Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna

"Variety hall actress Ophelia Flax knows how to win over an audience. That's why she's accepted the marriage proposal of the brutish Comte de Griffe to nettle her occasional investigative partner-and romantic sparring partner-the pompous if dashing Professor Penrose.a But with his boorish table manners, wild mane of hair, and habit of prowling away the wee hours, the comte has shredded Ophelia's last nerve. She intends to disengage from her feral fiancU at his winter hunting party-until Penrose, hisalovelyanew fiancUe, and a stagecoach of stranded travelers arrive at the comte's sprawling chOteau. Soon she can't tell the boars from the bores. When one of the guests is found clawed and bloody in theaorangerie, Ophelia is determined to solve the murder before everyone starts believing the local version ofaBeauty and the Beast. But until the snows melt, she can't trust her eyes-or her heart-since even the most civilized people hold beastly secrets . . a. Praise foraSnow White Red-Handeda 'Offering a clever twist on the tales of the Brothers Grimm, this debut historical cozy introduces an attractive, spunky heroine . . . and an entertaining, well-constructed plot that will satisfy fans of folklore and fairy tales.'aLibrary Journala(starred review)a 'Deliciously Gothic, intriguingly different, this story plunges us into the world of Brothers Grimm fairy tales, where the greed and evil are all too real, and everyone has something to hide.' Rhys Bowen,aNew York Timesbestselling authoraa '(Chance's) lively debut, the first in a new cozy series . . . will whet the reader's appetite for Ophelia and Prue's next misadventure.'aPublishers Weeklya'Maia Chance has woven a magical tale of murder, mystery and mayhem.' MyShelf.com"