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Agatha Raisin #29
Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer
The latest Agatha Raisin mystery from bestselling author M. C. Beaton
The team of bells at St. Ethelred church is the pride and glory of the idyllic Cotswolds village of Thirk Magna, together with the most dedicated bell ringers in the whole of England: the twins Mavis and Millicent Dupin.
As the village gets ready for the Bishop's visit, the twins get overly-excited at the prospect of ringing the special peal of bells created for the occasion and start bullying the other bell ringers, forcing them to rehearse and rehearse . . . so much so that Joseph Kennell, a retired lawyer, yells at the sisters that he 'felt like killing them'!
When the twins' home is broken into one night and Millicent is found dead, struck from a hammer blow, suspicion falls onto the lawyer.
Will Agatha unmask the real killer and clear Joseph's name?
The team of bells at St. Ethelred church is the pride and glory of the idyllic Cotswolds village of Thirk Magna, together with the most dedicated bell ringers in the whole of England: the twins Mavis and Millicent Dupin.
As the village gets ready for the Bishop's visit, the twins get overly-excited at the prospect of ringing the special peal of bells created for the occasion and start bullying the other bell ringers, forcing them to rehearse and rehearse . . . so much so that Joseph Kennell, a retired lawyer, yells at the sisters that he 'felt like killing them'!
When the twins' home is broken into one night and Millicent is found dead, struck from a hammer blow, suspicion falls onto the lawyer.
Will Agatha unmask the real killer and clear Joseph's name?
233 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2018
About the author
M.C. Beaton
334 books5,812 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 - 29 of 726 reviews
November 4, 2024
Ugh, y'all, this makes me SO SAD!!!
I didn't like this and I really wanted to; like, really, really wanted to!
I read a lot of Agatha Raisin books in high school and during summer break for college. This was a long time ago, certainly before I was a member of Goodreads, so I don't even recall which ones that I read.
However, I do remember the thing that kept me coming back to the series was our protagonist, Agatha Raisin. In my memory, she was snarky, impulsive, man crazy, full of fun and daring.
That was not the Agatha I found in this story.
This Agatha seemed miserable, desperate in her search for a man ((CONSTANTLY)) and down-right rude to pretty much everyone around her.
The story itself was all over the place. We were introduced too quickly to a million different side characters and as the story went on, I found myself confused frequently.
Now, having completed it, I couldn't tell you who the killer was or what their motivation was. I have already forgotten.
I have so much respect for M.C. Beaton as an author. She has created some iconic characters with Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth, but this just was not a solid story for me.
I hope if this series continues, Agatha will get some of her old fun-loving spark back.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I appreciate every opportunity I receive to provide my feedback on a story, even if it doesn't go 100% to my tastes.
I didn't like this and I really wanted to; like, really, really wanted to!
I read a lot of Agatha Raisin books in high school and during summer break for college. This was a long time ago, certainly before I was a member of Goodreads, so I don't even recall which ones that I read.
However, I do remember the thing that kept me coming back to the series was our protagonist, Agatha Raisin. In my memory, she was snarky, impulsive, man crazy, full of fun and daring.
That was not the Agatha I found in this story.
This Agatha seemed miserable, desperate in her search for a man ((CONSTANTLY)) and down-right rude to pretty much everyone around her.
The story itself was all over the place. We were introduced too quickly to a million different side characters and as the story went on, I found myself confused frequently.
Now, having completed it, I couldn't tell you who the killer was or what their motivation was. I have already forgotten.
I have so much respect for M.C. Beaton as an author. She has created some iconic characters with Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth, but this just was not a solid story for me.
I hope if this series continues, Agatha will get some of her old fun-loving spark back.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I appreciate every opportunity I receive to provide my feedback on a story, even if it doesn't go 100% to my tastes.
July 20, 2024
In this 29th book in the 'Agatha Raisin' series, the private detective looks into multiple murders in the town of Thirk Magna. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
The Cotwolds in England, which are a popular tourist destination, look picturesque and placid. However, they provide plenty of work for private detective Agatha Raisin, who lives in the village of Carsely. Agatha isn't a beauty, but she's a fashionable middle-aged woman with good legs and glossy hair. Thus she attracts a lot of men, and would like to make one of them her third husband.
In this book, Agatha gets drawn into nefarious occurrences in the nearby town of Thirk Magna. Thirk Magna's 'St. Ethelred's Church' has a dedicated group of bell-ringers, who have taken up campanology for a variety of reasons. For the fortyish identical twins Mavis and Millicent Dupin, it's a family legacy; for other bell-ringers, it's an opportunity to get out of the house, exercise, flirt, have fun, etc.
As the book opens, twins Mavis and Millicent Dupin are in a dither because the sexy, handsome, unmarried Bishop Peter Salver-Hinkley is coming to Thirk Magna for an extended visit. The Bishop is raising funds for an old-age home, and plans to attend a bell-ringing and a reception. The twins hope to ingratiate themselves with Salver-Hinkley.....and fall all over themselves to try to attract and hold his attention.
Meanwhile, Agatha Raisin DOES catch the Bishop's eye, and even goes to dinner with him - but she loses interest quickly.
The Dupin siblings, however, are jealous, and decide that Agatha Raisin - and all other women friendly with the Bishop - are their worst enemies. The twins don't realize it, but the Bishop is only interested in women for their money, and will cozy up to any lady with a big bank account. In fact, Salver-Hinkley once had wealthy young fiancé, but she disappeared in mysterious circumstances.
Before long, Thirk Magna begins to be plagued with murders, some of which appear connected to the bell-ringers. Agatha starts to investigate the killings, but soon loses her focus because she's busy chasing men. Agatha's always been man-crazy, but in this book her pursuit of one paramour after another is over the top and desperate.
