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Agatha Raisin #26
Dishing the Dirt
A therapist had moved into the village of Carsely and Agatha Raisin hates her. Not only was this therapist, Jill Davent, romancing Agatha's ex-husband, but she had dug up details of Agatha's slum background.
Added to that, Jill was counselling a woman called Gwen Simple from Winter Parva and Agatha firmly believed Gwen to have assisted her son in some grisly murders, although has no proof she had done so.
A resentment is different from a dislike and needs to be shared, so as the friendship between James and Jill grows stronger, the more Agatha does to try to find out all she can about her. When Jill is found strangled to death in her office two days' later, Agatha finds herself under suspicion - and must fight to clear her name.
Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
Added to that, Jill was counselling a woman called Gwen Simple from Winter Parva and Agatha firmly believed Gwen to have assisted her son in some grisly murders, although has no proof she had done so.
A resentment is different from a dislike and needs to be shared, so as the friendship between James and Jill grows stronger, the more Agatha does to try to find out all she can about her. When Jill is found strangled to death in her office two days' later, Agatha finds herself under suspicion - and must fight to clear her name.
Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 15, 2015
457 people are currently reading
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About the author
M.C. Beaton
340 books6,013 followersLike her on Facebook!
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.
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 - 30 of 665 reviews
October 15, 2015
Here's the thing. I know these books aren't good books. There is no character development at all - the characters are exactly the same in every single book. The body count is ridiculous - I think about 11 people die in this one, with no noticeable impact on anyone's behaviour. There's a serial killer wandering around the Cotswolds and everyone's like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. The Agatha Raisin books are very silly! But I love them and I'm not going to apologise for it.
Dishing the Dirt is the same as all of the other Agatha Raisin books. Read it at your own peril. I enjoyed it a lot.
Dishing the Dirt is the same as all of the other Agatha Raisin books. Read it at your own peril. I enjoyed it a lot.
August 28, 2017
I'm conflicted, I am so fond of the sassy Agatha Raisin, this is my 26th adventure with her after all. Unfortunately, I found this one rather disappointing. Sooo many murders, and so many characters who were just rude and unpleasant made the story feel almost like a parody of prior Agatha books. I still liked Agatha and Charles, and whatever progress there was in their relationship, but the story was not terribly satisfying. It was a quick, easy read, but after waiting a year for a new book in this series, I just feel a bit short-changed. All the same, I will not be giving up on her yet and still look forward to a new book hopefully next year:-)
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
January 30, 2020
Whoa! Talk about ‘let the bodies hit the floor!’ I think this book averaged out one corpse per chapter! To be honest, I’d’ve rated this one higher if the author wasn’t letting her ignorant Sun-reader-style prejudices show quite so much...
October 26, 2015
Once upon about 12-13 years ago, I stumbled upon an Agatha Raisin audio book, the very first book in the series of which Dishing the Dirt is #26. Since that time, I have read or listened with pleasure to each book in the series, even though the narrator for the audio titles changed at some point from Donada Peters to other narrators whose voices just didn't capture the one I felt was the "true" Agatha. Some installments in this series are better than others, but none was as shoddy as this one. Everything about this title was rushed, perfunctory, and boring! I have never been BORED with Agatha -- not ever -- until now! I really hope that this series hasn't "jumped the shark," but I suspect it has indeed. I finally gave up on Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series after several crap books in a row. I hope I don't have to do the same with this series.
May 12, 2025
4⭐️ = Good.
Hardback.
Yes, I know that these books lack huge depth- but I do find them witty. I can always rely on an Agatha Raisin to keep me amused.
Don’t read these if you’re after a meaty murder/ mystery because you definitely won’t get this , but you will get a range of interesting characters.
Hardback.
Yes, I know that these books lack huge depth- but I do find them witty. I can always rely on an Agatha Raisin to keep me amused.
Don’t read these if you’re after a meaty murder/ mystery because you definitely won’t get this , but you will get a range of interesting characters.
September 27, 2015
I have always been a little bit in love with Sir Charles Fraith. After reading this book, I am completely enamored by him. Sure he has his faults, lots of them, but then so does Aggie, and she is darned lucky to have a guy like this in her life, if sporadically. I tend to like the books the best when they strongly feature Charles and, if you are like me, then you are going to love the latest installment, the 26th, in the Agatha Raisin series, one of the best in recent offerings.
