Book Review: Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by M.C. Beaton

He was a hairdresser to dye for...

The local ladies all deem Mr John a wizard, so when Agatha finds a few grey hairs on her head- and the rinse she tries at home turns her hair purple- she makes a bee-line for the handsome Evesham hairdresser. As well as undertaking to restyle her hair it soon becomes clear the charming man also has designs on her heart, but all too soon their budding romance is cut short when Mr John is fatally poisoned in his salon.

Once again Agatha finds herself embroiled in a murder case. Was it one of Mr John's many lady clients, all of whom seem to have divulged to him their darkest secrets? It's time for Agatha to get to the root of this hair-raising mystery. 

I love the Agatha Raisin series of books by M.C. Beaton. They are similar to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series in that it is like catching up with old friends, you know you are going to have a great time. 

Agatha is the same as always, a bit bored and hoping some mystery will come along which it does in the form of Mr John, the Wizard of Evesham. Agatha really does not realise how much trouble she is going to get herself into, the dastardly deeds of Mr John are far worse that Agatha initially thought. 

Agatha's friendship with Mrs Bloxby, the vicars wife is developed a little more in this one , you can see that Agatha has really settled into country life and is part of the furniture, not that she would ever admit that to anyone.

I would recommend and of the books in this series, there are great characters, interesting mysteries, humour and you very quickly become involved in the exciting world of Agatha Raisin and her many adventures. 

Review: Agatha Rasin and the Haunted House by M.C. Beaton

I discovered the Agatha Raisin series a few years ago when I went on a cruise and read everything too quickly so had to raid the ship's library! They were such a great discovery, Agatha Raisin is a brilliant character and I love finding out about all of the trouble that she has been getting into! This is the fourteenth book in the series:

Reports of a haunted house soon have Agatha snooping round, but it turns out the victim is a universally disliked old biddy and someone is playing a practical joke. And then the old lady is murdered- but for Agatha, solving a crime is much more fun than hunting a ghost! Very soon she's up to her usual tricks, involving the villagers, local police, and, of course her handsome new neighbour...

M.C. Beaton has created another fantastic mystery in the Cotswolds and Agatha Raisin once again is there to save the day. I love her character, on the outside she is incredibly feisty and forward but the reader also gets to hear all the insecurities and worries that she carries round with her; making her a very believable and likable character. Her eye has been caught by her handsome new neighbour Paul Chatterton; he has a wife in Spain but is extremely flirtatious with Agatha so trouble soon ensues. Familiar characters from the series pop up in this book, there's Mrs Bloxby the vicar's wife, Bill Wong the policeman trying to keep Agatha out of trouble and Sir Charles Fraith, Agatha's part-time partner in crime. Beaton keeps you guessing to the very end about the death of the old lady and there are many red herrings along the way.
These books are a good, quick read, they keep you interested all the way through and the characters are so lovely that I always feel like I have spent the day with old friends whenever I read any of these! M.C. Beaton has a brilliant website so go and have a look and see if the Agatha Raisin mysteries interest you!