Between mugs of hot chocolate and nibbles of gingerbread, Delaney has been given the task of tracking down the provenance of a mysterious box of objects that her boss, Edwin, has recently acquired. In it are various trinkets, but what really catches Delaney's eye is a worn copy of A Christmas Carol, where she also finds an old photo tucked inside. On the back is a name, which leads her to a woman whose granddaughter has gone missing. When it becomes clear that the box might be connected to the missing girl, Delaney is pulled into the intrigue, and takes it upon herself to figure out what really happened—and why.

    Introducing the science of "proxemics," Hall demonstrates how man's use of space can affect personal business relations, cross-cultural exchanges, architecture, city planning, and urban renewal.

    But he's less charmed by the two corpses he stumbles upon in a back room. Boyle summons "The Bishop," Chief Inspector Reginald F. Bishop of Scotland Yard, who in turn calls in Professor John Stubbs, a rotund amateur criminologist. The pipe-smoking, beer-drinking professor, the skeptical, world-weary Bishop, and the protesting Boyle — who would rather be basking in the sun on the Isles of Scilly — soon discover a web of skulduggery and dark deeds. Fueled as much by the friction between their personalities as their enthusiasm, the crime-solving trio threads a maze through the city's book and print emporia, grappling with a puzzle likely to baffle even the most astute armchair detectives.Bodies in a Bookshop is loaded with amusing sallies of wit, quaint and pungent observations, and droll characters. Crisp dialogue keeps the plot moving at top speed. A treat for mystery lovers and those who appreciate a rummage through musty bookshops, this novel is as exuberantly readable as it was upon its original publication in 1946.

    Both Lila and her brother, Henry, fled north after high school, establishing fulfilling lives of their own. In contrast, their younger sister, Abigail, opted to remain behind to dote on their domineering, larger-than-life mother, Geneva. Yet despite their independence, Lila and Henry know deep down that they've never quite reckoned with their upbringing.When their elderly mother dies suddenly and suspiciously in the muscadine arbor behind the family estate, Lila and Henry return to the town that essentially raised them. But as they uncover more about Geneva's death, shocking truths are revealed that overturn the family's history as they know it, sending the pair on an extraordinary journey to chase a truth that will dramatically alter the course of their lives. The Sweet Taste of Muscadines reminds us all that true love never dies.