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Agatha Raisin #33
Devil's Delight
Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin―the star of her own hit TV series―is back on the case again in Devil's Delight.
Toni and Agatha are in the car on the way to Officer Bill Wong's long-awaited wedding when, much to their shock, a naked young man bursts through a hedge on the side of the road and comes running toward them.
Terrified, he explains that he has just seen a dead body in the woods. Toni lends him an old t-shirt to cover himself, Agatha calls the police, and the young man takes them to the spot where he saw the body, across from a meadow where the Mircester Naturist Club is due to have its annual summer barbecue.
The young man, Edward, explains that he is the club's social convener and had arrived early to set things up. He says he found the body at the edge of the woods, near an ancient stone known as The Lone Warrior and said to have once been used as a sacrificial altar.
When they reach the spot, however, there is nothing on the large, flat rock except a small wet patch. Even that has dried up by the time the police arrive, and Chief Inspector Wilkes accuses Agatha of wasting police time on a prank.
But Agatha and Toni grow suspicious after meeting some of the club's members, whose diverse interests range from artisanal ice cream to ancient curses. And when another disappearance occurs, it's up to them to put together the pieces ... or end up on the altar themselves.
Toni and Agatha are in the car on the way to Officer Bill Wong's long-awaited wedding when, much to their shock, a naked young man bursts through a hedge on the side of the road and comes running toward them.
Terrified, he explains that he has just seen a dead body in the woods. Toni lends him an old t-shirt to cover himself, Agatha calls the police, and the young man takes them to the spot where he saw the body, across from a meadow where the Mircester Naturist Club is due to have its annual summer barbecue.
The young man, Edward, explains that he is the club's social convener and had arrived early to set things up. He says he found the body at the edge of the woods, near an ancient stone known as The Lone Warrior and said to have once been used as a sacrificial altar.
When they reach the spot, however, there is nothing on the large, flat rock except a small wet patch. Even that has dried up by the time the police arrive, and Chief Inspector Wilkes accuses Agatha of wasting police time on a prank.
But Agatha and Toni grow suspicious after meeting some of the club's members, whose diverse interests range from artisanal ice cream to ancient curses. And when another disappearance occurs, it's up to them to put together the pieces ... or end up on the altar themselves.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published October 27, 2022
339 people are currently reading
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About the author
M.C. Beaton
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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 573 reviews
July 20, 2024
3.5 stars
In this 33rd book in the 'Agatha Raisin' series, the private detective investigates cases involving murder, theft, and drug dealing. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Private detective Agatha Raisin - a fiftyish Englishwoman with small bear-like eyes and shiny brown hair - lives in Carsley, a pretty village in the Cotswolds.
To prepare for the wedding of her friends, Detective Sergeant Bill Wong and Detective Constable Alice Peters, Agatha slims down to bikini size.....and even looks good nude. This is fortuitous because Agatha gets involved with a homicide in a nudist colony.
It happens like this: Agatha and her assistant Toni Gilmour are driving to the Wong-Peters nuptials.....
.....when they're stopped by an agitated nude man running down the road.
The naked fellow, named Edward Carstairs, explains he belongs to a Naturist Society (nudist colony) and says he's found a dead body on an ancient stone called the Lone Warrior. Agatha and Toni accompany Edward to the Lone Warrior, but the corpse is gone.
Agatha's nemesis, Detective Chief Inspector Wilkes, dismisses the incident as a pratical joke and refuses to make inquiries.
Agatha vehemently disagrees, but goes on to Bill and Alice's wedding.
A few days later Agatha is proven right when a murdered man is discovered in a nearby lake. Agatha believes the prime suspects belong to the Naturist Society, and both Toni and Agatha go nude to investigate. 🙂
Meanwhile, Agatha's detective agency takes on two more cases: The owner of Watermill Brewery believes someone is stealing property from his company and Agatha's employee Simon goes undercover to check it out.
And the headmistress of Martinbrook Sixth Form College discovers drug dealing at the school, and a youthful private detective poses as a student to track down the culprit.
Meanwhile Agatha - who's always looking for a man - has a busy romantic life. The detective is toying with idea of reconciling with her ex-husband (and next-door neighbor) James Lacey; Agatha is trying to be 'just friends' with her former lover, Sir Charles Fraith, but Charles has other ideas; Agatha is drawn to Jasper Crane, the chairman of the Naturist Society; Agatha has dinner with handsome Giovanni, who's producing an opera for the church; and Agatha goes out with Inspector John Glass, who's helping her investigate the homicide.
As usual for this series, the story is infused with elements of humor and danger. The book also has interesting tidbits about British legends - involving witches, knights, and the Devil - that are associated with ancient stones.....
.....and describes the libretto for the opera 'Cavalleria Rusticana,' a tragedy about infidelity and love gone wrong.
I enjoyed the book, written by R.W. Green, who continued the series after the death of his friend M.C. Beaton. In my opnion Green does a good job capturing Beaton's voice as well as the essence of the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley, M.C. Beaton and R.W. Green, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the manuscript.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com.
November 30, 2022
No offense to R.W Green but I think I’m done with this series. The plots are too outlandish now and too many new characters are showing up. Nothing is working anymore, including Agatha herself. It’s a shame as this used to be a firm favorite of mine.
August 6, 2022
Devil's Delight was a fun read. I have read several books in this series. Agatha Raison is the main character along with the characters from the other books. The new characters add to the story. Agatha is quite a character who is very much into her looks and her desire to find a man.
