Jacqueline Kirby

For vibrant, lovely Jean Suttman, the fellowship to study in Rome was the culmination of her dreams, until she undertook an innocent expedition to the ancient Temple of Mithra. From the moment she stepped into the pagan darkness and discovered the corpse of Albert, one of her fellow students, she was afraid. Not even the comforting presence of the perceptive and practical Jacqueline Kirby could erase the fear that was nourished by one small accident after another, "accidents" that came dreadfully close to killing her. Someone was stalking Jean, someone ruthless and determined. Before long she could see no chance of rescue from the ever-present terror, no hope of escape, nothing but death.

In a remote English country mansion, modern devotees of the infamous King Richard III, immortally villainized by Shakespeare, have gathered for a grand weekend of role-playing and Ricardian scholarship. Jacqueline Kirby, an attractive American librarian attending the festivities, anticipates only one mystery to be raised: the five-hundred-year-old question of whether Richard truly killed the little princess in the Tower of London. Jacqueline is amused at the group's eccentricities-until history begins to repeat itself. A dangerous practical joker recreates famous fifteenth-century murder methods: beheading, poisoning, smothering, and even drowning in a butt of malmsey. As the jokes become more and more macabre, one at last proves fatal. Racing to untangle the murderous puzzle, Jacqueline puts all her observations together for a dazzling solution that will surprise even the most attentive listener.

The annual Historical Romance Writers of the World convention in New York City is calling to Jacqueline Kirby, a Nebraska librarian who desperately desires some excitement. But all is not love and kisses at this august gathering of starry-eyed eccentrics and sentimental scribes. As far as Jacqueline is concerned, the sudden "natural" death of a gossip columnist seems anything but. And when she's approached by a popular genre star who fears for her own life, the resourceful Ms. Kirby quickly goes back to work ... as a sleuth. There's a sinister scenario being penned at this purple prose congregation. And when jealousy and passion are released from the boundaries of the printed page, the result can be murder.

She may be a bestselling author, but ex-librarian Jacqueline Kirby's views on the publishing biz aren't fit to print. In fact, she's thinking of trading celebrity for serenity and a house far away from fiendish editors and demented fans, when her agent whispers the only words that could ever make her stay: Naked in the Ice. Seven years ago, this blockbuster skyrocketed Kathleen Darcy to instant fame. Now the author's heirs are looking for a writer to pen the sequel. It's an opportunity no novelist in her right mind would pass up, and there's no doubting Jacqueline's sanity...until she starts digging through the missing woman's papers-and her past. Until she gets mixed up with Kathleen's enigmatic lover. Until a series of nasty accidents convince her much too late that someone wants to bring Jacqueline's story-and her life-to a premature end.

Elizabeth Peters has attracted a huge following of listeners with her ability to deliver snappy stories, witty dialogue, and appealing characters. In Naked Once More, Peters creates a heroine you won't soon forget-the flamboyant Jacqueline Kirby, popular author and outspoken ex-librarian. A lovely, but reclusive, young writer has mysteriously died, leaving the public hungry for a sequel to her enigmatic, best-selling novel. After intense competition, Jacqueline is chosen to write the sequel. But as Jacqueline begins her manuscript, she receives ominous signs that she may be heading for the same fate. Neither chocolate nor scotch can dispel her fears. Soon she is desperately trying to untangle two perilous plots: one in the sequel, and one in her own idiosyncratic life. Naked Once More is Elizabeth Peters at her best, especially when narrated by her favorite actor, Barbara Rosenblat. Between the two of them, they'll keep your ears ringing with suspense and humor.