When conniving therapist, Jill Davent, who dug into Agatha's background to reveal her humble Birmingham upbringing as a way to humiliate and manipulate her, is found dead in her consulting room after Agatha threatened to kill her, Agatha sets out to find the real killer along with her loyal group of able bodied detectives. There are a lot of twists and turns here, with a high body count, reference to the previous book (Agatha continues to distrust Gwen Simple, mother of the maker of those Sweeny Todd-type meat pies), reference to Beaton's own ride on the Orient Express to celebrate a milestone birthday, as well as some interesting twists for the characters. The next novel is set up at the end of this one, and a questionable turn for the beloved Mrs. Bloxby has me champing at the bit for the next volume. This is Aggie at her finest, struggling with age, fears, and self-image, falling in love with every handsome man who happens to cross her path, and stumbling upon the solution in advance of the police, as usual. If you love Aggie, you will love this book.
When conniving therapist, Jill Davent, who dug into Agatha's background to reveal her humble Birmingham upbringing as a way to humiliate and manipulate her, is found dead in her consulting room after Agatha threatened to kill her, Agatha sets out to find the real killer along with her loyal group of able bodied detectives. There are a lot of twists and turns here, with a high body count, reference to the previous book (Agatha continues to distrust Gwen Simple, mother of the maker of those Sweeny Todd-type meat pies), reference to Beaton's own ride on the Orient Express to celebrate a milestone birthday, as well as some interesting twists for the characters. The next novel is set up at the end of this one, and a questionable turn for the beloved Mrs. Bloxby has me champing at the bit for the next volume. This is Aggie at her finest, struggling with age, fears, and self-image, falling in love with every handsome man who happens to cross her path, and stumbling upon the solution in advance of the police, as usual. If you love Aggie, you will love this book.
November 19, 2015
I keep promising myself never to read another Agatha Raisin novel again, but a friend gave me this one, so I just had to read it, didn't I?!
The last 5 or 6 novels in the series seemed to me to be overhastily published, very badly edited, full of mistakes, ridiculously predictable and, basically, vaguely amusing fluff and drivel. This Agatha #26, however, is an improvement on the last one: it was better edited with fewer mistakes. (Have you changed editors, Mrs B?) Still amusing fluff and drivel though; so why can't I stop myself reading them?!
The last 5 or 6 novels in the series seemed to me to be overhastily published, very badly edited, full of mistakes, ridiculously predictable and, basically, vaguely amusing fluff and drivel. This Agatha #26, however, is an improvement on the last one: it was better edited with fewer mistakes. (Have you changed editors, Mrs B?) Still amusing fluff and drivel though; so why can't I stop myself reading them?!
September 27, 2015
Predictable and repetitive but I just can't stop myself from reading them!! :)
April 2, 2025
Extremely violent weather here with lots of lightning strikes and hail so I can't be on long. Charles saves Agatha's life so much and is so kind to her but she keeps on being mean to him!
March 22, 2020
RECENSIONE QUI: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...
M.C. Beaton torna con il ventiseiesimo episodio della serie dedicata alla protagonista singolare Agatha Raisin, un’investigatrice privata determinata, testarda e dal carattere difficile e dai tanti vizi, con un’infanzia sfortunata e un matrimonio infranto alle spalle, che hanno indurito il suo carattere e l’hanno resa diffidente. Questo libro si ricollega esattamente dalla fine del precedente libro Panico in sala. M.C. Beaton con una scrittura scorrevole e coinvolgente, abbastanza semplice e senza risultare noiosa, ci racconta azioni e vicende che si susseguono e si intersecano con i ritmi giusti, in modo pulito e perfetto, calamitando l’attenzione del lettore e facendolo calare al centro delle indagini. Un omicidio sconvolge la tranquillità del villaggio fiabesco di Carsely, dove la psicologa Jill Davent, impicciona di natura e disposta a tutto pur di scavare nel passato della nostra investigatrice, viene rinvenuta morta nella sua abitazione. Da qui ha inizio una nuova avventura per Agatha Raisin che dovrà investigare non solo sulla morte di Jill ma anche su altre morti sospette che la portano su più piste. Un nuovo caso che si prospetta ricco di misteri, pericoli, indagini e un pizzico di suspense. Ad affiancarla in questa indagine complicata ci sono gli investigatori Charles, Toni, Simon e tanti altri, compresa la cara, gentile signora Broxby. Agatha Raisin è una donna tutta d'un pezzo, una investigatrice precisa, intuitiva e intransigente che mette al primo posto il suo lavoro, decisa a risolvere ogni caso che arriva tra le sue mani. È diffidente, non si fida di nessuno se non solo dei suoi stretti collaboratori che lavorano con lei nell'agenzia investigativa, preferisce immergersi completamente nel caso a cui lavora, investigare e muoversi su più fronti. Lei è l'eroina singolare e non convenzionale che preferisco: una persona perspicace che fa delle scelte e che cerca di commettere meno errori possibili, forte e determinata con una fragilità latente, nascosta dietro una corazza ben salda. Ci viene presentata come un personaggio complesso, che probabilmente non piacerà a tutti per il suo carattere difficile, per i suoi modi dispotici e scortesi, ma la sua personalità è frutto di un passato che l’ha plasmata. Passo dopo passo, tassello dopo tassello, indizio dopo indizio l’autrice ci accompagna insieme ad Agatha alla ricerca del killer, della verità sugli omicidi e dei segreti spiacevoli del suo villaggio. I personaggi sono abbastanza scortesi e sgradevoli e talvolta piuttosto difficili da comprendere e accettare, a partire da Agatha stessa. La serie di Agatha Raisin ricordano molto i gialli dell’autrice Agatha Christie, con la sola differenza che la prima è ambientata nel presente, la seconda invece nel ventesimo secolo.