Agatha and her business associate Toni Gilmore are driving to their friend, Peter Wong and Alice Peter's wedding. They see a naked man running down the road. They stop and he tells them he saw a man dead. The man's name is Edward Carstairs. They ask him to take them to where he found the body. He takes them to a naturist club but when they get there they find that the body is missing.. The police are called. Detective Chief Inspector Wilkes arrives along with Deputy Gittens. They are told by Edward about what he saw and that the body is now missing.. Wilkes and Agatha are not fond of each other. When there Agatha and Toni meet the chairman of the club Jasper Crane. along with sister's Ursula Danieli and Ulrika Raynor. Agatha and Toni feel that there are strange things going on at the camp.. They go to the wedding arriving just in time.
At the wedding Agatha sits with her next door neighbor James who she once was married to.. Their relationship is an on and off one. James tells her that he is going on a cruise for two weeks and would she like to come with him. She tells him about the murder and her interest in it and declines. James leaves the wedding early as he has to get up early for the cruise. At the wedding she meets John Glass a policeman who was Bill's partner and single. They have a good time. Agatha has an attraction to single men. She tells him about the naturist camp and the missing body..
When back home Agatha goes to her office which specializes in investigations. She is a PI. She tells her staff Simon Black and Patrick Mulligan and her secretary Helen Freedman. about the missing body and her interest in it.. They also have two other investigations that the company is following. She assigns Simon Helen Fredon to go undercover at Watermill Brewery owned by a Mr. Brown. He is concerned as things are missing from his company and wants them to find out what is happening. The next investigation is at Martinbrook High, a college to find out who is selling drugs there. Toni comes in late and tells her about having Edward as a client. Although Agatha is not sure she agrees that Toni can pretend that she is Edward's girlfriend. Agatha remembers that her good friend and ex lover Sir Charles Fraith owns the land that the nudist camp is on.
The story has so much happening that it is hard for me to put it all in writing.. With Agatha trying to figure out what is going on the story takes off and the reader is taken on an adventure of who the dead man is, the different situations that Agatha and her employees get themselves into. The story comes to an exciting and unexpected ending that I don't want to spoil for the reader.
The two other cases in the story are also fun to follow. Again I will leave this to the reader to enjoy.
Thank you NetGalley and NMinotaur Books for this ARC.
Agatha and her business associate Toni Gilmore are driving to their friend, Peter Wong and Alice Peter's wedding. They see a naked man running down the road. They stop and he tells them he saw a man dead. The man's name is Edward Carstairs. They ask him to take them to where he found the body. He takes them to a naturist club but when they get there they find that the body is missing.. The police are called. Detective Chief Inspector Wilkes arrives along with Deputy Gittens. They are told by Edward about what he saw and that the body is now missing.. Wilkes and Agatha are not fond of each other. When there Agatha and Toni meet the chairman of the club Jasper Crane. along with sister's Ursula Danieli and Ulrika Raynor. Agatha and Toni feel that there are strange things going on at the camp.. They go to the wedding arriving just in time.
At the wedding Agatha sits with her next door neighbor James who she once was married to.. Their relationship is an on and off one. James tells her that he is going on a cruise for two weeks and would she like to come with him. She tells him about the murder and her interest in it and declines. James leaves the wedding early as he has to get up early for the cruise. At the wedding she meets John Glass a policeman who was Bill's partner and single. They have a good time. Agatha has an attraction to single men. She tells him about the naturist camp and the missing body..
When back home Agatha goes to her office which specializes in investigations. She is a PI. She tells her staff Simon Black and Patrick Mulligan and her secretary Helen Freedman. about the missing body and her interest in it.. They also have two other investigations that the company is following. She assigns Simon Helen Fredon to go undercover at Watermill Brewery owned by a Mr. Brown. He is concerned as things are missing from his company and wants them to find out what is happening. The next investigation is at Martinbrook High, a college to find out who is selling drugs there. Toni comes in late and tells her about having Edward as a client. Although Agatha is not sure she agrees that Toni can pretend that she is Edward's girlfriend. Agatha remembers that her good friend and ex lover Sir Charles Fraith owns the land that the nudist camp is on.
The story has so much happening that it is hard for me to put it all in writing.. With Agatha trying to figure out what is going on the story takes off and the reader is taken on an adventure of who the dead man is, the different situations that Agatha and her employees get themselves into. The story comes to an exciting and unexpected ending that I don't want to spoil for the reader.
The two other cases in the story are also fun to follow. Again I will leave this to the reader to enjoy.
Thank you NetGalley and NMinotaur Books for this ARC.
December 28, 2022
This is my eulogy to Agatha Raisin, because she has, sadly, passed with the original author. Why the publishers are insisting on continuing with this farce is beyond me. RW Green is an accomplished writer - surely he deserves his own series with his own characters. Does he know Agatha? No!
April 15, 2023
Didn’t find this ‘cozy’ mystery especially ‘cozy’.
It begins with the body of an unidentified man found on the land being used by a nudist colony, but in no time at all the body disappears and later a body is found floating in a lake. Are the bodies one and the same?
Private investigator Agatha Raisin is on the job. Added to that is the case of drugs being sold at a school and a war between two ice cream makers.
Then we have Agatha juggling boyfriends Jasper / Giovanni / Charles / James and John.
Sadly original author M.C. Beaton passed away and new author R.W. Green has taken up the series.
