Bøger udgivet af Bantam Dell

Sometimes you have to sin a little to find heaven on earth....As a private investigator, Melina Dimitris had seen more than her share of relationships gone bad. But that didn't keep her from believing that Mr. Right was out there. And she thought she'd found him in a tall, ruggedly handsome adventurer with a pair of magic hands. So when he dumped her without so much as an explanation, Melina hid her devastation by throwing herself into her work. Little did she expect that three runaway children from the small town of Bethlehem would bring him back into her life. Sebastian Knight knew that if anyone could find his missing daughter, it was the brash P.I. with a passion for kung fu and tight red dresses. Their affair had been brief, white-hot, and clearly heading for something more serious. Until Sebastian ended it rather than risk getting burned again. Only now that it was too late did he realize the mistake he'd made. But with a trio of eccentric helpers watching over them -- and the children -- Sebastian and Melina would soon discover that in Bethlehem it was never too late for a miracle.

It happened in the night, when no one was around to see it. A Pittsburgh doctor, who dedicated himself to helping others, was shot through the heart. Now days have passed, and Dan Ross's wife, Elizabeth, has entered a twilight zone of grief, flooded with memories, voices, and regrets. And while a determined police investigator is feverishly following a trail of mystery back into her husband's squeaky-clean past, a new neighbor suddenly moves in to the house next door and begins watching every move Elizabeth makes...watching her children come to visit...watching her acts of private grief and public dignity. This man, this stranger to the city, is fascinated by Elizabeth's sorrow. And he knows exactly who killed her husband and why. But he isn't in the business of telling truths. He simply wants to know her. He wants to take her in his arms. He wants to know she has fallen just for him.

The truth about the vatican's most impenetrable secret, hidden for over eighty years! *On May 13, 1917, three young shepherds witness a vision of the Virgin Mary and hear the Holy Mother reveal three prophecies... *Elements of the first two prophecies have already come true: the end of World War I, the rise of Russia as a superpower, and the beginning of World War II... *The third secret was revealed in the year 2000, its details still shrouded in secrecy and controversy. What is the Vatican trying to hide? The Lady of Fátima left a final prophecy so powerful that no pope in over eighty years had dared reveal it. Why? The third secret is contained on a page of parchment written by the last surviving witness to the miracle...and hand delivered to the Pope. Even now, after the Vatican has released their version of the contents of the third secret, intense debate rages as to whether the Church has revealed the truth. Here, for the first time, is a complete inquiry into the mystery of Fátima: what the three shepherds really witnessed, the astonishing turn of their lives, the unfolding of the prophecies, and how the Fátima Secret has dominated Pope John Paul's reign and changed world history. Was the Fátima prophecy a warning to the Pope...or a vision so dire it must be suppressed at any cost?

No woman could resist the pleasures he offered.... They are the Merricks, two brothers and a sister, restless, daring, proud. English by birth, they came to Scotland with their father to occupy McClairen lands. And there each would find a love as wild and glorious as the Highland isle they claimed as their own. Fia, the only daughter, is the ravishing one. Raine, the second son, is the reckless one. Ashton is the eldest son. This is his story. . . . The Passionate OneHe was a notorious rogue with a reputation for hell-raising and heartbreaking. But family secrets forced Ashton Merrick to do his ruthless father's bidding--and escort Rhiannon Russell back to McClairen's Isle. Ash suspected that his father intended to make the innocent beauty his fourth wife. But he didn't expect the passions she would ignite in his own wary heart. Watch for the next two books in the breathtakingly romantic McClairen's Isle trilogy, The Reckless One and The Ravishing One, coming soon from Dell.

Do you want to improve your concentration? Boost your energy? Fight aging? Ginkgo biloba, an extract from the oldest tree in the world, can increase your brain function and offer a wide range of benefits--from better sexual performance to higher test scores! Used in China for centuries, this potent herb has undergone rigorous clinical studies that prove its astounding effectiveness. Authoritative and completely up-to-date, this remarkable guide brings you in-depth information on ginkgo biloba, a powerful natural aid for health and healing. Discover: Greater intelligence--a boost for academic and career performance, the right supplementation provides better short-term memory and concentration at any age An effective antidepressant--no side effects, no "downside," the special properties of ginkgo biloba may be your natural alternative to prescription drugs One of the world's most potent antioxidants--a ginkgo biloba "plus" that slows aging and keeps you young Circulatory health--the secret of ginkgolides for improved tone of blood vessels and protection against heart attack and stroke Male potency--exciting news about ginkgo biloba and men's sexual health And much more!