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/
M.C. Beaton torna con il ventiseiesimo episodio della serie dedicata alla protagonista singolare Agatha Raisin, un’investigatrice privata determinata, testarda e dal carattere difficile e dai tanti vizi, con un’infanzia sfortunata e un matrimonio infranto alle spalle, che hanno indurito il suo carattere e l’hanno resa diffidente. Questo libro si ricollega esattamente dalla fine del precedente libro Panico in sala. M.C. Beaton con una scrittura scorrevole e coinvolgente, abbastanza semplice e senza risultare noiosa, ci racconta azioni e vicende che si susseguono e si intersecano con i ritmi giusti, in modo pulito e perfetto, calamitando l’attenzione del lettore e facendolo calare al centro delle indagini. Un omicidio sconvolge la tranquillità del villaggio fiabesco di Carsely, dove la psicologa Jill Davent, impicciona di natura e disposta a tutto pur di scavare nel passato della nostra investigatrice, viene rinvenuta morta nella sua abitazione. Da qui ha inizio una nuova avventura per Agatha Raisin che dovrà investigare non solo sulla morte di Jill ma anche su altre morti sospette che la portano su più piste. Un nuovo caso che si prospetta ricco di misteri, pericoli, indagini e un pizzico di suspense. Ad affiancarla in questa indagine complicata ci sono gli investigatori Charles, Toni, Simon e tanti altri, compresa la cara, gentile signora Broxby. Agatha Raisin è una donna tutta d'un pezzo, una investigatrice precisa, intuitiva e intransigente che mette al primo posto il suo lavoro, decisa a risolvere ogni caso che arriva tra le sue mani. È diffidente, non si fida di nessuno se non solo dei suoi stretti collaboratori che lavorano con lei nell'agenzia investigativa, preferisce immergersi completamente nel caso a cui lavora, investigare e muoversi su più fronti. Lei è l'eroina singolare e non convenzionale che preferisco: una persona perspicace che fa delle scelte e che cerca di commettere meno errori possibili, forte e determinata con una fragilità latente, nascosta dietro una corazza ben salda. Ci viene presentata come un personaggio complesso, che probabilmente non piacerà a tutti per il suo carattere difficile, per i suoi modi dispotici e scortesi, ma la sua personalità è frutto di un passato che l’ha plasmata. Passo dopo passo, tassello dopo tassello, indizio dopo indizio l’autrice ci accompagna insieme ad Agatha alla ricerca del killer, della verità sugli omicidi e dei segreti spiacevoli del suo villaggio. I personaggi sono abbastanza scortesi e sgradevoli e talvolta piuttosto difficili da comprendere e accettare, a partire da Agatha stessa. La serie di Agatha Raisin ricordano molto i gialli dell’autrice Agatha Christie, con la sola differenza che la prima è ambientata nel presente, la seconda invece nel ventesimo secolo.
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/
September 17, 2017
Beaton does a nice job of bringing in the regulars with brief descriptions. This book is stronger that the last several books and has several differences: everyone is nasty, ravens are all over the book and there are more murders than before.
There were several dropped words in sentences.
There were several dropped words in sentences.
May 13, 2016
My husband warned me I would hate this book. It started off well enough, but became very disjointed with multiple points of view for no apparent reason. It was also sloppy -- on one page a character was said to be 26 and less than half a page later, he was said to be 25. [spoiler] There was also a plot involving identical twins who were male and female, which, as everyone knows, is impossible. I will never read another one of this series.
September 25, 2015
Maybe I have just read a few too many Agatha Raisin books but I became very impatient with this one. EVERYONE was mean and selfish and I really couldn't stand reading about any of them. The humor I originally found in this series seems to be fading fast. Not sure I will read the next one.