Frankly I don’t think this ever works out very well so fans of the original don’t be too disappointed.
It was a struggle to bother to read to the end.
It begins with the body of an unidentified man found on the land being used by a nudist colony, but in no time at all the body disappears and later a body is found floating in a lake. Are the bodies one and the same?
Private investigator Agatha Raisin is on the job. Added to that is the case of drugs being sold at a school and a war between two ice cream makers.
Then we have Agatha juggling boyfriends Jasper / Giovanni / Charles / James and John.
Sadly original author M.C. Beaton passed away and new author R.W. Green has taken up the series.
Frankly I don’t think this ever works out very well so fans of the original don’t be too disappointed.
It was a struggle to bother to read to the end.
August 7, 2022
I received an ARC of, Devil's Delight, by M.C. Beaton: R.W. Green. When a women is describe as having a dress big enough to be a marquee tent if needed, I stopped reading. This is 2022, stop with the fat shaming already.
November 22, 2022
This is a fun outing filled with nudity and ice cream! As usual, Agatha has her hands full with intriguing cases and attractive men wanting to seduce her...or kill her. R.W. Green has hit his stride taking over this long-running series from the late Ms Beaton. An amusing and enjoyable cozy mystery.
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions are my own.
February 1, 2023
Agatha and the Naturists
Review of the Minotaur Books hardcover edition (October 27, 2022)
I'm grateful to the prolific M.C. Beaton, pen-name of Marion Chesney (1936-2019) due to her great number of published works which helped me through the lockdown periods of the pandemic. During a time when even the libraries were closed there were a huge number of her Hamish Macbeth (now 35 novels from 1985 to 2023) and Agatha Raisin (now 33 novels from 1992 to 2022) cozy mysteries which were available for free via Audible Plus. I binged all of them and in that time of turmoil they provided the comfort of regular visits to the stable and virtually unchanging environments of the Scottish Highlands or the English Cotswalds.
Since Beaton's passing, her Estate has allowed continuation writer R.W. Green to carry on writing both of these regular series. Green had collaborated with Beaton on several books before her passing but is now the sole writer as of the 2022 issues. In those collaboration years, there was a tendency for Raisin and Macbeth to act somewhat uncharacteristically and even turn rather nasty at times. Whether these were from a 'raging against the dying of the light' or just attempts to make radical changes to the formula, they struck wrong notes for me and resulted a few 1 and 2 star reviews.
Based on the so far few continuation samples, Green has pulled back from the nastiness and returned to the cozy world of the originals. Agatha Raisin is still cranky at times, but is obviously caring about her friends and coworkers, and displays sensitivity and insecurity in her private moments. The continuation books still prominently display Beaton's name on the cover which is obviously a marketing tool to ensure they are filed together with the originals in bookstores and libraries.
Devil's Delight returns almost the entire cast of the Raisin series except for Roy Silver (who was usually one of the main sources of comedic fun). Ex-husband James is off script for the most part as he embarks on cruise ship for a commission to write a travel book. The often penurious Sir Charles Fraith is having a flush period and even drops 20 pounds into the honesty collection box when he and Agatha visit the Rollright Stones location (a subplot using the real-life historical neolithic site).
A photograph of The King's Men of the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire, UK. Image sourced from Wikipedia.
The main case involves a disappearing body at the site of a naturist camp (UK speak for nudists) which of course provides for teasing humour throughout. The case requires both Agatha and her faithful assistant Toni to go 'undercover' so to speak, in order to solve the mystery. There are 2 other subplots to keep the rest of the staff at Raisin Investigations busy. Agatha has time to make two new romantic conquests, of whom one will likely make future appearances. Really the only downside here was that the villains were made to be quite obvious even from their first appearances, so there was no really mystery to the solution. Some old fans may quibble about changes in the series, but it is at least on a renewed steady course and provides a regular cozy read.
The next R.W. Green continuation book will be #35 in the Hamish Macbeth series Death of a Traitor, with an expected February 14, 2023 date of publication.
Trivia and No Link
Devil's Delight has not yet been adapted for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). If they continue adapting the books roughly chronologically then it would be several years away from being adapted, assuming the TV series carries on that long. The naturist theme would likely require a major change in the plot for a TV adaptation.
Review of the Minotaur Books hardcover edition (October 27, 2022)
I'm grateful to the prolific M.C. Beaton, pen-name of Marion Chesney (1936-2019) due to her great number of published works which helped me through the lockdown periods of the pandemic. During a time when even the libraries were closed there were a huge number of her Hamish Macbeth (now 35 novels from 1985 to 2023) and Agatha Raisin (now 33 novels from 1992 to 2022) cozy mysteries which were available for free via Audible Plus. I binged all of them and in that time of turmoil they provided the comfort of regular visits to the stable and virtually unchanging environments of the Scottish Highlands or the English Cotswalds.
Since Beaton's passing, her Estate has allowed continuation writer R.W. Green to carry on writing both of these regular series. Green had collaborated with Beaton on several books before her passing but is now the sole writer as of the 2022 issues. In those collaboration years, there was a tendency for Raisin and Macbeth to act somewhat uncharacteristically and even turn rather nasty at times. Whether these were from a 'raging against the dying of the light' or just attempts to make radical changes to the formula, they struck wrong notes for me and resulted a few 1 and 2 star reviews.
