Customer Reviews

Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell (Agatha Raisin Mysteries, No. 11)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The beloved Agatha Raisin has her hands full in this 11th installment of her cozy adventures. Two psychopaths, a wayward husband, and a battle with God Himself spice up Agatha's life as she runs the gamut of emotions from grief to anger.

As a devoted fan of this rascally British matron since she made her first appearance in "Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death," I felt for her as she suffered through an incredibly disastrous marriage to longtime love James Lacey, anguished over his disappearance, and didn't know if he were dead or alive.

In order to solve the mystery surrounding James, Agatha teams up with friend Sir Charles Fraith who retains all the gentlemanly charm yet outright stinginess readers have come to expect. Old friends like Mrs. Bloxby, Bill Wong, and Ron Silver also appear as Agatha tries to come to terms with the mess James has made of her life.

Be prepared for some laugh-out-loud moments as Agatha's rudeness and irritability lead to some comic moments with suspects as well as the parents of Bill Wong whom we met in earlier adventures.

Longtime fans will stand up and cheer as a stronger, more secure Agatha emerges at book's closing. The only question I had while reading was the same one I have had in all the books so far....just what does she see in James Lacey?

Whether or not you enjoy this latest Agatha Raisin mystery novel is going to depend on just how much affection you have for Agatha, and how much of a fan you are of this series and M. C. Beaton's style of writing. I'll admit to be a staunch Agatha Raisin fan, so my feelings about the latest Agatha Raisin mystery novel are probably a little biased. If you're curious about how Agatha and James' relationship will pan out, then this latest novel, "Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell" will probably entertain; however if you're looking for a really good 'cozy' murder mystery set in the country, this book may be a bit of a disappointment.

Agatha and James are finally married. But it's turning out to be the marriage from hell, as James constant criticism wears away at Agatha's self assurance and leaves her miserable. Their fights are grist mill for the village, and matters go from bad to worse when James suddenly sets up a flirtation with one of his old flames, Melissa Shepherd. And then James disappears, his house is in a mess, and there is a blood stain at the doorstep. And Agatha finds herself to be the chief suspect in her husband's disappearance. Worried about James and determined to clear her name, Agatha sets out to find James, but stumbles across Melissa's dead body instead. And now Agatha has find James and prove that he had nothing whatsoever to do with Melissa's murder. Has James's disappearance anything to do with Melissa's murder? Where can James have got to? And is he still alive? Grimly, Agatha clings to the hope of finding James alive as she begins one of the most important investigations of her life.

Mystery wise, this latest Agatha Raisin mystery novel is a little frustrating. The plot does not unfold smoothly, but in a rather circuitous manner instead, that almost mirrors Agatha's depressed and numb frame of mind. Agatha and her sleuthing friend, Sir Charles Fraith, move to and fro between suspects, uncovering bits of information that paint a rather alarming picture of Melissa, but which land them no closer to a solution to the problem at hand, until the last few chapters where Agatha makes an intuitive guess and hits the jackpot. Entertaining perhaps, but the solution blindsided me -- perhaps I should have read the book more carefully. On the other hand, I've been dying to see how the marriage between James and Agatha would pan out, and how long it would take before Agatha admitted to herself that James did not have what it took to make an ideal husband. Some fans have complained that Beaton had changed James from a charming and distinguished man to a short tempered fiend. However, James has never really treated Agatha well, even in the first few books. So that his descent into husband from hell did not really surprise me. I just kept waiting for Agatha to wake up before it was too late.

What makes "Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell" so very, very readable, is of course its heroine. Fractious, yet endearing, one cannot help but hope that Agatha will find the happiness and companionship she so desperately craves. And Beaton's ironic prose style frames Agatha's quest for happiness brilliantly. And this is what will definitely propel me into reading the next Agatha Raisin mystery novel.

Agatha has finally married James Lacy, the man of her dreams. But, all is not as rosy as she would like. James and Agatha have retained their separate cottages, and James complains about everything Agatha does, her makeup, clothes, hair, and cooking. Anyone who has read any of these books, knows Agatha can't cook and the other things are part of her. Rightfully, she is depressed and confused. Then, James starts to spend alot of time with a local divorcee, Melissa Sheppard, and she suspects him of having an affair. He thinks she has restarted her affair with Sir Charles. They have a couple of blowout fights in front of the whole village. Agatha takes her life back and takes a temporary public relations job. James is furious and they are barely speaking. Then one night, James is missing, there's blood on his doorstep, and Melissa is found dead in her house. James of course is the main suspect with Agatha a close second. Agatha knows that she did not do it, and of course James didn't, so naturally she and Charles have to find James and the killer.

This was an incredibly fast read, and one of the best of the series, so far. I definitely recommend it.

but drags when you're in misery, which Agatha seem to be. Agatha is a little bet testy in this fare. She's more apt to take offense at the least thing said. But who could blame her? Her marriage to James, a dream fulfulled, has turned into a nightmare. James nags at this, he nags at that. Agatha doesn't seem to be able to do anything right. All this nagging leads to public displays between James and Agatha. The final straw comes when Agatha finds that James has confided in ex-flame Melissa, a secret that will have a great impact on James' life. Agatha has had enough, but matters are taken out of her hands when James disappears and then his ex-flame is found murdered. Could these two events be connected? Agatha, with the help of Charles embark on a journey into Melissa's life to see who would have wanted her dead. Along the way, Agatha hopes to find clues to where James can be found. She wants to settle things with James once and for all. A nice book to lose yourself in on these hot summer days.

