New Release Books by Barbara Allan

When Vivian Borne - true-crime writer, antiques dealer and drama queen - and her co-author daughter Brandy travel to London in luxury to meet their new editor, they don''t predict their vacation will end in murder . . . but, plunged into a complex mystery, they have no choice but to carry on.

That local theater diva of a certain age, Vivian Borne—a.k.a. Brandy’s Mother—is sheriff of Serenity County now, but still hot on the trail of precious antiques. On a tour of the historic Wentworth Mansion, the two dedicated dealers are aglow at the treasure trove of priceless objects . . . never dreaming everything will turn to ashes, hours later. A charred corpse in the ruins is identified as the mansion’s caretaker, a one-time flame of Vivian’s. But Tony Cassato—Brandy’s beau and Serenity’s Chief of Police—throws cold water on Sheriff Vivian’s suspicions of murder. Then Brandy spots a certain familiar item for sale on the Internet, and Mother suspects the fire is just a smoke screen. When their doggie detective, Sushi the shih tzu, sniffs out a second body in the woods, Mother and Brandy turn up the heat on a homicidal torcher. Because any killer who takes on the Borne girls is playing with fire. Don’t miss Brandy Borne’s tips on buying and selling antiques on the internet! Visit us at kensington.com

“This humorous cozy—with its well-drawn, quirky characters—is a hoot.” —Booklist When a series of creepy crimes plagues an ill-fated Edgar Allan Poe festival, newly elected county sheriff Vivian Borne, along with her reluctant deputy daughter Brandy and spunky shih tzu Sushi, springs into action. A purloined tome, a black cat, a musty mausoleum, and mysterious disappearances—these tell the tale of a heartless murderer. But Vivian and Brandy Borne are determined to decipher the cryptic clues to make sure a ravin’-mad killer strikes “nevermore”! Don’t miss Brandy Borne’s tips on white elephant sales! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mysteries “Plenty of plausible suspects make this one of the best in Allan''s long-running series, which is always humorous and full of tips for antiques hunters.” —Kirkus Reviews “Cozy fans will enjoy spending time with Vivian and Brandy and friends.” —Publishers Weekly “A madcap series with non-stop humor.” —RT Book Reviews

This book provides a straight forward and pragmatic guide to leadership, management and team working in contemporary library and information services. Contemporary managers and leaders in library and information services are working in a challenging context; dealing with multiple demands on their time, expertise and resources. This book translates theories in team work, management and leadership into practical guidance backed up with examples and case studies from current library and information workers globally. There is a focus on attitudes, values and practices that make for good leadership and management. The book covers: -analysing your environment, understanding culture and developing strategies -working in the senior team and making an impact -confident leadership and management, decision making, problem solving and managing crises -leading, managing and supervising your team, establishing working practices and conflict management -delegation, dealing with overload and evaluating outcomes -managing large and small projects and the people side of projects -innovation and management of the change process -communications, managing e-mails and text messages and effective use of social media -recruitment and selection and performance management -managing and leading complex teams including collaborative, multi-professional, partnership and virtual teams -budgeting, managing finances, tendering, crowdfunding and taking part in audits -managing work/life balance, coaching and mentoring, emotional intelligence, resilience and mindfulness. The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership, Management and Teamwork is a book that a new or aspiring manager or team leader will use to guide them through the first few years in their new role. It will also provide guidance and support to new or aspiring directors of library services and help them to navigate their way through decision making and problem solving at senior levels. In addition, individual practitioners who are struggling to understand the management and leadership practices that they are experiencing may find that it helps them to make sense of their current environment.

