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Reading Rescue, August 2005: Mystery
By Anne Allen and Mary Anne Fulmer
What? Another who done it? Not on your life. M.C. Beaton
writes some of the best mysteries that are sure to make you smile! Her
newest book in the Agatha Raisin series, The Perfect Paragon, is
a good example of her style of writing. Agatha Raisin, a retired
advertising exec, is a lady always looking for love and a good mystery
to solve. She has her own detective agency and with the help of her less
than perfect staff, Sir Charles, and Detective Bill Wong, she solves
three mysterious murders that were really all connected in this latest
episode of Agatha Raisin.
 In the third tale in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha
Raisin and the Potted Gardener, we find Agatha returning from a
vacation to her beloved Cotswolds. The village is captivated by
beautiful newcomer Mary Fortune. If that's not enough to make Agatha
jealous, Mary has also lured Agatha's love James Lacey. Mary, an avid
gardener, has encouraged equally avid James into entering a garden show.
Not to be outdone, Agatha, the original brown thumb, enters the contest.
Of course, Agatha plants too early and all her plants die in a frost,
but don't despair, Agatha soon gets a friend to help her with her
garden. As the time grows near for the show, neighbors gardens are
wrecked, especially those who have had run-ins with Mary. Suddenly,
Agatha finds Mary strung up by her heels, her head "planted" in a large
garden pot! Agatha and James are plunged into another murder
investigation.
Agatha can be curt, but in the fourth book in the
series, Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley, she gets
vicious. The Walkers of Dembley are a group of people who get together
to walk and enjoy the country. The leader of the group is murdered and
his niece asks Agatha to investigate. She and James go undercover as a
married couple. There is much name calling and even more suspects, but
Agatha soon sorts it out.
M.C. Beaton also writes a series featuring Hamish
Macbeth. The first book in the series, Death of a Gossip,
introduces us to Hamish, a Scots police officer who while not ambitious,
refuses to take a back seat to the big city detective sent to solve a
murder in his beloved Lochdubh. Even though he solves the crime and
could get sent elsewhere, Hamish refuses to leave his town.
The Death of a Cad, features Hamish investigating
a death at the Halburton-Smyth castle. He falls in love with the
daughter Priscilla. But Priscilla has come home to introduce her fiancé,
Henry, to her family and their houseguests. Another guest, Peter,
loathed by everyone, ends up dead. Hamish's superiors claim it is a
suicide, but Hamish believes foul play is involved. He eliminates all
suspects except the guilty party. In the meantime Priscilla has a change
of heart. Hamish is romanced by Jenny Ogilivie, a friend of his former
flame Priscilla in The Death of a Poison Pen. The poisoned pen letters
are making the town's people very nervous and Hamish joins newspaper
Elspeth Grant to solve all the murders and suicides that are a result of
the letters.
A recovering addict turns up dead in Death of an
Addict, and most think it was an overdose, but not Hamish. There are
too many questions. Where is Tommy's autobiography that he had been
writing and what about his new girl friend? Would Tommy leave without
finishing the book and speaking to his girl friend? Hamish takes the
case and along with Detective Inspector Olivia, they infiltrate
Lochdubh's criminal community and emerge victorious. They not only solve
the murder but corral the country's biggest drug ring!
Writing under her given name, Marion Chesney, her
Edwardian murder mystery series combines history, romance, and intrigue.
Snobbery with Violence gives us a glimpse into the aristocracy
during the Edwardian era. Her two protagonists, Captain Harry
Cartwright, the youngest son of Barron Derrington, and Lady Rose Summer,
a guest at Tebley Castle, team up to solve the murder of a missing
lady's maid. Two more of her Chesney novels can be found in the library.
There are many books and audios by Beaton and Chesney in
the library. All are page-turners with just enough who-done-it to make
cheering for Agatha, Hamish, or Captain Harry and Lady Rose an enjoyable
treat.
We hope you are enjoying our selections. If you have
favorites, please let us know. The library's e-mail address is
mfulmer@pennlb.org or our
mailing address is P.O. Box 499, Harrison City, PA 15636.
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