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Agatha Raisin #14
Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House
Just back from an extended stay in London, Agatha Raisin finds herself greeted by torrential rains and an old, familiar feeling of boredom. When her handsome new neighbor, Paul Chatterton, shows up on her doorstep, she tries her best to ignore his obvious charms, but his sparkling black eyes and the promise of adventure soon lure her into another investigation.Paul has heard rumors about Agatha's reputation as the Cotswold village sleuth and wastes no time offering their services to the crotchety owner of a haunted house. Whispers, footsteps, and a cold white mist are plaguing Mrs. Witherspoon, but the police have failed to come up with any leads, supernatural or otherwise. The neighbors think it's all a desperate ploy for attention, but Paul and Agatha are sure something more devious is going on. Someone's playing tricks on Mrs. Witherspoon, and when she turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Agatha finds herself caught up in another baffling murder mystery.
Audiobook
First published August 1, 2003
About the author
M.C. Beaton
327 books5,725 followersLike her on Facebook!
Learn more on her website!
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
Learn more on her website!
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 683 reviews
July 31, 2024
I love a haunted house story.
But the only things that haunted this book were continuity errors.
What the hell was up with Charles having children with his ex-wife?
In the last book, it was plain that his then-wife had tricked him into thinking she was pregnant with twins when she wasn't pregnant with anything but bloat, and then ran off and got an annulment once she found out what a cheap bastard he was.
Where was Beaton's editor?!
I think we're also starting to see Agatha run through one-and-done men instead of trying to beat the old relationships to death. Which is fine with me. Except it's almost as inconceivable that James' old house keeps getting sold to one hot middle-aged man after another, as is it that Agatha seems to stumble on every single dead body in the entirety of England.
Oh well. Wish fulfillment isn't something I'm docking points for with these books.
And on the plus side, the mystery was a bit more interesting this time around.
Yes.
I do intend to keep reading these.
Recommended for Raisinets only.
But the only things that haunted this book were continuity errors.
What the hell was up with Charles having children with his ex-wife?
In the last book, it was plain that his then-wife had tricked him into thinking she was pregnant with twins when she wasn't pregnant with anything but bloat, and then ran off and got an annulment once she found out what a cheap bastard he was.
Where was Beaton's editor?!
I think we're also starting to see Agatha run through one-and-done men instead of trying to beat the old relationships to death. Which is fine with me. Except it's almost as inconceivable that James' old house keeps getting sold to one hot middle-aged man after another, as is it that Agatha seems to stumble on every single dead body in the entirety of England.
Oh well. Wish fulfillment isn't something I'm docking points for with these books.
And on the plus side, the mystery was a bit more interesting this time around.
Yes.
I do intend to keep reading these.
Recommended for Raisinets only.
August 15, 2016
She must have redone her makeup fifty times.
The author forgot that she'd already told us about the new thinner Charles. Also, I thought his children where a fake - wife never actually had been pregnant. Suddenly, a few months later, "they are little aliens refusing to speak English?" I realize the time sense in these isn't all that clearly drawn, but why would he be seeing his nonexistent children with a wife his lawyers were trying to get rid based on the fraudulent pregnancy the last time we saw him?
These are rather minor issues, but I found them irritating. Perhaps because she spends so much time dressing up and putting on makeup. Boring.
The author forgot that she'd already told us about the new thinner Charles. Also, I thought his children where a fake - wife never actually had been pregnant. Suddenly, a few months later, "they are little aliens refusing to speak English?" I realize the time sense in these isn't all that clearly drawn, but why would he be seeing his nonexistent children with a wife his lawyers were trying to get rid based on the fraudulent pregnancy the last time we saw him?
These are rather minor issues, but I found them irritating. Perhaps because she spends so much time dressing up and putting on makeup. Boring.