A twelve-year-old girl is snatched from the street where she lives. And for two cops, Mack Steiner and Bank Arbaugh--partners, best friends, fathers themselves--the girl's disappearance will hurtle them back through layers of friendship, memory, and loss. Because seven years before, Bank's own daughter vanished without a trace. And now, as police descend on the small midwestern city, as witnesses are grilled and evidence mounts, one case begins to illuminate the other. And for two men, a harrowing journey has begun--one that will test their long, complicated friendship and uncover a chilling truth about two missing girls, two shattered families, and at least one heartbreaking lie. From the author The New York Times hails as "astonishing" comes a spellbinding blend of raw tension and human drama--a masterpiece of suspense that races toward a devastating climax...then jolts us again with a final, unforgettable twist.

A seance is a second chance to say I love you or goodbye. A seance with Suzane Northrop is nothing like those portrayed in the movies. There are no raps, no flickering candles, no moving tables. But you do sit in a circle, and once there, you may not leave. Then, with her eyes closed, Suzane begins to speak. She brings messages from the dead. She offers hope. And she changes lives. In this groundbreaking book, Suzane makes you an eyewitness to seances where sorrow and anger turn to love and forgiveness. You will read the testimonies of people who have heard from those on the other side. You will discover dramatic truths that will take you by surprise...whether you believe or not. And if you choose, you will learn how to communicate with the spirit world, discovering for yourself the inner peace that comes with the knowledge that death is not the end.

A brutal hijacker, A missing heiress, And a luxury liner racing toward disaster... In the quiet shallows of the Florida Keys, Thorn has made a home, tying fishing flies and trying to forget the violence of his past. Now Key Largo is his world. He fishes it, breathes it, makes love in it. Until a phone call from Miami changes everything plunging Thorn into the deep waters of madness and revenge... In Miami, Thorn's best friend, Sugarman, is fighting for his life. While working security for a luxury liner plagued by theft, Sugarman was attacked by a man with a knife in one hand and 400,000 volts of electricity in the other. And when the M.S. Eclipse sets sail for the Caribbean, both Thorn and Sugarman are swept into a voyage of terror...where a madman hijacks the Eclipse, killing off crew members one by one...where the cruise line owner's missing daughter reappears, igniting the killer's passions--and Thorn's battered heart...where hundreds of lives hang in the balance, as only Thorn stands between a madman's rage and the ultimate carnage at sea...

A single reference source that captures and defines the shifts of language and culture taking place all across the country This comprehensive compilation contains 5,000 contemporary slang terms from over forty subject areas, including words from Wall Street, politics, health and medicine, sports, teen talk, car talk, music, education, travel, and more!

450 years ago a treasure ship went down. In Miami, the heat hasn't let up yet...Hap Tyler tailboards on Biscayne bay, hears voices, seduces young women, and lives on the edge of history in his family's old-money mansion amid Miami's pastel glitz. But while Hap stumbles around in the shadow of his more successful older brother, Daniel, a tangled web of deception and greed is being spun around him --a web that leads Daniel to his death. Trying to solve his brother's murder, Hap collides with a 450-year-old secret: the disappearance of $400 million in a sunken Spanish plunder. Daniel's upscale girlfriend is close to digging up the treasure, an avaricious senator has already tasted it, and a stone-cold killer will stop at nothing to bring it home. For Hap a dark and bloody vein of Florida and family history has been opened. And the only way to close it is through a modern ritual of violence and truth.

Can a vet detective catch a killer who's hopping mad? Veterinarian and amateur sleuth Jessica Popper races down the rabbit hole and into a vintage case of passion and betrayal in Long Island's elite wine country in...Hare Today, Dead Tomorrow It's harvest time, but this season's crop includes chardonnay, merlot...and murder. The victim is heir to one of the North Fork's most prestigious wineries-and if the crime isn't shocking enough, the prime suspect is one of Jessie's closest friends! Between managing her menagerie of pets, including Lou, the one-eyed Dalmatian, her tailless Westie, Max, and a tiger kitten who thinks she's queen of the jungle, commitment-phobic Jess struggles to adjust to a new addition to her household: live-in boyfriend Nick Burby. But even that proves easy compared to the challenge of catching a killer who's left nothing behind but a "hare"-a stuffed bunny rabbit. To clear her friend's name, Jess must maneuver through a warren of bizarre twists and more suspects than a bunny has offspring-and she'll need her own lucky rabbit's foot to avoid becoming this killer's next victim... "Five paws up for Cynthia Baxter's Reigning Cats and Dogs series!"--Carolyn Hart

