Rating: 
Summary: an enjoyable, light mystery
Review: After having wasted so much time and effort on men, Agatha Raisin has had enough. She's going to swear off men, and spend her time peacefully pottering about her garden and house, and playing with her cats. Even the realization that she has a new and good looking neighbour, Paul Chatterton, barely raises her pulse. That is until Paul turns up at her doorstep, oozing charm and suggesting that they team up together in order to solve the mystery of who's haunting old and rich Mrs. Witherspoon from the neighbouring village of Hebberdon. Suddenly all of Agatha's repressed feelings are surging to the fore again as she begins to fantasize about solving the mystery single-handedly and winning Paul's love and approval. But Paul is married and Mrs. Witherspoon ends up dead under highly suspicious circumstances. Why would anyone have wanted to end the old lady's life? Agatha is determined to solve this perplexing mystery (hopefully with Paul's help), especially after the nasty and hostile Detective Inspector Runcorn warns her off interfering with his case...If you're looking for a fast, light read, then this latest Agatha Raisin mystery novel should do amply. This particular installment is a lot less dark -- Agatha has matured some, is slowly coming out of her obsession with the now absent James Lacey, and is learning (somewhat) to cope with her feelings of pain, anger and rejection. Of course, hope still springs eternal and Agatha, while she may tell herself she's given up on men, still has hopes that she'll find someone wonderful who will love and accept her as she is -- hence the hopes that center on her new neighbour Paul. However, while this latest Agatha Raisin novel is a little more upbeat, the old Agatha with all her old insecurities, bluntness and single-minded drive is back in full strength, and that is something worth celebrating. The book unfolded briskly if not always smoothly, but M. C. Beaton's brilliance at fleshing out scenes and characters more than made up for this not always smooth unfolding of the plot. I'm a big Agatha Raisin fan and I'll admit to some biasness where the Agatha Raisin books are concerned, so you'll have to bear this in mind when reading my review; anyway, here's my final say on "Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House": if you're partial to LIGHT mysteries set in small English villages, that are fast and NOT particularly deep reads, read this book. Otherwise, try something else.
Rating: 
Summary: An intriguing mystery
Review: After working a free lance public relations job in London for over a month, Agatha Raisin is glad to return to her quaint college in Carsley in England. Still hurting from her divorce, she doesn't even try to get acquainted with her new handsome neighbor Paul Chatterton. One day while she is relaxing in her garden with her two cats, Paul approaches her about investigating a house the owner claims is haunted. Feeling ennui, Agatha agrees to examine the woman's claims but when mist starts appearing in the living room in the middle of the night, Agatha gets scared and runs off. A few days later, the woman is found dead and when Paul and Agatha attend the inquest, they learn she was murdered. Paul eggs Agatha into snooping around with him and they quickly find out that the woman had a lot of enemies including her own children. Yet when a suspect is arrested, Agatha thinks the police have the wrong person and starts digging deeper and in the process almost gets killed by a very determined murderer. Fans of the Agatha Raisin mysteries will understand why they are so addictive but first time readers of this series should note that once they are finished with this novel, the reader will want to immediately obtain the complete backlist. The heroine may be contrary, ornery and raunchy but she takes no guff from anyone. She tries to project an image of a hard woman but inside she is vulnerable and lonely which is why readers care so much about her. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: An intriguing mystery
Review: After working a free lance public relations job in London for over a month, Agatha Raisin is glad to return to her quaint college in Carsley in England. Still hurting from her divorce, she doesn't even try to get acquainted with her new handsome neighbor Paul Chatterton. One day while she is relaxing in her garden with her two cats, Paul approaches her about investigating a house the owner claims is haunted. Feeling ennui, Agatha agrees to examine the woman's claims but when mist starts appearing in the living room in the middle of the night, Agatha gets scared and runs off. A few days later, the woman is found dead and when Paul and Agatha attend the inquest, they learn she was murdered. Paul eggs Agatha into snooping around with him and they quickly find out that the woman had a lot of enemies including her own children. Yet when a suspect is arrested, Agatha thinks the police have the wrong person and starts digging deeper and in the process almost gets killed by a very determined murderer. Fans of the Agatha Raisin mysteries will understand why they are so addictive but first time readers of this series should note that once they are finished with this novel, the reader will want to immediately obtain the complete backlist. The heroine may be contrary, ornery and raunchy but she takes no guff from anyone. She tries to project an image of a hard woman but inside she is vulnerable and lonely which is why readers care so much about her. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: --Another enjoyable Agatha mystery--
Review: AGATHA RAISIN AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE is the fourteenth book in this mystery series. I open each and every Agatha Raisin story with anticipation and the knowledge that I'll be able to get into the story quickly and learn what's been going on in Agatha's life. I haven't been disappointed yet! This story begins with Agatha still in pain over the defection of James Lacey, her husband. He left her to become a monk and so Agatha fills her time with free lance public relations work in London. Upon returning home to the Cotswold's, she finds that Paul Chatterton, a new and handsome gentleman has moved next door. In fact, he's heard of her and her past investigations. They become friendly and Paul proposes that they offer to help an elderly lady from a neighboring village who claims that her home is haunted. Of course, murders do take place and Agatha is spurred on by Paul to keep investigating. As Agatha starts dreaming of having a relationship with Paul, her old friend Sir Charles comes to visit and insinuates to Paul, that Agatha is his girlfriend. Paul seems annoyed and maybe a little jealous, he backs off and and starts to investigate on his own. Sir Charles is very supportive of Agatha and becomes a kinder friend that he had been in the past. Of course, Aggie, as Sir Charles calls her, helps to solve the mystery of the haunted house, and the book ends with Agatha thinking about starting her own detective agency.