Besides potential lovers, Agatha socializes with a cadre of men who are (for the most part) just friends, including: Sir Charles Fraith - a destitute aristocrat who's constantly cadging restaurant meals, money, and cigarettes; James Lacey - Agatha's ex-husband and next door neighbor, who always seems to be getting re-married; Bill Wong - a young cop Agatha took under her wing; Patrick - Agatha's gay former business associate; and others.
Unfortunately, the book has parts that are almost incomprehensible. In fact, it feels like chunks of the story are missing. For instance, in one chapter Agatha is deeply agonized over a married lover that's gone back to his wife.....and it's all a big scandal. However, we NEVER got to see Agatha even speak to this man, much less fall in love and get involved in a brouhaha. I went back and forth trying to find this part, to no avail. And this kind of thing happens repeatedly. I listened to the audiobook version of the novel, and it's possible there was some mishap in its production, but - if so - that's on the publisher.
Other than that, the mystery portion of the book follows the usual arc seen in Agatha Raisin books. The detective bumbles around, makes the perp (or perps) nervous, and endangers her own life as a result. Eventually, Agatha exposes the scoundrel(s).
I'm a fan of Agatha Raisin but can't recommend this book. I hope future entries in the series are better.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
October 17, 2018
The usual ingredients of an Agatha Raisin novel were imbalanced with this volume in the series. Wit and humor were low, while mean-spiritedness and violence were high. There seemed to be an awful lot of face punching and expressive anger, and I don't remember Aggie crying quite so much. All in all, it wasn't the lighthearted fun read I was looking for.
September 3, 2018
I'm a huge fan of Agatha Raisin but unfortunately this book was a disappointment.
Agatha has turned into a grumpy woman who seems miserable.
I missed the fun loving Agatha who was always fun and sharp tongued.
This story seemed fractured, like I was missing some important information and it kept jumping all around, leaving me confused and really not caring how it ended.
I think that all of the fans of this witty, colorful personality will be sorely disappointed with this installment of the series.
I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
Agatha has turned into a grumpy woman who seems miserable.
I missed the fun loving Agatha who was always fun and sharp tongued.
This story seemed fractured, like I was missing some important information and it kept jumping all around, leaving me confused and really not caring how it ended.
I think that all of the fans of this witty, colorful personality will be sorely disappointed with this installment of the series.
I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
September 20, 2018
This book was a real disappointment to me. Instead of sharp tongued, competent Agatha we get this mess of a woman desperate for a man on any terms, whining, incompetent and just a mess. She spends her detecting time punching people in the noses and complaining. I just wanted to shake her by the shoulders.
The story was incoherent and jumped around a lot. It was difficult to understand. A policeman is murdered and barely spoken of again. Women disappear and no real effort is made to find them. A woman is abused by her husband and no real action is taken except to mock her for being wimpy. A suggestion is made she might even like it. Disgusting.
This was a mess top to bottom. Agatha so desperate for a man and unable to do even the simplest work was a major disappointment. I wouldn't recommend this to any one. I am only giving it two stars because I have liked the books in the past and hope the next one is a big improvement because I don't want to spend any more time with this piece of work.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review.
October 19, 2018
This is the first Agatha book I couldn’t finish. It was so simplistic and ridiculous. The story dumped around, the characters were flat, Agatha wasn’t herself, and it desperately needed editing. I was really disappointed.
October 25, 2018
Agatha Raisin has changed, and not for the better. She seems to be perpetually unhappy, and lacks the drive that had made her so delightful. Perhaps she is unhappy with her creator, because author M. C. Beaton seems to have lost her touch in writing Agatha’s stories. This book, like others late in the series, lacks focus. Bodies are dropping like flies, with little connection. Agatha’s and Charles’s relationship comes and goes with the wind. Aggie falls in love, but it’s over almost immediately when her lover turns up dead. There are so many twists and turns in this story, there should be a disclaimer warning those prone to motion sickness! Not one of Beaton’s best efforts by a long shot, this story was a disappointment. By the time I finished it, I could hardly remember why people died or who was suspected, and and I didn’t care.
February 6, 2020
So in this book we clear out the Cotswalds. Seriously dead bodies are stacking up like firewood.
Although I still love Agatha and am a huge fan of cozy mysteries, this book wasn't quite as cohesive as others in the series. I still loved it, so don't get me wrong. Agatha has lost some of her zest. She spends a lot of time searching for romance and gets off the track at her agency quite often. When she finally discovers the murderer you're like, "Duh"
Still yet, I love Agatha! Especially when she is brash and kicks ass. I will continue to read these books. Hopefully enough new people settle in the Cotswalds to repopulate.
Although I still love Agatha and am a huge fan of cozy mysteries, this book wasn't quite as cohesive as others in the series. I still loved it, so don't get me wrong. Agatha has lost some of her zest. She spends a lot of time searching for romance and gets off the track at her agency quite often. When she finally discovers the murderer you're like, "Duh"
Still yet, I love Agatha! Especially when she is brash and kicks ass. I will continue to read these books. Hopefully enough new people settle in the Cotswalds to repopulate.
September 27, 2018
*3.5 stars rounded up.
The 29th in the series! Can you believe it? I enjoy these quick-reading funny mysteries set in the Cotswolds, with a smart, feisty, and sexy private detective named Agatha Raisin who always finds herself driven off track by her fierce desire to find true love. If she could just focus on the job at hand!
In this latest entry in the series, the bishop comes to the pretty, peaceful village of Thirk Magna and manages to rile things up. He is quite a handsome man who is capable of turning his sexual charms on and off to get money from rich women for his pet project. Agatha is not taken in by him and wants to find out just what happened to his young, beautiful and RICH fiancee who recently up and vanished. As the bodies pile up, she has to wonder if someone is killing off their competition.
