Marion Gibbonsová byla skotská spisovatelka romantických a mysteriózních románů, jejíž kariéra jako publikovaná autorka začala v roce 1979. Napsala řadu úspěšných historických romantických románů pod podobou svého dívčího jména Marion Chesney,...
Agatha Raisinová se po zasloužené dovolené vrátí zpátky na venkov a s nelibostí zjistí, že zájem jejího šarmantního staromládeneckého souseda Jamese Laceyho upoutala nová žena. Krásná Mary Fortuneová se do Cotswoldsu přistěhovala teprve nedávno a vypadá to, že Agathu trumfne naprosto ve všem – zejména co se zahradničení týče. A zahrádkářská výstava se blíží mílovými kroky. Kéž by se tak objevila nějaká pěkná vraždička, která by Jamesovi připomněla Agatiny geniální detektivní schopnosti!
Ráno ve svatební den Agathy a Jamese se zdálo být bez mráčku. Čas jejich štěstí však vypršel, když se v kostele objevil její manžel Jimmy, o němž si myslela, že je už dávno mrtvý. Agatha by ho nejraději hned u oltáře zaškrtila, protože James kvůli němu zrušil zasnoubení. Druhý den ráno je Jimmy nalezen mrtvý a Agatha s Jamesem budou muset spojit síly, aby se zbavili podezření, že mu k tomu pomohli.
Agatha Raisinová, úspěšná londýnská podnikatelka, se ze dne na den rozhodne skoncovat se svým dosavadním životem. Prodá nejen svou PR firmu, ale i londýnský byt a odstěhuje se do poklidné anglické vesničky Carsely, kde si chce užívat předčasný důchod. Jenže po krátkém čase si uvědomí, že Carsely je na ní až moc poklidné a že se jí nedaří navázat přátelské vztahy s místními. Rozhodne se proto zúčastnit tamější soutěže o nejlepší koláč, a to přestože za celý život tak nanejvýš ohřívala jídlo v mikrovlnce. Aby měla šanci vyhrát, koupí koláč v jednom z nejlepších londýnských lahůdkářství a hodlá ho vydávat za svůj výtvor. Jenže soutěž se nakonec nevyvine podle jejích představ, arbitr se na ni dívá skrz prsty a po ochutnání jejího koláče navíc zemře. Agatha je tedy najednou podezřelá z vraždy, a nadto musí přiznat, že podváděla. Aby mohla očistit své jméno, nezbývá jí nic jiného než sama vypátrat, kdo skutečně vraždil.
zdroj: www.pitaval.cz
Po půlroce stráveném v Londýně se Agatha Raisinová vrací do své milované cotswoldské vesničky a do sousedské blízkosti fešného Jamese Laceyho. Zdá se ale, že Jamese jejich opětovné shledání nechává chladným. Agathu tak brzy pohltí její druhá vášeň: vyšetřování zločinů. V opuštěném poli je nalezena mrtvá žena – Jessica Tartincková, předsedkyně klubu turistů, která doháněla majitele pozemků k nepříčetnosti tím, že trvala na právu výletníků procházet přes jejich půdu. Teď je na Agatě, aby zahájila pátrání...
Agatha, majitelka úspěšné PR agentury, se jednoho
dne rozhodla, že má Londýna i reklamy dost,
a přestěhovala se do idylické vesničky Carsely, kde
si chtěla užívat předčasného důchodu. Tvrdá a mazaná
podnikatelka by se na poklidném venkově
mohla možná nudit, kdyby neobjevila nového koníčka:
vyšetřování vražd. Nevěřili byste, na kolik
mrtvol na anglickém venkově narazí. Nebo to bude
Agathou? I na dovolené na Kypru zřejmě bude moci
dokázat, že si před ní žádný vrah nemůže být jistý.
Agatha Raisinová nemůže přivyknout životu na venkově, kde jedinou vyhlídkou na vzrušující večery jsou schůze dámského spolku. Když neuspěje se sbližovacími manévry u souseda Jamese Laceyho – plukovníka na odpočinku – chopí se Agatha příležitosti a navštíví nového, pohledného a nezadaného veterináře. Ačkoli Agatinu mourovatému kocourovi vůbec nic neschází, Hodge musí v rámci milostného dobrodružství vytrpět drsné vyšetření. Jeho oběť je naneštěstí zbytečná, neboť zakrátko se najde zvěrolékař mrtvý.
