From Publishers WeeklyWritten with the graceful prose rhythms that have garnered her two Edgar nominations, Frazer's 10th tale of 15th-century nun Dame Frevisse (following The Reeve's Tale) transports the reader to a medieval England made vivid and a world of emotions as familiar then as now. Despite Frevisse's devotion to the religious routine of prayer and silence (not absolute) and her infrequent contact with those outside the nunnery of St. Frideswide, she remains an astute observer and interpreter of what she does see. Duty sends her into the troubled household of Squire Robert as companion to Dame Claire, who is asked to minister to Robert's pregnant wife, Blaunche. A dispute over a manor claimed by Lady Blaunche before she wed Robert threatens to erupt into armed conflict. Robert, against Blaunche's wish, hopes to negotiate a settlement with Sir Lewis Allesley by marrying his ward, Katherine, to Allesley's son, Drew. Blaunche wants not only to keep the disputed manor but to see her son (and Robert's stepson), Benedict, wed Katherine. Frevisse and Claire are thrown into the middle of a squall of desires, jealousies and intrigue that begins before they reach Robert's manor and won't end before murder is done. Frevisse once again must use her skills to solve a crime. Finely plotted and subtly shaded, Frazer's tale has the detailed substance that brings an era to life, while her characters' psychological makeup is as cunningly wrought as the historical background. (Dec. 12) Forecast: This is a veteran series that continues to grow in qualityDand popularity. If booksellers focus on this title and its medieval setting (and push it to readers of history as well as to mystery buffs), the book's Christmas-time pub date could make it Frazer's bestselling to date. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From BooklistThe latest installment in Frazer's Dame Frevisse series provides a detailed portrait of life in fourteenth-century England. The slow-moving plot revolves around land holdings and forced marriages. Robert Fenner married the twice-widowed Lady Blaunche to obtain her properties. The ownership of one of these manors is in dispute. Robert is willing to settle by arbitration, but the greedy Blaunche has other plans. Dame Frevisse and Dame Claire find themselves in the midst of this turmoil when they escort Katherine, one of the household's young women, home from their convent. Conflicting loyalties, secrets, and greed lead to murder, and Dame Frevisse must see that justice is done. Historical mysteries tend to fall into two camps: those that are primarily mysteries and those that stress the history. Frazer's novel falls into the second category (there is little action before the last few chapters) and, thus, will appeal more to readers of historical fiction than to mystery lovers. Sharan Newman's Catherine Le Vendeur novels are a better bet for those who want more mystery and less history. Barbara BibelCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

In a world very much like our own Victorian England, the country of Dalanine is at war. The implacable, unstoppable Despot has been pushing northward for over a year, conquering everything in his path with military and magical force, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake.For Evon Lorantis, Dalanine's most promising young magician, the war represents the same kind of work he's always done, inventing and developing new spells for his country's defense. But as good as he is, he's still stumped by the mystery the government's department of Home Defense brings him: a rash of spontaneously occurring fires, hotter than any natural force can produce, melting stone and vaporizing flesh wherever they strike. Home Defense believes it's a weapon that will finally defeat the Despot. And they want Evon to harness it.In investigating the problem, Evon discovers these fires are no accident; there's a magician behind them, a woman using the fire to prosecute justice on her own terms. Evon...

A curious gentleman in hot pursuit of an intriguing lady in disguise may find love under the Christmas tree this season as New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp sets Regency Edinburgh aglitter for the holidays!Rylla Campbell is determined to rescue her brother from a life of dissipation, whether he wants to be rescued or not. But how to find him amid the gambling hells of Regency Edinburgh? By disguising herself as a young man, of course! Her scheme seems to be working, until Lord Gregory Rose sees through her rather fetching disguise—and steals a kiss that thrills Rylla to the tips of her toes. Maybe Lord Rose is just what she needs to continue her quest to bring her brother home by Christmas. He knows his way around the darker side of the city...and if Rylla finds herself facing him under the mistletoe now and then, who could blame her?

What do you want from life? A pathway to a respectable career? An escape from a respectable career? Acceptance by society? Escape from society? What would you do to get it? In Summer Shorts, author Jan Earl Miller explores those questions through four dark tales. If Jan's first book The Boys Next Door was a light-hearted beer and a dooby, Summer Shorts is a dry Merlot served on a dark night.

No one's going to stop Captain Gringo!He's snatched his life from the noose, wangled his freedom from his Army jailer, cajoled bed, board and a disguise from the town madam. He's a man on the run – Captain Gringo. By wit, by guile, by force, by skill with guns and women, he'll burn his way across the border – wiping out a troop of Rurales and the sadistic pervert who commands them, leading a guerilla band on daredevil raids, hijacking, fighting, killing, winning. He's Captain Gringo, driven by fate to be a soldier of fortune and by sheer will to be – a renegade.WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT ADULT CONTENT

Richard Sharpe and the Waterloo Campaign, 15 June to 18 June 1815. It is 1815. Sharpe is serving on the personal staff of the inexperienced and incompetent Young Frog, William, Prince of Orange, who has been given command of a large proportion of the Allied force. More concerned with cutting a dash at a grand society ball in Brussels, the Young Frog refuses to listen to Sharpe's scouting reports of an enormous army marching towards them with the lately returned Napoleon at its head. When the Battle of Waterloo commences, Sharpe has to stand by and watch military folly on a grand scale. But at the height of the conflict, just as victory seems impossible, he makes a momentous decision. With his usual skill, courage and determination he takes command and the most hard-fought and bloody battle of his career becomes Sharpe's own magnificent triumph.

Cat lovers will laugh out loud at the quirkiness of their feline friends with these insightful and curious poems from the singular minds of housecats. In this hilarious book of tongue-in-cheek poetry, the author of the internationally syndicated comic strip Sally Forth helps cats unlock their creative potential and explain their odd behavior to ignorant humans. With titles like "Who Is That on Your Lap?," "This Is My Chair," "Kneel Before Me," "Nudge," and "Some of My Best Friends Are Dogs," the poems collected in I Could Pee on This perfectly capture the inner workings of the cat psyche. With photos of the cat authors throughout, this whimsical volume reveals kitties at their wackiest, and most exasperating (but always lovable).