Agatha Raisin has always been ambivalent about holiday cheer, but her cozy little village of Carsely has long prided itself on its Christmas festivities. But this year Mr. John Sunday, a selfimportant officer with the Health and Safety Board, has ruled that the traditional tree on top of the church is a public menace; that lampposts are unsafe for hanging illuminations; that May Dimwoody’s homemade toys are dangerous for children… Things have reached such a desperate pass that the Carsely Ladies’ Society joins forces with the ladies in the neighboring village of Odley Cruesis to try to put a stop to Mr. Sunday’s meddling—only to find that someone has literally put a stop to him with a kitchen knife. Agatha’s detective agency is on the case, but when a man has made as many enemies as John Sunday, it’s hard to know where to start…
Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In bestseller Beaton's terrific 21st Agatha Raisin mystery (after 2009's There Goes the Bride), the fiercely formidable private detective and her perky young protégé, Toni Gilmour, look into the stabbing murder of John "Grudge" Sunday, a Mircester health and safety board officer, outside a joint meeting of two Cotswolds ladies' societies. The unpopular Sunday had put a pall on the holidays by stopping the annual custom of erecting a Christmas tree atop the Carsely church tower. Millionaire and prime suspect Miriam Courtney, who threatened to kill Sunday, hires Agatha to clear her name. Complications ensue after someone strikes Miriam a fatal blow to the head. Beaton, the pen name for Marion Chesney, does a brilliant job of depicting Agatha's struggles with aging and keeping her detective agency afloat. Her romantic upheavals (will she ever marry close friend Sir Charles Fraith?) continue to tantalize.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“Tourists are advised to watch their backs in the bucolic villages where M. C. Beaton sets her sly British mysteries...Outsiders always spell trouble for the societies Beaton observes with such cynical humor.”—The New York Times Book Review
“[Beaton’s] imperfect heroine is an absolute gem!”—Publishers Weekly
“Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series just about defines the British cozy.”—Booklist
“Anyone interested in...intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin.”—Atlanta Journal Constitution
“Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha.”—Chicago Sun-Times
“Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand-new Agatha Raisin mystery.”
—Tampa Tribune Times
“The Raisin series brings the cozy tradition back to life. God bless the Queen!”—Tulsa World
“The Miss Marple–like Raisin is a refreshingly sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likable heroine...a must for cozy fans.”—Booklist
THERE GOES THE BRIDE
“Splendid.” —Publishers Weekly
“Beaton and cozy fans will want this one.”—Library Journal
A SPOONFUL OF POISON
“Agatha is like Miss Marple with a drinking problem, pack-a-day habit, and major man lust…Beaton’s latest installment, in which Aggie gets mixed up in a deadly jam-tasting contest, is pretty terrific—a must-read.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Take two fine old English traditions—the village fete and death by poison—and you have a clever tale…featuring irascible, lovable Agatha Raisin. A Spoonful of Poison will go down just fine.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Beaton’s sly humor enhances the cozy-style plotting, while updates on Agatha’s…romantic travails are as delightful as ever. The open-ended resolution points to more madcap mayhem to come.”—Publishers Weekly
THE WALKERS OF DEMBLEY
“British cozy fans will no doubt find this book an engaging teatime companion.”—Booklist
“Trenchant and droll.”—St. Petersburg Times
“Among writers of cozy village mystery series, count M.C. Beaton as one who creates a nice tea party.”—Associated Press
THE POTTED GARDENER
“From the author’s sure-fire plot comes this fail-safe moral: It takes an outsider to open people’s eyes to the beauty—and the evil—within.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Compare this one to lemon meringue pie: light. . .with a delicious hint of tartness at its heart.”