Life is never, ever dull in Agatha Raisin's sleepy Cotswolds village!Agatha Raisin's private detective agency is working flat out on a series of burglaries which take a violent turn when a friend of Agatha's is murdered during a raid on his antiques shop. Although determined to nail the villains, Agatha still makes time to help Sir Charles Fraith prepare to stage a massive, hugely glamorous event in the grounds of his ancestral home, Barfield House.When Agatha begins to receive death threats and narrowly avoids being abducted by kidnappers, she takes advantage of a previously arranged trip to Majorca to lie low for a while. There she meets her partner, former police officer John Glass, who is now working as a dance instructor on a cruise liner. Their relationship founders over John's apparent closeness to his stage dance partner, Louise. Putting her love life on hold, Agatha heads home, having worked out who has been threatening her life.Can Agatha track down the would-be killer, nail her friend's murderers and rescue her romance with John? Everything comes to a climax at the Barfield Extravaganza when on top of everything else, Agatha also manages to solve a 400-year-old Cotswold murder mystery!
Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin—now the star of a hit T.V. show—is back on the case again in Hot to Trot. When Private Detective Agatha Raisin learns that her friend and one-time lover Charles Fraith is to be married to a mysterious socialite, Miss Mary Brown-Field, she sees it as her duty to find out what she can about the woman. Coming up empty, Agatha—out of selfless concern for Charles, of course—does the only sensible thing she can think of: she crashes their wedding, which ends in a public altercation. Nursing a hangover the next morning, she gets a phone call from Charles, with even more disturbing news: Mary has been murdered. Agatha takes on the case, and quickly becomes entrenched in the competitive equestrian world, in which Mary had been enmeshed—as well as the victim’s surprisingly violent past. Agatha finds no shortage of motives among a wide range of characters, from Mary's old riding competitors, to enemies from her schoolgirl days, to her surly father, who threatens Agatha to mind her own business. Meanwhile, the police department has its money on another suspect: Agatha. Will she track down the criminal in time, or end up behind bars herself?
"Agatha Raisin and The Quiche of Death": Agatha Raisin determines to make her mark by winning the local baking competition. When the judge is poisoned by her efforts, she investigates and uncovers a web of extra-marital sex and pastry-based favours. "Agatha Raisin and The Vicious Vet": A handsome vet is found stabbed with a syringeful of tranquiliser. Was it an accident or did someone put him to sleep? Agatha and James are determined to find out who killed the village vet - but they resort to barefaced lies, burglary and badger watching.
Sergeant Hamish Macbeth--Scotland's most quick-witted but unambitious policeman--is back and may have finally met the woman of his dreams in this new mystery in M.C. Beaton's beloved, New York Times bestselling series. Hamish's new constable, Dorothy McIver, may be the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. Completely bewitched by her sparkling blue eyes, Hamish spends the summer traveling with her up and down Sutherland until finally, he can take it no longer. He gets down on one knee beside the Land Rover and begs her to marry him--and to his amazement and delight, she says yes. But just as the town of Lochdubh gets ready to celebrate, Hamish finds himself with a new murder on his hands. If he doesn't find the killer fast, Hamish's dream wedding could become a nightmare.
The latest Agatha Raisin mystery from bestselling author M. C. Beaton, about
an eccentric Cotswolds-based detective with an erratic love life and a
penchant for G and Ts and cigarettes . . .
New York Times bestselling author M. C. Beaton is back with a new mystery
featuring Scotland's most laconic and low-tech policeman. This is the 30th
Hamish Macbeth book.
Private Detective Agatha Raisin immerses herself in the glittering lifestyle of the fabulously wealthy when Sir Charles Fraith is accused of murder - and Agatha is named as his accomplice! A high-society wedding, a glitzy masked ball, and an introduction to the world of international show-jumping where the riders are glamorous, the horses are beautiful, and intrigue runs deep, leave Agatha with a list of suspects as long as a stallion's tail. Sinister evidence then emerges that appears to seal Sir Charles's fate and Agatha must uncover the truth before a net of skulduggery closes around him and he loses his ancestral home, his entire estate, and his freedom.
Lovely, wealthy and well bred, Clarissa Vevian has been unable to find a suitable husband because of her terrible clumsiness. Her petite and fastidious mother has tried to mould Clarissa into a dainty miss to fit the fashion - but all her efforts seem doomed to failure.