February 6, 2017
Agatha hating on another woman is nothing new, but she's right to mistrust the pseudo therapist. Can't wait to see what Gwen has up her sleeve.
August 11, 2017
Agatha Raisin is a handful - and that is putting it mildly. She bundles through murder investigations while drinking heavily, smoking like a chimney all while attempting to have a relationship on her terms. This is the 26th in the Agatha Raisin series but it worked well as a stand alone novel for me.
Agatha is none too pleased when therapist Jill Davent moves to town and begins dating Agatha's ex-husband. Jill also seems determined to dig up the dirt on Agatha. Jill is also a therapist for a woman named Gwen Simple who Agatha believes may have assisted or at least covered up some of her son's murders. When Agatha learns that Jill has hired a private detective to look into Agatha's background, Agatha says "I could kill you!" after barging into Jill's office. When Jill is found dead, Agatha is the prime suspect. Agatha not only has a couple of murders to solve, she also has to clear her name.
I was put off initially by this book. The characters are rude and at times quite nasty. Agatha herself isn't the most pleasant woman. She barges around, and has no problem telling people off. She talks quit a lot without thinking. She is smart but perhaps she would be smarter if she were to think before she took action. This really did not take much effort on the part of the reader. I didn't have to think too much while reading the book. It is fairly predictable and really failed to WOW me with a big reveal or "gotcha" moment at the end. This really is a simple mystery with a high body count and snarky characters.
It is barely a 3 stars for me and I mean barely. I have no plans to read other books in this series. I received this quite some time ago from goodreads giveaway and realized today that I never left a review. OOPS!
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Agatha is none too pleased when therapist Jill Davent moves to town and begins dating Agatha's ex-husband. Jill also seems determined to dig up the dirt on Agatha. Jill is also a therapist for a woman named Gwen Simple who Agatha believes may have assisted or at least covered up some of her son's murders. When Agatha learns that Jill has hired a private detective to look into Agatha's background, Agatha says "I could kill you!" after barging into Jill's office. When Jill is found dead, Agatha is the prime suspect. Agatha not only has a couple of murders to solve, she also has to clear her name.
I was put off initially by this book. The characters are rude and at times quite nasty. Agatha herself isn't the most pleasant woman. She barges around, and has no problem telling people off. She talks quit a lot without thinking. She is smart but perhaps she would be smarter if she were to think before she took action. This really did not take much effort on the part of the reader. I didn't have to think too much while reading the book. It is fairly predictable and really failed to WOW me with a big reveal or "gotcha" moment at the end. This really is a simple mystery with a high body count and snarky characters.
It is barely a 3 stars for me and I mean barely. I have no plans to read other books in this series. I received this quite some time ago from goodreads giveaway and realized today that I never left a review. OOPS!
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Read
September 25, 2016Enjoyable treat around the Cotswolds with Agatha. This time she is putting her detective skills to use after a horrible therapist named Jill Davent who has been digging up unsavoury secrets on everyone in the village (including Agatha) is murdered. Agatha always makes me laugh, and is surprisingly clever when it comes down to cracking cases. She's a tough nut to crack, but is soft-hearted deep down, and has an amusing penchant for lasagne and chips.
January 1, 2021
Un'indagine divertente (malgrado i tre omicidi) e meno macabra delle precedente, a cui è tuttavia collegata. Agatha continua a non starmi eccessivamente simpatica anche perché aveva cinquant'anni quando io ne avevo quaranta e adesso che l'ho raggiunta, ne ha ancora cinquanta, ed è sempre piuttosto sexy. Del resto, scatena una spontanea antipatia in moltissima gente, ma ha anche molti amici che le sono affezionati (e anche lei è molto leale nei loro confronti). In questo caso ha alcune intuizioni vincenti, al contratio della polizia, e rischia la vita diverse volte, come al solito. Come in ogni caso di Agatha, le cose si protraggono un po' per le lunghe, con il colpevole che cerca di vendicarsi di lei quando tutto sembra finito; inoltre compaiono i personaggi che sicuramente saranno invischiati (probabilmente come vittime) nel prossimo caso.
Malgrado tutto, mi dispiace moltissimo sapere che mi rimangono solo altri tre casi di questa serie, e che Agatha Raisin è ormai destinata a rimanere per sempre cinquantenne... 😢
Malgrado tutto, mi dispiace moltissimo sapere che mi rimangono solo altri tre casi di questa serie, e che Agatha Raisin è ormai destinata a rimanere per sempre cinquantenne... 😢
October 19, 2021
Agatha and the Therapist
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (September 2015) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (September 2015)
Dishing the Dirt finds Agatha suspicious of yet another incomer, therapist Jill Davent, who is apparently spreading rumours about her lower class beginnings, and romancing Agatha's ex-husband James Lacey as well, to add injury to insult. Meanwhile, suspicions linger about Gwen Simple from the previous book #25 The Blood of an Englishman. The therapist is of course murdered and Agatha is the number one suspect again. The formula is definitely getting tired at this point, and extra murders are piled on top and increased nastiness between characters is added to mix things up, but it removes the joy and pleasure of the original 20 or so stories.
