous boyfriend.

The Beast; that was what they called her. With her plump body and rough tomboy ways, she felt more like a clown. It was hopeless. Poor penniless Tilly could only sit among the chaperons as a paid companion to the spiteful Lady Aileen. The best she could do was sit; sit and dream. But suddenly Phillip, Marquess of Heppleford, the most eligible bachelor of all - decided he wanted her for himself, to be his wife, and they were married. His intent was to keep his freedom, fulfill the conditions of his father's will, and shock his aunts. He never imagined he'd return from a scandalous adventure in Paris only to find a seductive beauty - a beauty who had learned that loving well is the best revenge.

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!

Beautiful newcomer Mary Fortune is superior in every way, especially when it comes to gardening. But when Mary is discovered murdered, buried upside down in a pot, Agatha Raisin seizes the moment and immediately starts yanking up village secrets by their roots and digging the dirt on the hapless victim.

Miss Honeyford was sour on romance, but she had been duly dispatched to London to save the family fortune by hunting for (and securing) a wealthy husband - and thereby proving her role as a loving if not entirely dutiful daughter. Honoraria obeyed. But if she was reluctantly willing to surrender her hand, this beautiful young lady who could ride, shoot, and argue with any man was not about to lose her head or her heart to any of the dismal cads in lads of the Marriage Mart. First she met the arrogantly attractive Lord Alistair Stewart, who treated her infuriatingly like a little girl. And then she met the skillfully seductive Lord Channington, who treated her intoxicatingly like the desirable full-grown woman that she was. But now that she had a choice, which role would she choose and just how much risk was she willing to run?

DEATH OF A GOSSIP When society widow and gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joins the local fishing class she wastes no time in ruffling feathers - or should that be fins? - of those around her. Among the victims of her sharp tongue is Lochdubh constable Hamish Macbeth, yet not even Hamish thinks someone would seriously want to silence Lady Jane's shrill voice permanently - until her strangled body is fished out of the river. Now with the help of the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish must steer a course through the choppy waters of the tattler's life to find a murderer. But with a school of suspects who aren't willing to talk, and the dead woman telling no tales, Hamish may well be in over his head for he knows that secrets are dangerous, knowledge is power, and killers when cornered usually do strike again. DEATH OF A CAD When Priscilla Halburton-Smythe brings her London playwright fiancé home to Lochdubh, everyone in town is delighted... except for love-smitten Hamish...

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.

Agatha Raisin is bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but she'll scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog. Only two things seem to offer potential excitement: Christmas, and her ex, James Lacey. This year Agatha's sure that if she invites James to a splendid Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log...but that fantasy will have to wait for now. A wealthy widow--who sent Agatha a letter before her death saying one of her family intended to kill her--has been found dead. Now Agatha must set out to find the murderer, even though, in her heart, she's still dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones she and James used to know....