A Rather Remarkable Homecoming (Penny Nichols Series #4)

by C. A. Belmond

Overview

Join the fun and frolic with American heiress Penny Nichols and her English hero Jeremy Laidley, as the adventurous couple sets off for more elegant travel and delightful sleuthing together!

Penny and Jeremy are just returning from their honeymoon, only to be greeted by eccentric friends of Prince Charles bearing a rather royal request: to rescue a historical village on the coast of Cornwall, England. A property developer is bulldozing his way across the countryside to build a monstrous new development, and he's heading straight for Grandmother Beryl's old homestead where the newlyweds first met long ago as kids. Can Penny and Jeremy solve an ancient puzzle in time to save Grandma's house-and the entire village-from total destruction?

On the romantic rocky cliffs of Cornwall, amid Celtic lore and tales of Shakespeare, smugglers, and shipwrecks, Penny and Jeremy must contend with a rakish cast of local characters: a bird-watching earl, a famous TV chef, a vain actor, a New Age farmer, a pair of thuggish real-estate tycoons, a rebel rock-and-roller, and a band of determined "eco-warriors." Following a trail of cryptic clues, Penny and Jeremy's new caper takes them to the lush island of Madeira and the legendary castle of Tintagel, in a race against time to find the astonishing truth... before the wrecking ball strikes.

With her trademark wit, wisdom, and verve, C.A. Belmond's newest novel in her beloved "Rather" series provides a perfect armchair voyage of Europe's glamorous locales, with plenty of mystery, history, food, wine, love, and life's little pleasures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780451234612
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/06/2011
Series:	Penny Nichols Series , #4
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

C.A. Belmond was awarded an Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship and was twice a Pushcart Press Editors' Book Award finalist. A writer- in-residence at the Karolyi Foundation in the South of France, her original screenplays were shortlisted at Robert Redford's Sundance Institute and the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference. Belmond has written and produced television drama and documentary, and taught writing at New York University. There are three previous books in her "Rather" series. For more information visit the author's website: cabelmond.com.

Editorial Reviews

This breezy, witty fourth entry in Belmond's Rather series (A Rather Charming Invitation) features strongly defined characters, vivid settings, and a captivating mystery. Penny Nichols Laidley and her husband Jeremy, who occasionally team up as amateur detectives, return from their honeymoon to find that Prince Charles wants their help in saving an estate in Cornwall. The estate, which once belonged to Penny's grandmother, is in the care of the town's historical society. If they can find something of historical importance on the property, they can save the ramshackle estate from being bought by a scheming real estate syndicate. They settle in for the summer on an organic farm, where, along with the help of a retired thespian, they investigate Shakespeare's possible lodging at the estate during his "lost years." After they discover an intricate masthead and shipwreck of a previous owner, they travel first to Madeira, and then to Tintagel-King Arthur's birthplace. The villagers prove suitably delightful, as does the loving relationship between Penny and Jeremy. The book charms from beginning to end, and even Belmond's one false note-a botched kidnapping-has a clever outcome.
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Publishers Weekly

"An entertaining yarn with family drama and intrigue aplenty."

-Booklist

"Classic and elegant, while still remaining modern."

-Blog Critics Magazine

"Penny is a delightful heroine...Who wouldn't enjoy the unexpected chance to rattle around London and then to fly off to the sunny Côte d'Azur?"

-Dear Author

"Five Stars! Excellent writing...I look forward to more books with these excellent characters."

-Night Owl Reviews

"Belmond weds old-style glamour to chick-lit flair. You just want to move into the novel yourself!"

-Lauren Willig

"A simpatico duo!"

— Publishers Weekly

"An entertaining yarn with family drama and intrigue aplenty." — Booklist

"[Has] everything-mystery, romance, [and] a whirlwind tour of Europe's hot spots." — Kirkus Reviews

"Classic and elegant, while still remaining modern." — Blog Critics Magazine

"Penny is a delightful heroine...Who wouldn't enjoy the unexpected chance to rattle around London and then to fly off to the sunny Côte d'Azur?" — Dear Author

"Five Stars! Excellent writing...I look forward to more books with these excellent characters."

— Night Owl Reviews

"Belmond weds old-style glamour to chick-lit flair. You just want to move into the novel yourself!" — Lauren Willig, author of The Mischief of the Mistletoe

From the Publisher