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Agatha Raisin and the First Two Tantalising Cases: The Quiche of Death & The Vicious Vet
Introducing Agatha Raisin!
The Quiche of Death
High-flying public relations supremo Agatha Raisin has decided to take early retirement. She's off to make a new life in a picture-perfect Cotswold village. To make friends, she enters the local quiche-making competition - and to make quite sure of first prize she secretly pays a visit to a London deli. Alas, the competition judge succumbs after tasting her perfect quiche, and Agatha is revealed as a cheat and potential poisoner. Definitely not the best start. So Agatha must turn amateur sleuth - she's absolutely got to track down the real killer!
The Vicious Vet
Agatha Raisin is enjoying life in her pretty Cotswold village of Carsely. It even seems likely that the attractive new vet, Paul Bladen, has taken a shine to her. But before romance can blossom, Paul is killed in an accident with Lord Pendlebury's horse. Only the circumstances are rather suspicious. Agatha decides she must once more play amateur investigator. And this cloud has a silver lining - she can persuade her stand-offish neighbour, James Lacey, to become her partner in the quest. As usual, Agatha rushes in, heedless of the lurking menace to both James and herself.
Agatha Raisin is a Mammoth Screen and Free@Last TV production for Sky 1.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2007
217 people are currently reading
980 people want to read
About the author
M.C. Beaton
329 books5,989 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 215 reviews
October 21, 2022
I found myself giggling repeatedly while listening to “Introducing Agatha Raisin”, which includes two stories: The Quiche of Death and The Vicious Vet. I wanted to get on this “cozy mystery” bandwagon.
In the first story, as the title implies, a local man dies after eating a piece of quiche. Agatha retires to Carsely, a quaint village not too far from London. Agatha wants to fit in and decides that if she entered the local baking contest, she would meet the locals. Given Agatha has never cooked a thing in her life, she decides to purchase a spinach quiche from a renown London quicherie (I didn’t know there were such places). She was told that the same woman always wins the contest; yet Agatha felt providing a professionally made pie would provide a legs-up so to speak. Well, she loses. And furthermore, the quiche she made killed a man who ate it the next day. This was not the way Agatha wanted to introduce herself to her new community.
Thus, we have the mystery of the poisoned quiche. Agatha is a character. This story was narrated by Penelope Keith, and she set the tone beautifully. Her voice is one that worked for me. As Agatha sleuths her way into discovering how poison got into her quiche, she transports us to a fussy village with all the eccentric villagers. I felt like I was in a 1940’s movie with the dialogue and cadence like that time period.
In “The Vicious Vet”, there is a dubious new veterinarian in town who seems to pal-up to the local lonely women. He wants to open his own clinic and absconds with money from multiple gullible women who fell to his deceit. When he is found dead, Agatha investigates his history. Not only has he bilked money out of forlorn older women, but he also hasn’t been kind to domestic animals. The list of suspects is long and includes Agatha! The narrator for this one, Diane Bishop, wasn’t as interesting as Ms. Keith. She is good, but I think I was “weaned” on Penelope Keith, and I prefer her narrative interpretation.
All said, I will continue the Agatha Raisin series. She’s a wonderful protagonist: pugnacious, meddling, irascible, acerbic and fun! She’s the perfect “senior” sleuth for her adventures in the quirky English countryside.
In the first story, as the title implies, a local man dies after eating a piece of quiche. Agatha retires to Carsely, a quaint village not too far from London. Agatha wants to fit in and decides that if she entered the local baking contest, she would meet the locals. Given Agatha has never cooked a thing in her life, she decides to purchase a spinach quiche from a renown London quicherie (I didn’t know there were such places). She was told that the same woman always wins the contest; yet Agatha felt providing a professionally made pie would provide a legs-up so to speak. Well, she loses. And furthermore, the quiche she made killed a man who ate it the next day. This was not the way Agatha wanted to introduce herself to her new community.
Thus, we have the mystery of the poisoned quiche. Agatha is a character. This story was narrated by Penelope Keith, and she set the tone beautifully. Her voice is one that worked for me. As Agatha sleuths her way into discovering how poison got into her quiche, she transports us to a fussy village with all the eccentric villagers. I felt like I was in a 1940’s movie with the dialogue and cadence like that time period.
