Product Description

DANCING LIGHTS, DISAPPEARING VALUABLES...AND MURDER- A FANCIFUL MYSTERY FOR THE INDOMITALTE AGATHAFeeling jilted, cross and desperate to reclaim the love of her life, James, Agatha Raisin follows a fortune teller's advice and rents a cottage in the picturesque village of Fryfam, where she hopes good fortune and true love will come chasing after her.Adding a bit of spice to her adventure, she's pronounced to the locals that she's a mystery writer penning a whodunit called Murder at the Manor. Unfortunately, her romantic notions are quickly dispelled by strange doings here in Fryfam. What are those strange lights in her backyard?Who is stealing paintings and pottery?Where are her beloved cats? And who murdered the local squire-ironically, at the manor?Agatha's nose for trouble leads her into a hodge-podge of jealousy, blackmail and dangerous liaisons-and a murderer who plans to keep irrepressible Agatha here in Fryfam permanently, as a resident corpse.AUTHORBIO: M.C. BEATON, the Scottish-born author of nine previous Agatha Raisin novels as well as the Hamish Macbeth mystery series, lives in a village in the English Cotswolds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #105449 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780312976262
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
When a fortune-teller tells Agatha Raisin that her destiny lies in Norfolk, the puckish 50-ish heroine of nine previous adventures in this witty series doesn't think twice about renting a cottage sight unseen in a county she's never visited. Of course, Agatha has been spurned by the love of her life, her Cotswolds neighbor James Lacey, which has a lot to do with her removing herself and her two cats, Hodge and Boswell, to the village of Fryfam. There she meets the members of the Fryfam's Women's Group, to whom she explains her presence by saying she's writing a crime novel, Death at the Manor--an unfortunate fib as the village squire, Tolly Trumpington-James, is soon murdered at his manor house. Aided by suave friend Sir Charles Fraith, Agatha sets about prying into the lives of the locals to discover who wanted the squire dead. Peculiar lights at the bottom of her garden (the work of fairies?), the theft of a heavily insured George Stubbs painting, the brief disappearance of her two cats and a second murder, that of Tolly's gamekeeper, may disturb but not shake Agatha from her quest. In the end Charles uses his charm to elicit an important clue from the ravishing barmaid at the pub popular with the Fryfam menfolk. That the social comedy largely overshadows the mystery and its solution won't bother Beaton fans, who will be far more concerned whether Agatha falls for Charles herself or wins back the feckless James in this highly amusing cozy.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
Bereft, as she thinks, of James Lacey, the love of her life, drolly blunt Agatha Raisin (Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden, 1999, etc.) begins her tenth acid cozy by following a fortuneteller's advice: she ups and moves to Lavender Cottage in the Norfolk village of Fryfam, where her missing vase is only the latest of a series of mysteriously vanished objects. But not everything in Fryfam disappears. There's quite a show of dancing lights at the bottom of Agatha's back garden; one of her new neighbors turns up dead; and indomitable James will return as well. -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review
"Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand-new Agatha Raisin mystery."--Tampa Tribune Times

"Witty...highly amusing cozy."--Publishers Weekly

"More great fun from an endearing heroine."--Library Journal
-- Review

Customer Reviews

Another fun Agatha Raisin book--MC keep them coming!
I'm not sure why but I always feel sort of warm and fuzzy after I read an Agatha Raisin book (or any other book by this author in her various guises Jennie Tremayne, Marion Chesney etc. . .). There is not a lot of action or suspense, and the characters are drawn in a sort of superficial and silly way, yet I can't put Beaton's books down or wipe the smile off my face while I'm reading. Maybe that's the secret of a great mystery, I know that's the reason why I can't get enough of Agatha, middle aged woman, ex-high powered executive, and bumbling detective extraordinaire.

Best one in series so far.
M.C. Beaton has done it again. Agatha is back in top form in her latest adventure. Instead of whining about how miserable her life is, she does what she wants to without worrying what other people will think. The end of the story was a bit of a surprise, and I found myself smiling while reading it. When I closed the book, I actually cheered. Things should prove interesting if the line spoken by Sir Charles is foreshadowing.

Can't get enough of Agatha Raisin
For those of us who love the spirited Agatha, warts and all, she's back. Determined to forget the cold-hearted James Lacey, she rents a cottage in the village of Fryfam and immediately is swept up into the village life and its mysterious happenings. Charles Fraith joins her in this novel, and although not as interesting as some of the others, it is definitely a must for those who are following her adventures and love entanglements. Some of my favorites such as Mrs. Bloxby, Ron Silver, and James Lacey only make cameo appearances in this one and I considered that a shortcoming. Also, the fact that one of the major mysteries is left unsolved was surprising to me.

I felt the ending was too rushed. We have been waiting for so long for Agatha to get her man, and when she does we miss the thrill of the engagement period. The big question, of course, is did she get the right man.

If my interpretation of the foreshadowing on the final page is correct, the next Agatha should be the best of the series thus far.