“A rollicking murder mystery. . . . a wildly entertaining romp. . . . Laugh? I died.”—Vogue The New York Times bestselling author of Bergdorf Blondes takes us back to the decadent 1980s in this comic murder mystery set in the tony world of Oxford University. It’s 1985, and at Oxford University, Pimm’s, punting, and ball gowns are de rigeur. Ursula Flowerbutton, a studious country girl, arrives for her first term anticipating nothing more sinister than days spent poring over history books in gilded libraries—and, if she’s lucky, an invitation to a ball. But when she discovers a glamorous classmate on a chaise longue with her throat cut, Ursula is catapulted into a murder investigation. Determined to bag her first scoop for the famous student newspaper Cherwell, Ursula enlists the help of trend-setting American exchange student Nancy Feingold to unravel the case. While navigating a whirl of black-tie parties and secret dining societies, the girls discover a surfeit of suspects. From broken-hearted boyfriends to snobby Sloane Rangers, lovelorn librarians to dishy dons, none can be presumed innocent—and Ursula’s investigations mean that she may be next on the murderer’s list. Clueless meets Agatha Christie in this wickedly funny tale of high society and low morals, the first book in Plum Sykes’ irresistible new series.

If you think Brazilian is a nationality, that PJ's are pyjamas and that Beyond is somewhere far away, then you have never met a Bergdorf Blonde. Plum Syke's heroine is British but has moved to America, working for a glossy magazine. She takes us with her into the glamorous world of Park Avenue Princesses who careen through New York in search of the ever elusive 'Fiance,' the perfect fake tan and that Chanel from the sample sale. In a fabulously witty style, Plum Sykes makes us root for her glorious heroine all the way from New York to the South of France and back by PJ (private jet.) She will get her Harry Winston and her Vera Wang wedding dress yet!

The delicious New York Times bestselling follow up to Bergdorf Blondes, a chic and witty tale of marriage, friendship, and divorce, that moves from New York to London, the Alps to Moscow, now back in print in a gorgeous, eye-catching package. Newly married Sylvie Mortimer has found bliss with her Divine New Husband, Hunter. But her perfect Town & Country life is about to be rocked by a divine and dangerous predator—her new friend, the very rich, very young, very thin, very pretty, and very divorced Lauren Blount. New York’s most reckless and glamorous Debutante Divorcee, Lauren is also the city’s most eager Husband Huntress. And now she’s got her sights on a new man: Sylvie’s Divine New Husband. . . .

Symbols of affluence, power and social standing, pearls have been highly prized throughout history for their beauty and purity. Jewellery fashioned from these lustrous gems has adorned some of the world's most elegant women, from Cleopatra to Coco Chanel. This book brings together a fascinating collection of paintings, drawings, prints and photographs of noble women, imperial princesses, society ladies and Hollywood divas wearing their finest pearl tiaras, necklaces, brooches and earrings. Engaging commentaries explain the context in which each image was created and provide glimpses into the life of the artist and his or her model. An insightful introduction charts the history of our fascination with natural and cultured pearls from ancient times to the present day.

A brilliant, lost feminist classic that is equal parts domestic drama and international intrigue. Shirley and Coenraad’s affair has been going on for decades, but her longing for him is as desperate as ever. She is a Toronto housewife; he works for an international organization known only as the Agency. Their rendezvous take place in Tangier, in Hong Kong, in Rome and are arranged by an intricate code based on notes slipped into issues of National Geographic. He recognizes her by her costume: a respectable black dress and string of pearls; his appearance, however, is changeable. But something has happened, the code has been discovered, and Coenraad sends Shirley (who prefers to be known as “Lola Montez”) to Toronto, the last place she wants to go. There the trail leads her through the sites of her impoverished immigrant childhood and sends her, finally, to her own house, where she discards her pearls and trades in her basic black for a dress of vibrant multicolored silk. Helen Weinzweig published her first novel when she was fifty-eight. Basic Black with Pearls, her second, won the Toronto Book Award and has since come to be recognized as a feminist landmark. Here Weinzweig imbues the formal inventiveness of the nouveau roman with psychological poignancy and surprising humor to tell a story of simultaneous dissolution and discovery.

It’s election time in Savannah, Georgia, and Judge Guillotine Gloria—aka Reagan Summerside’s mom—is neck and neck in the polls with Kip “Scummy” Seymour. But the already dirty campaign is about to get downright filthy—with one candidate getting buried six feet under… With her strong opinions and knack for getting into trouble, Reagan is not an ideal volunteer for her mother’s alderman campaign. Plus, she’d rather be running her consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, and eating doughnuts with her dog, Bruce Willis. But when her mother’s opponent, Kip, is found poisoned and her mother is pegged as a suspect, Reagan nominates herself as lead murder investigator. Reagan is intent on finding Kip’s killer and clearing her mother’s good name, but she soon finds herself on the bad side of Kip’s enemies-turned-suspects. This time, no amount of costumes and makeup can keep her inconspicuous and out of danger. Because the closer Reagan gets to the truth, the hotter things get…

There's no one quite like my big sister Jodie . . . Quiet, cautious Pearl has always adored her bold, brash, bad big sister Jodie. When their parents get new jobs at a grand, fusty old boarding school, Melchester College, the girls have to move there - and when they arrive, things start to change. Jodie has always been the leader - but now it's Pearl who's making new friends. Jodie just seems to be getting into more and more trouble - arguing with Mum, scaring the little children, flirting with the gardener. She really doesn't fit in with the posh teenagers at the school. Pearl begins to wonder if she needs Jodie as much as she used to. But when Firework Night comes around and a tragic event occurs, Pearl realises quite how much Jodie means to her . . . A touching, powerful story from the mega-bestselling Jacqueline Wilson, told with warmth and sensitivity.