In “The Vicious Vet”, there is a dubious new veterinarian in town who seems to pal-up to the local lonely women. He wants to open his own clinic and absconds with money from multiple gullible women who fell to his deceit. When he is found dead, Agatha investigates his history. Not only has he bilked money out of forlorn older women, but he also hasn’t been kind to domestic animals. The list of suspects is long and includes Agatha! The narrator for this one, Diane Bishop, wasn’t as interesting as Ms. Keith. She is good, but I think I was “weaned” on Penelope Keith, and I prefer her narrative interpretation.
All said, I will continue the Agatha Raisin series. She’s a wonderful protagonist: pugnacious, meddling, irascible, acerbic and fun! She’s the perfect “senior” sleuth for her adventures in the quirky English countryside.
October 29, 2024
Who loves a cozy mystery?
Well, if you said, "I do" than this is the book for you.
These are the first two stories in the Agatha Raisin series.
What happens when Agatha Raisin gives up a lucrative London business to go live in a cute, little sleepy village?
Well.... murder of course! A delightful reading experience by the immensely talented M. C. Beaton.
P.S. - much better than the television series.
Well, if you said, "I do" than this is the book for you.
These are the first two stories in the Agatha Raisin series.
What happens when Agatha Raisin gives up a lucrative London business to go live in a cute, little sleepy village?
Well.... murder of course! A delightful reading experience by the immensely talented M. C. Beaton.
P.S. - much better than the television series.
December 1, 2015
Over the past year, I've challenged (reverse-challenged?) myself to read for comfort, not necessarily to read for "intellect." (Although reading for "intellect" is frequently rewarding and often comforting.) When I gravitated to books that provide comfort, I found myself seeking out titles from my childhood or titles that would have pleased me as a young reader. But just recently, I remembered that about 25 years ago I went on a mystery-reading binge...and one of the series that a neighbor recommended was the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton. I recall laughing out loud at several books in the Cotswolds-based series...but I remember little else. So I recently picked up the first in the series and...it's terrific. A great example of the genre (cozy, amateur detective, a cast of on-the-fringe supporting characters), an anti-hero central character who is charming in spite of herself. I enjoyed this from start to finish...and have already picked up a copy of the second book in the series.
April 26, 2024
Recommended as I enjoyed this so much. On the second story I guessed right away who done it but later forgot as the story became more complicated. Agatha is amazingly tenacious and funny. Her behavior is extreme and I enjoyed it how much she came to love her cats. I can't wait for the next one and hope to pick it up today.
January 11, 2013
This book filled a wonderful purpose in my reading -- it was delightfully entertaining and relaxing to read. As a senior woman, I enjoy reading the contrived and unlikely but humorous antics of gutsy seniors. Agatha Raisin is a self-absorbed, tough-minded protagonist who shows little evidence of brilliance except that she can out-think the local police detectives and come upon solutions to murder. She makes an interesting and funny figure who isn't a super-hero and certainly not an angelic figure. One detail that I find amusing and perhaps a bit annoying is that the author considers a 50+ woman to be old and a 70+ person to be ancient -- not quite ready for that laberl yet.
September 13, 2021
Which ever shape or form "Agatha" comes in, you know you are going to have a jolly good laugh and entertainment satisfaction, now this definitely lived up to my expectations.
Right, let's back up a bit. I didn't realise this, but the title indicates two seperate short stories, and here was I thinking how a quiche and a vet could be connected?
The Quiche Of Death
Agatha Raisin has just moved to the Cotswolds, and entered the local baking competition, quiche she thought was a good idea, but she did a little bit of cheating and bought it elsewhere, now she's in trouble because the judge who took a piece to eat is now dead, the investigations continues.
There were lots of scenes I loved, for example
Agatha getting roped into a woman's tapestry group.
Loved the quotes
"I've just been behind a tractor that was doing 5 miles per hour."
"Roy, country people make things and grow things, city people pay other people to bake things and grow things".
"... so that's Vera next door aye? Does she live in a thatched cottage.
"Yes, why?"
" I just wondered if I could set fire to it"
"I will lend you my lighter".
... "could you pop across to the village hall and get some scones from the freezer and defrost them in the microwave"
We of course had to have the ever dramatic woman, which in this instance was Vera. Also Agatha is a lover of kittens so in this book we are introduced to "Shivers." We have chocolate digestives this time as well as scones. Celebrity, Dawn French was mentioned.
There were alot of sound effects used and I particularly loved the cat meowing, and at times I thought it was real and went looking for my own cat.