A mother-and-daughter sleuthing team are on the trail of the bad guys in this “diverting” cozy mystery (Publishers Weekly). As spring lassos small-town Serenity, Iowa, Brandy Borne’s crime-bustin’ mama, Vivian, hatches a harebrained scheme to run for county sheriff—ropin’ in her daughter as campaign manager. First stop: a local assisted-living home, the ideal place to round up some voters and some much-needed funds. But shortly after they snag a valuable donation, a signed photo of an old-timey cowboy actor, a massive explosion sends Brandy to the ER and the donor to the grave. Now the ditzy duo—aided by their clever shih tzu, Sushi—must lay down the law on a deadly renegade . . . Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mysteries “A hilarious team of snoops.”—Joan Hess “One of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine “The exploits of the ditzy heroines remain endlessly amusing.”—Kirkus Reviews “Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor.”—Library Journal Includes Brandy Borne’s tips on white elephant sales!

This book provides a ‘no-nonsense’ guide to project management which will enable library and information professionals to lead or take part in a wide range of projects from large-scale multi-organization complex projects through to relatively simple local ones. Barbara Allan has fully revised and updated her classic 2004 title, Project Management, to incorporate considerable developments during the past decade, including: the development and wide-scale acceptance of formal project management methodologies; the use of social media to communicate and disseminate information about projects and the large shift in the types of project library and information workers may be involved in. The text is supported by practical case studies drawn from a wide range of LIS organizations at local, regional, national and international levels. These examples provide an insight into good practice for the practitioner, from an individual working in a voluntary organization on an extremely limited budget, to someone involved in an international project. Content covered includes: an introduction to project management, project workers and the library and information professiondifferent approaches to project management, the project cycle, the people side of projects and management of changediscussion of project methodologies, project management software, open source software, collaborative working software and use of social mediaproject initiation, communication, analysis and project briefsdeveloping project infra-structure, scheduling, working out the finances and carrying out a detailed risk analysisworking in partnerships, in diverse and virtual teams, and managing change. If you are an LIS professional involved in project work of any kind, whether on a managerial, practical, academic or research level, this is an invaluable resource for you.

The author, Barbara Allan was born to working class parents and she is forever grateful and proud to her lovely Mum and Dad who taught her their values: honesty, truth and principles. Their maxim was, "Remember, there''s always someone worse off than you."

An auction house becomes a crime scene in this rollicking mystery starring an “amusingly ditzy duo” (Kirkus Reviews). With their reality TV series, Antiques Sleuths, Brandy Borne and her quaintly kooky mother, Vivian, have a real hit on their hands. But when the bidding turns deadly, Brandy finds herself ornately framed for murder. Aided only by Sushi, their loyal shih tzu, and police dog Rocky, the wacky mother-and-daughter sleuthing team races to determine how an empty antique frame can hold a deadly portrait, before they become the subjects of another masterpiece of murder. Includes Brandy Borne’s tips on investing in antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mysteries! “If you delight in the absurd and enjoy manic humor, you’ll treasure the Trash ‘n’ Treasure mysteries.” —Mystery Scene “The characters, both primary and secondary, shine with brassy humor.”—Publishers Weekly

A village festival offers a Shakespeare play, an antiques sale—and a murder: “Surely one of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Brandy Borne’s exceedingly eccentric mother, Vivian, has been invited to perform her one-woman interpretation of “the Scottish play” (sometimes called Macbeth)—with different hats for different characters—at the neighboring town of Old York''s annual fête. The weekend festival celebrates the quaint village''s English flavor. Brandy, sensing a possible theatrical disaster, and savvy shih tzu Sushi, sensing possible doggy treats, tag along with the scene-stealing septuagenarian. As soon as they arrive in the cozy hamlet, tragedy strikes: the theater owner drops dead onstage while giving Vivian the grand tour. That wasn''t in the script and before they know it, Brandy and Vivian are entangled in a progressively perilous murder plot. Besides the cream teas and Chippendale chairs, it seems there are skeletons lurking among Old York''s charming pubs and enticing antiques stalls … When a second victim turns up mysteriously murdered, the dynamic duo knows they''ve got to step into the spotlight. But the remorseless killer seems to be well rehearsed for the Borne girls…and won''t leave even the smallest detail of their demise to fête! “Brandy and her eccentric mother make a hilarious team of snoops.”—Joan Hess Includes Brandy Borne''s tips on antiques fairs!

