Brief summary from Goodreads:
"Never say die. That's the philosophy Agatha Raisin clings to when she comes home to cozy Carsely and finds a new woman ensconced in the affections of her attractive bachelor neighbor, James Lacey.
The beautiful newcomer, Mary Fortune, is superior in every way, especially when it comes to gardening. And Agatha, that rose with many thorns, hasn't a green thumb to her name. With garden Open Day approaching, she longs for a nice juicy murder to remind James of her genius for investigation.
And sure enough, a series of destructive assaults on the finest gardens is followed by an appalling murder. Agatha seizes the moment and immediately starts yanking up village secrets by their roots and digging up all the dirt on the victim. Problem is, Agatha has an awkward secret of her own . . ."
Likes?
Agatha is my favorite part of these books. Her character makes these books so enjoyable and keep me coming back for more. I liked that she started to look at James in a different light and wasn't constantly making a fool of herself over him. Just sometimes :) And I found it to be enjoyable to see how Agatha has adjusted and become a part of the small village. Her insecurities come across realistically and I'm constantly wondering what kind of trouble she is going to get herself into next. I was happy to see all of the old characters from previous books back in this one...it was like visiting old friends.
Dislikes?
This wasn't my favorite of the series but not for any particular reason. The mystery was interesting but I didn't find myself really trying to figure out whodunnit or anything. I was more interested in seeing what Agatha was going to do next and the crazy schemes that she was going to come up with. I just didn't quite connect with the storyline for this book but was glad to revisit this series and the characters.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I found this to be a good read but not great. I enjoyed dipping back into this series and will be continuing on with it. I'm hoping that the next book draws me down into the story more but no matter what I'll want to see what kind of adventures Agatha has next. I would definitely recommend this series but start from the beginning!
Disclosure: I checked this out from my lovely, local library :)
Here is a link to a very short review for Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton (turns out I never reviewed Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet)
I never tried this author, but know she is very popular. Hope you have a great week Samantha.
ReplyDeleteOf the 4 that I read, this was my least favorite, too. I have #5 on my iPod ready to go, and I'm looking forward to a visit with Agatha.
ReplyDeleteI like these books too and am not too worried when I just "like" them as I find them to be comfort reads and really get a kick out of Agatha. I'm looking forward to this one...she needs to make James chase her!!
ReplyDeletesounds like a fun series, even if this one wasnt yoru favorite.
ReplyDeleteI've heard a few times that this series is good and I keep meaning to give it a try. I like the cover on this one - I know it's simple but I like it. Hope you're having a good week Sam.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteDiane- She certainly has a ton of books written. I'm looking forward to beginning her other series at some point!
ReplyDeleteThoughts of Joy- Sounds like we had similar feelings to this book then. Agatha is such a hoot to read about though that I really couldn't complain all that much :)
Staci- I agree! And thanks for reading the 2nd book and helping me to go back to this series. Such fun!
Naida- It really is a good cozy mystery series. I'm a fan.
Darlene- I think that sometimes the best covers are the simple ones. I hope you have a great week as well!
I've only read a few Agatha Raisins (I'm trying to read them all in order) but I've been a huge M.C. Beaton fan for years because of the Hamish Macbeth books. I have read this one, and I really liked it, but I must say I'm also encouraged by the fact that even though you liked it, you also liked a lot of the other books in this series even more. It gives me more incentive to stick with Agatha! (Not that I wouldn't anyway, it's just that I haven't gotten "hooked" on her yet like I am with Hamish.) Thanks for the review!
ReplyDelete(Here's a link to my review of it, if you're interested: http://seeteacherididmyhomework.blogspot.com/2010/09/agatha-raisin-and-potted-gardener-by-mc.html)