Laid Out In Lavender

Mabel Skinner still hasn’t acquired a taste for growing garlic, but the app developer-turned farmer does have a nose for rooting out killers . . . Dreaming she’ll someday return to her less pungent life of computer coding, Mabel continues to honor her deceased aunt’s legacy by running Skinner Farm. To make ends meet between harvests, she’s renting out the property’s mercifully downwind lavender field for summer weddings. Mabel’s first clients are a retirement age couple celebrating their second chance at love in their later years. Hosting a rehearsal dinner with fresh foods seemed like a good idea to promote the farm—until the dead body of one of the wedding guests is discovered. The suddenly departed was the soon-to-be-ex-business partner of the groom, supposedly poisoned by goat cheese hors d’oeuvres provided by Mabel’s neighbor. Despite the tragedy and the scandal, the groom insists on keeping his wedding date. But with the adult children from the couple’s previous marriages scheming to stop the new union, Mabel’s farm is reeking with suspects. And if she doesn’t uncover the murderer, her goat farming neighbor will get sent to the pen for life . . . “Growing garlic might be my newest obsession thanks to Six Cloves Under!” —Lynn Cahoon, New York Times bestselling author of the Farm-to-Fork mystery series

With its unparalleled coverage of English slang of all types (from 18th-century cant to contemporary gay slang), and its uncluttered editorial apparatus, Cassell's Dictionary of Slang was warmly received when its first edition appeared in 1998. 'Brilliant.' said Mark Lawson on BBC2's The Late Review; 'This is a terrific piece of work - learned, entertaining, funny, stimulating' said Jonathan Meades in The Evening Standard.But now the world's best single-volume dictionary of English slang is about to get even better. Jonathon Green has spent the last seven years on a vast project: to research in depth the English slang vocabulary and to hunt down and record written instances of the use of as many slang words as possible. This has entailed trawling through more than 4000 books - plus song lyrics, TV and movie scripts, and many newspapers and magazines - for relevant material. The research has thrown up some fascinating results

Twelve groundbreaking essays show the varied and complex ways in which ideas about sexuality, gender, and the body have shaped and been influenced by Russian literature, history, art, and philosophy from the medieval period to the present day.

A masterful, gorgeously photographed A-to-Z introduction to the full spectrum of herbal plants, including recipes, growing tips and tricks, DIY crafts, and more For centuries, herbs have been prized for their beauty and utility in the garden, kitchen, and medicine cabinet. Modern garden master Stephen Orr’s lushly illustrated guide is the definitive resource for identifying, cultivating, and using these fascinating and varied plants. With information on almost one thousand herbs, including detailed profiles of more than 125, each photographed in full color and accompanied by helpful growing advice, The New American Herbal takes the study of herbs and herbalism to an exciting new level. Orr covers the entire spectrum of useful plants, from culinary and ornamental to aromatic and medicinal, presenting them in an easily digestible format, giving you the tools to • Learn how to plant and maintain a bountiful kitchen garden • Propagate, harvest, and cook with the herbs you grow • Use fresh, dried, and distilled herbs in seasoning blends, teas, vinegars, and more • Create an easy DIY hanging herb garden, form an herb topiary, and mix herbal remedies and essential oils • Whip up any of the 45 included recipes, such as Ragu Bolognese with Fennel and Lemon Semolina Cake with Lavender Meticulously researched and exhaustive in its scope, The New American Herbal is an irresistible invitation to explore the versatility of herbs in all their beauty and variety.