Beloved author M. C. Beaton has delighted readers and fans alike with her Agatha Raisin mysteries. The Quiche of Death and The Vicious Vet, the first two books in the series, are now together for the first time in one volume. . . .The Quiche of DeathPutting all her eggs in one basket, Agatha Raisin gives up her successful PR firm, sells her London flat, and samples a taste of early retirement in the quiet village of Carsely. Bored, lonely, and used to getting her way, she enters a local baking contest. Despite the fact that Agatha has never baked a thing in her life, she is sure the pie she has secretly bought from an upper-crust London quicherie will make her the toast of the town. But her recipe for social advancement sours when the judge not only snubs her entry--but falls over dead!The Vicious VetAgatha Raisin hasn't quite adjusted to the slow pace of village life, or to the failure of her overtures to her handsome neighbor, James Lacey. Since the new vet in town is young and good looking, Agatha's perfectly healthy tabby endures a nasty physical exam in the name of romance. Unfortunately, his sacrifice is all for naught when the vet is soon found dead. The police call the death a freak accident, but Agatha convinces James that playing amateur detective might be fun. Unfortunately, just as curiosity killed the cat, Agatha's inept snooping is soon a motivation for murder. . . .
Life is finally looking up for the poor relations. The Prince of Wales' coat of arms gleams over the hotel entrance. All but one of the rooms are filled by the open-handed Prince Hugo and his entourage. The owners have taken on a new partner, Mr. Jason Davy, a popular actor. Even curmudgeonly Sir Philip hasn't uttered anything loathsome for days. They have finally reached a position comfortable enough to allow them to consider offers to buy the hotel. The poor relations' hard-earned success, however, is in stark contrast to the plight of their latest guest, Lady Jane Fremney. The slight, beautiful youngest daughter of the Earl of Durby has been cast out of her family for refusing to marry the man her father has chosen. Lonely and bankrupt, Lady Jane has decided to commit suicide. But when Miss Tonks uncovers her plans, the poor relations go into action again to rescue Lady Jane from suicide, her father, and her intended husband.
The brand new Agatha Raisin mystery from multimillion-selling author M. C.
Beaton, the Queen of Cosy Crime, about an eccentric Cotswolds-based detective
with an erratic love life and a penchant for G and Ts . . .
Travel to the Scotland Highlands with this classic Hamish Macbeth cozy mystery from the author of the Agatha Raisin series.Death of a Poison A Hamish Macbeth MysteryWhen the residents of Lochdubh begin receiving poison pen letters, no one takes them seriously. But Constable Hamish Macbeth fears them, and his instincts prove correct when the postmistress is found hanging from a rope with a vicious poison pen letter at her feet.
From the author of the Agatha Raisin television series...DEATH OF A CELEBRITY: A Hamish Macbeth MysteryMurder on the Telly Lochdubh, a remote village reached only by a one-track lane, nestles serenely amid Scotland's hills...until well-known TV reporter Crystal French races into town in her bright BMW. And Constable Hamish Macbeth, dourly wed to duty instead of the fiancee who dumped him, promptly gives her a summons for reckless driving. Outraged, Crystal makes Macbeth's life a misery with a TV report on policing in the Highlands. When she also rakes up old local scandals for her new hit show, Macbeth notes that someone besides himself might be dead keen to stop her. Then someone does-with stealth and violence. Now, finding out who did it will lead the laconic Macbeth down roads he never envisioned, into a dark story of passion and vengeance...and perhaps a crisis of the heart all his own.
M.C. Beaton's much loved and international best-selling series of murderous doings in the Highlands of Scotland continues with Hamish Macbeth investigating the death of a woman who may not have been quite as adorable as she appeared.
The brand new Agatha Raisin mystery from multimillion-selling author M. C.
Beaton, the Queen of Cosy Crime, about an eccentric Cotswolds-based detective
with an erratic love life and a penchant for G and Ts
In this addition to a New York Times bestselling mystery series, Sergeant Hamish Macbeth--Scotland's most quick-witted but unambitious policeman--investigates the disappearance of a local woman who is more than she seems. Kate Hibbert is all too eager to lend a hand to her neighbors. Although she has been a resident of the sleepy village of Lochdubh for only a year, in that time Kate has alienated one too many of its residents with her interfering--and not entirely well-intentioned--ways. When Kate's neighbor sees her lugging a heavy suitcase to the bus stop, he hopes that the prying woman is leaving for good. But two weeks later, Kate's cousin arrives in town with the news that Kate has gone missing--and she demands that the local police step in. Sergeant Hamish Macbeth is called in to investigate the disappearance, and soon he is befuddled by a storm of lies, intrigue, and scandal . . . and the sneaking suspicion that Kate was someone much more sinister than she claimed. Torn between loyalty to Lochdubh and his job, Hamish begins threading his way through a maze of deceit, quickly finding himself on the trail of a ruthless, treacherous murderer. If he catches the killer, peace can return to the village. If he fails, he will lose everything: his job, his home, and the life he so loves in Lochdubh.