............
The Vicious Vet
We start the story off with "dear old Charlie" (a dog) whose "lambs liver his favourite" ... but suddenly needed an operation and died. This was the introduction to of course a new vet in town, that looks the spitting image of Robert Redford, (so everyone was goo goo ga ga about him) so Agatha Raisin has to take Shivers the cat to the vet out of curiosity, and then Paul the vet invites Agatha to dine out, things go slightly pear shaped when Paul invites her back to his place, some very unusual surprises pop out which gave me a chuckle and a "oh dear". Naturally with any Agatha Raisin stories the police are involved and this left me quite amused especially when Agatha had decided to put her finger prints everywhere which made the policeman very cross. This little short story, I'm afraid wasn't as good as the first, but still enjoyable.
I was happy with the length of this audiobook, being 1hr, 38 minutes.
This was purely a random pick of mine from Bolinda Audio (Borrow Box) through my library.
Giving this beauty a 5 star review/recommendation and naturally recommend to anyone who likes cosy mysteries and Agatha Christie books.
Right, let's back up a bit. I didn't realise this, but the title indicates two seperate short stories, and here was I thinking how a quiche and a vet could be connected?
The Quiche Of Death
Agatha Raisin has just moved to the Cotswolds, and entered the local baking competition, quiche she thought was a good idea, but she did a little bit of cheating and bought it elsewhere, now she's in trouble because the judge who took a piece to eat is now dead, the investigations continues.
There were lots of scenes I loved, for example
Agatha getting roped into a woman's tapestry group.
Loved the quotes
"I've just been behind a tractor that was doing 5 miles per hour."
"Roy, country people make things and grow things, city people pay other people to bake things and grow things".
"... so that's Vera next door aye? Does she live in a thatched cottage.
"Yes, why?"
" I just wondered if I could set fire to it"
"I will lend you my lighter".
... "could you pop across to the village hall and get some scones from the freezer and defrost them in the microwave"
We of course had to have the ever dramatic woman, which in this instance was Vera. Also Agatha is a lover of kittens so in this book we are introduced to "Shivers." We have chocolate digestives this time as well as scones. Celebrity, Dawn French was mentioned.
There were alot of sound effects used and I particularly loved the cat meowing, and at times I thought it was real and went looking for my own cat.
............
The Vicious Vet
We start the story off with "dear old Charlie" (a dog) whose "lambs liver his favourite" ... but suddenly needed an operation and died. This was the introduction to of course a new vet in town, that looks the spitting image of Robert Redford, (so everyone was goo goo ga ga about him) so Agatha Raisin has to take Shivers the cat to the vet out of curiosity, and then Paul the vet invites Agatha to dine out, things go slightly pear shaped when Paul invites her back to his place, some very unusual surprises pop out which gave me a chuckle and a "oh dear". Naturally with any Agatha Raisin stories the police are involved and this left me quite amused especially when Agatha had decided to put her finger prints everywhere which made the policeman very cross. This little short story, I'm afraid wasn't as good as the first, but still enjoyable.
I was happy with the length of this audiobook, being 1hr, 38 minutes.
This was purely a random pick of mine from Bolinda Audio (Borrow Box) through my library.
Giving this beauty a 5 star review/recommendation and naturally recommend to anyone who likes cosy mysteries and Agatha Christie books.
January 19, 2020
DNF at page 50 / 25% of the first novel. (This is a bindup of two 200 page novels)
I don't usually DNF books, but boy was this bad. The writing style is extremely simplistic, with most of the narration being written as 'then she did this, then she did that'. All tell, no show. The main character is rather unpleasant, which wouldn't normally bother me if we also got actual insights into her thought processes. (We don't.) The characters' behaviour makes no bloody sense, especially that of the police officers (you don't just tell someone who was a suspect minutes ago how your investigation is going). Oh, and then there's gems like 'a gypsy-looking woman' and 'a young tubbly oriental who looked like a Buddha'. Now, I know this book was first published in 1992 (not *that* long ago), but what bothers me most about this latent racism is that the narrative voice of the book is never clear enough to determine whether that is Agatha's view (not nice but somewhat better; she's an unpleasant woman) or the author's.
Oh, and then this edition also has glaring editing errors to the point where Agatha is called both Agatha and Angela in the same sentence several times.
