My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by M.C. Beaton has fled to an English seaside town so she can grow out her hair a little before James Lacey sees her next.  She stays at an old fashioned hotel, where there are a number of permanent guests who play scrabble every night.  Agatha feels out of place, but takes one of the guests advice about going to see the local witch for a hair tonic.

Whilst at the seaside town, she meets a nice man who takes her dancing, which is a boost to her ego.  But, you know that murder is never far from Agatha, no matter where she goes, and that she has to investigate when it happens!

I’m still enjoying these books!  Agatha is so forthright that it’s always a good read to see what she’s gotten up to this time!  They have all been good books, and the characters have remained consistent, which can be a problem with a long series!

Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden was published in December 1999 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (book 2)

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (book 3)

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (book 4)

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (book 5)

Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist (book 6)

Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death (book 7)

Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham (book 8)

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by M.C. Beaton has Agatha going to a new hairdresser, Mr John, that she hears about.  He does a lovely job, is very charming, and asks her out.  Agatha is flattered, especially as she’s sad that James is still off on his travels, but when one of the other ladies of Carsley hears she’s been to him, she’s warned to avoid him.

When he drops down dead, Agatha knows she needs to investigate, and Sir Charles is on board!  

This is another cosy crime, with fun characters and unfortunate scrapes that Agatha gets herself into!

Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham was published in April 1999, and is available on Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (book 2)

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (book 3)

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (book 4)

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (book 5)

Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist (book 6)

Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death (book 7)

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death by M.C. Beaton has a new mineral water company that is going to use a local spring to bottle water and sell it, except the locals aren’t very happy about it.

Agatha gets hired to be the PR for it, and finds one of the owners quite dishy, but decides that he obviously can’t be interested in her.  She’s still nursing her broken heart over James, and so when another murder happens, she plunges into investigating it.

This is another entertaining book in the series, and I enjoyed the story.  These are good cosy mystery books, and Agatha’s adventures are always surprising.

Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death was published in August 1998, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (book 2)

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (book 3)

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (book 4)

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (book 5)

Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist (book 6)

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist by M.C. Beaton has James Lacey in Cyprus, after the disastrous wedding day with Agatha.  Agatha is at home in Carsley, and is planning to chase after James.  Afterall, he’s on their honeymoon without her! 

In Cyprus, she ends up doing some of the tourist things with a couple of groups, who seem to be the opposite of each other.  When one of the group is killed, Agatha decides that she is going to be the one to figure it out.  She needs something to take her mind off James!

This has twists and turns that surprised me, and having a different setting was interesting.  This was a good book, with fun occurrences, and  a lot of Agatha blundering aro

Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist was published in October 1997 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (book 2)

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (book 3)

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (book 4)

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (book 5)

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton has Agatha and James about to marry.  Except she hasn’t told James that she’s already married, but she’s sure he’s dead by now.  So, you know that something dramatic is going to happen at the wedding!

This has lots of comedy and moments of sadness.  I do enjoy these books, and love to see how Agatha is going to solve the mystery.  I listen to the audio books, which I really enjoy as Penelope Keith does them!

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage was published on 1st December 1996, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (book 2)

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (book 3)

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (book 4)

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C Beaton (Agatha Raisin book 4) has Agatha and James posing as a married couple!  Yes, they’re investigating another murder!  The leader of a walking group has been found murdered in Sir Charles’ field, and Deborah, a member of the walkers group, who is seeing Sir Charles, wants Agatha and James to find out who did it!

The things Agatha will do to solve a case! 

It’s another entertaining read, with Agatha getting jealous, James getting annoyed, and Agatha still hopeful that James might fall in love with her!

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley was published in 1995, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (book 2)

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (book 3)

My review:????

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan-Erskine is a murder mystery that has a lot of elements of lock down life in 2020!  There is toilet paper hoarding, food shortages, and unexpected childcare!

In the style of a golden age murder mystery, this is a country house murder set in the 1930s, where the guests can’t leave due to an illness sweeping the countryside. 

The house is Loch Down Abbey, and when the Earl is found dead, everyone is a suspect.  We have family members who don’t get on, weird dynamics, and of course, secrets and lies.

This is a rollicking read, and especially funny as you encounter lockdown reminders as you go along.

Loch Down Abbey was published on 10th June 2021 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I’m afraid I couldn’t find anywhere for you to follow Beth Cowan-Erskine.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Hodder & Stoughton.

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C Beaton (Agatha Raisin 3) has the village of Carsely opening their gardens to one another, and as James Lacey has taken up with newcomer, Mary Fortune, who is amazing at gardening, this is the thing that Agatha has decided she has to beat her at.

Not that she’s jealous.  Our green-eyed monster of an amateur detective decides that she’s going to cheat, and of course, hi-jinx ensues.  Then Mary Fortune is found murdered in her garden.  Agatha will just have to help find the murderer, and spend some more time with James!

I do enjoy Agatha being forthright, but do find her pining after James Lacey to be a little sad.  But, every person has their flaws, and will love/ lust after people they can’t always have.  I do like these as light, entertaining cosy crimes.

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener was published in 1994, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (book 2)

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M.C Beaton has a dishy vet who has a practice in the village, and the women are flocking to see him with their pets.  He’s charming to them, but seems to hold the pets quite tightly.

Then he’s found dead in a horse stall. It looks like accidental death, that he managed to stab himself with an injection instead of the horse.  But Agatha starts investigating, after all, it’s a good reason to spend time with James Lacey, her next door neighbour that Agatha is after.

This is another hilarious cosy mystery, with Agatha putting her foot in it, and learning to be less on her guard all of the time.  

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet was first published in 1993, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

My review:????

The Ghost It Was by Richard Hull is a murder mystery set in 1930s.  James Warrenton has bought Amberhurst Place, he is beset with nephews (and a niece), is interested in spiritualism, and believes there is a ghost in the house.  

The nephews don’t all get on, with one of them living with their uncle, and he is hoping to be the one to inherit.

This is a whodunit, with knocking noises, ghosts being seen, and someone dying – was it the ghost that killed them, a person or was it an accident?  

I enjoyed the story and the journey it takes you on!

The Ghost It Was was first published in 1936, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Agora Books.