These cozies are always somewhat different from the TV-series which I saw first. Agatha is definitely more cranky in the books, but her human faults and foibles make us accept and love her nevertheless. The formula is set in stone now for the series. Agatha finds a new man, is jealous of ex-husband James Lacey and occasional lover/friend Charles Fraith, is jealous and meddling with Toni Gilmour's love life, helps Roy Silver out despite his publicity transgressions, gets sympathy from Mrs. Bloxby, is helped by first village friend Detective Sergeant Bill Wong, etc.
The narration of this book #26 is a part of an extended interregnum for books #25 to #29 by narrator Alison Larkin. Series regular Penelope Keith returns for books #30 to #32. Larkin is fine in the role, but I've grown most used to Keith's manner of adding character to the different voices.
Most (28 of 32) of the Agatha Raisin audiobooks are free on Audible Plus. A continuation series Book 32 Down the Hatch is yet to be released, and is expected to be published on October 26, 2021. Down the Hatch is apparently entirely written by continuation writer R.W. Green whereas #31 Hot to Trot was a collaboration with M.C. Beaton.
Trivia and No Link
Dishing the Dirt has not yet been adapted for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-).
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (September 2015) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (September 2015)
Dishing the Dirt finds Agatha suspicious of yet another incomer, therapist Jill Davent, who is apparently spreading rumours about her lower class beginnings, and romancing Agatha's ex-husband James Lacey as well, to add injury to insult. Meanwhile, suspicions linger about Gwen Simple from the previous book #25 The Blood of an Englishman. The therapist is of course murdered and Agatha is the number one suspect again. The formula is definitely getting tired at this point, and extra murders are piled on top and increased nastiness between characters is added to mix things up, but it removes the joy and pleasure of the original 20 or so stories.
These cozies are always somewhat different from the TV-series which I saw first. Agatha is definitely more cranky in the books, but her human faults and foibles make us accept and love her nevertheless. The formula is set in stone now for the series. Agatha finds a new man, is jealous of ex-husband James Lacey and occasional lover/friend Charles Fraith, is jealous and meddling with Toni Gilmour's love life, helps Roy Silver out despite his publicity transgressions, gets sympathy from Mrs. Bloxby, is helped by first village friend Detective Sergeant Bill Wong, etc.
The narration of this book #26 is a part of an extended interregnum for books #25 to #29 by narrator Alison Larkin. Series regular Penelope Keith returns for books #30 to #32. Larkin is fine in the role, but I've grown most used to Keith's manner of adding character to the different voices.
Most (28 of 32) of the Agatha Raisin audiobooks are free on Audible Plus. A continuation series Book 32 Down the Hatch is yet to be released, and is expected to be published on October 26, 2021. Down the Hatch is apparently entirely written by continuation writer R.W. Green whereas #31 Hot to Trot was a collaboration with M.C. Beaton.
Trivia and No Link
Dishing the Dirt has not yet been adapted for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-).
November 21, 2015
Better than some of the previous books, though missing the freshness of the first books. Yes they do follow a formula but I do enjoy my trips to the Cotswolds, even if it's up there with the midsummer villages as places not to live.
April 15, 2017
While this new Agatha mystery was better written than the last, I find I am becoming tired of Agatha's lack of growth and her immature behaviors with good looking men. However, this was as addictive as the previous books in the series.
November 11, 2015
I honestly think someone else is writing these books now. The earlier Agatha Raisin books were wonderful and she seemed almost alive. The last couple though, the writing is so fragmented and jumps around so much it is like someone else has either written them or this is just an outline and hasn't been fleshed out at all. It is really too bad because Agatha has been such a wonderful character that I really hate to see her go. I may try the next in the series when it comes out but if it is as bad as this one then I am certainly done.
August 24, 2017
How Agatha Raisin continues to stay in business is beyond me. She is accusing and meddling and keeps almost getting killed in various ways. How ever does she continue to attract men to her unless they want to act as knights errant? Outside of being about bits of gossip that went out of hand, the plot doesn't seem real, even for a cozy mystery. Even at the end, I had the feeling that nothing was actually wrapped up. Need to take this series off my list of future choices.