I mean, I know I rarely read mysteries, but they *do* usually turn out at least 3-star reads. Thank goodness this was a library book.
(Maybe this is a rare case of 'the series is better'? - I did originally pick this up because I'd heard that the TV show was beloved by many.)
I don't usually DNF books, but boy was this bad. The writing style is extremely simplistic, with most of the narration being written as 'then she did this, then she did that'. All tell, no show. The main character is rather unpleasant, which wouldn't normally bother me if we also got actual insights into her thought processes. (We don't.) The characters' behaviour makes no bloody sense, especially that of the police officers (you don't just tell someone who was a suspect minutes ago how your investigation is going). Oh, and then there's gems like 'a gypsy-looking woman' and 'a young tubbly oriental who looked like a Buddha'. Now, I know this book was first published in 1992 (not *that* long ago), but what bothers me most about this latent racism is that the narrative voice of the book is never clear enough to determine whether that is Agatha's view (not nice but somewhat better; she's an unpleasant woman) or the author's.
Oh, and then this edition also has glaring editing errors to the point where Agatha is called both Agatha and Angela in the same sentence several times.
I mean, I know I rarely read mysteries, but they *do* usually turn out at least 3-star reads. Thank goodness this was a library book.
(Maybe this is a rare case of 'the series is better'? - I did originally pick this up because I'd heard that the TV show was beloved by many.)
April 3, 2020
3.5 because the plot of The Vicious Vet is too hard to believe. However, The Quiche of Death is a funny, silly, ridiculous story.
I’ll definitely be reading more of these in the future!
I’ll definitely be reading more of these in the future!
July 20, 2015
I got done with the first book in the series...the Quiche is Death. At first, I didn't think I was going to like Agatha but she definitely grew on me. Once I realized she has always taken care of herself with no help from anyone else, I understood her tough outer shell. It was quite a joy getting to know all the characters and hope to keep enjoying them all! I am on page 43 of the next book... The Vicious Vet. I have already had a few laughs. I can't wait to find out what Agatha does in the book! Happy reading!
November 14, 2017
I am partway through the book and I don't know if anybody noticed a glaring error (in the e-book anyway) where the title character is sometimes referred to as "Angela" in the same paragraph. Seriously, "I am Agatha Raisin", said Angela...
I am tempted to borrow the print book and see if the same error occurs.
I couldn't finish a book with such awful editing errors. Glad it was a library loan. I have high standards for published books.
I am tempted to borrow the print book and see if the same error occurs.
I couldn't finish a book with such awful editing errors. Glad it was a library loan. I have high standards for published books.
March 5, 2014
I'd read "The Quiche of Death" within the last few months, so I only read the second book, "The Vicious Vet", this time around.
Decent story. I'm sorry to say that I really have never warmed up to the character of Agatha Raisin.
Decent story. I'm sorry to say that I really have never warmed up to the character of Agatha Raisin.
August 16, 2021
First read of author M C Beaton books. Fully enjoyed it. Love the slights of humor amongst the serious mystery solving. Will definitely read more of her books.
September 3, 2014
Picked this up because the name M.C. Beaton sounded familiar so I thought I would check it out. This compendium of two mysteries was on the shelf in the breakfast room of the small hotel where I was staying in Paris. In short, cannot recommend.
Agatha Raisin is a pugnacious Londoner in her mid 50s with a Birmingham background of which she is ashamed. After a successful career in PR, she has sold her firm and bought a cottage in the Cotswolds for the life she has always imagined. Of course country life is a poor fit for a pushy city woman, and alleged hijinks occur as she uses her PR techniques to force her way into acceptance.
The set up is strong, the execution is very poor. Agatha is appallingly inconsistent in her characterization, pushy one moment, then weirdly shy and adolescent the next as the plot requires. Her two sidekicks in "The Quiche of Death" are offensive stereotypes: a (literally) screaming queen of a gay character who by the end of the book is looking for a suitably docile and stupid woman to marry, and an inscrutable but wise half-Chinese police officer who teaches Agatha about herself despite being a good thirty years younger than she is. Fortunately, these two characters are mostly abandoned by the second book, to be replaced by a handsome and single male neighbor who (predictably) runs from any threat of commitment and who Agatha pursues in un-funny ways. Thus Beaton hits a two-fer of mid-life cliches with one "comic" pairing.
