A Weekend at Blenheim by J. P. Morrissey and 50 similar items

A Weekend at Blenheim: a Novel by J. P. Morrissey In 1905, John Vanbrugh, an ambitious, young architect, receives an invitation from the Duchess of Marlborough, the American-born Consuelo Vanderbilt, to visit Blenheim Palace and help her with renovations. And so young Vanbrugh joins a weekend house party which includes a young Winston Churchill and John Singer Sargent, who has been hired to paint a family portrait. Right away Vanbrugh learns that Blenheim has many dark secrets. The mystery grows larger as a young housemaid is found strangled in the courtyard. From there, events spin out of control, with Vanbrugh soon realising that he too has fallen victim to the cursed history of Blenheim. MORE: In this enthralling and atmospheric tale of murder, revenge, and redemption, a young American struggles to make sense of a world he does not understand, where the price of acceptance may be murder. John Vanbrugh is an outsider in the England of 1905: A determined but unsuccessful American architect, he has moved to London to make a new life for himself and his wife, Margaret. When he receives an unexpected summons to meet the dazzling Duchess of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, he is skeptical. The young duchess, Vanbrugh comes to understand, has her reasons. Like him, she is American-born: Consuelo Vanderbilt, one of the richest debutantes in America. Seemingly on impulse, the duchess hires Vanbrugh to renovate her rooms at Blenheim--a plum job Vanbrugh accepts. He and his wife join the weekend party at Blenheim, a group that includes the foul-tempered duke; his young cousin Winston Churchill; the society painter John Singer Sargent; the duchess's mother and American suffragette, Mrs. O.H.P. Belmont; Gladys Deacon, an American friend of the duchess; and the enigmatic Catholic Monsignor Vay de Vaya. Almost as soon as he begins work at Blenheim, Vanbrugh uncovers a series of unsettling letters that hint at a long-concealed deceit. As he tries to grasp the meaning of this discovery, a sketchbook owned by Sargent is stolen and a young housemaid is found in the courtyard, strangled. It is then that Vanbrugh realizes he is caught in a maze of duplicity and manipulation with no way out. Struggling to uncover the treachery he sees around him, Vanbrugh is forced to reevaluate everything he thought about Blenheim, himself, even the very nature of truth. Part mystery, part gothic morality tale, A Weekend at Blenheim is a compelling, mesmerizing, deeply satisfying novel. New, hardcover, unread SIGNED New York: St. Martin's Press, 2002 ISBN-13: 9780312282684 / ISBN: 0312282680 ------------------------------------------------------------ Most on-line booksellers describe their books using a grading system which, despite best efforts and intent, is often subjective and disappointing. MOST OF MY BOOKS ARE NEW , or like new - high quality material; no book club editions, no ex library volumes. YOU WILL BE SATISFIED and I’ll make every effort to make it so. Given this, books are available at a fraction of the prices you’d find at even the best discounted merchants. If you find a similar title listed for less elsewhere , the chances are that the shipping and handling charges will marginalize that "bargain” or that the condition is not the same. . Almost always, unless you request otherwise, books will be shipped by MEDIA MAIL. This is a weight based service and I try to be accurate. There’s no handling charge, no hidden fees and I’ll get back to you if you write. FEEDBACK: Most welcomed, but please use common sense. Unless you have less intelligence than the pistachio nut, contact me immediately with any issue you may have. Please don’t engage in thoughtless knee-jerking! You will always do well if you talk to me first! A NOTE ABOUT NEW BOOKS THAT ARE NOT RECENTLY PUBLISHED: Some books listed as new are indeed new, but were published several years ago. These are from new old stock, meaning that the book has never been used but may have wear from long term storage. A NOTE ABOUT ANTIQUARIAN AND COLLECTIBLE BOOKS: Since the proper evaluation can not be done without several detailed photos, they will be provided upon inquiry or expression of interest. Refunds: I have no set policy since every case is different but I guarantee satisfaction. I make every effort to accommodate you. In general: no fuss, and no problem but must be returned in the original condition within 10 days of receipt. Items that have been removed from their original sealed wrap (CDs, Books, etc that were in blister packs) will be credited at 80 % of item’s price. Once out of my control, I can’t assume responsibility in the event of loss or damage of uninsured items in transit so I recommend that the buyer purchase insurance for high value items. I DON’T CHARGE FOR BOOKS TO THE MEN AND WOMEN SERVING IN THE ARMED SERVICES or for people trying to cope with a threatening or life changing illness. You have enough on your plate - just cover the shipping and handling. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: Items weighing under 4 pounds are shipped First class international, which is a fairly economic way to ship. Anything over 4 pounds must be shipped Priority International, which can be very costly, so be sure to contact me about finding the least costly way to ship. PRIORITY MAIL. This is generally okay for most books but the book must fit into a especially sized envelope, so large books or oversized books will not generally fit. Also, the service is not available for every country. I would appreciate it if Canadian buyers use Postal Money Order in US FUNDS, please. I am always interested in hearing from foreign sellers who may wish to buy in quantities- in fact, I will discount larger shipments. Our shipping and handling charges for Canadian and other international orders do not include taxes, duties, or brokerage fees. These taxes and fees are