Inspired by the true heroism of legendary nurse Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, award-winning author Ava Dianne Day weaves a suspenseful blend of fact and fiction in a gripping historical thriller set against the violent upheavals of the Civil War. Assigned to Hilton Head Island, headquarters of the Union Army in the South, Clara Barton finds herself in a limbo that is neither battlefield nor hospital. Here, among emancipated former slaves, Barton must look after wounded Colonel John Elwell--and learn all she can about the community's folk medicine. But while she longs to return to the front line, she soon discovers the isolated settlement has perils of its own. As Clara's suspicions escalate, historical events propel the "Angel of the Battlefield" toward a confrontation as old as time itself. On one side stands Clara Barton, the epitome of goodness and humanity; on the other, a sociopath possessed of a mind as brilliant as it is depraved.

The last thing he expected was to steal her heart... She should have been terrified, but Charlotte surprised even herself when she found herself helping a masked jewel thief. Now, after impulsively escaping in a waiting carriage, she finds herself alone with a dangerously seductive stranger whose identity remains a mystery that could steal not only her heart-but her life. ...Unless it was she'd steal his. The robbery was a disaster but the danger was real, and the last thing Harrison Payne, earl of Bryden, planned was to be saved by a willowy, unconventional beauty. Already captivated by her courage and sensuality, Harrison is equally intrigued by her clumsy attempt to blackmail him. But Charlotte is hiding a past-and a secret-as dangerous as his own. And as an enemy seeks to destroy them both, they will abandon themselves to the passionate destiny that has drawn them together...and a chance at a love worth risking everything for.

Love was never part of his plan...then again, neither was she... Seafaring Scotsman Jack Kent has enjoyed his share of trysts with bored society wives, but pleasure--not love--has always been his aim. Until the day he finds his carriage--and his life--invaded by a disheveled American heiress. Even rumpled and torn, nothing can hide Amelia Belford's enchanting beauty or her fiery will to be free. And for the first time Jack is faced with a woman who arouses in him something more than desire. Amelia never dreamed her desperate flight from an arranged marriage would find her scrambling out of a church window, landing in a tangle of twigs, and finally darting into the carriage of a stranger. And she never imagined she'd then set sail for his ancestral home--and discover passion in his arms. But Amelia is not the only one with a scandal to her credit. She soon senses pain behind Jack's caresses--secrets he will not reveal. Just as she breaks through his reserve, a devastating scheme forces them apart. Could the same adventurous spirit that brought them together also be their undoing? Only the truth--and one more impetuous act of courage--will tell.

Readers were first captivated by the tantalizing kingdom of Akora in Josie Litton's breathtaking Dream Island. Now the legendary nation renowned for the strength of its warriors--and the allure of its women--faces a threat to its future. Only the forbidden passion between an outsider and its own young princess can determine its fate.... Kingdom of Moonlight It is the first trip abroad for Kassandra, the courageous princess of Akora. Enamored of all things English, the exotic beauty is eager to mingle with London society--and meet her first English gentleman. But the striking man she discovers in her brother's home is quite the opposite of what she expected. Powerful and commanding as an Akoran warrior, he hardly resembles the sensitive knight she'd envisioned--yet he is exactly what she will need. For Kassandra's journey is about to bring her face-to-face with both the man of her dreams and her most terrifying fear....

Dying to earn her spurs... Even in sweltering June, there's plenty of work for Trade Ellis on her Arizona ranch, but right now her part-time P.I. practice is as dry as the desert -- until bull rider J. B. Calendar marries a candy heiress who's crazy to turn cowgirl. Abigail Van Thiessen, nipped and tucked into great shape, has thirty-two years -- and a few hundred million dollars -- on her husband. So when she meets her untimely death on a romantic horseback trip with her newlywed stud, the cops suspect foul play. And J.B. hires Trade to prove him innocent. While plenty of people stood to gain from Abby's death -- the ex-football-star preacher she bankrolled, a half brother with his own millions, and a topless dancer with a grudge, just for starters -- no suspect looks better than J.B., a boozing tomcatter who's lucky with the ladies. Until Trade learns about another murder in town the same night Abby died ... a development that may bring the investigation -- and Trade -- to the very deadest of ends.

