Cozy Mysteries discussion

If you have read many of this series or the Agatha Raisin series, I would like your opinion. Do you think Beaton's writing and her plot layout of the recent books has changed dramatically from her earlier work? I am wondering if perhaps she has someone helping her with her novels--I guess it doesn't matter except you almost need a scorecard to keep track of characters and relationships. And this last book, Death of a Ghost, ended with a killer so out of left field that I was left with my head shaking and my mouth hanging open.

I read/listened to many of the Hamish MacBeth series and truly enjoyed the earlier ones, but I realized that as the series went on, I enjoyed the stories less and less, so I stopped and don't miss them. I figure if I get a yen, I can always listen to the earliest ones. Not sure about your comment about someone helping her - I just figured she ran out of new material and just stretched things out too long.

I watched the Agatha Raisin series on PBS and absolutely loved it. I read the first book and found the Agatha Raisin character way to abrasive for my taste. I don't know if I'll continue the series.

I enjoyed the first few Agatha Raisin books, but after that, Agatha's attitude really started to annoy me. I recently read one of the latest books in the series for my F2F book group and was still unimpressed. I won't be reading more from the series anytime soon.

Yes her characters don't grow at all. And I too don't mind the Agatha on the tv series but would like to slap the one in the book. I really wish someone who had read more of the MacBeth series as that is the one I am referring to would read this new one Death of a Ghost--cause I swear it is nuts.

Well truly Agatha is a character it is hard to like. I haven't really read enough of Hamish to remember how I liked him or not. With all the good books out there - not sure I would rush to get one unless I was desperate.

Boy I can understand that. I like Hamish better than Agatha--he is not a jealous, "small" personality and he is a "brilliant" detective. But the reason I went on this crazy binge fest is the only symptom of ADHD I exhibit--I had read quite a few of Beaton's books on my way to discovering much better stories and authors. And I had watched both of the series--so I decided I needed to catch up. At the moment I am wondering if I really want to wade through 4 of the Agatha Raisin stories--but I will go through at least one as I am curious now to see if they display the same pattern as the Hamish books do.

The only thing that bothers me about Agatha is that she is always "howling". If that word is used once it is used twenty times but other than that I love Agatha. She is totally predictable and obsessive compulsive when it comes to men and truly honest with herself when she looks in the mirror and then applies yet another layer of cement, er makeup. She has a heart of gold even if she whines and complains and starts out resentful in just about every situation and can be totally dense at times but she makes me smile and gives me pleasure and isn't that what book is supposed to do?

Karen M wrote: "The only thing that bothers me about Agatha is that she is always "howling". If that word is used once it is used twenty times but other than that I love Agatha. She is totally predictable and obse..."

Oh I know Karen--poor Agatha!