The mysteries are not well constructed. In fact, in both cases, the actual murderer is the most obvious suspect and the only real mystery is why the police haven't solved the cases well before Agatha even realizes the deaths are suspicious.
Too bad, really. I won't be reading any more of these.
Agatha Raisin is a pugnacious Londoner in her mid 50s with a Birmingham background of which she is ashamed. After a successful career in PR, she has sold her firm and bought a cottage in the Cotswolds for the life she has always imagined. Of course country life is a poor fit for a pushy city woman, and alleged hijinks occur as she uses her PR techniques to force her way into acceptance.
The set up is strong, the execution is very poor. Agatha is appallingly inconsistent in her characterization, pushy one moment, then weirdly shy and adolescent the next as the plot requires. Her two sidekicks in "The Quiche of Death" are offensive stereotypes: a (literally) screaming queen of a gay character who by the end of the book is looking for a suitably docile and stupid woman to marry, and an inscrutable but wise half-Chinese police officer who teaches Agatha about herself despite being a good thirty years younger than she is. Fortunately, these two characters are mostly abandoned by the second book, to be replaced by a handsome and single male neighbor who (predictably) runs from any threat of commitment and who Agatha pursues in un-funny ways. Thus Beaton hits a two-fer of mid-life cliches with one "comic" pairing.
The mysteries are not well constructed. In fact, in both cases, the actual murderer is the most obvious suspect and the only real mystery is why the police haven't solved the cases well before Agatha even realizes the deaths are suspicious.
Too bad, really. I won't be reading any more of these.
May 18, 2016
I was hoping Agatha Raisin would be similar to Mrs. Marple or Mrs. Pollifax but I was disappointed. Turns out she is a super crabby old lady that is rude to most people and self-centered and moves to a little village and for some reason most people are still nice to her! Also, she is bored in her early retirement so she starts solving crimes. The crimes didn't feel like the main story and so weren't developed as much as I like. Overall I just found it hard to like Agatha so didn't love the books.
July 9, 2012
The Vicious Vet
1/6 A vet's arrival in the village of Carsely sparks a murder trail for the amateur sleuth.
The Body In The Bathroom
2/6 Hunting the killer, the sleuth resorts to barefaced lies, burglary and badger-watching.
The Potted Gardener
3/6 Competition for a new Garden Festival in the village turns nasty.
1/6 A vet's arrival in the village of Carsely sparks a murder trail for the amateur sleuth.
The Body In The Bathroom
2/6 Hunting the killer, the sleuth resorts to barefaced lies, burglary and badger-watching.
The Potted Gardener
3/6 Competition for a new Garden Festival in the village turns nasty.
July 30, 2017
Loved it. Had listened to a recent book so wanted to go back to the beginning and find out how it all happened and what made Agatha become a detective. The story did not disappoint. She is not a particularly likeable character, prepared to cheat and lie in most ways. But not actually offensive or evil. She has redeeming features.
I want to read all of the books now !
I want to read all of the books now !
November 25, 2019
The first two books in the very popular Agatha Raisin series are featured in this audiobook. Agatha Raisin has sold her business and moved to a cottage in the Cotswolds. Her interactions with the local folk are very amusing and of course she gets involved with solving murders.
December 5, 2017
I love this series! Agatha is hilarious.
July 25, 2018
I liked the story and the way it is told.
January 26, 2020
I listened to this on audio book and have to admit that I really enjoyed it. If I think that I would really enjoy reading a book then I definitely do not listen to it on audiobook. But audio is great for dog walks etc so I mostly stick to light (or not very good) mysteries/crimes. And Penelope Keith was just perfect as the narrator!
This book really did make me smile more than I had expected that it would. The crime part is background to Agatha's move to the country and her efforts to get involved in the village that she has moved to. Her day trip with the Boggles had me giggling away and I very much enjoyed the auction. There's nothing serious here and the books don't take themselves too seriously so I'll definitely be listening to the next in the series as soon as it's availabe to borrow :)
This book really did make me smile more than I had expected that it would. The crime part is background to Agatha's move to the country and her efforts to get involved in the village that she has moved to. Her day trip with the Boggles had me giggling away and I very much enjoyed the auction. There's nothing serious here and the books don't take themselves too seriously so I'll definitely be listening to the next in the series as soon as it's availabe to borrow :)
October 9, 2023
Agatha Raisin is a bored, complicated, aggressive woman who solves crimes. She doesn’t overwhelm you with her intelligence. Her curiosity and tenacity seem to be her chief skills. Her romantic daydreams and her desire to fit into her small community get in the way of clear thinking. As she seeks criminals she stumbles into life threatening situations without a second thought given to her safety.