February 15, 2022
I always enjoy Agatha, but it was nice to see some of her friendships getting a little more real in this one.
July 1, 2025
audiobook
April 12, 2021
Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Secrets sur Canapé ?
"Je me suis rendue en librairie en toute innocence, pensant être à l'abri des tentations, la sortie officielle n'étant prévue que deux jours plus tard, et il était là, à me tendre les bras."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Agatha s'est une nouvelle fois mise à dos une habitante du village, et une nouvelle fois, cette personne est retrouvée assassinée. Et ce n'est que le début de ses ennuis..."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous ?
"Agatha m'avait terriblement manquée et je redoute de plus en plus de voir arriver la fin de cette série. J'aime tous les personnages, j'aime l'humour mais surtout, ce sont de toutes petites scènes, presque des détails, qui me mettent du baume au coeur, celles où Agatha se démène pour les autres. Ici, nous avons droit à deux gestes d'une grande générosité que je ne vous gâcherai pas en vous les dévoilant mais qui me font espérer, une de fois de plus, que la célèbre Agatha Raisin finira réellement par recevoir toute l'attention et tout l'amour qu'elle mérite. Quant à l'enquête, je n'en avais pas soupçonné une seconde la résolution."
Et comment cela s'est-il fini ?
"Je vais me retenir de me jeter sur le prochain, qui est déjà dans ma PAL, je vais essayer de savourer ces derniers tomes mais une chose est sûre, ça ne va pas être facile."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
"Je me suis rendue en librairie en toute innocence, pensant être à l'abri des tentations, la sortie officielle n'étant prévue que deux jours plus tard, et il était là, à me tendre les bras."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Agatha s'est une nouvelle fois mise à dos une habitante du village, et une nouvelle fois, cette personne est retrouvée assassinée. Et ce n'est que le début de ses ennuis..."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous ?
"Agatha m'avait terriblement manquée et je redoute de plus en plus de voir arriver la fin de cette série. J'aime tous les personnages, j'aime l'humour mais surtout, ce sont de toutes petites scènes, presque des détails, qui me mettent du baume au coeur, celles où Agatha se démène pour les autres. Ici, nous avons droit à deux gestes d'une grande générosité que je ne vous gâcherai pas en vous les dévoilant mais qui me font espérer, une de fois de plus, que la célèbre Agatha Raisin finira réellement par recevoir toute l'attention et tout l'amour qu'elle mérite. Quant à l'enquête, je n'en avais pas soupçonné une seconde la résolution."
Et comment cela s'est-il fini ?
"Je vais me retenir de me jeter sur le prochain, qui est déjà dans ma PAL, je vais essayer de savourer ces derniers tomes mais une chose est sûre, ça ne va pas être facile."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
October 1, 2015
Scattered. I think that is the best word to describe this book. The Agatha Raisin series has been going downhill for years, so I take each one for what they are. I have been invested in these characters for years and I cannot look away when a new one comes out.
The Agatha Raisin books are very easy reads considering M. C. Beaton has a habit of doing a mid-book recap. Dishing the Dirt begins with the murder of a therapist that has a history of being a hooker when she lived in Chicago. Still not sure why that was even mentioned since the idea was not fully developed into anything other than maybe her past had caught up with her; personally, I believe it was thrown in for some sort of shock value. The people in Carsely went to her for counseling even though no one could actually prove that she was qualified, they just needed someone who would listen. A man is snooping around and is murdered. So is another. Listening devices are found in Agatha’s cottage. Then another woman is murdered. Wolfsbane is suspected. Yada, Yada, Yada. Turns out the real killer was even more diabolical than Agatha realized.
Curious that in this book, both James and Charles see Agatha in a new light. At one point, the reader wonders if James could change his mind about having divorced Agatha, but that all blows up in a little squabble. Then you have Charles wondering how he could ever live without Agatha. Very odd and very curious indeed.
All the while, Agatha is blindly obsessed with one character as the murderer but many names are bandied about and until the reader reaches the end, you had no idea as to which characters you needed to pay attention to. Bumbling. Almost to the point where it felt as if the author was just making it up as she went with no clear path.
The books ends quite abruptly and then the reader is thrown into an epilog that actually ends the book properly. Properly that is for Agatha Raisin, meaning that there is dangling intrigue that involves a new man. A man that Mrs. Bloxby is quite taken with and Agatha cannot quite stop herself from chasing after.