Agatha describes herself as "like a Victorian detective. I do not have access to forensics or autopsy reports so I have to rely on old-fashioned intuition and guesswork." But her good friends think she solves cases by "bumbling about and putting herself at risk until the murderer comes after her."
Recommend if you are looking for a fun, quick mystery--but DO start at the beginning of the series. You don't want to miss any of the fun!
I received an arc of this new mystery from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much! I can't wait to read the next book and see if Agatha has finally found true love!
The 29th in the series! Can you believe it? I enjoy these quick-reading funny mysteries set in the Cotswolds, with a smart, feisty, and sexy private detective named Agatha Raisin who always finds herself driven off track by her fierce desire to find true love. If she could just focus on the job at hand!
In this latest entry in the series, the bishop comes to the pretty, peaceful village of Thirk Magna and manages to rile things up. He is quite a handsome man who is capable of turning his sexual charms on and off to get money from rich women for his pet project. Agatha is not taken in by him and wants to find out just what happened to his young, beautiful and RICH fiancee who recently up and vanished. As the bodies pile up, she has to wonder if someone is killing off their competition.
Agatha describes herself as "like a Victorian detective. I do not have access to forensics or autopsy reports so I have to rely on old-fashioned intuition and guesswork." But her good friends think she solves cases by "bumbling about and putting herself at risk until the murderer comes after her."
Recommend if you are looking for a fun, quick mystery--but DO start at the beginning of the series. You don't want to miss any of the fun!
I received an arc of this new mystery from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much! I can't wait to read the next book and see if Agatha has finally found true love!
Read
October 14, 2018Number #29 in the Agatha Raisin series, readers by now have to come to know and hopefully love Agatha and her sharp tongue. But where is the Agatha we all know and love?? Not in this book. In this book, she is feeling old and depressed and quite honestly scared for most of it. As with other books in this series, our regular cast of characters and a real sense of place keep the book from losing too much of its iconic feel. I just wish Agatha would stop feeling so mopey and get back to being steely eyed and sharp. Do I wish she wouldn't feel the need to be with a man all the time, yes of course! But then it wouldn't be Agatha Raisin, would it? The usual cliffhanger ending with the promise of a new relationship will keep me coming back for Number #30.
November 1, 2018
This book seemed unfinished. I've read the whole Agatha Raisin series from the beginning, and the series did start to get a bit stale several years ago. However, I though books 27 and 28 were much improved and I really liked reading them, which made me look forward to this one. Unfortunately, it was bad. Like, really bad. It might be the worst entry in the whole series, which makes me sad. There were a surprising number of mean-spirited gay jokes, plus the story was just full of horrid people constantly punching each other in the face. And, as I mentioned, it didn't even feel complete. It read almost like Beaton was using as few words as possible in each sentence. Truly baffling.
October 19, 2018
Agatha Raisin books normally make feel me thankful. So on this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend l read book 29. This book was worse then a dried out turkey. Agatha was just bitchy through the whole book. Sir Charles was his normal waffling self. The ending of the book was just to predictable. My plea is marry off Agatha and Charles or break them up for good all ready. Because this plot line is getting old. Maybe book 30 would be a good place to wrap up the series.
April 3, 2019
Agatha Raisin’s twenty-ninth outing continues the dire form of the last couple of books in this series with another disjointed and incoherent offering and a plot that jumps around enough to give the reader whiplash. Bordering on incomprehensible at times with a hotchpotch of far-fetched goings-on I found myself actively having to work hard to even follow the story. After years of enjoying this cosy crime series and being entertained by the life in the Cotswold village of Carsley I was mystified at how the characters all seem to have lost their spark. Agatha did more moping than detecting and seemed diminished from the acid-tongued ex-PR career woman of old, and the atmosphere of calm and peaceful interaction between residents was replaced by unnecessarily offensive insults in almost every conversation.
In short, not a novel that I recommend to anyone other than the Agatha loyalists.
In short, not a novel that I recommend to anyone other than the Agatha loyalists.
September 28, 2018
Series: Agatha Raisin #29
Publication Date: 10/2/18
For me, this was a 2.5 star read, but I am rounding it up to 3 because I am normally a huge Agatha Raisin fan. I was really, really looking forward to reading this, but it just didn’t do it for me. Has the series run too long? I don’t know, but I do know that this book didn’t deliver the sharp-tongued, intuitive, self-possessed, abrasive Agatha that we normally get. Instead, we have an unfocused, grumpy, incompetent, whiny woman who is desperate for a man and marriage at any cost. Instead of investigating she was daydreaming or moping and her supporting cast of characters weren’t much better at investigating.
The story was disjointed and almost incoherent – things popping up out of left field. These stories are always very, very busy, but they always make sense in the end. This one didn’t. There were murders that nobody seemed to care about. The first victim was actually a policeman but there didn’t seem to be any real action to find out who murdered him or why. There were two young women who went missing – one was missing for quite some time and the other just went missing. The resolution to that is just out of the blue and doesn’t make sense. Then, you have an abused wife that nobody seems to worry about except to basically criticize her for putting up with it.
There was a surprise at the end of the book and I will read the next book to see what happens with that. However, if that book is like this one, it will be the last one I read in the series.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Publication Date: 10/2/18
For me, this was a 2.5 star read, but I am rounding it up to 3 because I am normally a huge Agatha Raisin fan. I was really, really looking forward to reading this, but it just didn’t do it for me. Has the series run too long? I don’t know, but I do know that this book didn’t deliver the sharp-tongued, intuitive, self-possessed, abrasive Agatha that we normally get. Instead, we have an unfocused, grumpy, incompetent, whiny woman who is desperate for a man and marriage at any cost. Instead of investigating she was daydreaming or moping and her supporting cast of characters weren’t much better at investigating.
