Rogue in Porcelain

March 5, 2007
The stately pace and tame revelations of the latest Rona Parish mystery from British veteran Fraser (A Family Concern
) make it especially suitable for genteel readers. For a Chiltern Life
magazine series on family businesses, Rona interviews various Curzons, manufacturers of porcelain—including managing director Charles and sales and marketing director Finlay—who are quite keyed up about the company's 150th anniversary and the unveiling of a new product line, code named "Project Genesis." Rona's archival investigation unearths a skeleton that may threaten the firm, and then she and Finlay happen upon the fresh corpse of a woman they both know. Those who like their contemporary mysteries in traditional mode will be most satisfied.

February 15, 2007
Investigative journalist Rona Parrish is working on one of her most intriguing stories yet--even though she doesn't know it. Her goal is to write a straightforward feature on the Curzon family, whose china-manufacturing company has been a mainstay of the Marsborough business community for 150 years. To coincide with this auspicious occasion, Curzon is set to launch a revolutionary new line of china. But the secret behind the new line is only the beginning of the intrigue. As Rona delves further into the family history, she discovers some very dark undercurrents that began with patriarch George Curzon and have filtered down to his descendants. Veteran Fraser offers a straightforward British cozy with an inventive plot and an engaging heroine. This will appeal to traditional cozy fans who like a bit of spice and zing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)