January 5, 2019
Agatha Raisin series, books #1 & #2. I listened to a BBC dramatization of these first two novels. I'm not sure I like the dramatizations. Agatha Raisin was not a very likable character and I hope that she gets less sarcastic and snotty as the series progresses.
January 7, 2024
Recommended by my local librarian and very enjoyable.
Agatha, a former PR executive and owner of the Raisin Agency, decides it’s time to retire and move to the Cotswolds from London.
Hijinks ensue as she ingratiates herself to the locals in her new town. All the while convincing herself the death of a local is actually a murder she needs to solve.
She’s quite the character as are others she convinces to help solve the case along the way.
Agatha, a former PR executive and owner of the Raisin Agency, decides it’s time to retire and move to the Cotswolds from London.
Hijinks ensue as she ingratiates herself to the locals in her new town. All the while convincing herself the death of a local is actually a murder she needs to solve.
She’s quite the character as are others she convinces to help solve the case along the way.
May 19, 2024
Starting a reread of the long running Agatha Raisin mystery series, from the beginning. I had read several of the middle of the series several years ago and had difficulty understanding Agatha's character. I understand her more this time around and both stories have me wanting to read more. I think she's starting to grow on me.
October 2, 2024
Charming 😄 I learned that I love hearing British narrators say the word “waspish.”
November 30, 2018
I have found another mystery writer that I really enjoyed...will now add her to my little green book of authors and their book lists. These stories about Agatha Raisin are fun to read, a good 'cozy' mystery set in the Cotswolds area of England. This particular book had her first two books in one.
Agatha was a very successful PR business owner who decided to sell her business, retire while still in her early 50's and move to a charming cottage in the Cotswolds...a dream she had as a child growing up in a very poor home and neighbourhood.
She is a 'doer' and finds that she is bored after getting settled in until the village has a murder....she becomes a Nosy Parker, much to the chagrin of her new young friend, Bill Wong, a policeman . Agatha lies quite easily, bluffs her way into cooking competitions when she has never cooked at all, and is very romantically inclined....she has never married but has always been on the lookout and now she has an older retired bachelor military man living next door. Her daydreams and some of the things she does to attract him are so funny. They become quite good at solving murders together although he is quite wary if she shows any signs of pursuing him.
Agatha does get into the events in the village such as going to church, joining the Ladies Meetings at the parsonage where she puts her leadership skills to work. Her interaction with the various ladies of the village is skeptical, warm, critical and funny all at once.
A good light read for sure!
Agatha was a very successful PR business owner who decided to sell her business, retire while still in her early 50's and move to a charming cottage in the Cotswolds...a dream she had as a child growing up in a very poor home and neighbourhood.
She is a 'doer' and finds that she is bored after getting settled in until the village has a murder....she becomes a Nosy Parker, much to the chagrin of her new young friend, Bill Wong, a policeman . Agatha lies quite easily, bluffs her way into cooking competitions when she has never cooked at all, and is very romantically inclined....she has never married but has always been on the lookout and now she has an older retired bachelor military man living next door. Her daydreams and some of the things she does to attract him are so funny. They become quite good at solving murders together although he is quite wary if she shows any signs of pursuing him.
Agatha does get into the events in the village such as going to church, joining the Ladies Meetings at the parsonage where she puts her leadership skills to work. Her interaction with the various ladies of the village is skeptical, warm, critical and funny all at once.
A good light read for sure!
April 17, 2019
Books 1 and 2.
I had watched the Agatha Raisin movie on Hoopla and thought it was funny. I then read 0.5 (which I know is a later book written to be earlier than book 1) and laughed at the woman and her method of finding out the truth. So I borrowed this since it would allow me to read two books at once. I laughed at some of the parts and I wondered that a person interested in a house for sale could just walk in and check out the place and there would not be a realtor with them. I remembered from our time of trying to sell our 1st house, people would come in with a realtor and they would let their children play with our children's toys and put them in our children's beds and playpens and then went through our file cabinets and paperwork. I enjoyed the change in Agatha as she learned about herself and made friends, real friends. There were moments that I just laughed out loud about her antics and fell in love with her.