Emerging Strategies for Supporting Student Learning provides a straightforward and accessible guide to the latest learning and teaching practices appropriate for use with higher education students. It is both an exciting and challenging time to be working in higher education as the sector experiences rapid changes including: an increasingly diverse student population with changing expectations; changes in technology including the rise in the use of social media; increased emphasis on employability and internationalisation; development of new social learning spaces; as well as an ever-decreasing resource base. As a result of these changes, new approaches to supporting student learning are developing rapidly. In the past five years, developments in both the theory and practice of learning and teaching have created a complex landscape which it is sometimes difficult to navigate. Emerging Strategies for Supporting Student Learning provides practical guidance and brings together theory and practice in an accessible style. The book covers a wide range of tools and techniques (relevant to face-to-face, blended learning and online practices) which will suit students in different contexts from large groups of 500+ to very small classes of research students. This practical book makes extensive use of case studies, examples, checklists and tables and contains: - An analysis of the current higher education landscape, the changes that are occurring and the diverse nature of students populations - An exploration of new theories of digital literacy including case studies demonstrating how library and information workers have applied these models in practice - A demonstration of the many different ways in which academic library and information services are working in support of student employability - A theoretical overview of different approaches to teaching and learning including Kolb’s learning cycle, Laurillard’s conversational framework for university teaching, Entwistle’s teaching for understanding at university, Land and Meyer’s threshold concepts, and the Higher Education Academy’s work on flexible pedagogies - Practical guidance on designing, developing and evaluating courses and other learning and teaching events in different situations in including face-to-face, flipped classroom, blended learning, and online learning - An exploration of approaches to personal and professionals development including 90+ approaches to workplace learning; accredited courses; short courses, conferences and workshops; networking through professional organisations; and developing online networks. Emerging Strategies for Supporting Student Learning will be essential reading for different groups working in colleges and universities including library and information workers, staff developers, educational technologists, educational development project workers, educational change agents and students of library and information science who are planning their careers in higher education institutions.

A special holiday short story in the series starring “a hilarious team of snoops” (Joan Hess). Hey Santa, get a clue . . . Baby, it’s cold outside at the small town of Serenity’s annual Holiday Stroll festivities. But that doesn’t stop Brandy Borne and her theatrical mother, Vivian, from making merry. That is, until the two find something frosty in Santa’s workshop—the jolly man in red, dead as a doornail. And the goodies inside his donation bag have vanished like cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. It’s up to Brandy and Mother—with spirited shih tzu Sushi in tow—to take the reins and start checking off their naughty list. But the sleuthing duo might have to reckon with some ghosts of Christmas past before finally unwrapping the murderer… “One of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Don’t miss Brandy Borne’s tips on antiques!

When the jealous wife of a local tycoon is found dead, Brandy Borne, her ever-eccentric mother and their sleuthing shih tzu investigate clues surrounding a super-secret high-society bridge group. Co-written by the author of the Quarry series.

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We''re happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!

It’s curtains at Christmas in a special short story:“If you delight in the absurd and enjoy manic humor, you’ll treasure the Trash ‘n’ Treasure mysteries.” —Mystery Scene During the dress rehearsal for a festive Christmas play in small-town Serenity, Iowa, star Madeline de Morlaye topples over—on stage!—after a bite of prop pastry. Since the frosty actress had earned plenty of enemies through her offstage dramatics, the cast of suspects is longer than Santa''s "Naughty or Nice" list. Prop mistress Brandy Borne and her diva-turned-director mother, Vivian—assisted by their savvy shih tzu, Sushi—must solve this fruitcake fatality before it''s curtains for anyone else. Includes A Tasty Recipe! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n'' Treasures Mystery Series "Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor." —Library Journal "A humorous cozy that teems with quirky characters." —Booklist "Thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships." —Romantic Times Book Reviews "A hilarious team of snoops." —Joan Hess

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We''re happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!

