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Agatha Raisin: The Terrible Tourist: AND The Fairies of Fryfam by Beaton, M C on 07/01/2010 abridged edition
Excellent Item
Audio CD
First published June 13, 2011
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About the author
M.C. Beaton
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Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
Learn more on her website!
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 29, 2020
BBC Radio dramatized series of Agatha Raisin . Humour and human interest of murderous village life extends to holiday travels for James and Agatha in these two entertaining episodes. Talented performances.
October 22, 2018
Entertaining. Nothing more or less. Good background short stories while I work.
December 28, 2021
M C Beaton. Has a good sense of humour. Liked the television series and this audio of BBC radio 4 cd.
September 19, 2017
While the production value of the BBC full-cast recordings is still excellent, and the voice actors deliver their lines with savage gusto, the core content of these two Agatha Raisin stories is not up to the par of the earlier recordings in the series.
The Terrible Tourist was especially poor, suffering from bitter antagonism between Agatha and James after their near-miss at the altar, and compounded by a weak mystery with almost no incentive for discovering whodunnit. I wish I could provide specific reasons for my dissatisfaction, but perhaps the most damning evidence of bad plotting was that I cannot recall the details of the crime, including the locale, name of the victim, or the identity of the murderer... yea though I only finished listening to the audiobook one week ago.
The Fairies of Fryfam was slightly more memorable, with a haunting setting in a lighthouse by the sea on the southern coast of England. Agatha and James are still at one another's throats in a most unromantic bickering fashion, but at least the victim and his killer were sketched out more carefully and there were several red herrings to enliven the chase. The end of that story gave me hope that Agatha Raisin might rise again, and delight me once more in the next installment of deathly delights in the green and gossip-filled cotswolds.
The Terrible Tourist was especially poor, suffering from bitter antagonism between Agatha and James after their near-miss at the altar, and compounded by a weak mystery with almost no incentive for discovering whodunnit. I wish I could provide specific reasons for my dissatisfaction, but perhaps the most damning evidence of bad plotting was that I cannot recall the details of the crime, including the locale, name of the victim, or the identity of the murderer... yea though I only finished listening to the audiobook one week ago.
The Fairies of Fryfam was slightly more memorable, with a haunting setting in a lighthouse by the sea on the southern coast of England. Agatha and James are still at one another's throats in a most unromantic bickering fashion, but at least the victim and his killer were sketched out more carefully and there were several red herrings to enliven the chase. The end of that story gave me hope that Agatha Raisin might rise again, and delight me once more in the next installment of deathly delights in the green and gossip-filled cotswolds.
January 21, 2024
“I know she goes on a bit, but she's got a heart of gold.”
“Yes. Sadly, mine is made of much baser metal.”
As radio dramas, the book narratives are abridged (I assume) so I imagine that's why the mysteries seem slightly thinner than expected. But the appeal of Agatha Raisin, for me, is the arch, bitchy dialogue. And these overflow with that, delivered delightfully by Penelope Keith and cast.
“I sometimes wonder if he’s having an affair.”
“Tolly? He doesn’t seem the type.”
“What, because he’s too nice? Well, that’s what some women go for. Especially the ones who buy their perfume at Poundstretcher.”
“Yes. Sadly, mine is made of much baser metal.”
As radio dramas, the book narratives are abridged (I assume) so I imagine that's why the mysteries seem slightly thinner than expected. But the appeal of Agatha Raisin, for me, is the arch, bitchy dialogue. And these overflow with that, delivered delightfully by Penelope Keith and cast.
“I sometimes wonder if he’s having an affair.”
“Tolly? He doesn’t seem the type.”
“What, because he’s too nice? Well, that’s what some women go for. Especially the ones who buy their perfume at Poundstretcher.”
February 19, 2021
Two more great stories from the BBC, dramatisations of MC Beatons amazing Agatha Raisin books. I loved these two, with the terrible tourist offering a very entertaining take on the British travelling abroad (Agatha in another country? Hilarious. She was very much the typical Brit complaining about everything remotely foreign) with a tense plot to keep you on your toes and a muchly anticipated reunion with James Lacey.
Fairies of Fryfam was another fab story, with plenty of typical Agatha sass and quirks with a great ending. Loved them both!
Fairies of Fryfam was another fab story, with plenty of typical Agatha sass and quirks with a great ending. Loved them both!
September 1, 2017
Two nice little stories but the second one was too obvious for me; which I have not seen in these stories before.
Was listening on audio and Penelope Keith always wonderful.
Want to listen to all the MC Beaton books.
Was listening on audio and Penelope Keith always wonderful.
Want to listen to all the MC Beaton books.
April 29, 2020
Agatha Raisin books are good in general. This one was a bit "light" on substance. As a Terrible Tourist she is outspoken and rude more than usual; also, she is looking for her husband who has abandoned her in favor of solitude.
December 3, 2017
Great audio file.
The stories were fun.
The stories were fun.
February 14, 2018
Dramatized version for the radio. Severely shortened to fit within a 55 minute time slot, but if you are looking for an easy audio story to enjoy, this was good.
December 27, 2018
Excellent
March 17, 2019
Happy ending!
April 3, 2019
Phenomenal as most things are with BBC recordings. Such a laugh-out-loud series!
January 10, 2020
Another fun listen! These stories are dramatized for BBC radio and I really enjoy listening to them.
March 19, 2022
These books do make me laugh.
October 8, 2025
Listened on Audible
December 25, 2025
Loved listening to this whilst I pottered about today, Agatha is such a feisty character. Easy to listen to & great who dunnit story.
Read
December 17, 2015Utterly confused when I finished this. The tracks I was listening to went from one rather short story (that was unlike what other reviewers have described) to one slightly longer story. I wondered if the person who checked this out before me mixed up discs for two audio-book sets. Both stories seemed significantly abridged. It must be because this was a radio drama version, so they edited each story and mashed them together in one audiobook set? Not the story I was looking for, but it's my fault for not checking the catalog record more closely. Sadly, this wasn't a good introduction to a new author. Do I want to go back and visit the original story in full detail, now that I know the ending?
August 23, 2013
From BBC radio 4 Extra - Series 3:
The sleuths investigate the Cornish murder. But even more of a mystery, can James forgive and forget? Stars Penelope Keith.
Merged review:
From BBC Radio 4 - Series 3:
Miles from home, the sleuth and her partner investigate the murder of a tourist.
The sleuths investigate the Cornish murder. But even more of a mystery, can James forgive and forget? Stars Penelope Keith.
Merged review:
From BBC Radio 4 - Series 3:
Miles from home, the sleuth and her partner investigate the murder of a tourist.
January 8, 2019
I listened to these audiobooks in sequel and they are a dramatization of Beaton’s books made by BBC. They were extremely enjoyable. My first encounter with Agatha Raisin.. one hour length drama by BBC: entertaining funny light. Useful whilst you’re cooking or doing housework ..
Read
February 2, 2012This book was good as well. Agatha was trying to find James Lacey in Cyprus. The locale was okay.
March 16, 2012
Great fun listen!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews