A Rather Curious Engagement

by C. A. Belmond Narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Overview

Penny Nichols has the London apartment, the classic cat, the villa in France, the fabulous bank account, and the great guy to share them all with. So everything's perfect, right? Er, well... Pursued by gigolos, gold diggers, an ex-wife, and highly aggressive salesmen, all chasing after their millions, freelancer-turned-heiress Penny Nichols and her boyfriend, Jeremy, decide to take a whole summer off and sock away most of their inheritance. But they allow themselves one big splurge from their wish list--and that's where all the trouble begins. At an auction on the French Riviera, Penny and Jeremy win much more then they bargain for, as they uncover a centuries-old rivalry involving the theft of a strange priceless treasure linked to Beethoven's Germany. Investigating everything from a 1920s yacht on the Mediterranean, to the legendary superstitions of the island of Corsica, right up to a castle on Lake Como, Italy, Penny and Jeremy track down a mysterious elderly count whose fractured memory may hold the piece of this fascinating historical puzzle.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

In Belmond's lilting sequel to A Rather Lovely Inheritance, heroine Penny Nichols exults in being released from her stodgy American life and learns that being newly rich is not all champagne and roses. Her barrister boyfriend, Jeremy Laidley, also an heir to Penny's great-aunt's vast fortune, wants to use their wealth wisely. Penny agrees, planning to pool their resources and eventually create a joint enterprise that will utilize Penny's "natural-born snooping ability" and Jeremy's legal expertise. Taking a summer off to explore their options, Jeremy decides to splurge on a vintage yacht at an auction. But their dreamboat vanishes from its berth and later turns up, damaged, in a nearby harbor. Penny's determined to solve "Le Boat-Jacking," leading them to the yacht's previous owner, Count Hubert von Norbert, in Lake Como and some seafaring surprises. It's fluffy and fun, even if you don't have your own yacht. (July)

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Booklist

Penny Nichols battled nefarious relations over her inheritance in Belmond's first outing, A Rather Lovely Inheritance (2007), and this time around she is finally able to enjoy it. Penny and her boyfriend, Jeremy, who also inherited a sizable sum, decide to set off for the French Riviera with the hopes of purchasing a yacht called Liesl's Dream. Jeremy wins the yacht, but after its maiden voyage, it is stolen. After the ransacked yacht is recovered, Penny is determined to learn what the thieves were after. She and Jeremy journey to Lake Como, where the former owner of the yacht, Count Hubert von Norbert, resides. The aging count believes the robbers were after a valuable metal figure, the Beethoven Lion, once in his family's collection but since lost. The count's son, Kurt, hires Penny and Jeremy to find the lion for his father, leading them on an adventure across Europe. Belmond's second novel is bound to charm romantic suspense fans.
—Kristine Huntley

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169075939
Publisher:	Listen & Live Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	05/02/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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