The Case of the Devious Daughter — Cathy Ace

'SO WHAT DO YOU THINK – IS SHE PANICKING, OR IS IT REALLY POISON?'It's January in the picturesque Welsh village of Anwen-by-Wye, where temperatures plummet as Annie Parker and Carol Hill find themselves working for a woman who seems perilously close to death's door...and holding some worrying views about why that might be. They're tackling the delicate case alone because Christine Wilson-Smythe is trapped in London until her baby is born, where she battles boredom by burrowing into the woes of a couple of wine snobs. Meanwhile, Mavis MacDonald has accompanied dowager duchess Althea Twyst to the family's Scottish pile, where time with offspring is supposed to be the focus, until a very significant person from Mavis's past appears with an alarming problem she feels compelled to investigate...leading to a situation that threatens Althea's elaborate – and not entirely welcome – plans for Burns Night.Despite the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency being scattered around the UK, they still manage to act as a strong team, especially when a plea from Henry, Duke of Chellingworth, gets them to stand as one: his wife's chum, Val Jenkins – once best known as TV's Curious Cook – has convinced the duchess that a healthy eating plan is needed by everyone residing at the Hall. When Henry realizes this includes himself, he takes action to try to save his favorite foods and, as a side-effect, his wife's good friend.