No coach journey is ever dull with Miss Pym aboard, and this one proves no exception: Hannah meets Yvonne Grenier, fleeing the horror in France, and very soon determines to find a suitable match for this beautiful and charming Frenchwoman. -- Back cover
Regency England comes to life in the latest of The Poor Relations series. Colonel Sandhurst saves the day by procuring funds for the hotel and helping a young lady escape an unwelcome match. Martin's.
Love, like hell, is a four-letter word for Agatha... No happily ever after for her! Recently married to neighbour James Lacey, Agatha quickly finds that love is not all it's cracked up to be - soon the newly-weds are living in separate cottages and accusing each other of infidelity. Then, after a fight down the local pub, James vanishes - a bloodstain the only clue to his fate. Naturally, Agatha is Suspect Number One. Determined to clear her name - and find her husband - Agatha begins her investigation and promptly discovers a murdered mistress... A wonderfully eccentric crime mystery novel for those that enjoy her novels. This paperback book has 313 pages and measures: 19.7 x 12.5 x 2cm.
Frustrated by a series of small jobs after opening her own detective agency, Agatha Raisin places the fledgling agency's reputation on the line by alienating her friends and flirting with a chief suspect.
"Amy and Effy Tribble place an advertisement in the Morning Post and hire themselves out as chaperones to prepare difficult young misses for marriage, educating them in their School for Manners. Miss Harriet Brown, daughter of a Methodist minister, is the embodiment of propriety and Christian charity - too much so, perhaps, for her own good. The virtues Harriet possesses are far from fashionable but the Tribble sisters feel confident their new charge will attract a worthy vicar or two before the end of the season - if first they can vanquish confirmed rake and gambler Lord Charles Marsham, who seems perversely determined to woo Harriet!"--Publisher description.
"A case that Hamish Macbeth fans will relish." Booklist. A Hamish Macbeth Mystery by the author of "Death of a Snob." When it comes to murder, Constable Hamish Macbeth can't see the joke. Rich, old practical joker Andrew Trent summons his kin to remote Arrat House in the dead of winter for a deathbed farewell. But when they arrive, the old coot is in perfect health, cackling at his joke and ready to torment them with others. But it turns out the joke's on Trent. As the saying goes, he who laughs last, kills first! And when Trent is murdered, Constable Macbeth must step in and solve the crime before the punchline of the next killing joke knocks him right into an early grave!
When health farm owner Jane Wetherby is frightened by an astrologer's prediction of her imminent demise, she offers Police Constable Hamish Wetherby free room in exchange for his protection. Then the prediction proves accurate about the crime, and Wetherby must enliven his distinctively sleepy style of policing to solve the death of a snob.
Mrs. Gillespie is famous around the northwest of Sutherland for being the best charwoman ever. Of course, if anyone has any social pretensions one does not say charwoman, one talks about "my maid". Hamish Macbeth wins Mrs. Gillespie's services in a church raffle but spends most of the day trying to avoid her. She is a malicious gossip and she bangs around the furniture and clanks pots--he wonders how on earth she managed to get such a good reputation. Then she is found dead in a large house belonging to a retired professor who was out the day she was killed. She has been struck down by a metal bucket of water. Remembering Mrs. Gillespie's malicious gossip, Hamish is sure she delighted in finding out secrets and probably searched through the drawers of the houses she cleaned, which means everyone whose home she cleaned could be a suspect.
From the author of the Agatha Raisin television series...DEATH OF A SCRIPTWRITER: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery HOLLYWOOD IN THE HIGHLANDSWith the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe away in London, Lochdubh Constable Hamish Macbeth pines for company during the long Scottish winter. He gets his wish -- and more -- when a troupe of flashy, urbane filmmakers clamors into the nearby town of Drim. Before long bedlam erupts around their make-believe mystery ...and culminates in the sudden appearance of one very real corpse.The initial suspect in the killing is one Patricia Martyn-Broyd, the aging mystery writer furious that her musty old cozies are getting a risque face-lift in their TV reincarnation. Yet, going behind the scenes, Hamish soon finds a town full of locals bitten by the movie bug and a cast of quarreling show business types, all harboring their own secrets, lies, and hidden agendas. And as the culprit strikes again, Hamish must quickly find the right killer -- or script the wrong finale to a show gone murderously awry.
