I found this an amusing story, but was very surprised to find the protagonist so deliberately aggravating. She reminded me a little of Mrs. Bucket on 'Keeping Up Appearances', although I could certainly hear Penelope Keith do the radio drama, as indicated on the back of the book.

The first book in the Agatha Raisin series, while I don't like Agatha's character one bit, I do like her little Cotswold village of Carsely. Agatha has retired from a PR firm in London to settle in the small village, expecting a quiet country life but she finds it to be anything but that. ( )

Acquired via BookCrossing 21 Oct - from Gill's pile at the Cafe

These Agatha Raisins are very popular with BookCrossers and I have now got sucked in to yet another cosy mystery series. This time there's no needlework or book towns - Agatha is a slightly unpleasant retired PR lady who gets her dream Cotswold cottage, then thinks... what next? Soon she is involved in village life, but not in the way she quite expects...

I did find an oddly jarring note of racism (in the descriptions of Bill Wong) and homophobia (Roy) although these are both actually very sympathetic characters and I think the author is trying to portray them through Agatha's wongly emphasising eyes... but it is a bit stalling. I found the same in the Irish Librarian books and wonder if other people feel they can skate over such things. Anyway, there was a tendency to tell rather than show with Miss Raisin's character and I wonder if this will smooth out as the series progresses.

I read this in one session, sitting in bed this morning. I will be looking to read the others - hopefully Ali will be able to pass them on to me and Gill! ( )

have finally got around to reading the first of these books, after having collected a good many of them.

I really enjoyed this little book. Funny, charming a real English cosy mystery. Rather better written than the American cozy mystereies I have read recently. Agatha Raisin is a character who is very likeable despite her being quite flawed. In this first book she must come to terms with a new way of life following her early retirement from the world of P.R in London. Her attempt to fit in leads her to cheat in a local Quiche competition, which leads to all sorts of trouble when the judge is struck down, apparently by Agatha's quiche. This is great escapisim, perfect weekend reading, with many very funny moments. ( )

This series is a vacation for the mind. Just sit back in your favorite chair with a cup or glass of whatever and enjoy. ( )

I just read one of the newer Agatha Raisin books last week and decided to start at the beginning of the series. I liked this book much better and wish I had started here. Agatha is an interesting sleuth: impulsive, quirky and likable There are also a interesting set of characters that she surrounds herself with and that I look forward to see more of in future books. It is a nice British cozy and I will read more in the series. ( )

Woman retires to the English countryside and to make friends enters a quiche into the local fair. Unfortunately, the judge dies of mysterious food poisioning tracing back to Agatha's quiche. Very Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher like. ( )

A pleasant romp through Cotswald village life. Agatha Raisin retires to a small village, gets involved in village life, and solves a murder.

At first I didn't particularly enjoy the book because Agatha was not very likable. However that was quite a bit of the point of the book. She finally realized what was important and became a much kinder and more likable character. M.C. Beaton captures village life beautifully. She doesn't beat you over the head with events or clues and pulls you along with Agatha as she discovers things. Its a fun journey. ( )

The first book in the series. Have also listened the the BBC play version of this ( )

This book was really good. Agatha Raisin is a humorous character who is a magnet for trouble. This series is really awesome. Some of my favorite mysteries. M.C. Beaton is awesome. ( )

I'll just say that I
enjoyed this, enjoyed the character and really liked the way she
thinks.
It's the bitches of this world that make life interesting. LOL ( )

Agatha Raisin runs a PR business, her success is down to bossiness and manipulation and we meet her on the day of her retirement. She is off to enjoy the dream, a cottage in the Cotswolds. Anyone who has ever lived in a village knows how difficult it can be to settle in, and Agatha was defined by her work and has no idea how to be nice to people. With her integration futher complicated by the possibility that her quiche killed someone Agatha sets out to solve the mystery and make her place in this village where 20 years on you can still be an "incomer".
This book is really about Agatha's attempts to work out who she is and how to make friends with a rich splash of village life. It is light and breezy and the mystery is neatly woven through it. We all really know who the killer is but I wasn't quite sure how it was done and once or twice was almost convinced I was wrong. ( )

September 26, 2000
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death
M.C. Beaton

The Agatha Raisin series is a little silly, perhaps, but I’ve found the books funny, providing laughter when needed. Agatha is such a grouchy old bitty, you can’t help but like her. A refreshing departure, at least, from the gooey, boring characters that usually populate these light-hearted cozies. ( )

Debut of series. ( )

The first in the Agatha Raisin series introduces Agatha who at first appears almost impossible to like. Her blundering soon endears her to the reader and makes for a busy read. ( )

Agatha Raisin is a pushy woman - recently retired to the Cotswolds from the PR game, she finds village life boring, until she tries to pass off a deli-quiche as her own in the Village show and the judge ends up dead after eating it. So she carries on interfering until she solves the crime.
Having heard the dramatisations on the radio with Penelope Keith, these helped me to quite like Agatha, who does mellow slightly by the end of the novel.
Great fun and a quick read, this made for light relief after the Russian novel I'd read previously! ( )

Agatha is a disagreeable, unlikeable protagonist. ( )

What a pushy woman. You can't help but love her. ( )

I could just not get into this series. I finished it but I don't think that I will get the next one. ( )

This is my favorite Agatha Raisin book! Beaton's ability to create characters is second to none. If you like British cosies, you'll love this. ( )

This is the first book in the Agatha Raisin series. Agatha takes an early retirement in the Cotswolds. Finding herself with a lot of time on her hands...she is bored and awkward with village life. When a judge at the baking contest dies after eating the quiche that Agatha entered in the contest...Agatha sees the oppurtunity to pick up a new hobby! I really loved this book. It was absolutley hysterical! Agatha is such a great character. I also loved the charm and descriptions of the Cotswolds. I would highly recommend this one! ( )

A fun lighthearted murder mystery in the Agatha Christie tradition.

Agatha Raisin has taken early retirement when a company offers to buy her public relations business. She goes to find peace in a village in the Cotswolds. She finds breaking into the close-knit community quite hard and attempts to make an impression by winning a quiche making competition. Trouble is, she has no idea how to make a quiche, so she cheats and buys one from a London Deli. When the competition judge dies from poisoning she's the most likely suspect, particularly when her quiche didn't win. She starts looking into it. ( )