16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
another entertaning and enjoyable installment, August 12, 2005
Another enjoyable and amusing installment in a series I have a huge soft spot for. This time around, Agatha finds herself caught up in two perplexing cases -- that of an unpleasant client who, unexpectedly, end up being murdered, and the sad and cruel murder of a young sixteen year old girl.
Agatha is beginning to feel her age and as a result is feeling quite depressed and blue about it. To top it all, her new detective agency is not doing all that well, and she's had to let a few employees go. But as a favour to Mrs. Bloxby, Agatha agrees to hire pensioner Phil Witherspoon, who brings in the extremely rich Robert Smedley as a client. Smedley thinks that his unassuming and dowdy wife, Mabel, is cheating on him, and he wants the evidence to prove it. And while Agatha dislikes Smedley on sight, finding him rude and boorish, she agrees to take on the case. But the saintly Mabel seems to be above reproach, and Agatha can't help shaking the feeling that she would be better served keeping an eye on her client instead. Her suspicions prove only all too true when first Smedley dismisses her, claiming that he had overreacted, and then ends up being poisoned at work.
At the same time, Agatha also finds herself involved in another murder case when she finds the body of missing teen, Jessica Bradley, and decides to find the killer both for publicity and because the sight of Jessica's abandoned body really affected her. The more Agatha and her team uncover about both cases, the more they seem to be connected. But what is the thing that links the two? And who would have wanted to kill poor, harmless Jessica? And in such a brutal way? Agatha is determined to find out...
This Agatha Raisin installment was a more sobering a read, mainly because the ironic humour that this series is famous for was quite absent. Also, Agatha's preoccupation with old age and loneliness tended to permeate the book. On the other hand, Agatha and her new team of investigators were fun to "watch" and they scurried around trying to figure what linked the two cases and how to bring the murderers to book. Agatha is in top detecting form, and her new team backs her up and complements her prefectly. So that if you're in the market for a well written and light cozy, featuring a tenacious and brusque middle-aged detective, you might just enjoy "The Perfect Paragon."
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed, February 17, 2006
I am a long-time fan of Agatha Raisin, having read every one of the books in this series. What I liked best about this series-- the charm of the Cotswolds, the affectionate way in which the author portrays Agatha with all her foibles, the humor of her near disasters--has been gradually eroding ever since Agatha opened her own detective agency. I find the continual stream of irrelevant lost dogs and cats to be distracting. The change of setting is also a disappointment. With the recent addition of lurid murders, I am not sure I want to read the rest of Agatha Raisin's adventures. At this point she is turning into just another detective.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Entertaining Entry in the Agatha Raisin Series, November 29, 2005
For fans of the irascible Agatha Raisin, this is another entertaining episode in the life of the Cotswold detective. Though still a fiery, confrontational lady of "a certain age," Agatha appears to finally be developing some people skills. Once described as having the personality of a pit bull, Agatha is now doing favors for people and even saving the professional reputation of another out of the goodness of her heart. Yes, unbelievably, I was able to write "the goodness of her heart" when referring to Agatha Raisin. Agatha also hires some new people for her detective agency. Employees like Harry, a brainy but offbeat character, and Phil, a geriatric photographer smitten with a potential murderess, are developed adeptly by M.C. Beaton and they add fun and freshness to the series. Perennial favorites like Bill Wong, Mrs. Bloxby, Sir Charles Fraith, and Roy Silver also offer new dimensions to their characters which prevents the series from becoming banal and stale. However, it is the reappearance of someone else from the past that promises to make the next installment truly unforgettable.
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