The story was disjointed and almost incoherent – things popping up out of left field. These stories are always very, very busy, but they always make sense in the end. This one didn’t. There were murders that nobody seemed to care about. The first victim was actually a policeman but there didn’t seem to be any real action to find out who murdered him or why. There were two young women who went missing – one was missing for quite some time and the other just went missing. The resolution to that is just out of the blue and doesn’t make sense. Then, you have an abused wife that nobody seems to worry about except to basically criticize her for putting up with it.
There was a surprise at the end of the book and I will read the next book to see what happens with that. However, if that book is like this one, it will be the last one I read in the series.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
August 22, 2020
Uhhh..... I'm not sure what I just read. I love the Agatha Raisin books, but this was just a bit too 'eh?' for me.
It was all over the place. The narrative was jumpy, the characters numerous, the storyline was all over the place and some of it was just plain weird.
Not sure what happened to MC Beaton when she wrote this one, but she goes on about body odour, people defecating on desks... It was all a bit much.
I, of course, will be reading the other books that I've not read yet, it hasn't put me off because I know how good they have been before this one, but if I'd have read this as my first Agatha Raisin then I imagine I would have stopped there.
I'd not recommend this particular one, but do go and read the others, they are usually fab!
https://thebeautifulbookbreak.com
It was all over the place. The narrative was jumpy, the characters numerous, the storyline was all over the place and some of it was just plain weird.
Not sure what happened to MC Beaton when she wrote this one, but she goes on about body odour, people defecating on desks... It was all a bit much.
I, of course, will be reading the other books that I've not read yet, it hasn't put me off because I know how good they have been before this one, but if I'd have read this as my first Agatha Raisin then I imagine I would have stopped there.
I'd not recommend this particular one, but do go and read the others, they are usually fab!
https://thebeautifulbookbreak.com
October 19, 2018
For years I have looked forward to the next Agatha Raisin adventure. This book was a disappointment. The stories and characters are there. However, the mistakes in basic grammar, the totally missing words, comments attributed to wrong people, and a story line all over the place (sometimes without continuity or completeness) were a huge aggravation. Was the editing and proofreading process completed ? It sure does not read as if the work needed was completed. I hope for a return to the much more tightly produced mysteries of the past when the next Agatha Raisin book is published.
November 14, 2018
Disappointed...
The first of all these books that I did not really like. It seemed disjointed and all over the place. There seemed to be chapters missing - as in great scenes discussed that never actually happened earlier in the book. Character personalities out of place, heavily repeated themes and unrealistic scenes and dialogue that seemed thrown in at the last minute. What happened here? It appears mainly an editor's issue as I am sure that no author - who knew their characters, would allow this mishmash to be published. It needs to be reedited with the authors original script.
The first of all these books that I did not really like. It seemed disjointed and all over the place. There seemed to be chapters missing - as in great scenes discussed that never actually happened earlier in the book. Character personalities out of place, heavily repeated themes and unrealistic scenes and dialogue that seemed thrown in at the last minute. What happened here? It appears mainly an editor's issue as I am sure that no author - who knew their characters, would allow this mishmash to be published. It needs to be reedited with the authors original script.
September 23, 2020
I had dropped this series after going through 20-some over the years.
Then I hit an extra-challenging patch of days and needed something familiar and totally unchallenging to listen to at night. No need to participate or pay any particular amount of attention. Not ultra-fluffy or otherwise destined to make me grind my teeth. A British narrator—for that soothing, subdued listening experience.
The first thing I hit on for these specs was Agatha Raisin and just went with it. This one and one other were new to me, three more were rereads. They all went down smoothly enough and met the need.
Dead Ringer, I see, has quite a few unenthusiastic reviews. I didn’t have a problem with it.
True enough, earlier entries had more focus and verve, but I had felt that fading over the more recent books before I decided I had enjoyed the series while I had and now that it felt less fresh to me I was ready to move on.
Revisiting familiar territory was just what I wanted, I wasn’t invested in engaging my usual analytic background reader, and nothing irksome coaxed it out of hibernation. Three-ish stars feels about right.
Then I hit an extra-challenging patch of days and needed something familiar and totally unchallenging to listen to at night. No need to participate or pay any particular amount of attention. Not ultra-fluffy or otherwise destined to make me grind my teeth. A British narrator—for that soothing, subdued listening experience.
The first thing I hit on for these specs was Agatha Raisin and just went with it. This one and one other were new to me, three more were rereads. They all went down smoothly enough and met the need.
Dead Ringer, I see, has quite a few unenthusiastic reviews. I didn’t have a problem with it.
True enough, earlier entries had more focus and verve, but I had felt that fading over the more recent books before I decided I had enjoyed the series while I had and now that it felt less fresh to me I was ready to move on.
Revisiting familiar territory was just what I wanted, I wasn’t invested in engaging my usual analytic background reader, and nothing irksome coaxed it out of hibernation. Three-ish stars feels about right.
October 22, 2021
Agatha and the Bell Ringers
Review of the Minotaur paperback edition (July 2019) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (October 2018)
The Dead Ringer had a promising beginning when it seemed to centre around the subject of bell ringing, which hinted that perhaps it was inspired by Dorothy L. Sayers' classic The Nine Tailors (1934). Unfortunately it went off into all sorts of other directions and became somewhat tiresome and even repellent at times. It may be that Beaton was just tired of the series, but the nastiness seemed to really dominate this time around. Characters yelling "Shut up!" at each other, Agatha grumpy about all her foibles, a subplot of domestic abuse, etc.
