SUMMARY

Successful young writer Marjorie McClelland leads a solitary, comfortable life in the quiet, post-prohibition town of Ridgebury, CT. Her tranquil life is disrupted when Creighton Ashcroft, a British heir with time and money to burn, purchases a deserted mansion with a mysterious history on the outskirts of town. Instantly smitten with the talented and beautiful Marjorie, Creighton craftily arranges an intimate meeting, but the mood is spoiled when they stumble across a body while touring the ample grounds of Creighton's new estate.

With the intention of reaping the story's literary benefits, the two forge an unlikely partnership and research the mansion's sordid past, but they soon find themselves in the middle of an unfolding series of hidden murders and family deceit. On top of this, the handsome detective assigned to the case has caught Marjorie's attention--and Creighton's suspicious eye. The trio must work together to break through a web of deceptively demure townspeople and the discreet upper class to solve the mystery of the mansion's past before becoming victims themselves. Filled with rumor and humor, this historical thriller delights to its captivating close.

AVAILABLE EXCERPTS

• Million Dollar Baby: Chapter One

REVIEWS

"If only Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart were still alive. They would be fabulous in the movie version of Meade's debut Marjorie McClelland mystery, a romantic caper redolent with the campy atmosphere of the madcap 1940s films that made these stars icons... Meade's kickoff mystery is a winner."

"A vintage-style mystery that will have readers looking for the resolution of Marjorie's romantic entanglements in the sequel."

"Amy Patricia Meade is articulate, spinning a well-researched story with suspense, insight into the human condition, and a tad of humor. An emerging mystery novelist to watch, her Million Dollar Baby may be only the beginning of a lengthy, successful series. We'll hope so."

"...[T]his is a good first effort that bodes well for future installments."

"Million Dollar Baby offers much in the way of plot and setting, but its distinguishing characteristic is the wonderful repartee between Marjorie and Creighton. Their incessant barbed remarks alone make the book a winning read. Meade's timing is impeccable, as she delivers the lines at just the right moment and in just the right proportion. Clearly, she is in control of her characters and of her book. I'm eagerly anticipating an entertaining reunion with Marjorie McClelland in Meade's next series entry."

"Million Dollar Baby...[is] smoothly written and easy to read, light and delicious enough to bite off big pieces in a short time. Like a Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy movie on the page, it's a little corny, as those times were, but sweetly so."