Book 1 - Quiche of Death - She has just sold her business and moved to the Cotswolds and learns to cook (after she is accused of poisoning the judge in the quiche contest), she gets rid of things decorating her home that are not to her taste and likes and she learns how to make friends.
Book 2 - The Vicious Vet - This one has a vet that is a horrible person. He treats peoples pets horribly and then woes the older ladies in hopes of them giving him huge quantities of money. When he is found murdered, Agatha and her new neighbor, James, work together to get to the truth.
I had watched the Agatha Raisin movie on Hoopla and thought it was funny. I then read 0.5 (which I know is a later book written to be earlier than book 1) and laughed at the woman and her method of finding out the truth. So I borrowed this since it would allow me to read two books at once. I laughed at some of the parts and I wondered that a person interested in a house for sale could just walk in and check out the place and there would not be a realtor with them. I remembered from our time of trying to sell our 1st house, people would come in with a realtor and they would let their children play with our children's toys and put them in our children's beds and playpens and then went through our file cabinets and paperwork. I enjoyed the change in Agatha as she learned about herself and made friends, real friends. There were moments that I just laughed out loud about her antics and fell in love with her.
Book 1 - Quiche of Death - She has just sold her business and moved to the Cotswolds and learns to cook (after she is accused of poisoning the judge in the quiche contest), she gets rid of things decorating her home that are not to her taste and likes and she learns how to make friends.
Book 2 - The Vicious Vet - This one has a vet that is a horrible person. He treats peoples pets horribly and then woes the older ladies in hopes of them giving him huge quantities of money. When he is found murdered, Agatha and her new neighbor, James, work together to get to the truth.
March 10, 2019
I'd never read the series before and decided to watch a few episodes on TV. It was more fun than I expected so I wanted to read the real thing so I could compare. The screen let me see the village and enjoy another version of the characters. I do like that visual version of Bill Wong, Roy, and Doris as well as a totally different Agatha, but the books are better, just as I expected! While I have trouble visualizing unfamiliar scenery, books are so much better for characters. The books are a lot funnier as well!
The first book gives the backstory for Agatha and sets her up as an amateur sleuth with her solving the poisoning of a nasty philanderer and making friends with DI Bill Wong. The second book is the murder of a philandering veterinarian and the acquaintance of the new neighbor. Both are good cosies and a lot of fun!
I read the audio, one narrated by Penelope Keith and the next by Diana Bishop, each was marvelously performed!
The first book gives the backstory for Agatha and sets her up as an amateur sleuth with her solving the poisoning of a nasty philanderer and making friends with DI Bill Wong. The second book is the murder of a philandering veterinarian and the acquaintance of the new neighbor. Both are good cosies and a lot of fun!
I read the audio, one narrated by Penelope Keith and the next by Diana Bishop, each was marvelously performed!
May 3, 2019
Other reviewers have complained on the Amazon website -- three years ago -- about the abysmal editing in this book. Calling Agatha "Angela." The Kindle edition publisher, St. Martin's Minotaur (sold by MacMillian), has not corrected the three-year old complaints. Pay me, I'll edit the book. In addition to the Agatha/Angela misname, I've found other bad errors -- misnaming Mrs. Cummings-Browne as "Mrs. Cartwright," misnaming Roy as "Steve"...and I'm only a quarter of the way through this amusing book. Was the editor AWAKE when he edited the book? I've read all of M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth books and loved them. Am just starting the Agatha Raisin books. PAID $10 for The Quiche of Death and The Vicious Vet in Introducing Agatha Raisin. There are other stupid typos too. I WANT MY MONEY BACK! If St. Martin's Minotaur/Macmillian is not going to edit the Beaton books, don't sell them.
August 25, 2019
I'm so excited to find a new cozy murder mystery series! This one is set in a small village in the Cottswolds in the English countryside. It's a slower-paced mystery, like a typical cozy, where the main character insists on investigating a murder because she's a bit bored in the country and it gives her something to do. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was good, pleasant to listen to. I enjoyed the various English accents. This book contained the first two books in the series. The first book introduced Agatha Raisin and followed how she adjusted to village life after living a fast-paced life in London. The second book followed Agatha as she pursued her next door neighbor, an eligible bachelor about her age, and they investigated the murder together. Definitely makes me want to visit the Cottswolds. I suppose that would make me one of the American tourists cramming the villages that the author mentions in the first book.
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