Based on the so far few continuation samples, Green has pulled back from the nastiness and returned to the cozy world of the originals. Agatha Raisin is still cranky at times, but is obviously caring about her friends and coworkers, and displays sensitivity and insecurity in her private moments. The continuation books still prominently display Beaton's name on the cover which is obviously a marketing tool to ensure they are filed together with the originals in bookstores and libraries.
Devil's Delight returns almost the entire cast of the Raisin series except for Roy Silver (who was usually one of the main sources of comedic fun). Ex-husband James is off script for the most part as he embarks on cruise ship for a commission to write a travel book. The often penurious Sir Charles Fraith is having a flush period and even drops 20 pounds into the honesty collection box when he and Agatha visit the Rollright Stones location (a subplot using the real-life historical neolithic site).
A photograph of The King's Men of the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire, UK. Image sourced from Wikipedia.
The main case involves a disappearing body at the site of a naturist camp (UK speak for nudists) which of course provides for teasing humour throughout. The case requires both Agatha and her faithful assistant Toni to go 'undercover' so to speak, in order to solve the mystery. There are 2 other subplots to keep the rest of the staff at Raisin Investigations busy. Agatha has time to make two new romantic conquests, of whom one will likely make future appearances. Really the only downside here was that the villains were made to be quite obvious even from their first appearances, so there was no really mystery to the solution. Some old fans may quibble about changes in the series, but it is at least on a renewed steady course and provides a regular cozy read.
The next R.W. Green continuation book will be #35 in the Hamish Macbeth series Death of a Traitor, with an expected February 14, 2023 date of publication.
Trivia and No Link
Devil's Delight has not yet been adapted for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). If they continue adapting the books roughly chronologically then it would be several years away from being adapted, assuming the TV series carries on that long. The naturist theme would likely require a major change in the plot for a TV adaptation.
December 2, 2022
I had a lot of fun reading the adventures Agatha Raisin had in this book. It is hard to believe that this is number 33 in the series and I had never heard of this particular series until stumbling across this one. I wil be looking to read some of the other books in this series when I get a chance.
Agatha and Toni are on the way to a wedding when they are stopped by a naked man who says he's just found a dead body. Why is the man naked? Weird, but he's part of a nudist colony. The people in this group have normal lives, but they get together as nudist on this particular area of land and they have some strange rituals. When the police arrive, the body has mysteriously disappeared. Agatha is a PI and she wants to get to the root of this disappearing body. Also, she's curious about the nudist colony and wants to find out more about it.
Agatha is quite a character and I definitely want to read more about her. Her personality is distinctively different from post of the private investigators I've read about. So much fun!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on December 13, 2022.
Agatha and Toni are on the way to a wedding when they are stopped by a naked man who says he's just found a dead body. Why is the man naked? Weird, but he's part of a nudist colony. The people in this group have normal lives, but they get together as nudist on this particular area of land and they have some strange rituals. When the police arrive, the body has mysteriously disappeared. Agatha is a PI and she wants to get to the root of this disappearing body. Also, she's curious about the nudist colony and wants to find out more about it.
Agatha is quite a character and I definitely want to read more about her. Her personality is distinctively different from post of the private investigators I've read about. So much fun!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on December 13, 2022.
November 5, 2023
Cobblestones? Rain? Murder? SAY LESS!
Stunning, cute little read! It's giving murder mystery *lite*. The novel had a great pace! I was living for the setting, like who doesn't want to read a spooky little fall novel that takes place in the Cotswolds with little thatched roof cottages all over! 👏🏻
This is the first Agatha Raisin book I've read, so I'm not quite sure what I'll think of the original author's work... Having said that I had no issues with any "new characters" being added because I've not the slightest idea who was "new" or not 😅
Adored the fleeting love, and on again-off again vibes! Agatha is quite the character, her no nonsense attitude was invigorating and refreshing! Looking forward to trying more from this series, and making sure to look out for something by the OG Agatha raisin author!
Stunning, cute little read! It's giving murder mystery *lite*. The novel had a great pace! I was living for the setting, like who doesn't want to read a spooky little fall novel that takes place in the Cotswolds with little thatched roof cottages all over! 👏🏻
This is the first Agatha Raisin book I've read, so I'm not quite sure what I'll think of the original author's work... Having said that I had no issues with any "new characters" being added because I've not the slightest idea who was "new" or not 😅
Adored the fleeting love, and on again-off again vibes! Agatha is quite the character, her no nonsense attitude was invigorating and refreshing! Looking forward to trying more from this series, and making sure to look out for something by the OG Agatha raisin author!
July 13, 2022
Agatha and Toni are on their way to a wedding when a naked man runs out into the road to tell them he's just found a body. He's apparently a member of a local nudist group. The body is gone by the time the police arrive, but Agatha decides to investigate, and she and Toni join the nudists to check out some suspects. I don't think that the new series author has captured Beaton's Agatha (one example: Agatha has been described as an older woman who has put on weight, so I don't buy her wearing a bikini). It is fun to revisit characters like James, Mrs. Bloxby, and Sir Charles, and to meet the new men in Agatha's life. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.
December 17, 2023
I find R.W Green has captured the Raisin character well and very funny. This outing with a nudist colony is hilarious and the mystery while easily solved entertaining.
The new characters of John the policeman and a few others a good addition to future stories.
The new characters of John the policeman and a few others a good addition to future stories.
January 8, 2023
Some hilarious moments but did not enjoy the storyline as much. I miss MC Beaton writing these books.