These cozies are always somewhat different from the TV-series which I saw first. Agatha is definitely more cranky in the books, but her human faults and foibles make us accept and love her nevertheless. The formula is set in stone now for the series. Agatha finds a new man, is jealous of ex-husband James Lacey and occasional lover/friend Charles Fraith, is jealous and meddling with Toni Gilmour's love life, helps Roy Silver out despite his publicity transgressions, gets sympathy from Mrs. Bloxby, is helped by first village friend Detective Sergeant Bill Wong, etc.
I read the paperback this time, but if you listen to the audiobook edition then the narration of this book #29 is a part of an extended interregnum for books #25 to #29 by narrator Alison Larkin. Series regular Penelope Keith returns for books #30 to #32. Larkin is fine in the role, but I've grown most used to Keith's manner of adding character to the different voices.
Most (28 of 32) of the Agatha Raisin audiobooks are free on Audible Plus. A continuation series Book 32 Down the Hatch is yet to be released, and is expected to be published on October 26, 2021. Down the Hatch is apparently entirely written by continuation writer R.W. Green whereas #31 Hot to Trot was a collaboration with M.C. Beaton.
Trivia and No Link
The Dead Ringer has not yet been adapted for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-).
Review of the Minotaur paperback edition (July 2019) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (October 2018)
The Dead Ringer had a promising beginning when it seemed to centre around the subject of bell ringing, which hinted that perhaps it was inspired by Dorothy L. Sayers' classic The Nine Tailors (1934). Unfortunately it went off into all sorts of other directions and became somewhat tiresome and even repellent at times. It may be that Beaton was just tired of the series, but the nastiness seemed to really dominate this time around. Characters yelling "Shut up!" at each other, Agatha grumpy about all her foibles, a subplot of domestic abuse, etc.
These cozies are always somewhat different from the TV-series which I saw first. Agatha is definitely more cranky in the books, but her human faults and foibles make us accept and love her nevertheless. The formula is set in stone now for the series. Agatha finds a new man, is jealous of ex-husband James Lacey and occasional lover/friend Charles Fraith, is jealous and meddling with Toni Gilmour's love life, helps Roy Silver out despite his publicity transgressions, gets sympathy from Mrs. Bloxby, is helped by first village friend Detective Sergeant Bill Wong, etc.
I read the paperback this time, but if you listen to the audiobook edition then the narration of this book #29 is a part of an extended interregnum for books #25 to #29 by narrator Alison Larkin. Series regular Penelope Keith returns for books #30 to #32. Larkin is fine in the role, but I've grown most used to Keith's manner of adding character to the different voices.
Most (28 of 32) of the Agatha Raisin audiobooks are free on Audible Plus. A continuation series Book 32 Down the Hatch is yet to be released, and is expected to be published on October 26, 2021. Down the Hatch is apparently entirely written by continuation writer R.W. Green whereas #31 Hot to Trot was a collaboration with M.C. Beaton.
Trivia and No Link
The Dead Ringer has not yet been adapted for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-).
October 19, 2018
Unsettling. Dark in so many ways.
Agatha spends most of her time pining after one man after another. Falls for a married man, breaks it off, and then sort of reconsiders because she doesn't want to be alone. She wastes too much time lamenting that facts that she is unmarried, alone, and unhappy. She doesn't see the reason for this is because she is just too mean spirited. Too much back and forth of should I ask Charles to marry me. He spends too much time going back and forth considering whether he should ask Agatha to marry him.
The most disturbing things about this book were the underlying violence that had never been present in the other Agatha Raisin books to this extent. Too many people were punching others in the nose with no provocation. And Agatha was just too aggressively nasty. She wasn't nice to anyone unless she needed something from them. She even sassed Mrs. Bloxby so much that the very reserved Mrs. Bloxby talked back.
I'm not sure what the plot line was. She lamented over and over again that she was not being a thorough investigator, but then spent too much time investigating a murder she wasn't getting paid for. The rest of the staff was mostly missing in action, except for a few minor plot lines. Two missing girls? The dead ringer? Hmmmm.
The plot was very disjointed. Big chunks of plot line were either missing or edited out. Case in point: at one point Roy Silver was headed back to London. What? When did he arrive? Why? How long had he been there? This was never addressed, as well as other small inconsistencies.
This is clearly not the writing of M. C. Beaton. Her Agatha was sharp-tongued, fun-loving and confident. This Agatha is a mess, and ready for a nervous breakdown.
If you have to read this one, get it through the Library. Don't waste your money.
Agatha spends most of her time pining after one man after another. Falls for a married man, breaks it off, and then sort of reconsiders because she doesn't want to be alone. She wastes too much time lamenting that facts that she is unmarried, alone, and unhappy. She doesn't see the reason for this is because she is just too mean spirited. Too much back and forth of should I ask Charles to marry me. He spends too much time going back and forth considering whether he should ask Agatha to marry him.
The most disturbing things about this book were the underlying violence that had never been present in the other Agatha Raisin books to this extent. Too many people were punching others in the nose with no provocation. And Agatha was just too aggressively nasty. She wasn't nice to anyone unless she needed something from them. She even sassed Mrs. Bloxby so much that the very reserved Mrs. Bloxby talked back.
I'm not sure what the plot line was. She lamented over and over again that she was not being a thorough investigator, but then spent too much time investigating a murder she wasn't getting paid for. The rest of the staff was mostly missing in action, except for a few minor plot lines. Two missing girls? The dead ringer? Hmmmm.