The Agatha Raisin books are very easy reads considering M. C. Beaton has a habit of doing a mid-book recap. Dishing the Dirt begins with the murder of a therapist that has a history of being a hooker when she lived in Chicago. Still not sure why that was even mentioned since the idea was not fully developed into anything other than maybe her past had caught up with her; personally, I believe it was thrown in for some sort of shock value. The people in Carsely went to her for counseling even though no one could actually prove that she was qualified, they just needed someone who would listen. A man is snooping around and is murdered. So is another. Listening devices are found in Agatha’s cottage. Then another woman is murdered. Wolfsbane is suspected. Yada, Yada, Yada. Turns out the real killer was even more diabolical than Agatha realized.
Curious that in this book, both James and Charles see Agatha in a new light. At one point, the reader wonders if James could change his mind about having divorced Agatha, but that all blows up in a little squabble. Then you have Charles wondering how he could ever live without Agatha. Very odd and very curious indeed.
All the while, Agatha is blindly obsessed with one character as the murderer but many names are bandied about and until the reader reaches the end, you had no idea as to which characters you needed to pay attention to. Bumbling. Almost to the point where it felt as if the author was just making it up as she went with no clear path.
The books ends quite abruptly and then the reader is thrown into an epilog that actually ends the book properly. Properly that is for Agatha Raisin, meaning that there is dangling intrigue that involves a new man. A man that Mrs. Bloxby is quite taken with and Agatha cannot quite stop herself from chasing after.
February 15, 2017
Well I think I have finally been cured of this particular guilty pleasure read (even though I rarely actually feel guilty about reading anything these days). This was so, so poorly written, even in comparison to earlier books in the series. Agatha did this, then she did that, then she found this, then she sensed EVIL. Really, it reminded me of a Little Britain sketch about Barbara Cartland lying on a sofa dictating to her long-suffering assistant 'Then she went there.....then over there....oooh handsome fellow!....she was wearing a pink frock...etc....etc....how many pages is that now?' I had jumped a few in the series since reading 'A Spoonful of Poison', but I really think she should have finished this series around 'The Fairies of Fryfam'.
March 27, 2017
I was in the market for a mystery and saw this on the shelf at the library. I thought it'd be a nice hit of escapism, sort of the literary equivalent of a cookie: something that hits the spot.
People, this book is unspeakably bad. It's like a bitter, inedible cookie. (I say this as someone who's never met a cookie she didn't like.) The body count, the bad dialogue, people constantly yelling things like "Get the hell out of here!" on every other page... it's so bad that it's almost—almost—funny. Then there is the soft racism, the encounters with minorities and transvestites that will make you wince ("The only thing Asian about Bill were his beautiful almond-shaped eyes"). This might be the single worst book I've ever read.
People, this book is unspeakably bad. It's like a bitter, inedible cookie. (I say this as someone who's never met a cookie she didn't like.) The body count, the bad dialogue, people constantly yelling things like "Get the hell out of here!" on every other page... it's so bad that it's almost—almost—funny. Then there is the soft racism, the encounters with minorities and transvestites that will make you wince ("The only thing Asian about Bill were his beautiful almond-shaped eyes"). This might be the single worst book I've ever read.
November 29, 2017
When you read that one of Agatha Raisin's friends Roy Strong is asking 'So what's been happening in Murderville?', you can guess that there has been more than one murder in Carsley and the surrounding district. Roy's perceptive view of the town was not wrong for by the time he was asking there had been four or five murders in the area. And Agatha had been there or thereabouts on each occasion, so much so that she was regularly being questioned by the police, who usually sent her friend Bill Wong to do the interrogating so that it would be more gentle.
The first person to go, as it were, was therapist Jill Davent, who was not on Agatha's Christmas card list for not only was she chasing her ex-husband, James Lacey, for whom Agatha always has a soft spot even though there are a plethora of other men in her life, but Miss Davent was also digging up details of Agatha's rather unsavoury upbringing. And she was not averse to sharing them with other villagers.
So when Agatha exploded at her and shouted, with another villager eavesdroppng outside an open window, 'How dare you hire a private detective to probe into my life. Leave me alone or I'll kill you. But before I murder you, you useless piece of garbage, I am going to sue you for intrusion of privacy.' No surprise, therefore, that when Miss Davent was murdered Agatha was the number one suspect. And later, when the eavesdropper also became a murder victim, Agatha was once again in the frame!
While Agatha continued to run her detective agency, she also found time to have a variety of dalliances with men, of all ages, and time also to spend on investigating the crimes that took place all around her. She has the assistance of some very loyal staff and a couple of friends, whose loyalty at times she doubts, but all of whom went to her rescue when she was in difficult circumstances during her investigations. Indeed, Sir Charles Fraith, who flits in and out of her life at will and who she thinks of inviting to her bed on more than one occasion and on other occasions she just wants him to depart, saved her life for which she was eternally grateful and felt like acting in the former mode afterwards - but she eventually resisted!