November 9, 2019
This is the first Agatha Raisin novel that I have rated below 3 stars. She was so preoccupied with men, that the amateur detective could barely solve the case. I rolled my eyes so many times at her romantic fixation on her handsome "barely married" neighbor. Usually I like Agatha's personality, but this time she got on my nerves. The mystery itself was predictable, so this novel was a complete let down for me.
March 4, 2019
I absolutely love the Agatha Raisin series of books, they are quick easy fun reads. They keep hold of my attention really easily and I have to admit I rarely figure out who the killer is , the books always keep me on my toes keeps my mind working to figure out who it could be.
The characters that feature in the story are very well described so that you get a vivid picture of each of the characters in your mind as your reading the novels, which also helps when you are trying to figure out who did it. The book is fast paced and doesn't move from the main story line like a few murder mystery books do so you end up losing track of what was going on it the story. There are a few recurring characters which makes the series even better as you get to know the characters even more, it is mainly set in a village which is far from being quiet and boring, and you get the typical nosy characters who are just a joy to read in these books.
I would definitely recommend this series of books to anyone who enjoys fun, murder mystery books.
The characters that feature in the story are very well described so that you get a vivid picture of each of the characters in your mind as your reading the novels, which also helps when you are trying to figure out who did it. The book is fast paced and doesn't move from the main story line like a few murder mystery books do so you end up losing track of what was going on it the story. There are a few recurring characters which makes the series even better as you get to know the characters even more, it is mainly set in a village which is far from being quiet and boring, and you get the typical nosy characters who are just a joy to read in these books.
I would definitely recommend this series of books to anyone who enjoys fun, murder mystery books.
September 15, 2023
Cozy Mystery! 🧐
Funny how some people can go quite mad without anyone around them realizing it.
When Agatha Raisin's handsome new neighbor, Paul Chatterton, shows up on her doorstep wanting her to help investigate claims of a haunted house, she wastes no time offering her services. Whispers, footsteps, and a cold white mist are plaguing Mrs. Witherspoon, but the police have failed to come up with any leads. The neighbors think it's all a desperate ploy for attention, but Paul and Agatha are sure something more devious is going on. When Mrs. Witherspoon suddenly turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Agatha finds herself caught up in another murder mystery.
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This is the 14th book in the Agatha Raisin Series. The story is so delightful. The main character, Agatha Raisin, sees herself as a legitimate investigator, although she's just a middle-aged woman with a funny personality. I found this book charming in every way. 💕
Funny how some people can go quite mad without anyone around them realizing it.
When Agatha Raisin's handsome new neighbor, Paul Chatterton, shows up on her doorstep wanting her to help investigate claims of a haunted house, she wastes no time offering her services. Whispers, footsteps, and a cold white mist are plaguing Mrs. Witherspoon, but the police have failed to come up with any leads. The neighbors think it's all a desperate ploy for attention, but Paul and Agatha are sure something more devious is going on. When Mrs. Witherspoon suddenly turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Agatha finds herself caught up in another murder mystery.
‐‐------------------------------‐---------------------------------------
This is the 14th book in the Agatha Raisin Series. The story is so delightful. The main character, Agatha Raisin, sees herself as a legitimate investigator, although she's just a middle-aged woman with a funny personality. I found this book charming in every way. 💕
April 28, 2016
Continuity errors - how I hate them. You can't embroil a man in a juicy marriage scandal complete with fake pregnancy and then later claim he's got children! It's the sort of character inconsistency that stands out.
Apart from that, this was an engaging case. Beginning with a supposedly haunted house, four bodies are dropped before all is resolved. Agatha is her amusing, gruff self. Her new neighbor, Paul, is a keen co-conspirator for most of the tale. And of course there's the reappearance of an old friend to complicate her romantic intentions - and to liven things up overall.
No matter how dark things may get, I do appreciate the humor pervading all of Beaton's books. Villagers entertain with their odd obsessions. Interrogations are punctuated by mad asides. And as always, Agatha and her friends can be relied upon for sly remarks or comedic outbursts. It's never a dull time when Mrs. Raisin is around!
