A millionaire's cat may be the key to a murder mystery in this delightful novel from an Agatha Award–winning author. When Annabel Hinchby-Smythe accepts an offer to serve as interior decorator to computer mogul Arthur Arbuthnot, she can't help noticing that no one in the house seems to genuinely like the tycoon—aside from his cat, Sally. After Arthur's sudden death—and the revelation that Sally is named sole inheritor in his will—Annabel's new task will be finding out the truth about her client's demise, and keeping the furry heiress safe from harm. "Her portrayal of the kindhearted, martini-swigging Annabel is a winner." —Booklist Praise for Marian Babson "Marian Babson's name on a mystery is a guarantee of quality writing wrapped around an unusual crime." —Houston Chronicle

A lifetime of craving more cuddly companionship than her hectoring mother has led fortyish Bettina Bilby to board her neighbors' felines for a long holiday weekend: an expectant tabby, a pampered blue-eyed Balinese, a depressed ginger Persian with a cod-liver-oil addiction, and Adolf, an imperious mouser with a patchwork face.But a freak storm sets the pigeon among the cats—a carrier bird downed on the doorstep with a tiny load of large flawless diamonds. And Bettina's dilemma escalates, as Adolf gobbles up one of the gems and a succession of elegant but shifty strangers prowl the gardens, offending the cats, and bringing in their wake back-door bloodshed and murder.

Margot returns to her well-to-do family in England on the eve of her Aunt Chloe's murder trial—she is accused of fatally stabbing her twin sister with a kitchen knife in the garden. Nothing has been the same since Claudia's body was found: her 14-year-old daughter, Lynette, refuses to leave her bedroom, the paparazzi are relentless, and Tikki, the family's beloved Abyssinian, goes to stay with the neighbors.When another body, whom no one recognizes, shows up facedown in the pond while the family is in the midst of Chloe's trial, doubt and suspicion intensify—and no one can be trusted.These scandalous deaths can't be related, can they? If Chloe is locked up, another murderer must be lurking about. Since no one is trying to solve the puzzle in the garden, Margot decides it's up to her to investigate. She soon finds herself getting in too deep—and running from a killer who's bent on staying one step ahead of her at all costs.

A troupe of travelers in London may harbor a killer in this novel from an Agatha Award–winning author praised for her "wit and whimsy" (Kirkus Reviews). A group of tourists has arrived in London—shaken by the mysterious death of one of their fellow travelers back in Zurich. Larkin's Luxury Tours is represented by the public relations firm of Perkins & Tate—so it's up to Douglas Perkins, with a little assistance from his cat, Pandora, to soothe their fears, boost their spirits . . . and prevent them from demanding refunds. But after another member of the tour disappears, Doug will have to turn from sightseeing to crime-solving in this puzzler from a "consistently witty" writer (Mystery News). "Marian Babson's name on a mystery is a guarantee of quality writing wrapped around an unusual crime." —Houston Chronicle

Doug Perkins doesn't dislike cats—he just isn't especially interested in them. But the struggling young London public relations firm of Perkins and Tate can't afford to be choosy about the jobs they take. So when Doug is asked to do the PR for a glorified feline extravaganza called "Cats Through the Ages," he doesn't hesitate. But it isn't long before he wishes he had hesitated.There are some very valuable cats on exhibit—even a few feline celebrities. Then the robbery of a gold statue of Dick Whittington's cat sets nerves on edge. The theft is not exactly a PR man's dream, but this disaster pales in comparison to the gruesome murder that follows. Someone has knocked unconscious the show's organizer, the universally despised Rose Chesne-Malverne, and pushed her into the cage with a pair of feral tigers fancifully named Pyramus and Thisbe—with predictably fatal results. Now it's up to Doug to find an elusive killer who appears to have nine lives of his own...

Unable to solve her problems on her own, driven by unhappiness and her fading beauty, Merelda had to find someone to free her from her wretched marriage—someone just like Denny. The handsome, slow-witted son of a beleaguered widow, Denny had left the house for one of his jaunts about the town—only to find himself in the company of a beautiful woman who needed saving. While family and friends searched for Denny, Merelda's ingenious plot unfolded. She had brought a gun, Denny, and her husband into the same room. Now, with murder only a pull-of-the-trigger away, only a miracle—or his own death—could stop Denny from completing the last fatal act...

Douglas Perkins of Perkins and Tate (Public Relations) had an uncomplicated attitude to cats: take them or leave them. But when he found himself PRO to a glorified feline extravaganza known as the Cats Through the Ages Exhibition, that attitude became impossible to maintain. To begin with, there was Pandora, the Siamese who insisted on making a cats'-cradle of his heartstrings; then there was an immensely valuable gold sculpture of Dick Whittington's cat; two Sumatran tigers in a cage; and Precious Jade, the black Manx who hated his owner and openly flaunted the fact. There were also many others cats—all with their owners, whose feline qualities too often rivalled those of their pets. Then, on opening morning, the golden cat vanished; soon afterwards one of the exhibitors was found murdered, and the publicity threatened to get out of hand. Deafened by the clash of personalities, human and feline, Perkins staggered gamely from crisis to crisis—and in doing so...

