M. C. Beaton / Marion Chesney

(born 1936 - ) - Glasgow

M C Beaton / Marion Chesney

M.C. Beaton is the best-known pen name for the hugely prolific author Marion Chesney. She was born in Glasgow in 1936 and has worked as a bookseller, journalist, theatre critic and editor before becoming a full time writer. As a journalist she has written for the Daily Mail, the Daily Express and The Star. After marry Harry Scott Gibbons she moved to the USA, where she first started writing her Regency romances under the name Marion Chesney.

It was on a holiday to Sutherland that Chesney was first inspired to write the Hamish Macbeth stories, and the family moved to Scotland where her husband became a sheep farmer. Later they moved to the Cotswolds to be closer to her son in London, and she started the Agetha Raisin mystery novels.

Although she is now best known as M.C. Beaton, Marion Chesney has written under a variety of pen names including Sarah Chester, Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Marion Gibbons, Jennie Tremaine and Charlotte Ward.

Many of her novels have appeared on TV and Radio, including a BBC TV series based on Hamish Macbeth starring Robert Carlisle, and a BBC Radio production based on Agatha Raisin starring Penelope Keith. Marion Chesney was not happy with the Hamish MacBeth series, and has said:

"No I was not happy about the show. Hamish was nothing like the Hamish Macbeth I had in mind; nothing like the books. But fortunately the books were established by then and you leave people to make up their own minds."

Marion Chesney now lives in a cottage in the Cotswolds with her husband Harry Scott, and also keeps a holiday home in Paris. Her most recent novel is There Goes The Bride, an Agatha Raisin mystery.

Bibliography

As M.C. Beaton

Agatha Raisin series

Hamish Macbeth Series

Other Books

  • The Skeleton in the Closet - 2001

As Marion Chesney

Westerby

  1. The Westerby Inheritance - 1982
  2. The Westerby Sisters - 1983

Six Sisters

  1. Minerva - 1983
  2. The Taming of Annabelle - 1983
  3. Deirdre and Desire - 1984
  4. Daphne - 1984
  5. Diana the Huntress - 1985
  6. Frederica in Fashion - 1985

House for the Seasons

  1. The Miser of Mayfair - 1986
  2. Plain Jane - 1986
  3. The Wicked Godmother - 1987
  4. Rake's Progress - 1987
  5. The Adventuress - 1987
  6. Rainbird's Revenge - 1988

School for Manners

  1. Refining Felicity - 1988
  2. Perfecting Fiona - 1989
  3. Enlightening Delilah - 1989
  4. Finessing Clarissa - 1989
  5. Animating Maria - 1990
  6. Marrying Harriet - 1990

Waverley Women

  1. The First Rebellion - 1989
  2. Silken Bonds - 1989
  3. The Love Match - 1989

Travelling Matchmaker

  1. Emily Goes to Exeter - 1990
  2. Belinda Goes to Bath - 1991
  3. Penelope Goes to Portsmouth - 1991
  4. Beatrice Goes to Brighton - 1991
  5. Deborah Goes to Dover - 1992
  6. Yvonne Goes to York - 1992

Poor Relation

  1. Lady Fortescue Steps Out - 1993
  2. Miss Tonks Turns to Crime - 1993 aka Miss Tonks Takes a Risk
  3. Mrs. Budley Falls from Grace - 1993
  4. Sir Philip's Folly - 1993
  5. Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue - 1994
  6. Back in Society - 1994

Daughters of Mannerling

  1. The Banishment - 1995
  2. The Intrigue - 1995
  3. The Deception - 1996
  4. The Folly - 1996
  5. The Romance - 1997
  6. The Homecoming - 1997

Edwardian Murder Mystery

  • Snobbery with Violence - 2003
  • Hasty Death - 2004
  • Sick of Shadows - 2005
  • Our Lady of Pain - 2006

Other Novels

  • Henrietta - 1979 (writing as Ann Fairfax)
  • My Dear Duchess - 1979
  • Annabelle - 1980
  • Regency Gold - 1980
  • Lady Margery's Intrigues - 1980
  • The Constant Companion - 1980
  • The Highland Countess - 1981
  • Quadrille - 1981
  • My Lords, Ladies and Marjorie - 1981
  • The Ghost and Lady Alice - 1982
  • The Marquis Takes a Bride - 1982
  • Love and Lady Lovelace - 1982
  • Duke's Diamonds - 1982
  • Penelope - 1983
  • Viscounts Revenge - 1983
  • Lady Lucy's Lover - 1983
  • The Poor Relation - 1984
  • The French Affair - 1984
  • Sweet Masquerade - 1984
  • The Original Miss Honeyford - 1985
  • The Flirt - 1985
  • The Education of Miss Patterson - 1985
  • Those Endearing Young Charms - 1986
  • To Dream of Love - 1986
  • At the Sign of the Golden Pineapple - 1987
  • Miss Fiona's Fancy - 1987
  • Milady in Love - 1987
  • Lessons in Love - 1987
  • The Paper Princess - 1987
  • The Savage Marquess - 1988
  • The Perfect Gentleman - 1988
  • Pretty Polly - 1988
  • The Scandalous Lady Wright - 1990
  • His Lordship's Pleasure - 1991
  • Her Grace's Passion - 1991
  • The Scandalous Marriage - 1991
  • A Marriage of Inconvenience - 1992
  • A Governess of Distinction - 1992
  • The Desirable Duchess - 1993
  • The Glitter and the Gold - 1993
  • Miss Davenport's Christmas - 1993
  • The Sins of Lady Dacey - 1994
  • The Dreadful Debutante - 1994
  • The Chocolate Debutante - 1995
  • The Loves of Lord Granton - 1996
  • Dancing on the Wind - 2003

As Jennie Tremaine

  • Molly - 1980
  • Ginny - 1980
  • Susie - 1981
  • Maggie - 1984
  • Lady Anne's Deception - 1985
  • Polly - 1987
  • Tilly - 1987
  • Lucy - 1987
  • Poppy - 1990
  • Daisy - 1990
Last modified Thursday 01 October 2009
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