Rating: 
Summary: The Irascible Agatha Raisin Returns In Her 14th Adventure
Review: Agatha Raisin returns in her 14th adventure. All the characters we've come to love also return. There's the esteemed Mrs. Bloxby, the flamboyant Ron Silver, endearing Bill Wong minus his wacky parents, and even a surprise visit from Sir Charles Fraith. Agatha, however, does seem to be getting a little too trite. I love her crotchety nature, and although there were glimpses of it here, Agatha is becoming a little too obsessed with whatever man moves in next door. Worst of all, the strong Mrs. Raisin actually broke down and cried and, horror of horrors, fainted at the sight of a dead body. That's not the real Agatha! Don't go soft on us, girl! This book also didn't live up to previous ones because Agatha's male love interest was just too wimpy for words. The fact that he had a wife, albeit a stereotypical dark-haired and jealous beauty, also never really made the reader think Agatha could wind up with him. So now, yet another man may move into the cottage next door and Agatha will have one more chance to wear her sexy black nightie. Ho, hum. Maybe Ms. Beaton needs to go back to what made Agatha so endearing to begin with---her desperate plotting, her vulnerablity, her total disdain for anything that stood in her path and her hilariously outrageous behavior. I was also a little disappointed that the big plans Agatha made at the end of the previous book---the desire to start an active group for senior citizens of the village---got nary a mention. Hopefully, her big plan at the end of this book will carry forward to the next one. With all the shortcomings of this offering, I still love Agatha, a woman who wouldn't dream of cooking for herself and will subsist on frozen dinners while preparing fresh fish for her cats.
Rating:
Summary: The Irascible Agatha Raisin Returns In Her 14th Adventure
Review: Agatha Raisin returns in her 14th adventure. All the characters we've come to love also return. There's the esteemed Mrs. Bloxby, the flamboyant Ron Silver, endearing Bill Wong minus his wacky parents, and even a surprise visit from Sir Charles Fraith. Agatha, however, does seem to be getting a little too trite. I love her crotchety nature, and although there were glimpses of it here, Agatha is becoming a little too obsessed with whatever man moves in next door. Worst of all, the strong Mrs. Raisin actually broke down and cried and, horror of horrors, fainted at the sight of a dead body. That's not the real Agatha! Don't go soft on us, girl! This book also didn't live up to previous ones because Agatha's male love interest was just too wimpy for words. The fact that he had a wife, albeit a stereotypical dark-haired and jealous beauty, also never really made the reader think Agatha could wind up with him. So now, yet another man may move into the cottage next door and Agatha will have one more chance to wear her sexy black nightie. Ho, hum. Maybe Ms. Beaton needs to go back to what made Agatha so endearing to begin with---her desperate plotting, her vulnerablity, her total disdain for anything that stood in her path and her hilariously outrageous behavior. I was also a little disappointed that the big plans Agatha made at the end of the previous book---the desire to start an active group for senior citizens of the village---got nary a mention. Hopefully, her big plan at the end of this book will carry forward to the next one. With all the shortcomings of this offering, I still love Agatha, a woman who wouldn't dream of cooking for herself and will subsist on frozen dinners while preparing fresh fish for her cats.
Rating:
Summary: Exactly what you expect from Mrs. Raisin
Review: I only just started reading the Agatha Raisin series about a year ago and I have read them all to date. I find The Haunted Mansion delightful. I would like to see her either end up with the neighbor or for her to have a married couple move in next time but if you like a good mystery then this book along with all of the others in the series delivers. If you are looking for something a little different than the other books in the series then you may want to try to read something else but if you like Mrs Raisin and you enjoy watching her get into, and most times stay into trouble then you will enjoy this book and take it for what it is worth. Lets hope that another comes out very soon.
Rating:
Summary: Exactly what you expect from Mrs. Raisin
Review: I only just started reading the Agatha Raisin series about a year ago and I have read them all to date. I find The Haunted Mansion delightful. I would like to see her either end up with the neighbor or for her to have a married couple move in next time but if you like a good mystery then this book along with all of the others in the series delivers. If you are looking for something a little different than the other books in the series then you may want to try to read something else but if you like Mrs Raisin and you enjoy watching her get into, and most times stay into trouble then you will enjoy this book and take it for what it is worth. Lets hope that another comes out very soon.
Rating:
Summary: Thouroughly Enjoyed Aggie This Time.
Review: Nothing is more satisfying than a new Agatha Raisin mystery. This latest in the series is totally enjoyable. In this book we see Agatha involved in solving a mystery with a new paramour, but this one is apparently married. A new man has moved into James' cottage next door. He approaches Agatha to help lay a ghost to rest in an old cottage in a neighbouring village. Things get going when the woman from this haunted house is found dead a month or so later. Agatha and Paul set out to find a killer. In true Agatha Raisin fashion she bumbles and bosses her way into a solution. What a treat she really is!
Rating:
Summary: Thouroughly Enjoyed Aggie This Time.
Review: Nothing is more satisfying than a new Agatha Raisin mystery. This latest in the series is totally enjoyable. In this book we see Agatha involved in solving a mystery with a new paramour, but this one is apparently married. A new man has moved into James' cottage next door. He approaches Agatha to help lay a ghost to rest in an old cottage in a neighbouring village. Things get going when the woman from this haunted house is found dead a month or so later. Agatha and Paul set out to find a killer. In true Agatha Raisin fashion she bumbles and bosses her way into a solution. What a treat she really is!
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