Returning home to England from New York, Margot finds her family in chaos. Her cousin Chloe is in prison awaiting trial for murdering her twin sister Claudia, their mother has withdrawn into the imaginary world of her romance novels, Claudia's 14-year-old daughter has regressed to early childhood and refuses to leave her bed, and to top it all off, the family cat has decided to live with the neighbors.As Chloe's trial approaches, the atmosphere in the house becomes increasingly fraught and Margot begins to wonder whether someone else is responsible for Claudia's death. Is Chloe taking the blame for the family's sake? It's not until a second murder that the pieces begin to fall into place and the cat agrees to come home.

Dame Cecile Savoy's "revolting floor mop" of a Pekinese has passed away at a ripe old age. Now, the aging British actress convinces her rivals on stage and screen, Trixie and Evangeline, to support her in her hour of grief...by accompanying her to a taxidermist. But it's a cab ride straight to a cat-astrope! No sooner do the three elderly thespians enter "Stuff Yours" than they discover a dead body, a live kitty in a cage, and flames bursting from the back room. Fortunately for a rare Japanese bobtail called Cho-Cho-San, Trixie grabs the cat before fleeing the scene. But who's the victim? Who set the fire? And why was a gorgeous feline going to be stuffed? Of course, Cho-Cho-San knows more than she's letting on as the curtain goes up on foul play, murderous jealousies, and a killer who may be going to the dogs....

Doug Perkins, his partner Gerry and their cat, Pandora, have one job to do: spin gaffes into gold. But this cozy little London PR agency—a better environment for Pandora than profits—is about to get involved in a disastous affaire dentaire. Endicott Zayle, dentist to the rich and famous—as well as to Doug and Gerry—has a problem with royal proportions. He just killed a beautiful women with an experimental anesthetic. Or did he?By the time Doug arrives on the scene, the corpse is up and walking around—and someone else is dead instead. With Endicott losing his grip, and a line of women all claiming personal interest in the deceased, scandal is afoot. And so is a second dose of murder. For Doug, Perry and Pandora, making this mess look good will mean sorting through an old man's madness, a young man's foolishness, and a tooth-and-nail case of cat fighting—no holds barred...

While the cat's away, a fire starter plays...After the tragic death of her husband, British housewife Rosemary Blake accepts a summer house and cat exchange across the Atlantic in her sister's adopted town of Edgemarsh Lake, New Hampshire. Lulled by promises of beautiful scenery and a perfect day camp for her two children, she bids adieu to her gentle cat Esmond, and heads off to parts unknown.But from the moment they arrive, Rosemary senses something amiss. Her sister Celia is skittish and secretive. Their temporary cat Errol, a oversized Maine coon, is out every night and clearly up to no good. Worst of all, a rash of deadly fires has the entire town sniffing for smoke. Who is responsible for these lethal blazes? The fur flies as suspicions mount, and Rosemary realizes she must act quickly, before a fiery killer strikes again.

Douglas Perkins of Perkins and Tate (Public Relations) Ltd believed that the business of a PRO was to put the client's best foot forward, and try to hide the other three cloven hooves. He even went on believing it when Black Bart and his Troupe of Hillbilly Singers were wished on the firm by their American associates, who had arranged for the Troupe to make a few appearances on English TV shows. The tangled personal relationships and professional jealousies within the Troupe soon gave Perkins a headache, but worse revelations were to come. And when one of the cast died in an accident, the PRO was left with nagging doubts. One of those eccentrics could be a murderer. Was he being used to cover that up too? And how could he prevent a second murder, which now seemed all too likely, while maintaining the bland fiction that all was well?

The last thing eleven-year-old Robin wants to hear is that his mother and her new husband are extending their honeymoon indefinitely. Not that staying with his Aunt Mags is so bad, but there's her boyfriend to contend with, and the members of the school gang are insisting that he complete a dare before they let him join the group. They want Robin to kidnap Mrs. Nordling's prize-winning cat when no one is home. Getting into the Nordling's house is easy and Robin manages to find the cat and put him in his bag. As Robin is leaving, however, he stumbles upon a terrifying scene-Mr. Nordling leaving the master bedroom with blood all over his body. Robin is momentarily paralyzed and then flees down the stairs. He can't be sure whether or not he has been seen, but realizes that in order to stay safe he will have to hide the unusual-looking cat. Meanwhile, Mr. Nordling is getting desperate. He knows that if he can find the unmistakable cat he will also find the...