"You should marry again." Beatrice sympathized with Gijs van der Eekerk. A widower with a small child and a busy medical career needed someone to make sure his domestic life ran smoothly. What she hadn't counted on was his decision to offer her the position. As his wife, she would have a comfortable lifestyle and everything that money could buy. But what was that, if Gijs couldn't offer her what she truly wanted—love?

A perfect wife? Everyone in Mary's family agreed that she would make some man a perfect wife one day. Mary's problem was that the only man she had ever even thought about marrying was eminent heart specialist Roel van Rakesma. But it had been clear from the start that any attention Professor van Rakesma paid her was purely professional. His only interest was in curing frail hearts, not mending broken ones!

‘The sense of power made my head swim long before I tasted the champagne.’ Gemma Kyle is her uncle’s only source of delight. She is everything that he is not: beautiful and affectionate, innocent and carefree. From childhood, she has turned to him for advice. And in return he has led her astray... Gemma’s life is secure and outwardly happy. Her husband is a successful doctor. She has two children, an au pair, and no need to work. But she is bored, and when Alexander, her uncle, meets David, an out-of-work actor, he decides that Gemma must meet him too. What could be more delicious than to corrupt her? As Alexander and Gemma delve deeper into a dangerous game, things threaten to unravel completely... Disturbing and unputdownable, An Evil Streak is a masterly story of love, sex, and the lies we tell each other – and ourselves. Praise for An Evil Streak ‘I was quite unable to put it down – a marvellous tour de force.’ Margaret Drabble ‘Its readability has an uncommon hold, and the narrative brings unexpected bends, dips and heights... The book itself glows with inner balance. Buy it.’ The Times

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A delightful cocktail that mixes elements of the Bridgerton series, Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple mysteries . . . The payoff is a wealth of wit, hilarity and suspense.”—People (Book of the Week) When a wealthy bachelor drops dead at a ball, a young lady takes on the decidedly improper role of detective in this action-packed debut comedy of manners and murder. This edition includes a reader’s guide and a sneak peek at Beatrice Steele’s return in A Terribly Nasty Business! Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township: She is terrible at needlework, has absolutely no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with true crime. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, she’d be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever. For her family’s sake, she’s vowed to put her obsession behind her. Eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that younger daughter Louisa will steal his heart. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior—a difficult challenge when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball. Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear that the guests are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire’s infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires—before anyone else is murdered. A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Arabella recently lost her parents in an accident. Now she lives in a London basement and works in a hospital as a custodian. At first her employer, Dr. Titus Tavener, ridicules her; however, as Arabella excels at her work and brightens up the hospital with her charm, Titus can’t help but look at her differently. Upon learning of her tragic past and former nobility, he decides to come to her aid by proposing to her.?But Arabella resists?she won’t have anything to do with his pity…or a loveless marriage!

Easy Reading Shakespeare! Introduce your students to the famous literary accomplishments of William Shakespeare. Easy-reading adaptations will ignite the interest of reluctant and enthusiastic readers. Each of these condensed works is arranged in a ten-chapter format with key words designed and used in context. Multiple-choice questions require students to recall specific details, sequence events, draw inferences, develop new story names, and choose the main idea. Improves fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Grade 3 reading level.

It was more than a family matter Dr. Duert ter Brandt disapproved of Christina’s relationship with his brother, Adam, and he made sure they both knew it. True, he didn’t stop Chrissy from coming to Holland to work near Adam. Still, he made it clear that her infatuation was not in the best interest of his hospital. But maybe he had other—hidden—reasons for hoping that Chrissy would give up her notion of love at first sight….

THE STORY: A cross between traditional Italian commedia and postmodern vaudeville, this new version of Goldoni's classic pits the madcap servant Truffaldino against masters, mistresses, lovers, lawyers and twenty-seven plates of meatballs. Imagine