Synopses & Reviews
Celebrating 20 Years of Agatha Raisin—Brand-New Bonus Story Included! AGATHA RAISIN...AND THE CASE FROM HELL Shes nosed in on murder investigations, annoyed law enforcement on two continents, and been targeted by everyone from a hit man to a killer secretary. But now Agatha Raisin must take on her greatest nightmare—a divorce case. Bad enough that her struggling detective agency needs the whacking great fee pompous businessman Robert Smedley is offering to prove his wife is unfaithful; its even worse that Mrs. Smedley is the kind of sweet, accomplished, lovely, gentle, and all-around perfectly wonderful spouse that Agatha couldnt be in a thousand years. So, when Smedley turns up poisoned, Agatha is relieved enough to help his now-desperate wife clear her name. And with the assistance of her firms eccentric new staff, Agatha enthusiastically follows leads and a batch of suspects through the English countrysides seediest byways. But the police arent about to let an interfering “amateur” beat them to the punch. And as Agatha hits one dead end after another, a particularly devious killer is looking forward to making sure the indomitable Agatha never has to worry about old age—or anything else.
Review
"Though Agatha is still a bit of a piece of work, she is mellowing with age, and in this book even forgets to 'gussy' herself up once when she goes out. There's a cliffhanger at the end...that is going to be interesting in the next book."--
Deadly Pleasures
"This is the latest perfectly precious prose problem from Beaton, Britain's successor to Dame Agatha Christie. If you've never read an Agatha Raisin novel, it's time to start, and you'll have fifteen more of these confections awaiting you. Polish those off, and you still have a batch of Hamish Macbeth tales. All of them are cunningly plotted, beautifully written and more fun you can imagine. The Perfect Paragon is as perfect as all the others, and you won't figure out whodunit until the final pages."--The Globe & Mail
"Entertaining...welcome back to Carsely, the charming Cotswolds village that's home to the sixteenth Agatha Raisin mystery."--Publishers Weekly
"Fabulous...M.C. Beaton is at her best with this fine tale filled with twists."
--Midwest Book Review
Review
"An entertaining installment in a cozy series."--
Publishers Weekly "Beaton's latest installment in her well-written Agatha Raisin series is a fun, entertaining cozy. Complete with a zesty mystery and one-of-a-kind characters, this latest novel shows Agatha at the very peak of her sleuthing game."--
RT Book Reviews "I love this series and I always look forward to Agatha's newest adventures. The Agatha Raisin books will never fail to put a smile on your face."--Reviewing the Evidence "If youve never read an Agatha Raisin novel, its time to start, and youll have fifteen more of these confections awaiting you.... All of them are cunningly plotted, beautifully written and more fun you can imagine. The Perfect Paragon is as perfect as all the others, and you wont figure out whodunit until the final pages."
--The Globe & Mail "Fabulous…M.C. Beaton is at her best with this fine tale filled with twists."
--Midwest Book Review
Synopsis
After being nearly killed by both a hired hit man and her former secretary, Agatha Raisin could use some low-key cases. So when Robert Smedley walks through the door, determined to prove that his wife is cheating, Raisin Investigations immediately offers to help. Trouble is, Agatha hates divorce cases--especially when the client is as pompous as Smedley--but she has a business to run and she's not about to turn away a paying customer. Unfortunately for Agatha, Mabel Smedley appears to be the perfect wife, young and pretty and a regular volunteer at church.
Although Smedleys case doesnt look promising, Agathas attentions are diverted when she stumbles across the body of missing teenager, Jessica Bradley. In a sudden gesture of kindness (and good public relations), Agatha offers to investigate Jessicas death free of charge.
As Agatha juggles her two biggest cases, things are turned upside down when Robert Smedley is found poisoned in his office. The prime suspect, his sainted wife Mabel, immediately hires Agatha to find the real killer.
With the help of her old friend, Sir Charles Fraith, and some newly hired staff, Agatha Raisin sets off on another adventure solving crime in the English Cotswolds.
Synopsis
Praise for M. C. Beaton: "It’s been 40 years since Dame Agatha Christie’s death, and in that time, reviewers have often bestowed her mantle on new authors. M. C. Beaton is one of those so honoured, and she deserves it. When it comes to artfully constructed puzzle plots and charming settings, Beaton serves it up."—
Globe & Mail"It is always fun to read an Agatha Raisin mystery, but the latest installment freshens up a delightful series by converting the heroine from amateur sleuth to professional without changing her caustic wit."—Midwest Book Review
"A very satisfying change for the smart woman of mystery with a new cast of colorfully realized characters blending with a few old favorites."—Mystery Lovers Bookshop
"I simply love mysteries that have all the requirements necessary to make them great—the characters, the action, the plots and that thing we call humanity. Beaton has them all in spades."—Tulsa World
"If you’re a fan of a good cozy, give Agatha Raisin a try."—Reviewing the Evidence
Synopsis
AGATHA RAISIN...AND THE CASE FROM HELL Shes nosed in on murder investigations, annoyed law enforcement on two continents, and been targeted by everyone from a hit man to a killer secretary. But now Agatha Raisin must take on her greatest nightmare—a divorce case. Bad enough that her struggling detective agency needs the whacking great fee pompous businessman Robert Smedley is offering to prove his wife is unfaithful; its even worse that Mrs. Smedley is the kind of sweet, accomplished, lovely, gentle, and all-around perfectly wonderful spouse that Agatha couldnt be in a thousand years. So, when Smedley turns up poisoned, Agatha is relieved enough to help his now-desperate wife clear her name. And with the assistance of her firms eccentric new staff, Agatha enthusiastically follows leads and a batch of suspects through the English countrysides seediest byways. But the police arent about to let an interfering “amateur” beat them to the punch. And as Agatha hits one dead end after another, a particularly devious killer is looking forward to making sure the indomitable Agatha never has to worry about old age—or anything else.
Synopsis
AGATHA RAISIN...AND THE CASE FROM HELLShe's nosed in on murder investigations, annoyed law enforcement on two continents, and been targeted by everyone from a hit man to a killer secretary. But now Agatha Raisin must take on her greatest nightmare--a divorce case. Bad enough that her struggling detective agency needs the whacking great fee pompous businessman Robert Smedley is offering to prove his wife is unfaithful; it's even worse that Mrs. Smedley is the kind of sweet, accomplished, lovely, gentle, and all-around perfectly wonderful spouse that Agatha couldn't be in a thousand years. So, when Smedley turns up poisoned, Agatha is relieved enough to help his now-desperate wife clear her name. And with the assistance of her firm's eccentric new staff, Agatha enthusiastically follows leads and a batch of suspects through the English countryside's seediest byways. But the police aren't about to let an interfering "amateur" beat them to the punch. And as Agatha hits one dead end after another, a particularly devious killer is looking forward to making sure the indomitable Agatha never has to worry about old age--or anything else.
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.