A man with nothing left to lose....Rebel. Hell-raiser. Seducer in blue jeans. Ben Foster has been called many things -- except father. His twelve-year-old daughter Alanna has never seen him, and he's starting to think that coming to Bethlehem to meet her could be the second biggest mistake of his life. And when he takes a job fixing up businesswoman Lynda Barone's new house, he may be on the brink of making a third: falling in love with a woman as wrong for him as he is for her ... except when he takes her in his arms. A woman with everything -- but love....Lynda couldn't remember the last time she had a date. Eighteen-hour workdays and frequent business trips had really taken a toll on her personal life. She'd been so busy carving out a successful career that she almost didn't notice how lonely she'd become. That is, until Ben Foster strode into her life. Suddenly the sexy Southern handyman was invading her home, her senses, stirring dangerous fantasies of a love Lynda had convinced herself she could live without. Lucky for them, neither is the marrying kind.... Or are they? Stranger things have happened in a place where the most unlikely lovers can suddenly get lucky. Even if luck has nothing to do with it...

The millennium bug plays matchmaker! When the millennium bug gives a crash course in romance, anything can happen--in these spellbinding stories by five beloved romance writers. "Arts Magica" by Kay Hooper When apprentice wizard Felicity Grant conducts a reckless experiment on New Year's Eve, she's hurled from present-day Seattle to 1899 London--and into the arms of a singular man--. "Gabriel's Angel" by Marilyn Pappano For Gabe Rawlins, the new year holds little promise--until he awakens from a harrowing incident to discover by his side a beautiful, tender woman who offers hope--and much more. "Stuck with You" by Michelle Martin When a blackout strikes San Francisco's most glittering party, a softhearted defense attorney gets stuck in a stalled elevator with her most implacable adversary--and finds herself in a free fall of a different kind. "Close Quarters" by Donna Kauffman The daughter of an ex-president finds her peaceful holiday turned upside down when she's trapped in a surveillance truck with a former secret service agent, the same one she'd had a hopeless crush on as a teenager. "Trouble at Midnight" by Jill Shalvis Wanting more in life than a predictable beau, a young woman vows to seek adventure--until a near disaster makes her wonder if her bland Clark Kent is really Superman in disguise.

Phoebe Mullins's love of music took her around the world with her conductor husband, and more recently helped her solve a murder in an opera colony. Now her musical passion may prove instrumental in solving the case of another slain singer...if it doesn't prove to be her swan song. Death of a Pooh-Bah A long-lost aunt's invitation brings Phoebe to Northampton, Massachusetts, and a post as stage manager of a lively community production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. But beneath the operetta's sweet harmonies and rollicking whimsy, she observes more than one sour note. Many in the cast have a grudge against Dr. E. Foster Ballard, whose pompous self-absorption makes him perfect for his role as Lord Pooh-Bah. But who hates him enough to stab him in the back with his own prized Japanese dagger? Could it be the feminist militants who've been protesting The Mikado's misogynist lyrics? His catty ex? Or one of the Three Little Maids who've had enough of his wandering hands? And what dark history did Phoebe's own aunt have with Ballard? Soon another corpse suggests E. Foster's killer has got a little list...and Phoebe's inquiries may just have put her at the top of it.

In the American heartland, someone is killing cops. The ambush exploded in an Iowa marijuana field. The weapons were high caliber. The pot was high grade. And the reporters said afterward: "We have two known dead...." Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman knew the dead all right: One was a small-time doper, the other a good cop. But Houseman doesn't know why they died, or who cut them down in a blaze of automatic rifle fire. Now, as the Feds descend on Nation County, Houseman and his fellow cops are suddenly walking point--searching for answers amidst the violence, treachery, and evil in their own backyard.... Donald Harstad's Eleven Days was called "a hell of a first novel" by Michael Connelly and "truly frightening" by the San Francisco Chronicle. In his electrifying new novel Harstad captures with nerve-shattering power an Iowa police department's harrowing search through a killing storm--to know the truth about the dead and the living alike....

Jean Stone is a gifted writer of romantic tales that capture the unique feel of New England while introducing characters who live in readers' hearts forever. Her latest novel is her most moving work to date, the story of a woman who gave up everything she had for the man she loved -- but must now find the strength to stand by him during his darkest hour.... Once Jill McPhearson had a life any woman would envy: a successful career as a television anchorwoman and a handsome fiance. But she gave up everything to start anew in her childhood home of Martha's Vineyard. For Jill, carving out a new, lower-profile career on the island is a struggle. But falling in love -- and then marrying -- local carpenter Ben Niles feels natural and seamless. It feels right. Steady, rugged Ben...the man who makes Jill feel she has it all -- or at least all she really needs. But when Ben is accused of a shocking crime, Jill's world turns upside down -- and everything she thought she knew is called into question. The small-town island life Jill loves is suddenly unbearable, as Ben and Jill try to hide their terrible secret from everyone they love. And now Jill must ask herself: how do you recapture a life that may never have existed in the first place?

