A Comedy of Heirs is a creative and delightful entry in Rett MacPherson's popular Torie O'Shea mystery series Amidst planning for Christmas and the annual family reunion, Torie O'Shea barely has time to indulge in her hobby, genealogical research. But preparing for the reunion-and the influx of relatives-piques her curiosity about her own family tree. When Torie discovers that her own great-grandfather was murdered, and that her great-uncle was the...

Measure for Measure - William Shakespeare - Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. Originally published in the First Folio of 1623, where it was listed as a comedy, the play's first recorded performance occurred in 1604. The play's main themes include justice, "mortality and mercy in Vienna," and the dichotomy between corruption and purity: "some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall." Mercy...

Planning a school or amateur Shakespeare production? The best way to experience the plays is to perform them, but getting started can be a challenge: The complete plays are too long and complex, while scene selections or simplified language are too limited. "The 30-Minute Shakespeare" is a new series of abridgements that tell the "story" of each play from start to finish while keeping the beauty of Shakespeare's language intact. Specific stage directions...