May 28, 2024
__________________________
The Nude and the Clued
I read my first Agatha Raisin cozy 35 years ago when my daughter was in high school, I thought of Agatha as being an old retired woman. Now, I am older than Agatha, and my daughter is almost Agatha’s age. Life is not fair.
I don’t read Agatha Raisin novels very often, but they make a nice, lo-cal snack, and my wife doesn’t mind because they are not very salty. This one, however, is filled with naked people, dozens of them––including Agatha’s assistant Toni, and yes the woman I once thought of as being old and retired goes undercover uncovered.
★★★ Easy read with occasional wit.
The Nude and the Clued
I read my first Agatha Raisin cozy 35 years ago when my daughter was in high school, I thought of Agatha as being an old retired woman. Now, I am older than Agatha, and my daughter is almost Agatha’s age. Life is not fair.
I don’t read Agatha Raisin novels very often, but they make a nice, lo-cal snack, and my wife doesn’t mind because they are not very salty. This one, however, is filled with naked people, dozens of them––including Agatha’s assistant Toni, and yes the woman I once thought of as being old and retired goes undercover uncovered.
★★★ Easy read with occasional wit.
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November 16, 2022What is there to say? - what a disappointment. I struggled my way through what was one of my favourite authors, despairing how many times the old cases of Agatha Raisin were brought up. The writing style of Marion has gone altogether and the fast paced action was replaced by pedantic descriptions.
The plot was slow, not reaching anything much until halfway through the book, and it lacked the characters that we have grown to love, such as Roy coming down from London to help Agatha, adding his mix of youth to Agatha's exasperation, and several of the other usual characters too..
R W Green might be a good writer, but he lacks the ability to follow M C Beaton's easy style of writing that is fast and furious and leaves the reader to make images from the lack of unnecessary descriptions. The storyline was far fetched, and the murder was solved long before the end by the discussions of Agatha and her friends instead of the wonderful way Marion would lead us all on with our own theories until Agatha once again got caught and then the solution would tumble out.
I know thousands will have bought this book because of the familiarity that Marion created with her characters, but R W Green has taken them on a different course, and this one I do not like, not at all. He demonstrates his knowledge of her older books by constantly mentioning them, but it's really not necessary and he should get on with the story in the same style as Marion if he wants to keep the once loyal band of eager readers that Marion had.
The plot was slow, not reaching anything much until halfway through the book, and it lacked the characters that we have grown to love, such as Roy coming down from London to help Agatha, adding his mix of youth to Agatha's exasperation, and several of the other usual characters too..
R W Green might be a good writer, but he lacks the ability to follow M C Beaton's easy style of writing that is fast and furious and leaves the reader to make images from the lack of unnecessary descriptions. The storyline was far fetched, and the murder was solved long before the end by the discussions of Agatha and her friends instead of the wonderful way Marion would lead us all on with our own theories until Agatha once again got caught and then the solution would tumble out.
I know thousands will have bought this book because of the familiarity that Marion created with her characters, but R W Green has taken them on a different course, and this one I do not like, not at all. He demonstrates his knowledge of her older books by constantly mentioning them, but it's really not necessary and he should get on with the story in the same style as Marion if he wants to keep the once loyal band of eager readers that Marion had.
December 18, 2022
I’ve been a huge fan of this series but now that M.C. Beaton is not writing them anymore they’ve kind of lost their way some what. They’re kind of getting a little too out there, even for Agatha Raisin! And that’s saying something!
Agatha band Toni are in their way to their friend Bill’s wedding when a naked man comes stumbling out in front of their car. When they stop to help him, he explains that he’s found a dead man in the woods. While the police are called, the man leads Agatha to an ancient stone altar called the Lone Warrior, and when they get there the body is gone and all that is left is a small wet patch- the only proof that the body was even there. Chief Wilkes is infuriated that Agatha is once again in the middle of his investigation, which happens to be taking place at the local naturist club, which they have to join undercover in order to try and solve the murder.
There’s a lot going on in the story and lots of characters to keep up with but it was missing it’s classic Agatha wit and humor for me.
Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
Agatha band Toni are in their way to their friend Bill’s wedding when a naked man comes stumbling out in front of their car. When they stop to help him, he explains that he’s found a dead man in the woods. While the police are called, the man leads Agatha to an ancient stone altar called the Lone Warrior, and when they get there the body is gone and all that is left is a small wet patch- the only proof that the body was even there. Chief Wilkes is infuriated that Agatha is once again in the middle of his investigation, which happens to be taking place at the local naturist club, which they have to join undercover in order to try and solve the murder.
There’s a lot going on in the story and lots of characters to keep up with but it was missing it’s classic Agatha wit and humor for me.
Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
January 1, 2023
What a fun read this was. I have read every Agatha Raisin mystery and have enjoyed them all. R. W. Green took over after the passing of the wonderful M.C. Beaton and seems to have made the transition for those of us who look forward to this series. Agatha is still feisty and still looking for love (and maybe making a mistake or two along the way). This starts out with Toni and Agatha driving to Bill Wong's wedding when a naked man runs out onto the road and flags them down. It all is tied to a possible murder, a nudist colony, and an ice cream rivalry. A lot of fun, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next one!
May 1, 2023
I enjoyed this new Agatha Raisin. Granted, her character has changed a bit with the new author, but I can chalk it up to her mellowing and being more comfortable in her own skin. And I don't think that just because this story involves a group of Naturists. I really liked the approach the book took with that.
