Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #291106 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

Something missing
I am a huge fan of the Agatha Raisin books but I have to say this is the weakest one I have read to date. Set in Norfolk following the departure again of James Lacey Agatha decides to get away from it all. Although you have the stable character of Sir Charles I found that the ladies who were introduced did not endear me as the ladies of Carsley do and although M.C.Beaton has had a lot of time to build the characters of the police of Mircester it was done quickly and in this book the introduction of so many new people so quickly with only a limited number of the regulars left the book wanting in my opinion.

Odd Doings in Norfolk Are Sorted Out by Agatha Raisin and Sir Charles Fraith
As the book opens, James Lacey has once again left Carsely without saying good-bye to Agatha. Near the end of Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden, Agatha paid to have her fortune told. Although Agatha claims this is only a lark, she decides to act on the advice that the man for her will emerge if she goes to Norfolk. In typical Agatha fashion, she sticks a pin in the map and rents a cottage sight-unseen in Fryfam.

Almost immediately, Agatha is discouraged. Fryfam is cold and flat. The cottage has no central heating. No one wants to listen to her brag about her experiences as a detective. And there are some mysterious lights in her garden . . . and a missing item. The only person she likes is Mrs. Wilden, who runs the pub . . . but the other women don't care for her because their husbands spend every possible moment in the pub admiring Mrs. Wilden's beauty.

Invited to tea a the local manor, Agatha soon finds herself snubbed by Tolly Trumpington-James . . . a business man on the make with the hunt set. In annoyance, Agatha decides to write a murder mystery that will feature the death of Tolly-like character in a fictional manor house based on the one she's just visited. Soon thereafter, Tolly's prize painting is stolen after more mysterious lights. Agatha's decision to write becomes quite a problem when Tolly turns up dead by the method that Agatha's brief manuscript describes.

Buttressed by telephone calls to Mrs. Bloxby, the ever patient vicar's wife in Carsely, and a visit from Sir Charles Fraith, Agatha decides to find out what those mysterious lights are all about and to clear her name with the police.

Sir Charles is up for a bit of fun and games with Agatha, which she attempts to fend off. What will happen between the two of them as the mystery and danger deepen?

Meanwhile, Mrs. Bloxby does her best to steer Agatha away from thinking about the missing James Lacey. Sir Charles goes so far as to tell Agatha that she should see a therapist to get over her fixation on James. Agatha's competitive instincts are aroused, however, when she finds that James is back in Carsely and keeping company with Melissa Sheppard, the latest blond to set her sights on becoming Mrs. Lacey.

This story doesn't quite work. I found that I wasn't interested in the mysteries or Fryfam. M. C. Beaton portrays a village inhabited by people you wouldn't want to know . . . and I didn't. The superficial Sir Charles Fraith is a weak reed to rely on for building a good story. He's not really charming, just a socially skilled with the morals of a tom cat. There's a lot of intended humor in the book, but I found it to be too heavy handed to be satisfying.

The mysteries are pretty predictable in their resolutions and didn't do enough to sustain my interest.

I would grade the book down to two stars, but there's one development that makes the book a more interesting read than that for those who are long-time fans of the series.

A light-hearted detective story with a good dose of humour!
This not-to-be-taken-seriously detective novel is really good fun. It's the first Agatha Raisin novel I've read (picked up on impulse), but I've now started on my next one. Although there does seem to be an order to the Agatha Raisin series, I don't think it matters too much if you read them in random order!

Mid-life crisis interfering Agatha seems to be adept at finding herself at the scene of a crime, and if you find village/small town politics amusing then you won't be able to resist Agatha's meddling charm and disastrous love life!