Synopses & Reviews
Unlike quite a number of people, Agatha had not given up on Christmas. To have the perfect Christmas had been a childhood dream whilst surviving a rough upbringing in a Birmingham slum. Holly berries glistened, snow fell gently outside, and inside, all was Dickensian jollity. And in her dreams, James Lacey kissed her under the mistletoe, and, like a middle-aged sleeping beauty, she would awake to passion once more....
Agatha Raisin is bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but shell scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog. Only two things seem to offer potential excitement: the upcoming Christmas festivities and her ex, James Lacey. This year she is sure that if she invites James to a really splendid, old-fashioned Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log.
When a wealthy widow hires Agatha because shes convinced a member of her family is trying to kill her, Agatha is intrigued---especially when the widow drops dead after high tea at the manor house. Who in this rather sterile house, complete with fake family portraits, could have hated the old lady enough to poison her?
Agatha sets out to find the murderer, all the while managing a pretty, teenage trainee who makes her feel old and planning for a picture-perfect Christmas, with James, all the trimmings, and perhaps even snow.
Review
Acclaim for M. C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin Series
"Beaton's Agatha Raisin series just about defines the British cozy."
---Booklist
"Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand-new Agatha Raisin mystery."
---The Tampa Tribune
"Anyone interested in...intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin."
---The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"[Beaton's] imperfect heroine is an absolute gem!"
---Publishers Weekly
"Outwardly bossy and vain, inwardly insecure and vulnerable, Agatha grows more endearing with each installment."
---The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
"[M. C. Beaton] is Britain's successor to Dame Agatha Christie. If you've never read an Agatha Raisin novel, it's time to start.... All of them are cunningly plotted, beautifully written, and more fun than you can imagine."
---The Globe and Mail
"[Agatha] is a glorious cross between Miss Marple, Auntie Mame, and Lucille Ball, with a tad of pit bull tossed in. She's wonderful."
---St. Petersburg Times
Review
“Agatha Raisin is still at the top of her game…in her most challenging case yet.”—Publishers Weekly“Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha.”—Chicago Sun-Times
Synopsis
Be careful what you wish for
Agatha Raisin is bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but shell scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog. Only two things seem to offer potential excitement: Christmas, and her ex, James Lacey. This year Agathas sure that if she invites James to a splendid Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log…but that fantasy will have to wait for now. A wealthy widow—who sent Agatha a letter before her death saying one of her family intended to kill her—has been found dead. Now Agatha must set out to find the murderer, even though, in her heart, shes still dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones she and James used to know….
“Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha.”—Chicago Sun-Times
Synopsis
Agatha Raisin is bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but shell scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog. Only two things seem to offer potential excitement: Christmas, and her ex, James Lacey. This year Agathas sure that if she invites James to a splendid Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log…but that fantasy will have to wait for now. A wealthy widow—who sent Agatha a letter before her death saying one of her family intended to kill her—has been found dead. Now Agatha must set out to find the murderer, even though, in her heart, shes still dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones she and James used to know….
About the Author
M. C. Beaton has been hailed as “the new Queen of Crime.” She is The New York Times bestselling author of the Agatha Raisin mysteries, including As the Pig Turns and Busy Body, set in the English Cotswolds, as well as the Hamish Macbeth mysteries set in Scotland. She has also written historical romance novels and an Edwardian mystery series under the name Marion Chesney. Before writing her first novels, Beaton worked as a bookseller, a newspaper reporter, a fashion critic, and a waitress in a greasy spoon. Born in Scotland, she currently divides her time between Paris and a village in the Cotswolds. She was selected the British Guest of Honor for the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in 2006.