A trip to a New York comic-book convention pits antiques dealers against a villain: “Brandy and her eccentric mother make a hilarious team of snoops.”—Joan Hess Small-town Iowa sleuths Brandy and Vivian Borne—with their trusty shih tzu, Sushi—head for a Big Apple comics convention to sell a rare 1940s Superman drawing. When an intruder breaks into their hotel suite, their madcap Manhattan misadventure is only beginning. Soon the out-of-towners stumble onto a murder victim impaled by a pen-shaped award. Villains abound—from cartoonists to crime bosses—creating a jumble of clues. But Brandy and Vivian will leave no comic-book page unturned in their race to trap a ruthless killer. “The exploits of the ditzy heroines remain endlessly amusing.”—Kirkus Reviews “Fans of the series will enjoy the banter between this pair of engaging characters.”—Booklist “Humorous… Tips about comics collecting add to the cozy fun.”—Publishers Weekly Don''t miss Brandy Borne''s tips on antiques!

At a small-town antiques market, someone is dealing in death: “Charming…a laugh-out-loud funny mystery.”—Romantic Times (4 stars) Halloween may be a time of treats, but for Brandy Borne, there''s nothing trickier than keeping her batty mom out of mischief. Opening a booth at the Serenity antiques mall seems like a frightfully sensible solution—until a corpse turns up between the cornucopia and the candy corn. Local law scares up a suspect in the victim''s dog, Brad Pit Bull. But Brandy and Mother see through the killer''s clever canine masquerade. Their mission: unmask a murderer—before the witching hour comes, and he mauls again. Includes Brandy Borne''s Tips On Antiques–And A New Recipe! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ''n'' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "A humorous cozy that teems with quirky characters." --Booklist "A sure-fire winner." --Publishers Weekly "One of the funniest cozy series going." --Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine "You''ll laugh out loud." --Mystery Scene

This book is aimed at helping experienced trainers, as well as those who are still developing their skills, and provides guidance on the design and delivery of effective training courses with topics including: the people side of training; use of technologies to support training practices; different approaches to learning and teaching; planning and designing training; delivering training: face-to-face and blended learning; evaluation of training events and continuous improvement; and learning and development in the workplace. This guide uses case studies and examples of best practice from public, school, academic, special, and government libraries.

This book provides a straight forward and pragmatic guide to leadership, management and team working in contemporary library and information services. Contemporary managers and leaders in library and information services are working in a challenging context; dealing with multiple demands on their time, expertise and resources. This book translates theories in team work, management and leadership into practical guidance backed up with examples and case studies from current library and information workers globally. There is a focus on attitudes, values and practices that make for good leadership and management. The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership, Management and Team Working is a book that a new or aspiring manager or team leader will use to guide them through the first few years in their new role. It will also provide guidance and support to new or aspiring directors of library services and help them to navigate their way through decision making and problem solving at senior levels.

A mother-and-daughter team explore old furniture—and an old murder: “One of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Brandy Borne and her dramatically ditzy mother, Vivian, are stars of the new reality show Antiques Sleuths. The season opens in a perfect location—a quaint old house echoing with the unsolved whispers of a sixty-year-old axe murder. But when the show''s producer meets a similarly grisly end, Brandy and Mother must chop around for clues, axe the right questions, and get the edge on a murderer''s mysterious motives. Otherwise our sharp-witted sleuths may face cancellation—on the cutting room floor! “The characters, both primary and secondary, shine with brassy humor.”—Publishers Weekly Don’t miss Brandy Borne''s tips on antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ''n'' Treasures Mystery Series. . . “Thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships.”—Romantic Times Book Reviews “Brandy and her eccentric mother make a hilarious team of snoops.”—Joan Hess “You''ll laugh out loud.”—Mystery Scene

Barbara Allan''s introduction to the prison system came after her husband murdered his own father. Before that, she had faced her husband''s alcoholism, his violent episodes, and multiple attempts to protect herself and her two daughters. But it was her confrontation with the criminal-justice system that has stuck with her-for almost fifty years. Founder of Prison Families Anonymous, Barbara discovered early on that families of the incarcerated had to do their own time, struggling to navigate a system that ignored them and sometimes actively shunned them. This is her story