A down-to-earth forensics expert has just discovered a crime scene that is out of this world. In criminal forensics they train you to uncover evidence, no matter how brutal or bizarre the murder. But what if one night you make contact with a crime scene so terrifying, no one on earth can explain it? It begins at a chaotic crime scene in the deep woods of the Pacific Northwest--site of a reported shoot-out. Investigator Colin Cellars cannot find a trace of perpetrator or victim--or even confirm that anyone has been killed. As he doggedly pursues the case, he realizes there is far more at stake here than murder. Someone--something?--will stop at nothing to prevent him from discovering the truth. For the truth is not "out there." It is locked away in Cellars's own evidence file. The evidence points to a killer far outside Cellars's experience--far outside any earthly experience. But who will believe one maverick cop? From the New York Times bestselling author of Balefire comes a chilling tale of murder, forensic detection, and vivid speculation, pitting a unique crime scene investigator against a culprit who may be unlike any this world ever spawned....

She's a ghost with a disreputable past...and a heavenly mission. With her trademark blend of sparkling humor and sizzling romance, Emily Carmichael has earned a legion of devoted fans. Now she returns to delight readers with a wickedly delicious tale of modern love--and some old-fashioned meddling.... Once, sultry Robin Rowe was the hottest madam in the whole Wild West. Then a jealous suitor shot her dead. But when the wicked Red Robin departed this life, she didn't depart this world. Instead she found herself hanging around, watching as her daughter and her daughter's daughters made first-class fools of themselves over the wrong men...until now, a hundred years later, Robin has just one descendant left. It doesn't take a genius to see that bright, beautiful, mistrustful Maggie Potter is headed for spinsterhood. So when fate drops her on Robin's doorstep, the sexy ghost jumps at the chance to straighten out her great-great-granddaughter. Only Robin doesn't know how challenging the job of guiding Maggie's love life is going to be. For Maggie's on vacation from men--maybe even a permanent leave of absence. Still, Robin didn't get to be the most successful tart in town by giving up. Now she's prepared to do everything in her ghostly power to see that Maggie lands herself the perfect man, even if she has to teach Maggie her most erotic secrets....

Dear Readers, I had heard the gossip. Who in London hadn't? But whether or not the elusive Venus Duras would favor one of her numerous suitors didn't concern me. After all, I had a surfeit of obliging lovers. And then I bumped into her. Literally. She was utterly enchanting, the most dazzling creature I had ever seen. I knew she had to be mine. But she was aware of my reputation and thought me a libertine. When I invited her to a dinner party, she gave me the cut direct. Within hours our heated encounter became the talk of the town. Who could resist a wager or two on the delicious possibilities? Could I conquer the unconquerable Miss Duras? Would she resist or succumb to my legendary powers of seduction? It became a luscious game and tantalizing spectacle--wildly provocative, uncertain in outcome, a delight and fascination to all society. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever meet my match. But then, I never dreamed I would meet a real-life Venus. Yours, The Marquis of Redvers

She risked everything for a Scottish outlaw who would do whatever it takes... Author of more than a dozen national bestsellers, award winner Susan Johnson is unmatched when it comes to writing novels that thrill, excite, and seduce. Now she once again captivates with this exciting historical novel of sensual adventure and forbidden love.... Roxane Forrestor was determined to live life on her own terms--even in a man's world. The beautiful Countess of Kilmarnock had so far survived the political and romantic intrigues of Scotland's most powerful suitors. So why couldn't she resist the brash Robbie Carre? Why did she find it impossible to throw the rebel earl out of her bedchamber even though it meant harboring a wanted man? Robbie cared nothing for his own safety. But he knew all too well that his ruthless enemies, desperate to capture him, would use Roxie and her children as pawns. He would brave the odds to protect them, would fight for his fugitive love with Roxie...even if their stolen moments of pleasure cost him his life.

When crime reporter Molly Cates s father died more than twenty-five years ago, the case was ruled a suicide, and Molly s efforts to prove otherwise led to nothing but anguish and the breakup of her family. But now new information has come her way and she reopens the investigation and a rush of old wounds with a vengeance. Soon the personal becomes dangerously political as Molly s search for the truth leads her from the stately halls of Texas government to the mean streets of Austin s down-and-out and ultimately to a moral dilemma she never could have anticipated."