The plot was very disjointed. Big chunks of plot line were either missing or edited out. Case in point: at one point Roy Silver was headed back to London. What? When did he arrive? Why? How long had he been there? This was never addressed, as well as other small inconsistencies.
This is clearly not the writing of M. C. Beaton. Her Agatha was sharp-tongued, fun-loving and confident. This Agatha is a mess, and ready for a nervous breakdown.
If you have to read this one, get it through the Library. Don't waste your money.
October 7, 2018
What I continue to enjoy about the Agatha Raisin mysteries is the sheer fun of them. Predictability is a good thing in these delightful stories about Agatha, a retired owner of a London public relations firm and now owner of a private detective agency in the Cotswolds. Agatha will always become involved in a murder mystery, always dress for the attractive man in the room, be dissatisfied with her friends' attentions, and be one of the most generous people in her world. The characters know their parts and play them well. Agatha's best female friend is Mrs. Bloxby, the wife of the vicar of her small Costswold village of Carsley, and this friend astutely sees beneath the somewhat annoying antics of Agatha to a well-meaning, loyal person of worth. There are the usual men from Agatha's past, her ex-husband James Lacey and sometimes lover, Sir Charles Fraith, and, of course Roy Silver, a past employee from her London days who shows up when the lime light is shining. Her detective agency is full of additional characters whose interactions with Agatha provide much entertainment. Toni is the bright, competent, beautiful young woman who seems to always overlook Agatha's jealousy of her to come through for Agatha when she needs someone. Patrick is the retired cop with some helpful connections. Simon is the young man who would love to impress Toni, but it's unlikely that will every happen. Through all of the seemingly wrong approaches and mishaps in solving the murders that Agatha is hired to investigate, she somehow comes out on top, although the police are always reluctant and stingy in giving her any credit.
In Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer, the 29th in this series, it's the handsome Bishop Peter Salver-Hinkley who is visiting the nearby village of Thirk Magna and its historical church of St. Ethelred that catches Agatha's interest. Attending the welcoming service for the bishop with Mrs. Bloxby, they come into contact with the bell ringers for the church and the vicar's wife, all who are a rather squirrelly bunch. Two of the ringers, middle-aged twins Mavis and Millicent Dupin, are especially enamored of the bishop, despite his shady history with women. Fiercely competitive, these two women let Agatha know that she is an unwelcome kink in their plans to woo the handsome, yet unpredictable priest. Agatha herself learns soon enough how Peter can turn the charm off and on, according to the woman with the most promising bank account. When one of the twins turns up dead at the belfry, romancing the bishop takes a sinister turn, and as Agatha digs deeper into the world of the self-serving man of the cloth, her own life becomes a danger zone.
One of the aspects of this series I enjoy is Agatha's love life, her constant pursuit of the perfect man to complete her life. In spite of her immense success as a professional and providing for herself quite nicely, Agatha feels true happiness lies in finding a husband, a soul-mate. She does try to reason with herself at times, admonishing her need for a man when she has done so well for herself, but she always falls back into her old habits of zeroing in on a target and becoming obsessed. She once again falls in love in this story, and, once again, it's fraught with complications. Her antics when she is in the throes of this myopic vision can be some funny material, and there is always the hope that she will learn from this disaster, but will she. Sir Charles Fraith is the one constant man in her life, and they both have genuine affection for one another, but they are always out of step with their feelings, and Charles is always on the look-out for a young heiress to solve his money problems. There is a good amount of Agatha and Charles in this book, and I was pleased to see that.
I do have one complaint about this book, and that is the almost constant bad mood of Agatha, which affects her likeability. She has always been capable of rude behavior and telling it like it is without filters, but in this story, Agatha seems to be a lot gumpier and careless with her words. Those around Agatha know she can be a difficult person, but she is usually able to redeem herself. Not so much in this book. To put it bluntly, I hope Beaton make Agatha less of a bitch in the next outing. Having stated this displeasure, I still recommend reading Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer, as her personal life may be taking a turn, and you won't want to miss that.
In Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer, the 29th in this series, it's the handsome Bishop Peter Salver-Hinkley who is visiting the nearby village of Thirk Magna and its historical church of St. Ethelred that catches Agatha's interest. Attending the welcoming service for the bishop with Mrs. Bloxby, they come into contact with the bell ringers for the church and the vicar's wife, all who are a rather squirrelly bunch. Two of the ringers, middle-aged twins Mavis and Millicent Dupin, are especially enamored of the bishop, despite his shady history with women. Fiercely competitive, these two women let Agatha know that she is an unwelcome kink in their plans to woo the handsome, yet unpredictable priest. Agatha herself learns soon enough how Peter can turn the charm off and on, according to the woman with the most promising bank account. When one of the twins turns up dead at the belfry, romancing the bishop takes a sinister turn, and as Agatha digs deeper into the world of the self-serving man of the cloth, her own life becomes a danger zone.
One of the aspects of this series I enjoy is Agatha's love life, her constant pursuit of the perfect man to complete her life. In spite of her immense success as a professional and providing for herself quite nicely, Agatha feels true happiness lies in finding a husband, a soul-mate. She does try to reason with herself at times, admonishing her need for a man when she has done so well for herself, but she always falls back into her old habits of zeroing in on a target and becoming obsessed. She once again falls in love in this story, and, once again, it's fraught with complications. Her antics when she is in the throes of this myopic vision can be some funny material, and there is always the hope that she will learn from this disaster, but will she. Sir Charles Fraith is the one constant man in her life, and they both have genuine affection for one another, but they are always out of step with their feelings, and Charles is always on the look-out for a young heiress to solve his money problems. There is a good amount of Agatha and Charles in this book, and I was pleased to see that.
