Rating: 
Summary: Who Murdered the Curate?
Review: In this 13th book in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha is unlucky in love again. She returns from another P.R. project in London only to find that the village church has a new curate, Tristian. It seems he is there to help the vicar, Alf Bloxsby (husband of Agatha's friend, Mrs. Bloxsby), who is not at all sure that he is actually "helping" him at all. All of the Carsley ladies are soon taken with this handsome curate, and even Agatha succumbs to his charms. After having dinner with him, Agatha soon learns that the playboy curate is found dead, and there are plenty of suspects in his death. Did Agatha kill him because he was nasty to her at dinner? Did Alf Bloxsby kill him for taking over his parish? Or was he killed by one of his supposed admirers?I have loved each of the installments in this series, and this book did not disappoint. Agatha is as sharp as ever (in both wit and in tongue) and I enjoyed the fact that Mrs. Bloxsby played a larger role in this case. I was happy to see that Agatha's former love interest, James Lacey, did not take a large role in this book, and I look forward to a new romance for her in future books. If you like cozy mysteries, than this book (and the entire series) is for you. The first book in this series is "Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death". Enjoy! A Cozy Lover
Rating:
Summary: Who Murdered the Curate?
Review: In this 13th book in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha is unlucky in love again. She returns from another P.R. project in London only to find that the village church has a new curate, Tristian. It seems he is there to help the vicar, Alf Bloxsby (husband of Agatha's friend, Mrs. Bloxsby), who is not at all sure that he is actually "helping" him at all. All of the Carsley ladies are soon taken with this handsome curate, and even Agatha succumbs to his charms. After having dinner with him, Agatha soon learns that the playboy curate is found dead, and there are plenty of suspects in his death. Did Agatha kill him because he was nasty to her at dinner? Did Alf Bloxsby kill him for taking over his parish? Or was he killed by one of his supposed admirers? I have loved each of the installments in this series, and this book did not disappoint. Agatha is as sharp as ever (in both wit and in tongue) and I enjoyed the fact that Mrs. Bloxsby played a larger role in this case. I was happy to see that Agatha's former love interest, James Lacey, did not take a large role in this book, and I look forward to a new romance for her in future books. If you like cozy mysteries, than this book (and the entire series) is for you. The first book in this series is "Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death". Enjoy! A Cozy Lover
Rating: 
Summary: Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate
Review: M.C. Beaton has done it again with the 13th in this delightful series of Agatha Raisin books. Each of them is an entertaining read, and they leave one wondering what is next for Agatha, an amateur detective who lives in a Cotswold Village. Agatha discovers that her ex-husband, James, who claimed to have left her to join a monastery in France is no longer at the monastery, and it seems that he used the monastery as an excuse to divorce her. She decides that she is through with men again. However, she has settled into village life and has even found a good friend in Mrs. Bloxsby, the vicar's wife. Agatha is asked to assist when Mrs. Bloxsby's husband, Alf, is suspected of murdering a good looking and charming new curate. She and her neighbor, mystery writer John Armitage, set off to solve the crime. John Armitage thinks Agatha is a pushy, selfish woman, but there is more to Agatha than that. She is grappling with the "old longing to just let herself go, stop chasing after men, [and] give up the battle against age." In the end, Agatha solves still another case, John Armitage leaves to live in London, and Agatha gets another new neighbor, a computer expert by the name of Paul Chatterton. A new love interest? We will have to wait for book #14.
Rating:
Summary: Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate
Review: M.C. Beaton has done it again with the 13th in this delightful series of Agatha Raisin books. Each of them is an entertaining read, and they leave one wondering what is next for Agatha, an amateur detective who lives in a Cotswold Village. Agatha discovers that her ex-husband, James, who claimed to have left her to join a monastery in France is no longer at the monastery, and it seems that he used the monastery as an excuse to divorce her. She decides that she is through with men again. However, she has settled into village life and has even found a good friend in Mrs. Bloxsby, the vicar's wife. Agatha is asked to assist when Mrs. Bloxsby's husband, Alf, is suspected of murdering a good looking and charming new curate. She and her neighbor, mystery writer John Armitage, set off to solve the crime. John Armitage thinks Agatha is a pushy, selfish woman, but there is more to Agatha than that. She is grappling with the "old longing to just let herself go, stop chasing after men, [and] give up the battle against age." In the end, Agatha solves still another case, John Armitage leaves to live in London, and Agatha gets another new neighbor, a computer expert by the name of Paul Chatterton. A new love interest? We will have to wait for book #14.
Rating:
Summary: Usual suspects and more add up to a great line up
Review: Poor Agatha Raisin. She is not nice in the conventional sense and she has none of the homemaking qualities one associates with good village women. And yet there is something about her insecurities, her imperfect pitch in the hum of relationships, and her dazzling self-involvement (coupled with almost no self-awareness) that makes her a wonderful protagonist in the perfect-picture setting of these novels. M.C. Beaton again develops a believable and funny cast of characters, some of whom are quite disposable, and sets in motion a plot with more twists than your average village ramble. It may be the best book yet in this enjoyable series, with the finger of accusation pointing at... well, it would not do to tell. My only complaint is that Agatha Raisin is always "high carb" reading; the book ends while I am still craving more, more...
Rating:
Summary: A good installment, but not up to par.
Review: The latest adventure of Agatha Raisin is a worthy addition to the series. When the vicar's new curate is murdered (which is surprising at first), Agatha is asked by the vicar's wife to investigate as the vicar is the primary suspect. Naturally, Agatha obliges,
Along the way she manages to come very close to getting arrested for interfering with the police, makes a big mark in the social circle of her village, and learns more about herself.