Agatha and her assistant, Toni, are en route to their friend Bill Wong's wedding, eagerly anticipating the bride's attire, when a terrified young man runs towards them—completely naked. This unexpected encounter draws them into a world of naturists, a missing corpse, fantasy games, witchcraft, and even an ice cream empire, all laced with intrigue and murder. Meanwhile, Agatha's life is a whirlwind, with her detective agency bustling and her personal life in disarray, juggling old flames and a new romantic interest. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she finds herself in peril while pursuing a suspected murderer, uncovering dark secrets tied to the ice cream business that lead to a chilling revelation. The series has garnered acclaim, with comparisons to classic characters and a reputation for irresistible charm and intrigue. Readers find Agatha to be a delightful blend of humor and complexity, making each new adventure a joy to experience. The novels have reached cult status, celebrated for their engaging plots and the captivating, flawed heroine at their center.
Enjoying his new fiance+a7e and a lull in his Scottish village's crime rate, police sergeant Hamish Macbeth is upset when his future bride urges him to find a better job, and rivalry over a local heartthrob results in murder. 15,000 first printing.
Lady Beatrice is fleeing an arranged marriage by stagecoach to Brighton, where the proud beauty meets her match in Miss Hannah Pym who is determined to find her a proper beau.
Encouraged by an unruly twin brother, tomboyish Lady Deborah Western seems set on dressing and behaving in a most unladylike manner, much to the dismay of her handsome neighbour, the Earl of Ashton. Fortunately for the Earl, Miss Pym is on hand to make sure the gorgeous girl is introduced to some more feminine pursuits.
Drowned brides are like buses: nothing for ages, then two come along at the same time... Abandoned by husband James, Agatha hops on a plane to the South Pacific, hoping to mend her broken heart. There she meets a honeymooning couple for whom disaster strikes when, tragically, the bride drowns under suspicious circumstances. Back home alarm bells start ringing for Agatha when a woman dressed in a wedding gown is swept down-river. The police say suicide but Agatha sets out to prove them wrong. --Adapted from back cover.
Unlike quite a number of people, Agatha had not given up on Christmas. To have the perfect Christmas had been a childhood dream whilst surviving a rough upbringing in a Birmingham slum. Holly berries glistened, snow fell gently outside, and inside, all was Dickensian jollity. And in her dreams, James Lacey kissed her under the mistletoe, and, like a middle-aged sleeping beauty, she would awake to passion once more.... Agatha Raisin is bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but she'll scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog. Only two things seem to offer potential excitement: the upcoming Christmas festivities and her ex, James Lacey. This year she is sure that if she invites James to a really splendid, old-fashioned Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log. When a wealthy widow hires Agatha because she's convinced a member of her family is trying to kill her, Agatha is intrigued---especially when the widow drops dead after high tea at the manor house. Who in this rather sterile house, complete with fake family portraits, could have hated the old lady enough to poison her? Agatha sets out to find the murderer, all the while managing a pretty, teenage trainee who makes her feel old and planning for a picture-perfect Christmas, with James, all the trimmings, and perhaps even snow.
Just when Hamish most needs him - the dentist turns up dead... In Scotland, where thrift and a nice set of dentures are generally admired, dental surgeon Dr Frederick Gilchrist's cheap rates and penchant for pulling teeth have gained him a clientele. However, wiser Highlanders (like Hamish Macbeth) opt to steer clear of this reputed womanizer's all-too-busy hands. Only jaw-throbbing agony drives Hamish to Gilchrist's surgery, but what he finds is the dentist's dead body - putting several angry husbands in the frame for murder.
Mr John, the handsome Evesham hairdresser, was considered to be a wizard. A budding romance between the wizard and Agatha is cut short when he is poisoned in his salon. Clever red herrings and wicked unfinished business.
