Publishers Weekly
Tetchy Agatha Raisin's attempt at a little R&R in the wake of her beloved husband's defection to a French monastery gets her revved up for another mystery when she hears that a fellow vacationer was murdered. The real story in M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came takes place upon Agatha's return to her Cotswold home, when she learns of a young woman's apparent suicide and decides to investigate with the aid of her new neighbor, the dashing, cultured and vaguely lascivious writer John Armitage, and her own surprising flair for deceit and disguise. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Poor Agatha is still ensconced in her Carsely village cottage, but now at the end of her short-lived marriage to next-door neighbor James Lacey (Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell, 2001), who's left her to take holy orders at a French monastery. Her longtime friend and confidant Charles Fraith is also living in France following his marriage to a young Frenchwoman. Even after a trip to an island off the coast of Chile and the arrival of novelist John Armitage at the cottage once occupied by Lacey, Agatha finds her spirits low. Luckily, there's the tonic murder of young Kylie Stokes, whose body, found floating in the river at nearby Evesham, rouses Agatha's interest, especially after her detective friend Bill Wong informs her that Kylie had died of a drug overdose but that her body had been frozen after death. Kylie's fiance, Zak Jensen, whose father owns the local disco, claims that Kylie had been addicted but had quit. Decked out in blond wig and glasses, supposedly gathering material for a TV program on youth in the provinces, Agatha proceeds to nose around Kylie's co-workers, friends, and family. She's joined intermittently by neighbor Armitage, now her buddy, and manages to irritate Police Chief John Brudge thoroughly before another death and her own narrow escape lead to the killer. The latest installment in this long-running series is as flaccid and downbeat as its heroine, with a puzzle barely intriguing enough to pull the reader to the finish. Lighten up, Agatha.
From the Publisher
The Agatha Raisin stories are always well plotted but the real attraction is the quirky characters of Agatha, Sir Charles, and James—fans will be thrilled to catch up with the titanic trio.” —RT Book Reviews
“Beaton's Agatha Raisin series...just about defines the British cozy.” —Booklist
“A true village mystery with a heroine so timely and real, you'll want to meet her at the pub.” —St. Petersburg Times
“Funny, breezy, and very enjoyable.” —Midwest Book Review
“[Agatha] is a glorious cross between Miss Marple, Auntie Mame, and Lucille Ball, with a tad of pit bull tossed in. She's wonderful.” —St. Petersburg Times
“Anyone interested in a few hours' worth of intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin.” —Atlanta Journal Constitution
“Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand new Agatha Raisin mystery.” —Tampa Tribune Times
“Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha.” —Chicago Sun-Times
“The Miss Marple-like Raisin is a refreshingly sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likable heroine...a must for cozy fans.” —Booklist
“Anyone interested in intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin.” —Atlanta Journal Constitution
“The Raisin series brings the cozy tradition back to life. God bless the Queen!” —Tulsa World
“[Beaton's] imperfect heroine is an absolute gem!” —Publishers Weekly
“Reading Agatha Raisin is like eating potato chips, you can't read just one.” —Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
“The latest installment in this long running series is funny, breezy and very enjoyable.... M.C. Beaton has written another winner.” —TheBestReviews.com
RT Book Reviews
The Agatha Raisin stories are always well plotted, but the real attraction is the quirky characters of Agatha, Sir Charles, and James. Fans will be thrilled to catch up with the titanic trio.”
praise for the series Booklist
Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series just about defines the British cozy: she gives us an individualistic sleuth working out of a thatched cottage in an achingly picturesque Cotswold village.”
praise for the narrator AudioFile
Penelope Keith as Agatha shines.”
Midwest Book Review
Funny, breezy, and very enjoyable.”
St. Petersburg Times
A true village mystery with a heroine so timely and real, you’ll want to meet her at the pub.”