I do have one complaint about this book, and that is the almost constant bad mood of Agatha, which affects her likeability. She has always been capable of rude behavior and telling it like it is without filters, but in this story, Agatha seems to be a lot gumpier and careless with her words. Those around Agatha know she can be a difficult person, but she is usually able to redeem herself. Not so much in this book. To put it bluntly, I hope Beaton make Agatha less of a bitch in the next outing. Having stated this displeasure, I still recommend reading Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer, as her personal life may be taking a turn, and you won't want to miss that.
August 16, 2019
This mystery seemed a bit messy and the killer was too obvious. Also, overall, everything felt gritty, meaning sleazy. Agatha’s life is always on the edge, but this book was blah. I wonder if MC Beaton has no hope in human nature? Everyone is rude and gruff in the book. I’ll keep reading the series, but I hope she marries Charles and they settle down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2018
Agatha Raisin books are always fun and engrossing reads. This book in the series is no exception. All of our favorite supporting characters are back to help and/or hinder Agatha's detecting.
I'm glad Agatha and Patrick get a few scenes in this book as I've always enjoyed their dynamic. Same for Agatha and Toni. I was, however, happiest that Gustav had a few appearances in this book. He cracks me up.
I'll never tire of the will they or won't they plot with Agatha and Charles, it is just ever so entertaining.
I'm glad Agatha and Patrick get a few scenes in this book as I've always enjoyed their dynamic. Same for Agatha and Toni. I was, however, happiest that Gustav had a few appearances in this book. He cracks me up.
I'll never tire of the will they or won't they plot with Agatha and Charles, it is just ever so entertaining.
March 19, 2021
M.C.Beaton's Agatha Raisin series of mysteries set in the Cotswolds are very well known to most fans of mysteries and thrillers. They are in fact the basis of a popular TV series. The stories can be read as standalones or as part of the series.
Agatha Raisin is a very successful PR person from London who after relocating to the Cotswolds becomes very involved as a PI. She as a large group of staff and friends who work with her to solve complex murder mysteries . Some of the characters appear in several books and as such carry complex roles. For example, Sir Charles is and off and on again love and Toni is a loyal younger staff in the detective agency.
The Dead Ringer grows from a minor cast of villagers are bound together as bell ringers in the village of Thirk Magna's church. The typical Agatha Raisin troubles are followed as she and her friends respond to murders and characters becoming involved with each other. AS usual , it gets a little complicated and Agatha sometimes makes her life more complicated as she tries to fix things.
If you enjoy these series of mysteries , you will find The Dead Ringer a good quick read.
Agatha Raisin is a very successful PR person from London who after relocating to the Cotswolds becomes very involved as a PI. She as a large group of staff and friends who work with her to solve complex murder mysteries . Some of the characters appear in several books and as such carry complex roles. For example, Sir Charles is and off and on again love and Toni is a loyal younger staff in the detective agency.
The Dead Ringer grows from a minor cast of villagers are bound together as bell ringers in the village of Thirk Magna's church. The typical Agatha Raisin troubles are followed as she and her friends respond to murders and characters becoming involved with each other. AS usual , it gets a little complicated and Agatha sometimes makes her life more complicated as she tries to fix things.
If you enjoy these series of mysteries , you will find The Dead Ringer a good quick read.
April 21, 2023
NO SPOILERS, BUT READER BEWARE!
I have enjoyed this cosy mystery series up until now, but this book was a HOT MESS.
There are major copy edit errors throughout the book: characters who are misnamed (Harry Bury is the sexton AND the butcher within two sentences on one page, characters who are described as friends are later described as strangers, then a few chapters later the butcher has a new name we have never heard before) locations change mid-paragraph (here's a description of a kitchen...no, now its a library) and many conversations have characters answering different questions than were asked. If I have to reread several paragraphs to figure out what the author was trying to do...and still can't. That's a BIG editing error.
Was this book ghostwritten? The plot and tone of this book are very different, so that's a heap of line edit issues ignored, too. I don't ever remember a previous full chapter in this series following two smaller supporting characters conspiring to another country away (and all their activities there) from the perspective of our main characters. So now I'm the omniscient narrator and I'm just watching Agatha as another suffering character? And speaking of suffering: Who was I supposed to like in this book?! Who is my hero? Agatha is very mean. All the suspects are very mean. Even Mrs. Bloxby is very mean! Everyone is just trades insults and pain for the whole book. This whole book is about desperate, lonely people clawing each other for sex and money in claustrophobic communities. James, Roy, Bill & Alice...they are all here, making token appearances with no purpose. Almost like there were boxes to tick on a book format list. Oh, and dear author, the Charles/Agatha will-they-won't-they debate is long over. Please stop beating the dead horse. They won't. And they are both insufferable, so nobody cares.
Don't think I will follow this series anymore. It was a delicious guilty pleasure for me years ago, but its time has past. So long, Carsely!
I have enjoyed this cosy mystery series up until now, but this book was a HOT MESS.
There are major copy edit errors throughout the book: characters who are misnamed (Harry Bury is the sexton AND the butcher within two sentences on one page, characters who are described as friends are later described as strangers, then a few chapters later the butcher has a new name we have never heard before) locations change mid-paragraph (here's a description of a kitchen...no, now its a library) and many conversations have characters answering different questions than were asked. If I have to reread several paragraphs to figure out what the author was trying to do...and still can't. That's a BIG editing error.