This is a celebration of all things Agatha Raisin. It includes an introduction by and exclusive interview with the author, M.C. Beaton, as well as Agatha's previously unseen biography with details of her background, her retirement to the Cotswolds and her (somewhat complicated) love life.It contains a unique insight into village life with a look at all the men in Agatha's life (there are many!), and a section on Agatha's Cotswolds, both real and fictitious. We go back to the beginning and take a look at the plot summaries of the last twenty titles in the series and 'Agatha'a Appetites': a collection of all the recipes featured in the series. Finally, to test your knowledge, there is an Agatha Raisin quiz.NB: While the book cover carries the definite article before the title, the title page omits it and it is the title page that is used for the cataloguing
A special Christmas standalone story for all fans of Hamish Macbeth. And it
could be Hamish's toughest case - to bring some festive cheer to a town long
dampened by the spirit of Scrooge.
Nothing could be more relaxing or sedate than a quiet game of bowls on a pristine bowling green bathed in the sunshine of an English summer's afternoon in the Cotswolds - unless there's a dead body lying on the grass. Agatha Raisin becomes embroiled in a turmoil of jealousy and lies when the tranquility of her local bowls club explodes into a storm of accusation and intrigue - and murder. Her private life is no less turbulent when a past suitor reappears just as her ex-husband seems intent on rekindling their romance, and her close friend, Bill Wong, is in danger of losing the woman he loves
Feeling jilted and cross, Agatha follows a fortune-teller's advice and rents a cottage in the pretty village of Fryfam, where she hopes good fortune and true love will come chasing after her for a change. Instead, her nose for trouble leads her into a maelstrom of jealousy, blackmail and dangerous liasons.
Agatha Raisin's detective agency has become so successful that she decides to take time off for rest and relaxation. But as soon as she does, she remembers that when she does have time on her hands, she doesn't know what to do with it. So it doesn't take much for the vicar of a nearby village to persuade her to help publicize the church fete - especially when the event organizer, George Selby, turns out to be a handsome widower.Agatha brings out the crowds for the fete all right, but there's more going on than innocent village fun. Several of the offerings in the jam-tasting booth turn out to be poisoned and the festive entertainment becomes the scene of two murders.Along with her young assistant, Toni, Agatha must lift the lid on the jam tampering, see to the safety of the church funds, and root out the nasty secrets lurking in the village. Quite a tall order while she is attempting to flirt with gorgeous George, who probably has a few secrets of his own! Praise for the Agatha Raisin series:'M.C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem.' Publishers Weekly'Clever red herrings and some wicked unfinished business guarantees that the listener will pant for a sequel.' The Times audio review
Agatha is going through a man-hating phase and so is unmoved by news of the captivating new curate. But when she meets the golden-haired, blue eyed Tristan Delon, she is swept off her feet ... along with every other female in the village. She is positively ecstatic when he invites her to dine with him but the next day Agatha is left with a hangover from hell - and his cold corpse suggests that, once again, she's in the frame for murder! Agatha and her handsome neighbour, John Armitage, investigate.
She's practically perfect in every way! After being nearly killed by both a hired hit man and her former secretary, Agatha Raisin could use some low-key cases. So when Robert Smedley walks through the door of her detective agency, determined to prove that his wife is cheating on him, Raisin Investigations immediately offers to help. Unfortunately for Agatha, Mabel Smedley appears to be the perfect wife: young, pretty, and a regular volunteer at church. But just as Agatha is ready to give up, Smedley is poisoned with weed killer, leaving Mabel, the prime suspect, to inherit a fortune. With no one left to pay her, Agatha has to drop the investigation . . . that is, until her old friend Sir Charles Fraith turns up again to rekindle her curiosity in the case. Praise for the Agatha Raisin series: 'Sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non-PC, M.C. Beaton has created a national treasure' Anne Robinson 'M.C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem' Publishers Weekly 'The Miss Marple-like Raisin is a refreshing, sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likeable heroine' Booklist
Agatha Raisin has never been one for enforced holiday cheer, but her friendly little village of Carsely has always prided itself on its traditional Christmas festivities. But this year the bells will not be ringing out Silent Night.
From the author of the Agatha Raisin television series...DEATH OF AN OUTSIDER: A Hamish Macbeth MysteryThe most hated man in the most dour town in Scotland is sleeping with the fishes, or-more accurately-dumped into a tank filled with crustaceans. All that remain of the murdered victim are his bones. But after the lobsters are shipped off to Britain's best restaurants, the whole affair quickly lands on the plate of Constable Hamish Macbeth. Exiled with his dog, Towser, to the dreary outpost of Cnothan, Macbeth sorely misses his beloved Lochdubh, his formerly beloved Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, and his days of doing nothing but staring at the sheep grazing in a nearby croft. Now the lawman has to contend with a detective chief inspector who wants the modus operandi hushed up, a dark-haired lass who has an ulterior motive to seduce him, and a killer who has made mincemeat of his victim-and without doubt will strike again . . .