While the murder investigation is interesting, it tends to drag a bit. Also, in my opinion, the murder happened too early. I also feel that John Armitage wasn't necessary as Agatha could have easily gotten the information by herself with her connections outside the village. John is probably the most boring character Ms. Beaton has created.
In agreement with a previous reviewer, the solution to the mystery was a surprise. My mouth actually dropped when I got to it.
Despite the flaws, this is one of the best in the series. It's almost as good as the first ones in the series.
Rating:
Summary: A triumph! The very best of this series so far!
Review: This is a spectacular entry in M.C. Beaton's delightful series of "cozies" featuring the deliciously imperfect Agatha Raisin. Ms. Beaton has scored a huge hit with this entry, which is a truly excellent whodunit, with the emphasis on mystery rather than Agatha's love life. Regular readers who have been frustrated with the editorial errors in prior novels will be pleased to know this entry shows substantial improvements in editing as well. Agatha returns from another public relations project in London to find her Cotswold village of Carsley agog over the arrival of a new curate, hired to help local vicar Alf Bloxby, husband of Agatha's good friend. Tristan Delon is a stunningly beautiful young man, with the face of a voluptuous angel and more than his share of charm. Carsley's church is packed when he begins delivering sermons. Of course, our Agatha is struck all of a heap by Tristan, in spite of Mrs. Bloxby's less than enthusiastic opinion of him. Agatha is naturally delighted when Tristan invites her to his lodgings for a sumptuous dinner, but is shrewd enough to refuse his offer to manage her stock portfolio. Murder still seems to follow our Agatha, so it's not surprising the gorgeous new curate is found murdered the morning after her dinner with him. What is surprising is that he's found dead in the vicar's study, stabbed with the vicar's paper knife, with the church donation box nearby. This, of course, puts the Bloxbys under suspicion, and this time, it is Mrs. Bloxby who implores Agatha to investigate. Eager to clear the vicar, Agatha agrees and the fun begins. Of course, the curate was not the angelic creature he appeared to be, but a spiteful, malicious creep who enjoyed befriending the wealthy and conning them out of money, then deserting them and trying to blackmail them. Those affected by his misdeeds are scattered between London and Carsely, and Agatha energetically tracks them all. Two villagers are murdered in quick succession, and Agatha fears gossip and suspicion will destroy not only the Bloxbys, but the friendly nature of her village as well. The solution is delicious, the clues fairly placed, and, I must confess, I was actually surprised----a first for me! Many of Beaton's novels are light on mystery, but this entry does not short the reader in any way. Beaton continues the development of her characters and moves them through their lives and relationships in the same highly entertaining manner, while constructing a tighter, faster paced mystery than usual. I was impressed by the skill with which she briefly draws the personalities of the large number of suspects in this novel. Agatha is more professional here, and although her oddly endearing abrasiveness and insecurity remain, there is evidence of Agatha's continuing personal growth as well, particularly in her decision to begin an old folks' club in Carsely. She is assisted in this case by new neighbor John Armitage, to whom she seems oddly unattracted, given his good looks. Of course, Agatha is finally returning to her tough, coarser exterior here, perhaps in reaction to learning her beloved ex-husband James Lacey did not in fact join the monastery for which he supposedly divorced her. Adorable detective constable Bill Wong is present as usual, concerned for Agatha's safety and still having girlfriend trouble. Neither Agatha's former office boy Roy Silver nor fickle baronet Sir Charles Fraith appear in this novel, as both are occupied elsewhere. So, readers will evidently have to wait to see if Charles escapes his disastrous marriage and loses his recently acquired avoirdupois. Fans will also eagerly await the next installment to see if the next handsome new neighbor moving into the cottage next door formerly occupied by James Lacey and John Armitage will catch Agatha's eye! As usual, I can't wait for the next installment in this series!!
Rating:
Summary: Agatha Raisin is back on form
Review: This outing finds Agatha once again battling depression. She doesn't like getting old. She sometimes finds her retirement boring. And, she just never seems to find the right man to spend her time with. The pretty boy new curate is murdered very early in the book, and Agatha spends the remaining chapters trying to clear the name of her good friend Mrs. Bloxby's husband. Everyone in Carsely thinks the Vicar done it, because the curate was more popular. Once again, Agatha is sleuthing with her neighbor, the mystery writer, and once again the two of them are constantly sending each other missed signals. Agatha may never find romantic happiness, but she's a good friend, and a terrific fundraiser. If she ever learns to recognize contentedness, it may be the end of her detecting. Lucky for us, she remains obtuse.
Rating:
Summary: Still fresh and fun to read
Review: What I want to know is, How does M C Beaton do it? She turns out two books a year -- one in each series -- and each offers a fresh plot and a new twist to old characters. As other reviewers have noted, a beautiful new curate comes to Agatha's village in the Cotswolds. Agatha is flattered when he asks her to dinner, but soon realizes he has shown a general interest in wealthy women.
When the curate is murdered, suspicion falls on the
vicar, who had been displaced in his flock's affections by the charismatic young man. And Agatha can't resist taking off to solve the mystery. I have to agree that in some ways, this book does not sparkle as earlier volumes did -- but partly that's because we've gotten to know the character. She's really settled into her cottage with her cats and there aren't too many facets of her character left for us to understand. The author needs to bring in some new characters who can be foils for Agatha Raisin's unique personality. Her on-and-off romance with James Lacey worked because Lacey was, in his way, an interesting character. Here she teams up with a detective story writer who moved next door and he just isn't sharp enough to share the stage. That being said, I loved this book, as i've enjoyed every single one in the series. I think it's time for Agatha to embark on something totally different. Perhaps a distant relative could send her a child or teenager to look after for awhile. Perhaps she could undertake psychoanalysis or a religious retreat. She's tough and domineering and she needs a worthy opponent to keep sharp.
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