I have read all of the Agatha Raisin series, have loved each one of them and this is my favorite. The plot is excellent, the
village people endearing, the dialogue humorous. The character development of Agatha and James has been so well done. This has a bittersweet ending which should prove satisfying to Agatha's many fans.

Please don't over-analyze Agatha - the charm of Agatha Raisin lies in her utter lack of it. Pugnacious and relentless Agatha loves life as she sees it and changes what does not suit. Her ambition to marry her neighbor James Lacey has been realized but happily ever after has not. This reader has often thought a duplex or the house next door might be an excellent aid to domestic harmony, but Agatha manages to annoy and isolate herself and drive her new husband into the arms of another woman. Or, did she? When James turns up missing, the overly thrifty Sir Charles Firth joins Agatha to solve the mystery. As they chase about the lovely Cotswolds, Agatha and Charles come upon some amazing characters as she investigates and simultaneously handles a successful PR campaign, makes a new rock band famous and raises a bundle for the Carsley Church.

Ms. Beaton delivers a light hearted anti-romance-mystery, sketches a wonderful sense of place, some totally odd ball characters, gets the dialogue just right and does it neatly and concisely - with humor and delight. However, the book could have been proofed a lot better. Or is that just an idea for the next book?

This is the 11th book in the delightful Agatha Raisin series. Ideally, the books should be read in sequence, starting with the first and my favorite, Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death. These books are light reading and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon or evening. At the title implies, Agatha and her new husband, James, discover that their marriage was a mistake. James then disappears after being attacked and is also suspected of murdering his rumored mistress, Melissa. Agatha, ever the amateur sleuth, is anxious to solve the crime and also clear her husband's name. She sets off with her old friend, Sir Charles, to do both. In addition to amateur sleuthing in the quaint villages around the Cotswolds, Agatha is grappling with getting older and feels "the autumn of her life stretching in front of her." We will have to wait for book #12 to find out how Agatha is coping with being single again.

In this 11th book in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha finally seems to have it all, but is once again miserable. She has finally married the man of her dreams (or so she thinks), James Lacey, but marriage is not all that she thought it would be. It seems that Agatha is not the kind of housewife that James had been hoping for (she turns his laundry pink, serves him microwave meals, and smokes in the house) and she soon begins to feel lonely and depressed. Just when Agatha thinks she cannot tolerate him for another second, James disappears leaving only blood behind. Frantic, Agatha turns to friend, Sir Charles Fraith, to help her discover what has happened to her new husband. Her chief suspect is James' ex-lover, but when she turns up murdered, James becomes the prime suspect. Determined to not only find her man, but also to prove him innocent of murder, Agatha sets out on a suspenseful mission of murder and mayhem.

Every book in this series just gets better and better! Even though I find the character of James Lacey despicable, I feel that he is one of those characters that we just love to hate. He is mean, selfish, and hard to please, but yet Agatha tries to win his affections and attention over and over again. This may shed an unkind light on Agatha for some, but I believe that this goes along with her inherit character flaw of having low self-esteem. To combat this, Agatha puts herself in many precarious situations and butts her nose in other people's business at every turn. She is so successful at her blundering that each time Agatha solves the mystery and catches a murderer! She picks up more depth of character with each book, and readers of this series quickly become fans of this high-spirited, yet warm-hearted soul.

The first book in this series is "Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death". Enjoy!

M.C. Beaton can't be beat for the cozy mystery and Agatha Raisin is so much fun. she's 50-ish, stout, and has bearlike eyes. Moreover she's human -- vain, silly, romantic. She's also smart and sassy and independent. Love from Hell is another in a long series of Agatha mysteries, and reads are good as the first ones.

This entry opens with our Agatha newly married at long last to her handsome neighbor James Lacey. Agatha's fans will not be suprised that James's explosive temper and fault-finding only increase after the marriage, and that Agatha's low self-esteem will only allow her to take so much verbal abuse before she explodes in defense and starts breaking dishes. Of course, some Carsely villagers overhear their rows, and see Agatha shriek at James when she finds him canoodling sexy new villager Melissa Sheppard in the pub. So Agatha is the natural suspect when James disappears suddenly and Melissa is found murdered shortly thereafter. Lightweight baronet Sir Charles Fraith returns here, and is unexpectedly attentive and thoughtful (could he actually be growing up?), and helps Agatha investigate. Greed and madness prevail in the solution. Of course, the main point is not the mystery (although it's a rattling good plot, and could stand alone without the added delight of Agatha's personal misadventures). Regular readers will want to know that James is NOT dead, but was suffering from a brain tumor (is this supposed to excuse his swinish behavior?), which is miraculously cured when he stumbles into a French monastery. Even the brain tumor isn't enough for me to develop any affection for the chilly James, who over the past books in the series has developed into just another sexy jerk. Personally, I'm delighted Agatha may get out of this disastrous marriage, and I'm eager to see if younger man Charles develops enough as a mensch to qualify as a legitimate future love interest for my favorite affection-starved heroine. As with each previous entry, I simply could not wait for the next installment in Agatha's adventures! Keep 'em coming fast, dear Ms. Beaton!