Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came

A treat of an offering, with complex cross-currents of conspiracy and dastardliness. Intriguing new beginnings with the new next door neighbor, and Agatha's usual foibles and insecurities on full display.

More and more, I am finding Mrs. Bloxby as one of my favorite people, and wish Ms. Beaton was still around to create some stories starring this quiet, very perceptive woman.

Liked the bits about Robinson Crusoe island, too. Very interesting way to set up the tale. Looking forward to What Happens Next to our dear Agatha.

Recovering from her divorce from James, Agatha heads to an island vacation off Chile where she meets and befriends a woman her age her family. This is probably one of the best relationships Agatha has ever had. Upon her return during a flood Agatha spots the body of a girl she saw at her beauticians and is eager to begin investigating. What was thought to be a drug overdose becomes questionable when it is discovered the body was frozen before ending up in the river. Agatha in disguise begins questioning. She's back to her aggressive self, annoying people as well as getting involved. Glad to see that near the end she continues her contact with the family from Chile. Hope this continues in the future.

Agatha and the Drowned Bride
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (January 2013) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (July 2002)

The Day the Floods Came finds Agatha Raisin investigating the apparent accidental drowning of a bride before her wedding day. Most of the regular gang are on hand except that James Lacey's cottage is now occupied by a new tenant, a mystery writer named John Armitage. Agatha has her eye on him as well but for different reasons. Armitage becomes her main investigating partner for this book.

I'm continuing to enjoy the fun of these cozies which are somewhat different from the TV-series which I saw first. Sir Charles is much more of a recurring character and occasional love interest show more than he is in the screen adaptation and his cheap and chintzy manners are played up quite a bit. The narration by regular reader Penelope Keith is always excellent in all voices. Keith is as perfect a voice fit for the audiobooks as Ashley Jensen is to the TV role.

Most (28 of 32) of the Agatha Raisin audiobooks are free on Audible Plus. A posthumous Book 32 Down the Hatch is yet to be released, and is expected to be published in October 2021.

Trivia and Link
The Day the Floods Came was adapted as Episode 6 of Series 1 for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). A trailer can be seen on YouTube here. show less

Alone and unhappy after her divorce from James, Agatha goes on vacation to escape her life. She returns home to find she's let her grooming slip and decides on a make over of sorts. While at the salon she crosses paths with a girl who will become a murder victim and Agatha just can't not investigate a murder. Her new neighbor, John, a mystery writer, is intrigued also and tags along on the investigation. Will Agatha solve the murder? Of course she will! Will she hold on to her newly found self worth and refuse to fall for John?

So much fun! These are always so much fun.

Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came by MC Beaton - OK

The usual Agatha Raisin: disappointed in love, trying to escape, gets embroiled in a murder.

A nice cosy mystery to while away a few hours when you don't want to think too hard. Enjoyable enough (Although I still hate the way she feels she can't function without a man even though it's patently obvious that she can)

I will admit to not being a huge fan of the Agatha Raisin character. She has annoyed me in the past. However, I got this book in my library's Blind Date with a Book" program and took that as a sign to try her again. I'm still not a huge fan, but I can say her character did not bother me as much in this episode as she has in the past. The storyline was okay. The ending was sort of a let down because it was predictable. I thought M.C. Beaton was going to take the plot elsewhere, but she ended up bringing it right back to the old stand-by. Oh well, I think I'll stick to Hamish MacBeth."

Every time I finish a book from the Agatha Raisin series, I have a sense of pleasant completeness - something akin to having just eaten a very delightful piece of pie.

The stories are fun, the characters are engaging, pretty much my only issue is that I haven't read the series in its entirety. But I will!