At times Carsley seemed a safe rural setting but then when a woman police officer is killed, Agatha had her doubts. But she still threw caution to the wind and tried to follow up the murder despite being warned off by the police. She recruited one of her assistants, Toni. to help but Toni thought Agatha was wrong in her suspicions - but Agatha is nothing if not persuasive. Toni gave Agatha her views with 'You've had mad ideas before and they turned out to be right. Why don't we go with it?' And they did, only for Agatha once again to be in grave danger of being murdered herself.
But, after many close calls and dangerous moments, it all turned out right in the end and Agatha's premonitions went some way to solving the mysterious deaths.
Agatha continues to be a fascinating character and while 'Dishing the Dirt' is somewhat slow at the beginning, the second half of the book improves immeasurably and it develops into the usual Agatha Raising romp.
The first person to go, as it were, was therapist Jill Davent, who was not on Agatha's Christmas card list for not only was she chasing her ex-husband, James Lacey, for whom Agatha always has a soft spot even though there are a plethora of other men in her life, but Miss Davent was also digging up details of Agatha's rather unsavoury upbringing. And she was not averse to sharing them with other villagers.
So when Agatha exploded at her and shouted, with another villager eavesdroppng outside an open window, 'How dare you hire a private detective to probe into my life. Leave me alone or I'll kill you. But before I murder you, you useless piece of garbage, I am going to sue you for intrusion of privacy.' No surprise, therefore, that when Miss Davent was murdered Agatha was the number one suspect. And later, when the eavesdropper also became a murder victim, Agatha was once again in the frame!
While Agatha continued to run her detective agency, she also found time to have a variety of dalliances with men, of all ages, and time also to spend on investigating the crimes that took place all around her. She has the assistance of some very loyal staff and a couple of friends, whose loyalty at times she doubts, but all of whom went to her rescue when she was in difficult circumstances during her investigations. Indeed, Sir Charles Fraith, who flits in and out of her life at will and who she thinks of inviting to her bed on more than one occasion and on other occasions she just wants him to depart, saved her life for which she was eternally grateful and felt like acting in the former mode afterwards - but she eventually resisted!
At times Carsley seemed a safe rural setting but then when a woman police officer is killed, Agatha had her doubts. But she still threw caution to the wind and tried to follow up the murder despite being warned off by the police. She recruited one of her assistants, Toni. to help but Toni thought Agatha was wrong in her suspicions - but Agatha is nothing if not persuasive. Toni gave Agatha her views with 'You've had mad ideas before and they turned out to be right. Why don't we go with it?' And they did, only for Agatha once again to be in grave danger of being murdered herself.
But, after many close calls and dangerous moments, it all turned out right in the end and Agatha's premonitions went some way to solving the mysterious deaths.
Agatha continues to be a fascinating character and while 'Dishing the Dirt' is somewhat slow at the beginning, the second half of the book improves immeasurably and it develops into the usual Agatha Raising romp.
February 28, 2019
Just finished this one. I’ve been reading them one after another which is like binge watching a tv series. It does take away from the stories a bit read like that. This one Roy Silver is just a pest and not helpful at all. It feels like he might be get phased out a bit because he’s so shallow. He just shows up now instead of calling. Charles is a real friend even if he is flighty, Roy not so much, it’s just all about riding Agatha’s coat tails to get some tv spot light time.
Reading them all after one another really shows up the faults you find with the characters or writing, but you so like Agatha, Charles, Mrs. Bloxby, Bill Wong etc that you try and avoid try and ignore the repetition of Agatha’s jealousy of Toni, her obsession about age—you could cut about 10 references out, and you’d still get the very clear point. Does Agatha really have to go on a date with everyone who asks her? I guess... but you kind of see why she ends up in trouble and she never learns from her mistakes.
There were some new elements in this one which were nice, Agatha’s vulnerability and the surprise behavior of Mrs. Bloxby.
This was kind of a violent story and a definitely a bit more suspenseful than some in the past.
Reading them all after one another really shows up the faults you find with the characters or writing, but you so like Agatha, Charles, Mrs. Bloxby, Bill Wong etc that you try and avoid try and ignore the repetition of Agatha’s jealousy of Toni, her obsession about age—you could cut about 10 references out, and you’d still get the very clear point. Does Agatha really have to go on a date with everyone who asks her? I guess... but you kind of see why she ends up in trouble and she never learns from her mistakes.
There were some new elements in this one which were nice, Agatha’s vulnerability and the surprise behavior of Mrs. Bloxby.
This was kind of a violent story and a definitely a bit more suspenseful than some in the past.
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