Agatha and her team have a few cases to solve, including a disappearing dead body, theft at a brewery, and drug dealing at a girls school. Agatha's crazy love life is always front and center, but she handles things better. Although note: I am and have always been team "anyone but James".
Agatha and her team have a few cases to solve, including a disappearing dead body, theft at a brewery, and drug dealing at a girls school. Agatha's crazy love life is always front and center, but she handles things better. Although note: I am and have always been team "anyone but James".
December 30, 2022
So, this was just your typical cozy mystery with ice cream, nudists, and drugged human sacrifice. Lol. The mystery wasn't much of one in terms of who did it, and there is one thread left hanging which irritated me a bit.
The thing that interested me most about the book is how much the main character of Agatha Raisin has changed since the new author took over writing these stories from the late, great Beaton. She is a warmer, more confident woman, and even reads as better looking. Her attitude towards men is less desperate, and there's something to be said for that. I would imagine the new author would say that was the character's growth.
And while that's certainly reasonable, after 33 books, I found myself missing the grumpy, hard-charging Agatha Raisin of old.
The thing that interested me most about the book is how much the main character of Agatha Raisin has changed since the new author took over writing these stories from the late, great Beaton. She is a warmer, more confident woman, and even reads as better looking. Her attitude towards men is less desperate, and there's something to be said for that. I would imagine the new author would say that was the character's growth.
And while that's certainly reasonable, after 33 books, I found myself missing the grumpy, hard-charging Agatha Raisin of old.
Want to read
June 26, 2024From my NetGalley review:
The indomitable Agatha Raisin carries on sleuthing in this delightful addition to the series. I was worried that with the passing of MC Beaton, we’d never have any more Agatha. But the baton has been passed safely. May there be many more to come.
G.M. Malliet
Agatha Award-winning author
The indomitable Agatha Raisin carries on sleuthing in this delightful addition to the series. I was worried that with the passing of MC Beaton, we’d never have any more Agatha. But the baton has been passed safely. May there be many more to come.
G.M. Malliet
Agatha Award-winning author
January 2, 2023
Honestly the books haven’t been the same since MC Beaton died.
October 5, 2022
Devil’s Delight is the 33rd installment in the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton, R.W. Green. Agatha and Toni are private investigator’s on their way to a friend’s wedding, when in front of their car a naked man stumbles out and comes running towards them. They stop to help the terrified man, and he explains there was a dead body in the woods. After the police are called, the man takes Agatha and Toni to where the body was, it was on an ancient stone called The Lone Warrior, which was used in the past as a sacrificial alter. When they arrive, the body is gone, left behind is a small wet patch, the only proof a body was ever there. However, even the wet spot is gone by the time the police arrive, further infuriating Chief Inspector Wilkes, who is not a fan of the private investigators already, and accuses them of a prank. Toni and Agatha know there is more to this story, and believe there was a body there, so they decide to investigate it on their own. The story becomes more intriguing since the location of the body is within the confines of a naturist club, aka nudist club. In order to properly investigate the many questionable characters, they must join the naturist club to truly be accepted and trusted. As more people disappear, and secrets are revealed of questionable business decisions, not to mention a drug problem in a private school, the pair realize there is more going on than they could have imagined, and it all points to the same few people.
This is the first book in this series I have ever read. It’s a cozy type mystery, with a lot of nudity, and some very unlikeable characters. I’m not even sure I liked Agatha Raisins character, I’m still marinating my thoughts on her. She seemed a bit shallow, as far as her body image and men choices. There didn’t seem to be a lot of character development, and while the story unfolded with all questions answered, I found it boring at times.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Mintauer Books and the authors for an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest opinion.
This is the first book in this series I have ever read. It’s a cozy type mystery, with a lot of nudity, and some very unlikeable characters. I’m not even sure I liked Agatha Raisins character, I’m still marinating my thoughts on her. She seemed a bit shallow, as far as her body image and men choices. There didn’t seem to be a lot of character development, and while the story unfolded with all questions answered, I found it boring at times.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Mintauer Books and the authors for an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest opinion.
September 27, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. Since M.C. Beaton passed away I wasn't sure if the books would continue in the way we know and love, but I was not disappointed and I always love a good Agatha novel. Well done Mr. Green.
January 11, 2023
Devil's Delight Earns 5+/5 Scoops of Ice Cream…Brilliantly Clever; Top Notch!
Raisin Investigations is busy with a few undercover activities: one at a brewery complaining about a rash of thefts, another at a sixth form college that may have a drug problem, and the last, a bit embarrassing is at a naturist society. Edward Carstairs found a dead body positioned on an ancient stone, but when Agatha and her associate go to investigate, it’s gone. No body and no evidence one had ever been there. Oh, how Agatha loves a mystery! It gets more complicated when later a body is discovered with a connection to the Mircester Naturist Society, followed by a stalker, several threats, a car accident, and … ice cream! Could there be a “cover-up” among these “nudies”? Is frozen dessert really a cutthroat business? St. Jude may be the patron Saint of difficult cases, but Agatha is the one that solves them.
