Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Departure
Review: I enjoyed this book more than anything I've read recently. The setting is the classic English country village, where doors go unlocked and gardening, tea, and the Ladies Society are the priorities of most of its residents. The real jewel is Agatha Raisin herself; a wonderfully flawed character who makes us laugh and shake our heads sometimes. Some have compared her to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, but she's really very different. She's middle-aged former P.R. exec who has moved to the country in her retirement, with a heavy crush on her next-door neighbor, who unfortunately doesn't return the sentiment. Agatha returns home from a solitary vacation that wasn't quite as fun as she'd hoped to find that a new, glamorous woman has moved into town and gotten her claws into Agatha's love interest, and in an attempt to thwart the affair Agatha decides to join the gardening club, which both James (the neighbor) and the new woman are avid members of. Soon, the new woman is murdered. It gets hilarious when we find Agatha up to her old tricks - cheating in a contest, going to elaborate lengths to cover it up, but of course it all comes out in the end, including the murderer. This was a great, fun read. Agatha is a real gem! Her flaws and sometimes petty emotions sometimes remind me a little of, well, me!
Rating: 
Summary: The sleuth's a winner, the plot is fluffy
Review: I read this at someone else's urging, not being a regular devotee to the mystery genre, and I was pleasantly surprised. Agatha Raisin is delightful, sort of a middle-aged Bridget Jones with brains and business acumen. She rises above cute kookiness--her feelings and motivations are quite honestly rendered, though one would wish for her sake she would think before she opens her mouth or acts on some occasions. Most of the pickles she gets herself into are based in her crush on her neighbor, James Lacey, who compares to Mark Darcy of the Bridget Jones books. When the inevitable murder comes due, she and Lacey manage to work together until they solve the whodunit.Beaton is a witty writer who turns a nice sentence. She makes satirical hay of the village murder mystery genre and the age-old theme of fish out of water (Agatha has taken early retirement in a Cotswold village, escaping momentarily from a high-powered London job.) The actual mystery is kind of poofy; James quietly nails it early on, but his observation is thrown away. It is obvious from the getgo who will be murdered, a rather inscrutable character who the author has set up with a variety of conflicting behaviors but never imbues with the psychological resonance that would explain or reconcile the behaviors. In other words, a cartoon. The obligatory red herrings don't fare much better. The villagers more than make up for this lapse in character definition, however.
Rating: 
Summary: Not worth it.
Review: I'm sorry. I have tried to read M.C. Beaton's Agatha series, but after three attempts I can honestly say I do not like them. The Potted Gardener I read because of the 5 Star rating but really found it about a 2 if that. Her best series is her Hamish MacBeth books. I have read every single one and have loved them. The Agatha series does not have any of the wonderfully real characters that you find yourself liking and looking forward to visiting again. Agatha's relationship with James is very irritating. Where Hamish and his love for Priscilla just keeps you hoping they will find their way back to each other. The three Agatha books that I have read were flat/boring and I found myself flipping through just to get to the end. For a Hamish Macbeth book I would definitely buy it in hardback. Agatha Raisin - I don't even think I would pick it up at the used bookstore... I'm sorry, Ms. Beaton.
Rating:
Summary: I think I'm hooked.
Review: It's a great pleasure to read Agatha's adventure again. Reading along the book, I thought I became Agatha herself. Though there might be lots to be commented and criticized as a detective novel, I can't because the most powerful thing domineering this series is not a murder not a murderer/ess but the character of Agatha. She's a stocky, middle aged woman with a deceiving habit according to Bill Wong, but she's warm-hearted and attractive unlike Mary pretending. Though I don't like her uninterrupted affection toward James Lacey, I couldn't help laughing loudly reading her trick to kiss him...Ha-Ha-Ha..It's really delightful to get rid of my stress. I love her so much and look forward to knowing her adventures and romance. I bought the rest volumes, and deeply agree with Romantic Times' review, "once you read one, you're hooked!"
Rating:
Summary: I think I'm hooked.
Review: It's a great pleasure to read Agatha's adventure again. Reading along the book, I thought I became Agatha herself. Though there might be lots to be commented and criticized as a detective novel, I can't because the most powerful thing domineering this series is not a murder not a murderer/ess but the character of Agatha. She's a stocky, middle aged woman with a deceiving habit according to Bill Wong, but she's warm-hearted and attractive unlike Mary pretending. Though I don't like her uninterrupted affection toward James Lacey, I couldn't help laughing loudly reading her trick to kiss him...Ha-Ha-Ha..It's really delightful to get rid of my stress. I love her so much and look forward to knowing her adventures and romance. I bought the rest volumes, and deeply agree with Romantic Times' review, "once you read one, you're hooked!"
Rating:
Summary: My favorite of the Agatha Raisins so far.
Review: It's the third in the series, and Agatha's becoming a little more likable. Or I'm just getting more used to her. Anyway, the charming little village is developing a real sense of place, and the town and its personalities are fun to go back and visit. It rather compares with the "Cat Who" books in this sense. But James is a wuss -- what does she continue to see in him? I'm ready to visit the next book!
Rating:
Summary: I love Agatha!
Review: This was my first Agatha Raisin mystery and I have already ordered two more! I love cozy mysteries and this had not only interesting characters but a great deal of humor. The story was well written and held my interest throughout.
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