A man infiltrates a tycoon's castle to find out who pushed his sister down a flight of stairs in this "enjoyable Gothic mystery that keeps you guessing" ( Kirkus Reviews).Vance is an experienced female impersonator, so when his beloved twin sister, Vanessa, winds up in a coma after a suspicious fall, he has a unique way to investigate. Using her clothes and makeup—and his striking resemblance to his twin—he works his way into the remote castle of Vanessa's...

Returning home to England from New York, Margot finds her family in chaos. Her cousin Chloe is in prison awaiting trial for murdering her twin sister Claudia, their mother has withdrawn into the imaginary world of her romance novels, Claudia’s fourteen-year-old daughter has regressed to early childhood and refuses to leave her bed, and to top it all off, the family cat has decided to live with the neighbors.As Chloe’s trial approaches, the atmosphere in the house becomes increasing...

Agatha Award–Winning Author: When a book critic dies in an English village, a mystery-writing sleuth smells a rat.A number of mystery authors, including Lorinda Lucas, call the village of Brimful Coffers home. Occasionally, there is a violent death . . . for example, the demise of a hapless rat, done in by Lorinda's two kitties.But when the victims are book critic Plantagenet Sutton and a visiting writer, Lorinda finds the case much more difficult to solve—...

A suspenseful tale of murder and mystery in a dysfunctional British family: "Babson is as easy to read as ever" ( Kirkus Reviews).Margot has come back to England from America to show solidarity with her extended family in the midst of a scandalous murder trial. Cousin Chloe stands accused of stabbing her identical twin sister, Claudia, and Margot's well-to-do relatives are, understandably, a mess—that is to say, even more dysfunctional than usual. One is e...

Can this housecat prevent a homicide? An "inventive" mystery from the Agatha Award–winning author ( Chicago Tribune).The Harpers have traded their New England home for a cottage in the original England—just for the summer. Their cozy new house even comes complete with Esmond, a timid marmalade cat.But the peaceful village starts to feel less welcoming when an attempt is made on Mr. Harper's life. Now, amid secrets and suspicions, they must sniff ou...

This mystery "immerses the reader in English village life [with] a cast of delightful characters, including cats" ( Publishers Weekly).Mystery writer Lorinda Lucas doesn't like the trend toward overly gruesome crime fiction—but she's even more upset about Roscoe, the cat who lives next door. He used to look well-fed and well cared for, but when Lorinda gets back from her most recent book tour, she's worried by his dangerously skinny appearance.It t...

This whimsical mystery starring an actor who takes a fall and wakes up as a feline is "quite simply, the cat's meow" ( Publishers Weekly).Shakespearean actor Winstanley Fortescue is known as a hound dog when it comes to the ladies. But when someone pushes him off a ladder, he falls on the theater's resident cat—and somehow the two of them wind up trading bodies.It takes a while to get used to living on four legs, but it's the perfect way for Winsta...

A whisker away from death …A summer in England sounds like a great idea for the Harper family—and the house exchange makes it so affordable. Now they’ve swapped their New England home for a lovely cottage in a village near London. Why, the house even comes with a cat, a shy marmalade named Esmond. Everything seems purrfect … until someone tries to kill Mr. Harper.Now the genteel village feels sinister, the snooty next-door neighbor is acting suspicious, an...

A pigeon in the sky with diamonds pulls an ordinary woman into a perilous mystery, in this novel by an Agatha Award–winning author.Bettina Bilby doesn't have much fun living with her nagging, critical mother—but at least this weekend she gets to temporarily take in her friend's four cats. Then, after a rainstorm, one of her four-footed guests finds a dead carrier pigeon—and a fortune in diamonds—outside the house.As Bettina wonders what to do about this tre...

They had explored every avenue, and it seemed that murder was their only salvation.Reggie and Midge, genteel husband and wife who live in what was the family’s more or less stately home, are now the reluctant managers of Chortlesby Manor Hotel, an English country inn of no particular distinction. But even this transformation will not solve their financial problems. The possibility of succor comes instead in a transatlantic phone call from Midge’s old classmate, Victoria, who is arr...

A millionaire's cat may be the key to a murder mystery in this delightful novel from an Agatha Award–winning author.When Annabel Hinchby-Smythe accepts an offer to serve as interior decorator to computer mogul Arthur Arbuthnot, she can't help noticing that no one in the house seems to genuinely like the tycoon—aside from his cat, Sally.After Arthur's sudden death—and the revelation that Sally is named sole inheritor in his will—Annabel's new task will be fi...

A dentist's office becomes a crime scene: "Uproarious . . . a hilarious cast of characters . . . sparkling comedy" ( Publishers Weekly).Endicott Zayle is a dentist to the rich and famous—as well as to public relations partners Doug Perkins and Gerry Tate. Now, he desperately needs their help. It looks like his use of an experimental anesthetic has come back to bite him, and a beautiful model lies dead in his dentist's chair.There may be more to the...