Be not leery, although this is the thirty-third Agatha Raisin mystery, it is the third book for R.W. Green who continues to stay true to M.C. Beaton’s original vision of her fashionista title character. The caseloads offers a creative murder mystery, clever details, quirky characters, and a potential for perilous predicament. Agatha’s theories about the murder slowly point to the perp, but the excitement is in “how” the perpetrators are exposed and arrested. Google-worthy elements are added about the Rollright stones, Whispering Knights, the King Stone, and the Lone Warrior, the Italian opera Cavalleria Rusticana, and even unique ice cream flavors…chili peppers? Green’s writing style is definitely entertaining with the descriptive narrative, clever quips, snarky responses, and continued conflicts with DI Wilkes you expect to see. Agatha persists with her pondering relationships of all kinds from close friends to employees, but mostly her thoughts focus on romance, love, and marriage with three varying candidates all with their own pros and cons; no resolution, but with its status quo comes a possible answer. Despite fans of the television show seeing many differences in the book from age to ethnicity to personality and some characters only found in one or the other, it is unique, must read!
Audio “Delight” I picked up the audio version of Devil’s Delight thrilled to discover that my favorite actress, Dame Penelope Keith, once again is the narrator enriching my listening pleasure. Her natural voice has always been pleasant, but she is also extremely talented at performing various accents or regional dialects, adding a lisp, and supporting personalities related to gender, age, and education. If you’re aware of any of her acting roles, my favorites being “The Good Life” and “To the Manor Born,” you might agree with me that she was Agatha Raisin before Agatha Raisin was Agatha Raisin.
Raisin Investigations is busy with a few undercover activities: one at a brewery complaining about a rash of thefts, another at a sixth form college that may have a drug problem, and the last, a bit embarrassing is at a naturist society. Edward Carstairs found a dead body positioned on an ancient stone, but when Agatha and her associate go to investigate, it’s gone. No body and no evidence one had ever been there. Oh, how Agatha loves a mystery! It gets more complicated when later a body is discovered with a connection to the Mircester Naturist Society, followed by a stalker, several threats, a car accident, and … ice cream! Could there be a “cover-up” among these “nudies”? Is frozen dessert really a cutthroat business? St. Jude may be the patron Saint of difficult cases, but Agatha is the one that solves them.
Be not leery, although this is the thirty-third Agatha Raisin mystery, it is the third book for R.W. Green who continues to stay true to M.C. Beaton’s original vision of her fashionista title character. The caseloads offers a creative murder mystery, clever details, quirky characters, and a potential for perilous predicament. Agatha’s theories about the murder slowly point to the perp, but the excitement is in “how” the perpetrators are exposed and arrested. Google-worthy elements are added about the Rollright stones, Whispering Knights, the King Stone, and the Lone Warrior, the Italian opera Cavalleria Rusticana, and even unique ice cream flavors…chili peppers? Green’s writing style is definitely entertaining with the descriptive narrative, clever quips, snarky responses, and continued conflicts with DI Wilkes you expect to see. Agatha persists with her pondering relationships of all kinds from close friends to employees, but mostly her thoughts focus on romance, love, and marriage with three varying candidates all with their own pros and cons; no resolution, but with its status quo comes a possible answer. Despite fans of the television show seeing many differences in the book from age to ethnicity to personality and some characters only found in one or the other, it is unique, must read!
Audio “Delight” I picked up the audio version of Devil’s Delight thrilled to discover that my favorite actress, Dame Penelope Keith, once again is the narrator enriching my listening pleasure. Her natural voice has always been pleasant, but she is also extremely talented at performing various accents or regional dialects, adding a lisp, and supporting personalities related to gender, age, and education. If you’re aware of any of her acting roles, my favorites being “The Good Life” and “To the Manor Born,” you might agree with me that she was Agatha Raisin before Agatha Raisin was Agatha Raisin.
December 18, 2022
Devil's Delight Earns 5+/5 Scoops of Ice Cream…Brilliantly Clever; Top Notch!
Raisin Investigations is busy with a few undercover activities: one at a brewery complaining about a rash of thefts, another at a sixth form college that may have a drug problem, and the last, a bit embarrassing is at a naturist society. Edward Carstairs found a dead body positioned on an ancient stone, but when Agatha and her associate go to investigate, it’s gone. No body and no evidence one had ever been there. Oh, how Agatha loves a mystery! It gets more complicated when later a body is discovered with a connection to the Mircester Naturist Society, followed by a stalker, several threats, a car accident, and … ice cream! Could there be a “cover-up” among these “nudies”? Is frozen dessert really a cutthroat business? St. Jude may be the patron Saint of difficult cases, but Agatha is the one that solves them.
Be not leery, although this is the thirty-third Agatha Raisin mystery, it is the third book for R.W. Green who continues to stay true to M.C. Beaton’s original vision of her fashionista title character. The caseloads offers a creative murder mystery, clever details, quirky characters, and a potential for perilous predicament. Agatha’s theories about the murder slowly point to the perp, but the excitement is in “how” the perpetrators are exposed and arrested. Google-worthy elements are added about the Rollright stones, Whispering Knights, the King Stone, and the Lone Warrior, the Italian opera Cavalleria Rusticana, and even unique ice cream flavors…chili peppers? Green’s writing style is definitely entertaining with the descriptive narrative, clever quips, snarky responses, and continued conflicts with DI Wilkes you expect to see. Agatha persists with her pondering relationships of all kinds from close friends to employees, but mostly her thoughts focus on romance, love, and marriage with three varying candidates all with their own pros and cons; no resolution, but with its status quo comes a possible answer. Despite fans of the television show seeing many differences in the book from age to ethnicity to personality and some characters only found in one or the other, it is unique, must read!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press thru NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
Audio “Delight” I picked up the audio version of Devil’s Delight thrilled to discover that my favorite actress, Dame Penelope Keith, once again is the narrator enriching my listening pleasure. Her natural voice has always been pleasant, but she is also extremely talented at performing various accents or regional dialects, adding a lisp, and supporting personalities related to gender, age, and education. If you’re aware of any of her acting roles, my favorites being “The Good Life” and “To the Manor Born,” you might agree with me that she was Agatha Raisin before Agatha Raisin was Agatha Raisin.