Deck the halls with murder . . . To Brandy Borne and her ditzy diva mother, homicide in small-town Serenity is the gift that keeps on taking. But murder turns merry as Brandy and Vivian gather collectible clues in a wintry workshop, seek the grinch who dimmed a pageant star''s twinkle, and bag the humbug helper who snuffed a sidewalk Santa. Aided by Sushi, their elfin shih tzu, our seasonal sleuths crumble a bountiful batch of Christmas crookies. And though suspects may show bad will, and good cheer seems in short supply, this collection of Trash ''n'' Treasures holiday homicides sparkles as the Borne girls wrap up three frolicsome felonies. Includes Brandy Borne''s antiques tips and yummy recipes! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ''n'' Treasures Mysteries "A madcap series with non-stop humor."--RT Book Reviews "Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor."--Library Journal "The exploits of the ditzy heroines remain endlessly amusing." --Kirkus Reviews "One of the funniest cozy series going." --Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Autumn has descended on Serenity, that quiet, cozy town nestled in the crook of the mighty Mississippi River--or, one might say, with crooks. For the rain and fog have also brought an undercurrent of chaos--and it''s not just because the fall colors clash alarmingly with Vivian Borne''s pantsuits. The only remedy is a trash ''n'' treasures shopping spree. But the Bornes are about to get more than they bargained for. . . Brandy Borne and her suspiciously well-informed mother, Vivian, have the winning bid on an abandoned storage unit''s "mystery" contents, which they discover includes a vintage cornet. But when they arrive to claim the rest of their loot, the space is empty--except for the recently stowed body of Big Jim Bob, Vivian''s tipster--a.k.a. former flame. Only one thing is certain: someone has definitely put the "rage" in storage! Murder turns to mayhem when an intruder steals into the Borne home, tries to mete out some ruff justice to Brandy''s ferociously fluffy shih tzu, Sushi, and makes off with the cornet. But why is the horn worth killing for? Clues soon lead the sleuthing Borne duo to the next stashed victim--and some of Serenity''s juiciest secrets. Now Brandy and Mother will have to play a perilous game of cat-and-mouse droppings to catch the corpse-hoarding killer before it''s time to blow "Taps" for all concerned. . .

After her mom makes a counterfeit confession, an antiques dealer must find the real murderer: “A sure-fire winner.”—Publishers Weekly Brandy Borne is pretty sure her “charmingly eccentric” (a.k.a. “off her meds”) mother, Vivian, didn''t kill that viperous mousy-haired busybody Connie Grimes. But there''s the small matter of her guilty plea. . ..While Mother blithely adapts to life behind bars by organizing a jailhouse theater troupe, seven-months-pregnant Brandy and her intrepid shih tzu, Sushi, trundle into a morass of fake antiques and faux collectibles. In the dog days of summer, they''d better not bark up the wrong tree—or a scheming killer just may put the bite on them… “An often amusing tale complete with lots of antiques-buying tips and an ending that may surprise you.”—Kirkus Reviews "If you like laugh-out-loud mysteries, this one will make your day." --Romantic Times (4.5 stars) Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n'' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "You''ll laugh out loud as Brandy and Vivian bumble their way through murder investigations in far-from-serene Serenity, Iowa." --Mystery Scene "One of the funniest cozy series going." --Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

When a gray kitten named Jane is cruelly cast on the street at ten weeks old, she spends her time hiding in bushes and under porches, terrified of dangers around her. Hungry and cold, she finally meets a kind opossum who leads her around the neighborhood to yummy morsels of food. The odd duo stick together until fate shines upon Jane. Plucked from the clutches of street life, Jane is adopted into a loving home and makes a friend for life in the familys dog, a Labrador retriever named Danny Lunder. She is content, warm, and safe, and so writes heartfelt letters to her mother describing her life and good fortune, hoping to relieve any her mothers fears. But the man and woman of the family are elderly and before long, after a series of accidents, Jane ends up on the street again, and Danny finds a home with another master. This time, Jane writes to Danny, unaware of his new circumstances but desperately wanting to reconnect with her old friend. Despair tries to ensnare her once more, but she fights it desperately. After all, now she has more than herself to look after: she is expecting kittens. Letters from Jane offers a thoughtful, engaging tale of life as experienced through an animals eyes.

