After their wealthy father awakens from a stroke to find them less extraordinary than he remembered, three former tennis champion daughters resolve to prove themselves by fixing up a carriage house their grandfather built.

Welcome back to Asheboro, Maryland, where real estate can be a matter of life and death. Killer in the Carriage House is the second book in the Victorian Village Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly. Coming back to her hometown was never on the agenda for hotelier Katherine Hamilton. But when she’s offered a chance to lead the charge of transforming the landscape into a Victorian village and tourist attraction, Kate can’t quite refuse. The only problem? Nobody in Asheboro has the passion, nor the funds, to get plans off the ground. . .until Kate teams up with handsome historian Joshua Wainwright, who has ambitious ideas of his own involving an old mansion and a treasure-trove of documents that could attract investors and help seal the deal. Then, just as Kate and Josh seem ready to pull the trigger, a dead body turns up in the town library. Do these mysterious papers spell danger instead of dollars? That’s what Kate intends to find out before all bets are off...and someone else ends up six feet under.

Newport, Rhode Island, blessed with stunning ocean vistas and constant sea breezes, is home to some of the most exceptional private residences in America. Its deeply rooted history makes it a perennial destination, with more than 3.5 million visitors each year. Although it is one of the most high profile towns in the country, Newport is also one of the most cloistered. Private Newport: At Home and in the Garden offers an invitation to venture beyond the privet hedges and massive iron gates. It is the first book to step inside the privately owned mansions to reveal a diverse collection of architectural jewels complemented by spectacular gardens. These homes, created by distinguished architects and landscape designers, are stunning examples of Newport's 375-year "old-world" heritage. Eighteen exquisite and unique homes are prominently featured-from the resilient crescent curve of majestic Seafair, which withstood the Hurricane of '38, to the prizewinning Japanese garden at Wildacre, to the nostalgic working farm of heritage breeds at Swiss Village-each contributing its own part to the "Eden of America."

"Provides an excellent introduction as well as suggestions for using these plans to add architectural detail to your own home...an excellent bibliography."--Victorian Homes "The best home, barn and landscape designs...in a charming book....[It] contains numerous original illustrations showing a wealth of construction details, site plans and plantings."--Fine Homebuilding This classic bestseller contains the finest collection of architectural designs from a bygone era--and it's a boon for anyone hoping to construct that dream house or add charming touches to a modern one. Hundreds of illustrations from actual 19th century building plans feature architects' blueprints and drawings, full-color photos, and more. The buildings range from humble farmers' cabins to summer getaway cottages for the rich, and there's plenty of detail work, including built-in shelves, dormers, and turned balusters. With this information, an architect could easily create anything shown on the pages.

His mothers unexpected death was not the source of Shawn Duncans greatest shock; that came with the reading of her will. She would not be buried beside her late husband in the family plot, but alone in a remote and forgotten cemetery, and in an unmarked grave. She gave no explanation. Unable to accept his mothers strange request for perpetual anonymity, Shawn went looking for answers. What he found crushed all the long held believes he had for the woman he looked upon as a saint.

From best-selling author and design icon Chris Madden comes the first book on her design philosophy, and how to achieve her comfortable, chic style. Design expert Chris Madden has spent years chronicling other people’s beautiful rooms. Now, for the first time, she presents her own design sensibility as illustrated by examples such as her elegant one hundred-year-old carriage house in upstate New York and a mid-century modern family getaway in the mountains of Vermont. Organized by type of room, each house is explored—from entryways to bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, mudrooms, greenhouses, and terraces, as well as specialty rooms like yoga studios and a man’s study—through rich photography and dozens of practical styling tips. Readers learn how to layer fabrics and colors for seasonal decorating; how to repurpose materials; and how to recognize a room’s quality of light. Also featured are sidebars on caring for guests, collecting, and living in an old house versus a modern house. An avid gardener, Madden explores the way outdoor space frames and supports a house. This lush and elegant volume is an eminently practical resource of ideas for creating rooms in which to celebrate family, entertain friends, and provide personal sanctuary.