Some promises can never be forgotten.... The author of the bestselling Birthday Girls and Places by the Sea, Jean Stone is a gifted storyteller in the tradition of Barbara Delinsky. In this deeply enthralling novel of friendship and family, a woman must face the secrets of the past before she can confront the future.... I am your baby--the one you gave up. Isn't it time we met? The unsigned letter, postmarked Martha's Vineyard, arrives like a thunderbolt out of the blue, instantly sweeping Jessica Bates back thirty years. It was 1968 when young Jess went to Larchwood Hall, a home for unwed mothers, and gave up her beautiful baby girl for adoption. Jess's past still haunts her--especially since she learned that her daughter died in a tragic childhood accident. But now the letter has raised the fragile hope that there was a terrible mix-up, that Jess's daughter is still alive somewhere. Hoping for answers, Jess makes a determined pilgrimage out to the Vineyard, out to those who know the truth about what really happened to her daughter. There, surrounded by sand and sea and memories of lost love, she must make a choice that will change the course of her life forever....

On location in Colorado for her syndicated television show, Gardening with Nature, filming alpine butterflies and avalanche lilies, Louise Eldridge can see why this beautiful terrain is as precious as gold. Then the pure Rocky Mountain air is fouled by the discovery of elderly rancher Jimmy Porter's body, shot to death and draped like a coyote carcass over his own backyard fence. Louise soon discovers a staggering list of suspects, since Jimmy's plan to sell his 13,000-acre ranch to a government preservation program left a lot of family, friends, and competitors with much to lose. Throw in a second death, a closed nuclear plant, a CIA investigation involving Louise's husband, and a bullet hole in her cowboy hat, and Louise suddenly realizes she's onto a killer as hardy as the native skeleton weed-and seemingly as indestructible.

Everything's coming up corpses.... Louise Eldridge is taking her popular television show, Gardening with Nature, on location to film a garden tour at the historic Litchfield Falls Inn. It's a weekend in the country that promises rest, relaxation, and some of New England's most beautiful gardens. But the local grapevine whispers of warring lovers, botanical scams, academic scandal, and family finagling. The tension is so thick you can hardly cut it with a scythe. And then the uneasy group of assembled guests begin to meet with the most unfortunate of accidents. Suddenly Louise suspects that someone is playing Grim Reaper in the Litchfield Falls paradise. How many more guests--including one nosy garden show host--are about to be cut down?

Ann Ripley's horticultural heroine, Louise Eldridge, enchanted mystery lovers of all varieties in Death of a Garden Pest and Mulch. Now she returns in a witty new tale of muckraking, murder, and deeply buried--and very dangerous--secrets. Louise's TV show, Gardening with Nature, has made her a celebrity, sweeping her from lawn-mower commercials all the way to the president's National Environmental Commission. Not that Louise is about to get her hands dirty in the mudslinging campaigns of an election year. As usual, her main concerns are right in her own backyard. Here, in Washington's suburban Sylvan Valley, she is subject to an unwelcome infestation of houseguests that threatens to crowd out her houseplants. Least welcome of all are three bossy busybodies in town for the Perennial Plant Society convention, who fete Louise as official "Plant Person of the Year" but press her to slash back the sweetgums and swamp oaks that give her beloved garden its pristine air. Her grin-and-bear-it mood is lightened, however, by the arrival of an old flame. Twenty years ago, in the first bloom of youth, Louise fell heavily for Jay McCormick's crooked smile and crusading charm. Now, he's an investigative journalist looking worriedly over his shoulder. Jay confides that he's come on two distinct undercover missions. One is to ensure that his ex-wife, a high-powered political lawyer, doesn't cheat on the rules for custody of their young daughter. Around the other, he raises an impenetrable thicket of secrecy. But Jay's cover is blown when he surfaces, a nibbled corpse, in a neighbor's ornamental fishpond. Who put him there? And what was the mysterious story he was investigating? Only Louise can unearth the trail that leads from a missing computer to a pistol-packing intruder trampling her purple-spotted toad lilies to evidence hidden where only a hardcore gardener could find it. Soon she's digging up enough dirt--social, marital, and political--to uproot some of Washington's top players...if she doesn't get herself nipped in the bud first. Ripening suspense, a thorny plot, and plenty of gardening tips make Death of a Political Plant a perfect bouquet of murder, mystery, and mayhem.