A cozy mystery with “a fast-paced plot, plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor, and tips on antique collecting” (Library Journal). Spring has sprung a major leak in far-from-serene Serenity, as the Mississippi River drops in for an extended stay. With homes and businesses flooded, how better to help the town recover than by staging a church bazaar? Brandy Borne knows her mother Vivian''s plan, however, is more likely to lean toward bizarre, especially when she hears Mother wheedle a reclusive Russian heiress into donating the last Faberge egg ever created! When the winning bidder turns up mortally scrambled, Brandy and Mother cook up a plan to crack the case of this killer. . .who is one seriously bad egg! Includes Miss Brandy Borne''s Tips On Antiques! “Auction tips and a recipe for spicy beef stew enhance this satirical cozy.”—Publishers Weekly Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ''n'' Treasures Mystery Series. . . “Top pick! . . .thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships.”—Romantic Times Book Reviews “Engaging and utterly believable.”—Sara Paretsky “This is surely one of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

The importance of supporting the needs of research students has recently risen higher up the academic agenda around the world. Numbers of postgraduate students have expanded, and the traditional PhD has now been joined by a new range of doctoral qualifications including professional doctorates such as the Doctor in Business Administration (DBA). These developments have led to a more diverse student body which now includes senior professional practitioners. This shift has seen an acknowledgement that support services within universities must cater more for the needs of research students. While the library and information profession is a graduate one, a relatively small number of LIS professionals have a research degree. This means that, though they are likely to have experience of carrying out smaller scale research projects, they will not have experienced and internalized the distinct learning processes involved in gaining a doctorate. This timely book offers guidance to enable them to support the specialist needs of research students effectively. Individual chapters are designed to be read and worked through in any order. The key areas covered are: research and the research process the research student''s experience research skills training supporting research students in academic libraries and information services virtual graduate schools introduction to research communities professional development. Readership: This is an essential text for all library and information professionals in higher education institutions globally that cater for the needs of research students. It will also be valuable reading for LIS students.

Brandy Borne''s new life in the small Mississippi River town of Serenity is anything but serene. Moving back in with her bipolar mom, Vivian--an antique herself, who treats Brandy like a perpetual five-year old--is challenging enough, but stocking and running their antiques holiday booth at the mall together is positively daunting. And as the big Christmas season gets into full swing, they find themselves in the midst of small-town mayhem when an old flame of Vivian''s turns up mysteriously deceased. ''Tis the season--to be murdered? Brandy and her diva mom last saw the recently departed dealer, Walter Yeager, at a flea market where Vivian made her usual theatrical scene while saving Walter from under-pricing a valuable first edition of Tarzan and the Apes. The prospective buyer was furious, and when Walter winds up dead the next day--"officially" of a heart attack--and the book goes missing, Vivian senses a Yuletide homicide.

This practical handbook is an essential course companion for business and management students at degree level. It contains case studies, exercises, tips and self-assessment tools that will help students with their personal and professional development. The book covers key areas, such as: Learning and teaching methods Study strategies Time management Research methods Assessment activities Exam techniques Job searching And it also emphasizes the skills that are key for business and management courses, which include: Academic writing Critical and reflective thinking Effective communication Interpersonal skills Project management Research skills Team working Study Skills for Business and Management Students has been carefully structured to be used throughout a degree course in order to hone the skills necessary to get a good degree and begin a successful career. An accompanying website www.openup.co.uk/businesssuccess has more information on related careers with up-to-date web links.