Lucia on Holiday

Book excerpt: She's back! When arch-snob Emmeline Lucas (known universally as Lucia) makes some money on the stockmarket, the wheels are set in motion for a new adventure - and this time, her ambitions are larger than ever. But eternal rival Elizabeth Mapp-Flint is determined to outshine Lucia and she's got royalty on her side. The much-loved Mapp and Lucia series takes a new turn as the two legendary protagonists travel to the continent to lock horns in an idyllic Italian setting. Can Mapp upstage Lucia on foreign soil so far from Tilling? What is Georgie's new valet up to? And will Lucia's financial speculation lead to rags or more riches? 'Lucia On Holiday' is a new addition to the Mapp and Lucia canon, based on the immortal characters first created by E.F. Benson. Perfect reading for followers of Benson's original novels and sure to be equally loved by new fans, this is a pitch-perfect and deliciously enjoyable social satire of an England long gone but not forgotten.