the sole responsibility of the recipient International Shipping: Unless requested to use another carrier , shipping will be by US Postal Service -First Class International or Priority International Please bear in mind that there can be customs delays on your shipment. ------------------------------------------------ New to this site? Wondering how to make an offer? Once you've found the set of stuff you want/need/can't live without, click the "Add To Cart" button on the item's page, or drag the item into your shopping cart (located on the right side of the booth and item pages). When you're done shopping, click "Checkout" on your cart to see the items you've added. Once you have clicked "Checkout," all items in your cart will be grouped by seller. Depending on what options the seller allows, you may be allowed to edit any of the following options: * Payment type (Google Checkout, money order, Paypal, or cash) * Shipping or pickup * Quantity of items * Total offer price For any of the above options that can be edited, you can set their value by clicking on the "Edit" link next to the option. There are a variety of reasons you might not see edit links next to these options, which you can read about here. When you're done editing options, you click "Propose Offers" or "Buy Now" to continue with the process of buying the items. ----------------------------------------------------------- Most on-line booksellers describe their books using a grading system which, despite best efforts and intent, is often subjective and disappointing. MOST OF MY BOOKS ARE NEW , or like new - high quality material; no book club editions, no ex library volumes. YOU WILL BE SATISFIED and I’ll make every effort to make it so. Given this, books are available at a fraction of the prices you’d find at even the best discounted merchants. If you find a similar title listed for less elsewhere , the chances are that the shipping and handling charges will marginalize that "bargain” or that the condition is not the same. . Almost always, unless you request otherwise, books will be shipped by MEDIA MAIL. This is a weight based service and I try to be accurate. There’s no handling charge, no hidden fees and I’ll get back to you if you write. FEEDBACK: Most welcomed, but please use common sense. Unless you have less intelligence than the pistachio nut, contact me immediately with any issue you may have. Please don’t engage in thoughtless knee-jerking! You will always do well if you talk to me first! A NOTE ABOUT NEW BOOKS THAT ARE NOT RECENTLY PUBLISHED: Some books listed as new are indeed new, but were published several years ago. These are from new old stock, meaning that the book has never been used but may have wear from long term storage. A NOTE ABOUT ANTIQUARIAN AND COLLECTIBLE BOOKS: Since the proper evaluation can not be done without several detailed photos, they will be provided upon inquiry or expression of interest. Refunds: I have no set policy since every case is different but I guarantee satisfaction. I make every effort to accommodate you. In general: no fuss, and no problem but must be returned in the original condition within 10 days of receipt. Items that have been removed from their original sealed wrap (CDs, Books, etc that were in blister packs) will be credited at 80 % of item’s price. Once out of my control, I can’t assume responsibility in the event of loss or damage of uninsured items in transit so I recommend that the buyer purchase insurance for high value items. I DON’T CHARGE FOR BOOKS TO THE MEN AND WOMEN SERVING IN THE ARMED SERVICES or for people trying to cope with a threatening or life changing illness. You have enough on your plate - just cover the shipping and handling. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: Items weighing under 4 pounds are shipped First class international, which is a fairly economic way to ship. Anything over 4 pounds must be shipped Priority International, which can be very costly, so be sure to contact me about finding the least costly way to ship. PRIORITY MAIL. This is generally okay for most books but the book must fit into a especially sized envelope, so large books or oversized books will not generally fit. Also, the service is not available for every country. I would appreciate it if Canadian buyers use Postal Money Order in US FUNDS, please. I am always interested in hearing from foreign sellers who may wish to buy in quantities- in fact, I will discount larger shipments. Our shipping and handling charges for Canadian and other international orders do not include taxes, duties, or brokerage fees. These taxes and fees are the sole responsibility of the recipient International Shipping: Unless requested to use another carrier , shipping will be by US Postal Service -First Class International or Priority International Please bear in mind that there can be customs delays on your shipment. ------------------------------------------------ New to this site? Wondering how to make an offer? Once you've found the set of stuff you want/need/can't live without, click the "Add To Cart" button on the item's page, or drag the item into your shopping cart (located on the right side of the booth and item pages). When you're done shopping, click "Checkout" on your cart to see the items you've added. Once you have clicked "Checkout," all items in your cart will be grouped by seller. Depending on what options the seller allows, you may be allowed to edit any of the following options: * Payment type (Google Checkout, money order, Paypal, or cash) * Shipping or pickup * Quantity of items * Total offer price For any of the above options that can be edited, you can set their value by clicking on the "Edit" link next to the option. There are a variety of reasons you might not see edit links next to these options, which you can read about here. When you're done editing options, you click "Propose Offers" or "Buy Now" to continue with the process of buying the items.