—The Washington Times
KISSING CHRISTMAS GOODBYE
“Agatha Raisin is still at the top of her game…in her most challenging case yet.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Beaton, the reigning queen of the cozies, adds an English manor house and a Christmas theme to her usual Costwold village setting, upping the comfiness factor even higher.”—Booklist
LOVE, LIES AND LIQUOR
“Another highly satisfying Beaton cozy, this one is long on the kind of social comedy that uses character, plot, and atmosphere to produce the laughter.”—Booklist
“Driven by Agatha’s strong personality, [Love, Lies and Liquor] will please devoted fans.”—Publishers Weekly
THE PERFECT PARAGON
“Though Agatha is still a bit of a piece of work, she is mellowing with age, and in this book even forgets to ‘gussy’ herself up once when she goes out. There’s a cliffhanger at the end...that is going to be interesting in the next book.”—Deadly Pleasures
“This is the latest perfectly precious prose problem from Beaton, Britain’s successor to Dame Agatha Christie. If you’ve never read an Agatha Raisin novel, it’s time to start, and you’ll have fifteen more of these confections awaiting you. Polish those off, and you still have a batch of Hamish Macbeth tales. All of them are cunningly plotted, beautifully written and more fun you can imagine. The Perfect Paragon is as perfect as all the others, and you won’t figure out whodunit until the final pages.”—The Globe & Mail
“Entertaining…welcome back to Carsely, the charming Cotswolds village that’s home to the sixteenth Agatha Raisin mystery.”—Publishers Weekly
“Fabulous…M.C. Beaton is at her best with this fine tale filled with twists.”
—Midwest Book Review
THE DEADLY DANCE
“It’s been 40 years since Dame Agatha Christie’s death, and in that time, reviewers have often bestowed her mantle on new authors. M. C. Beaton is one of those so honored, and she deserves it. When it comes to artfully constructed puzzle plots and charming settings, Beaton serves it up…This is a classic British cozy plot, and a setting done with panache. Maybe M. C. Beaton really is the new ‘Queen of Crime.’”—The Globe & Mail
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More About the Author
M.C. BEATON has won international acclaim for her bestselling Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin mysteries. She is also the author of over 100 romance titles and a series of romantic suspense, The Edwardian Mystery Series. M. C. Beaton lives in a Cotswold cottage with her husband.
Marion is active on Facebook using her most popular pen name, M.C. Beaton. You can find complete book lists, information on events, and sign up for news updates at her website, www.MCBeaton.com.
Marion is active on Facebook using her most popular pen name, M.C. Beaton. You can find complete book lists, information on events, and sign up for news updates at her website, www.MCBeaton.com.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful Mystery Frolic With Agatha,
By Scottish Lass (THOMASVILLE, NC, US) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (Hardcover)
M. C. Beaton is a wonderfully creative and prolific writer. The old Aggie is back in her latest book Busy Body. There are so many twists and turns that I had a hard time putting it down. A very engaging book. I disagree with one of the reviewers who said there were too many characters and it was confusing. That is one thing I love about most British mysteries, like Inspector Lewis and Morse, they are intricate and that keeps the story exciting. Of course, Beaton, throws in that touch of humor that makes all of us love Agatha and her escapades. I've come to love Beaton's cast of returning characters --- the wise and ever dependable Mrs. Bloxby; stingy but charming Sir Charles; flamboyant and flaky Roy Silver, and the list goes on. Now I'm left longing for Beaton's next Agatha Raisin mystery. Guess I'll have to wait another year. As Agatha would say, "Snakes and bastards!" Ms. Beaton, please keep writing those wonderful Agatha Raisin books.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another entertaining Agatha Raisin book,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (Hardcover)
I really have thorougly enjoyed reading all of the Agatha Raisin mysteries which are set in the lovely Cotswolds of England. Busy Body was another good one. I finished the book in a day and by the time I read the last sentence I was wishing there was another one to continue the story. I find all the characters in the book enjoyable and of course, Agatha is simply fantastic! Very entertaining.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
not one of the best of this series,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (Audio CD)
Love Agatha Raisin, but this one was not that great.
Thought the plot and other details, seemed as if this was written in a hurry. But will still read any other of this series.
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