Returning from a vacation, Constable Hamish Macbeth senses a dark cloud of evil hanging over his Scottish village of Lochdubh. Newcomer Catriona Beldame has cast a bewitching spell over the town, causing the local men to visit her cottage at all hours of the night and infuriating the women. Hamish suspects that she is a great danger to the town. Before he can prove that Catriona is truly wicked, she is brutally murdered-and Hamish becomes the prime suspect in the case. The constable will call upon the assistance of a pretty female forensic expert as he attempts to clear his name . . . and perhaps even find some romance. But when more violence breaks out, loyal Hamish must use all his detective skills to restore peace to his beloved village.
Beloved New York Times bestseller M.C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin--the star of her own hit T.V. 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 convenor 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.
První případ pro komisaře Dupina, milovníka tučňáků a kofeinu, rodilého Pařížana za trest přeloženého do Bretaně – na konec světa. V malebné pobřežní vesničce je jednoho horkého červencového rána nalezen zavražděný stařičký majitel slavného hotelu. Komisař Georges Dupin se v bretaňské letní idylce záhy dostává na stopu podivuhodného tajemství..
A therapist had moved into the village of Carsely and Agatha Raisin hates her. Not only was this therapist, Jill Davent, romancing Agatha's ex-husband, but she had dug up details of Agatha's slum background. Added to that, Jill was counselling a woman called Gwen Simple from Winter Parva and Agatha firmly believed Gwen to have assisted her son in some grisly murders, although has no proof she had done so. A resentment is different from a dislike and needs to be shared, so as the friendship between James and Jill grows stronger, the more Agatha does to try to find out all she can about her. When Jill is found strangled to death in her office two days' later, Agatha finds herself under suspicion - and must fight to clear her name.
After being shaved bald during a previous case, Agatha Raisin goes to a seaside resort and enlists the aid of a local witch to grow her hair back, putting her right in the middle of things when the witch is found dead. Reprint.
Travel to the Scotland Highlands with this classic Hamish Macbeth cozy mystery where an unladylike gossip columnist meets an untimely and watery death. From the author of the Agatha Raisin series. When society widow and gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joined the fishing class, she wasted no time in ruffling the feathers--or was it the fins?--of those around her. Among the victims of her sharp tongue and unladylike manner was Lochdubh Constable Hamish Macbeth. Yet not even Hamish thought someone would permanently silence Lady Jane's shrills--until her strangled body is fished out of the river. Now with the help of the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish must angle through the choppy waters of the tattler's life to find the murderer. But with a school of suspects who aren't ready to talk and dead women telling no tales, Hamish may be in over his head, for he knows that secrets are dangerous, knowledge is power, and killers usually do strike again.
Just back from an extended stay in London, Agatha Raisin finds herself greeted by torrential rains and an old, familiar feeling of boredom. When her handsome new neighbor, Paul Chatterton, shows up on her doorstep, she tries her best to ignore his obvious charms, but his sparkling black eyes and the promise of adventure soon lure her into another investigation. Paul has heard rumors about Agatha's reputation as the Cotswold village sleuth and wastes no time offering their services to the crotchety owner of a haunted house. Whispers, footsteps, and a cold white mist are plaguing Mrs. Witherspoon, but the police have failed to come up with any leads, supernatural or otherwise. The neighbors think it's all a desperate ploy for attention, but Paul and Agatha are sure something more devious is going on. Someone's playing tricks on Mrs. Witherspoon, and when she turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Agatha finds herself caught up in another baffling murder mystery.
Agatha Raisin's neighbouring village of Ancombe is usually the epitome of quiet rural charm, but the arrival of a new mineral water company - which intends to tap into the village spring - sends tempers flaring and divides the parish council into two stubborn camps. When Agatha, who happens to be the PR person for the company, finds the council chairman murdered at the basin of the spring, tongues start wagging. Could one of the council members have silenced the chairman before he could cast the deciding vote? It is up to Agatha, still nursing a bruised heart, to investigate the councillors, solve the crime - and promote the water company in the face of all this scandal!
