Having the Decorators in - Tapa blanda

With a cast of charming characters - introduced to us in HAVING THE BUILDERS IN - this witty and clever novel tells the story of the inhabitants of Vine Regis castle and its surrounding town.
After far too many months of HAVING THE BUILDERS IN, Dame Constance's (newly extended) castle, Vine Regis, is her own once more. Finally she has the peace and quiet she needs to begin the all-important task of decorating. Or so she thinks... Unfortunately for Constance, it's not just her Italian decorator's choice of colours that are revolting - apparently the townsfolk are at it too. Outraged by the Poll Tax, murderous rebels are rumoured to be on the rampage. As meddlesome merchants, pesky Pilgrims and rowdy relatives seek refuge at the castle, Constance's dreams of interior design disappear out of the window. This simply won't do; Dame Constance should be picking out fabrics not picking up after uninvited guests. But as Lady of the Manor she must do her duty. Unless, of course, she can devise a way to get rid of them...

HAVING THE DECORATORS IN is wickedly witty, deliciously delightful and infinitely more enjoyable than watching paint dry.

Born and brought up in Scotland, Reay Tannahill would have liked to have gone either to art or drama school but fell victim to the traditional Scottish passion for formal education and found herself instead at the University of Glasgow, from where she emerged with an MA in history and a postgraduate certificate in social sciences. Until her death in 2007 she lived in London.

After a varied career - as a probation officer, advertising copy-writer, newspaper reporter, historical researcher and graphic designer - she was asked by the Folio Society to write a short illustrated study of Regency England. This allowed her to combine her interests in art and history and was followed by PARIS IN THE REVOLUTION, THE FINE ART OF FOOD, FOOD IN HISTORY and SEX IN HISTORY. Having spent twelve years researching and writing these last two books (translated into eleven languages), Reay Tannahill felt that a change was called for and embarked on her first historical novel, A DARK AND DISTANT SHORE, which was an instant bestseller. Her following historical novels were all critically acclaimed and included PASSING GLORY, winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year Award.