Raisin Investigations is busy with a few undercover activities: one at a brewery complaining about a rash of thefts, another at a sixth form college that may have a drug problem, and the last, a bit embarrassing is at a naturist society. Edward Carstairs found a dead body positioned on an ancient stone, but when Agatha and her associate go to investigate, it’s gone. No body and no evidence one had ever been there. Oh, how Agatha loves a mystery! It gets more complicated when later a body is discovered with a connection to the Mircester Naturist Society, followed by a stalker, several threats, a car accident, and … ice cream! Could there be a “cover-up” among these “nudies”? Is frozen dessert really a cutthroat business? St. Jude may be the patron Saint of difficult cases, but Agatha is the one that solves them.
Be not leery, although this is the thirty-third Agatha Raisin mystery, it is the third book for R.W. Green who continues to stay true to M.C. Beaton’s original vision of her fashionista title character. The caseloads offers a creative murder mystery, clever details, quirky characters, and a potential for perilous predicament. Agatha’s theories about the murder slowly point to the perp, but the excitement is in “how” the perpetrators are exposed and arrested. Google-worthy elements are added about the Rollright stones, Whispering Knights, the King Stone, and the Lone Warrior, the Italian opera Cavalleria Rusticana, and even unique ice cream flavors…chili peppers? Green’s writing style is definitely entertaining with the descriptive narrative, clever quips, snarky responses, and continued conflicts with DI Wilkes you expect to see. Agatha persists with her pondering relationships of all kinds from close friends to employees, but mostly her thoughts focus on romance, love, and marriage with three varying candidates all with their own pros and cons; no resolution, but with its status quo comes a possible answer. Despite fans of the television show seeing many differences in the book from age to ethnicity to personality and some characters only found in one or the other, it is unique, must read!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press thru NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
Audio “Delight” I picked up the audio version of Devil’s Delight thrilled to discover that my favorite actress, Dame Penelope Keith, once again is the narrator enriching my listening pleasure. Her natural voice has always been pleasant, but she is also extremely talented at performing various accents or regional dialects, adding a lisp, and supporting personalities related to gender, age, and education. If you’re aware of any of her acting roles, my favorites being “The Good Life” and “To the Manor Born,” you might agree with me that she was Agatha Raisin before Agatha Raisin was Agatha Raisin.
November 2, 2022
Agatha Raisin is back in this thirty-third instalment of the popular series by M.C. Beaton. In Devil's Delight it is the day of Alice Peters and Bill Wong's wedding and Agatha and her assistant, Toni Gilmour, are on their way there when they happen upon a man in his birthday suit running in the road. He is shaking and claims to have found a dead body so Toni and Agatha go to his aid...
Moving between humour and hazard, Devil's Delight kept me on my toes throughout as I devoured each chapter. Agatha might come across as a bumbling, hard-to-please fusspot at times, but she is a smart cookie and in this novel, she shows some vulnerability. With the resources she has at her disposal provided by others, she makes short work of what needs to be done. With some drama in the romance arena for Agatha which added another ingredient to the mix, there's more than one crime to sort and there was always something going on to keep my attention focused. The ending left me wanting to read another instalment in the Agatha Raisin series.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Little, Brown Book Group/ Constable via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Moving between humour and hazard, Devil's Delight kept me on my toes throughout as I devoured each chapter. Agatha might come across as a bumbling, hard-to-please fusspot at times, but she is a smart cookie and in this novel, she shows some vulnerability. With the resources she has at her disposal provided by others, she makes short work of what needs to be done. With some drama in the romance arena for Agatha which added another ingredient to the mix, there's more than one crime to sort and there was always something going on to keep my attention focused. The ending left me wanting to read another instalment in the Agatha Raisin series.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Little, Brown Book Group/ Constable via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
January 7, 2023
Another installment of Beaton’s Agatha Raisin cozy mystery series set in contemporary England. Although the author has passed on, her friend and fellow author R W Green does a good job of sticking to the format and characters.
January 20, 2024
A great short story.
November 19, 2022
I received an ARC from the publisher via a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
I am extremely impressed by R. W. Green’s ability to seamlessly take up M. C. Beaton’s series. He obviously has great respect and love for Beaton and her characters.
The mysteries are rambling and convoluted, Agatha’s love life is complicated, and there are an abundance of over-the-top moments that require suspension of disbelief. All of this is quintessential M. C. Beaton / Agatha Raisin 😆 Long time fans, like myself, will enjoy Agatha’s antics!
I am extremely impressed by R. W. Green’s ability to seamlessly take up M. C. Beaton’s series. He obviously has great respect and love for Beaton and her characters.
The mysteries are rambling and convoluted, Agatha’s love life is complicated, and there are an abundance of over-the-top moments that require suspension of disbelief. All of this is quintessential M. C. Beaton / Agatha Raisin 😆 Long time fans, like myself, will enjoy Agatha’s antics!
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