Deadly Appraisal


Book Description

In this sequel to "Consigned to Death," antiques appraiser Josie Prescott gets mixed up in murder after a friend is poisoned during a gala benefit at Prescott's Antiques and Appraisals. Martin's Press.




A Fatal Appraisal


Book Description

The second in the Antiques & Collectible series by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams. In the world of antiques and collectibles, it helps to have a sharp eye for quality, a good ear for gossip, and a nose for murder. Molly Appleby loves her job at Collector’s Weekly covering auctions and estate sales all over the South. When her latest assignment takes her to Richmond, Virginia, to interview the staff of the hit TV show Hidden Treasures, she’s expecting a quick, fun trip. But when one of the show’s appraisers is found murdered, Molly realizes that once again she’ll have to put on her detective’s cap until the culprit is captured. As Richmond locals flock to the show hoping their family heirlooms turn out to be valuable antiques, Molly’s busy behind the scenes interviewing the show’s staff and tracking down clues. When yet another staff member is killed and Molly herself is threatened, she’s determined to discover which of the expert cast members of Hidden Treasures might be hiding a sinister secret, because no matter how priceless, she knows that no antique is literally to die for. “I’ve read all the books in this series and am really hoping she continues to write more. I can’t speak more highly about these books. They’re unique, well-written, and incredibly enjoyable!” —Goodreads This is a fully revised edition of a book originally published under the name J. B. Stanley.




A Killer Collection


Book Description

The first book in the terrific Antiques & Collectibles series by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams. In the world of antiques and collectibles, it helps to have a sharp eye for quality, a good ear for gossip, and a nose for murder. Molly Appleby is a young writer for Collector’s Weekly, and when the attractive reporter isn’t covering auctions and antique shows all over the South, she’s trying to get her new relationship with a coworker off the ground. When her latest assignment takes her to North Carolina pottery country to cover an exclusive kiln opening, she’s certain the show promises surprising offerings and rare finds. What she doesn’t expect to find is a dead body. George-Bradley Staunton is known throughout the antiques world as a very wealthy and very ruthless collector, and when he drops dead just after the opening, there are all too few mourners and a seemingly endless list of suspects. When the local police are stumped, Molly steps in to put her journalist’s nose to work sniffing out the culprit. But no sooner does she start collecting clues than another dead body falls into her lap. As Molly digs beneath the genteel surface of antiques and collectibles, she finds a world filled with backstabbing and competition, and what started as a story about rare collections might leave Molly with nothing more than a collection of corpses. “A very likable amateur sleuth . . . I’ll be happy to follow Molly on her future investigations.” —The Romance Readers Connection This is a fully revised edition of a book originally published under the name J. B. Stanley.




A Killer Keepsake


Book Description

A brand-new book in the Antiques & Collectibles Mystery series by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs. “A wonderfully written, captivating cozy novel with likeable main characters and an interesting plot!” —Goodreads review, on A Treacherous Trader In the world of antiques and collectibles, it helps to have a sharp eye for quality, a good ear for gossip, and a nose for murder. When star reporter Molly Appleby exchanged vows with her new husband, she also made a promise to give up sleuthing. But given her knack for stumbling onto murders, and murderers, she’s realizing she never should have made a promise she couldn’t keep. Molly’s just finished an article on the Forget Me Not Doll Club for Collector’s Weekly, but before the magazine even hits the newsstands, one of the club members is found murdered, and a stolen antique doll—purportedly haunted—is found in the victim’s house. When police discover that few of the peculiar club members will mourn the deceased, and that most of them had more motives than alibis, they once again enlist Molly’s help to solve this very odd case. But piecing together a deadly puzzle is never easy, and when another member of the club is attacked, Molly begins to wonder if the eccentric group of doll lovers might have deeper and darker connections than she ever imagined. And as she begins to piece together the unusual background of the eerie doll and uncovers a history of troubled lives, she realizes there are more victims than the obvious ones in this case—and that some people will do anything to protect their darkest secrets.




Killer Keepsakes


Book Description

One of the mainstays of Prescott's Antiques and Appraisals has always been the cheerful and helpful assistant, Gretchen, who turned up unexpectedly just as Josie was setting up shop in New Hampshire. Gretchen has always been so dependable that it seems odd when she doesn't show up for work one day. Surprise soon turns to alarm when a dead body is found in Gretchen's house, with Gretchen the prime suspect. How much does Josie know about Gretchen, anyway? Enough to believe she isn't capable of murder, so Josie, with a crack team of antiques appraisers at her side, sets out to find the real killer and bring Gretchen home safely, no matter the cost.




Total Quality Management in Education


Book Description

This new edition introduces the key concepts of TQM in the education context, discusses organizational, leadership and teamwork issues, the tools and techniques of TQM, and will help educators develop a framework for management in their school.