Was this book ghostwritten? The plot and tone of this book are very different, so that's a heap of line edit issues ignored, too. I don't ever remember a previous full chapter in this series following two smaller supporting characters conspiring to another country away (and all their activities there) from the perspective of our main characters. So now I'm the omniscient narrator and I'm just watching Agatha as another suffering character? And speaking of suffering: Who was I supposed to like in this book?! Who is my hero? Agatha is very mean. All the suspects are very mean. Even Mrs. Bloxby is very mean! Everyone is just trades insults and pain for the whole book. This whole book is about desperate, lonely people clawing each other for sex and money in claustrophobic communities. James, Roy, Bill & Alice...they are all here, making token appearances with no purpose. Almost like there were boxes to tick on a book format list. Oh, and dear author, the Charles/Agatha will-they-won't-they debate is long over. Please stop beating the dead horse. They won't. And they are both insufferable, so nobody cares.
Don't think I will follow this series anymore. It was a delicious guilty pleasure for me years ago, but its time has past. So long, Carsely!
December 12, 2018
I think it would be interesting to do a comparative study on the first few Agatha Raisin books and the latest books in the series. Plot is minimal in the extreme. The writing has become purely formulaic, any semblance of character has been lost to caricature. The titular character's behaviour is now a series of repetition from the last book to this one. I can no longer endure reading this series as the author (if she is even still writing them) has sucked the life out of everything that made the first few books enjoyable.
October 2, 2018
The Agatha Raisin series has been around for some time. The Dead Ringer is about the death/murder of a bell ringer and a few other characters (I don’t want to give a spoiler) in the quiet little town of Thirk Magnay England. This is book #29 in the series.
It’s been a while since I read an Agatha Raisin mystery and by getting this publication, I realized I missed a few things going on in her life. The first book in the series depicts her as a cranky, middle-aged publicist, supposedly 53 years of age. I’m guessing she doesn’t age in real time as years later, she’s still a middle-aged lady and described as attractive if not abrasive. My bookish friend Angry Grey Cat renewed my interest in the series.
Agatha has her own detective agency set up now, a change from books in the past where she was more like a Jessica Fletcher character in Murder, She Wrote. What I liked about this book was the familiarity of the little town in the Cotswolds. The picturesque setting and scenery are inviting. Thirk Magna has an ancient church called St. Ethelred and it’s the pride and joy of the community.
There are adult twin sisters who are part of the bell ringers group and very involved in the church. Apparently bell ringing is like no other type of music and isn’t written on a standard score. The six bell ringers change their order and each time they strike it’s done from memory. Quite an art of memory and dedication. It most certainly wouldn’t be for me.
The twins are swooning on about the visit of a bishop who is reputed to be very handsome and they are determined to take charge of the visit, arranging which “song” they will play on bells and generally being pains in the butt. This bishop has some scandal following him as his rich ex-fiancé has disappeared. That’s what interests Agatha very much. Now the bodies start piling up, as you would expect from one of her novels.
The mention of Detective Sargent Bill Wong was a familiar character as I remember him from all the previous books. I wondered why he hasn’t been promoted to a higher rank than D.S. in all the years (29 years!) of being on the police force. But I have to remind myself that this isn’t written in real time as DCI Alan Banks novels. Also, it has been well established that Bill is half Chinese and half British so when I read that again I thought – yeah, yeah…we all know Bill is half Chinese and Brit. That could have been left out.
Food: There are mentions of Greek food, pub meals, gin and tonics, tea and cakes. I am on board with any of those things!
Overall, this isn’t the edgy sort of mystery I usually read and love but a milder mystery, not quite a cozy. Clear as mud? It’s fun to follow a character through a long series so if you are looking for a light mystery series, you may want to give Agatha Raisin a chance.
Much thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy. Opinions are mine and I was not compensated for the review.
It’s been a while since I read an Agatha Raisin mystery and by getting this publication, I realized I missed a few things going on in her life. The first book in the series depicts her as a cranky, middle-aged publicist, supposedly 53 years of age. I’m guessing she doesn’t age in real time as years later, she’s still a middle-aged lady and described as attractive if not abrasive. My bookish friend Angry Grey Cat renewed my interest in the series.
Agatha has her own detective agency set up now, a change from books in the past where she was more like a Jessica Fletcher character in Murder, She Wrote. What I liked about this book was the familiarity of the little town in the Cotswolds. The picturesque setting and scenery are inviting. Thirk Magna has an ancient church called St. Ethelred and it’s the pride and joy of the community.
There are adult twin sisters who are part of the bell ringers group and very involved in the church. Apparently bell ringing is like no other type of music and isn’t written on a standard score. The six bell ringers change their order and each time they strike it’s done from memory. Quite an art of memory and dedication. It most certainly wouldn’t be for me.
The twins are swooning on about the visit of a bishop who is reputed to be very handsome and they are determined to take charge of the visit, arranging which “song” they will play on bells and generally being pains in the butt. This bishop has some scandal following him as his rich ex-fiancé has disappeared. That’s what interests Agatha very much. Now the bodies start piling up, as you would expect from one of her novels.
The mention of Detective Sargent Bill Wong was a familiar character as I remember him from all the previous books. I wondered why he hasn’t been promoted to a higher rank than D.S. in all the years (29 years!) of being on the police force. But I have to remind myself that this isn’t written in real time as DCI Alan Banks novels. Also, it has been well established that Bill is half Chinese and half British so when I read that again I thought – yeah, yeah…we all know Bill is half Chinese and Brit. That could have been left out.
Food: There are mentions of Greek food, pub meals, gin and tonics, tea and cakes. I am on board with any of those things!
Overall, this isn’t the edgy sort of mystery I usually read and love but a milder mystery, not quite a cozy. Clear as mud? It’s fun to follow a character through a long series so if you are looking for a light mystery series, you may want to give Agatha Raisin a chance.
Much thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy. Opinions are mine and I was not compensated for the review.
December 28, 2020
Just can’t get into the disjointed way these are written, along with the curtly snark of dialogue.
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