A Fatal Fabergé


Book Description

A new book in the Antiques & Collectibles mystery series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs! In the world of antiques and collectibles, it helps to have a sharp eye for quality, a good ear for gossip, and a nose for murder. In the grips of a cold and drab autumn, Collector’s Weekly reporter Molly Appleby is thrilled to be attending a festive black-tie fundraiser hosted by the very private Natasha Gordon, an heiress known for her charitable events and aversion to the limelight. It’s Molly first chance to see the stunning interior of the Gordon estate, but when a rare book dealer is pushed from a high window to his death, she’s confronted with a sight that’s become all too common for her. And despite the fact that the crude and pompous victim was roundly disliked by all who knew him and that any number of people may have wanted him dead, Molly agrees to look into the murder for his surviving son. As the police go about their steady business of interviewing the dozens of people in attendance that night, Molly decides to look closer to home and begins questioning the staff and anyone else connected to the estate and the victim. More and more stories of the dead man’s troubled life and marriage begin to emerge, including a potentially lucrative deal that’s gone bust and an old Gordon family heirloom that’s gone missing—a rare jeweled Fabergé egg once owned by the Empress Alexandra of Russia. When clues to the murderer’s identity begin to accumulate, so too do the threats to Molly, and she knows she’s getting close to the truth. But with a secret family history and an untold amount of money on the line, Molly knows she’ll need to tread carefully before she becomes the latest victim of a killer trying to cover their tracks . . . “A wonderfully written, captivating cozy novel with likeable main characters and an interesting plot!” —Goodreads review on A Treacherous Trader




Solutions Manual to accompany Fundamentals of Quality Control and Improvement, Solutions Manual


Book Description

A statistical approach to the principles of quality control and management Incorporating modern ideas, methods, and philosophies of quality management, Fundamentals of Quality Control and Improvement, Third Edition presents a quantitative approach to management-oriented techniques and enforces the integration of statistical concepts into quality assurance methods. Utilizing a sound theoretical foundation and illustrating procedural techniques through real-world examples, this timely new edition bridges the gap between statistical quality control and quality management. The book promotes a unique "do it right the first time" approach and focuses on the use of experimental design concepts as well as the Taguchi method for creating product/process designs that successfully incorporate customer needs, improve lead time, and reduce costs. Further management-oriented topics of discussion include total quality management; quality function deployment; activity-basedcosting; balanced scorecard; benchmarking; failure mode and effects criticality analysis; quality auditing; vendor selection and certification; and the Six Sigma quality philosophy. The Third Edition also features: Presentation of acceptance sampling and reliability principles Coverage of ISO 9000 standards Profiles of past Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winners, which illustrate examples of best business practices Strong emphasis on process control and identification of remedial actions Integration of service sector examples The implementation of MINITAB software in applications found throughout the book as well as in the additional data sets that are available via the related Web site New and revised exercises at the end of most chapters Complete with discussion questions and a summary of key terms in each chapter, Fundamentals of Quality Control and Improvement, Third Edition is an ideal book for courses in management, technology, and engineering at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It also serves as a valuable reference for practitioners and professionals who would like to extend their knowledge of the subject.




Genreflecting


Book Description

Librarians who work with readers will find this well-loved guide to be a treasure trove of information. With descriptive annotations of thousands of genre titles mapped by genre and subgenre, this is the readers' advisor's go-to reference. Next to author, genre is the characteristic that readers use most to select reading material and the most trustworthy consideration for finding books readers will enjoy. With its detailed classification and pithy descriptions of titles, this book gives users valuable insights into what makes genre fiction appeal to readers. It is an invaluable aid for helping readers find books that they will enjoy reading. Providing a handy roadmap to popular genre literature, this guide helps librarians answer the perennial and often confounding question "What can I read next?" Herald and Stavole-Carter briefly describe thousands of popular fiction titles, classifying them into standard genres such as science fiction, fantasy, romance, historical fiction, and mystery. Within each genre, titles are broken down into more specific subgenres and themes. Detailed author, title, and subject indexes provide further access. As in previous editions, the focus of the guide is on recent releases and perennial reader favorites. In addition to covering new titles, this edition focuses more narrowly on the core genres and includes basic readers' advisory principles and techniques.




A Devious Lot


Book Description

A brand-new book in the Antiques & Collectibles series by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs. Molly Appleby has promised her new husband that their honeymoon will be trouble-free—specifically, no sleuthing. Unfortunately, trouble seems to follow Molly wherever she goes, even to England. After a glorious week in London, the newlyweds have escaped the city to visit Molly’s great-aunt in the quaint English village of Marlow Crossing. The setting is idyllic, as beautiful and serene as Molly could hope for, but as the talented reporter and senior staff writer for Collector’s Weekly knows, appearances can be deceiving. And when a local woman turns up poisoned to death, Molly’s convinced there’s more to the story than meets the eye. Putting her honeymoon on hold, Molly agrees to help local inspector Devon Boyle with the case, especially since the sleepy village presents such a small number of suspects. But when two of them go missing and the tragic death of another woman comes to light, Molly realizes she’s up against a much more sinister criminal than she thought. Untangling a web of lies and deceit as she searches for a motive and a murderer won’t be easy, but Molly’s determined to put all of her detective skills to use to catch a killer before her trip, and her life, are brought to a sudden end.