Apart from that, this was an engaging case. Beginning with a supposedly haunted house, four bodies are dropped before all is resolved. Agatha is her amusing, gruff self. Her new neighbor, Paul, is a keen co-conspirator for most of the tale. And of course there's the reappearance of an old friend to complicate her romantic intentions - and to liven things up overall.
No matter how dark things may get, I do appreciate the humor pervading all of Beaton's books. Villagers entertain with their odd obsessions. Interrogations are punctuated by mad asides. And as always, Agatha and her friends can be relied upon for sly remarks or comedic outbursts. It's never a dull time when Mrs. Raisin is around!
July 21, 2015
The small town of Carsley is once again hit with a brand new mystery. An old woman reports that her home is haunted and she needs a ghost hunter. Feeling bored, Agatha Raisin volunteers and this time she’s accompanied by her handsome new neighbor, Paul Chatterton. It’s not long before they discover that the woman is very well hated and most likely the victim of a prank. When the woman winds up dead, Agatha is right there to lend her services as a private investigator. She might not officially be a PI, but as an amateur sleuth, she gets the job done better than the police. Not to mention that she’s more equipped to investigate than to hunt for ghosts.
Penelope Keith always does a wonderful job at narrating these books. I’ve become so used to her voice and I really enjoy her style of storytelling. She plays each character very well and they truly come to life. The characters become quite vivid to me.
This is the 14th book in the series. I’m racing right through them. At first I was annoyed that Agatha, a 50-something year old woman, immediately falls in love with her handsome new neighbors. It happens in each book and she anxiously awaits them to ask her to marry her. These proposals don’t come. Her roughness, crankiness and her brusqueness don’t match her falling in love so quickly, but by the 14th book, I just find it humorous.
I truly have come to adore Agatha and I never thought I would. She annoyed me to no end in the first couple of books, but now she’s like an old friend.
I’m looking forward to the next one.
Penelope Keith always does a wonderful job at narrating these books. I’ve become so used to her voice and I really enjoy her style of storytelling. She plays each character very well and they truly come to life. The characters become quite vivid to me.
This is the 14th book in the series. I’m racing right through them. At first I was annoyed that Agatha, a 50-something year old woman, immediately falls in love with her handsome new neighbors. It happens in each book and she anxiously awaits them to ask her to marry her. These proposals don’t come. Her roughness, crankiness and her brusqueness don’t match her falling in love so quickly, but by the 14th book, I just find it humorous.
I truly have come to adore Agatha and I never thought I would. She annoyed me to no end in the first couple of books, but now she’s like an old friend.
I’m looking forward to the next one.
January 3, 2015
It's difficult to divide a visit with old friends and the strength of this book in the Agatha Raisin series.
Agatha is again mesmerized with the latest man living next door while she pines under it all for the goofy James Lacey.
Her aging comes out well when she can't get up out of a lawn chair gracefully. Some character continuity is lacking. To see Agatha run because she thought she saw a ghost? Certainly inconsistent, but still real.
In the end, I enjoyed the book.
Agatha is again mesmerized with the latest man living next door while she pines under it all for the goofy James Lacey.
Her aging comes out well when she can't get up out of a lawn chair gracefully. Some character continuity is lacking. To see Agatha run because she thought she saw a ghost? Certainly inconsistent, but still real.
In the end, I enjoyed the book.
September 26, 2022
Absolument terrible, comme tous les autres Agatha Raisin que j'ai lu.
September 3, 2022
4 ⭐ = Good
Yet another great story in this series!
Harmless and entertaining 😁
Yet another great story in this series!
Harmless and entertaining 😁
October 4, 2023
Agatha is back with yet another new sidekick and this time the story kicks off with a haunting. Turns into one of the best stories in the series yet. Through a clever turn of events, we get the same suspense finale as in several books, but yet not really.
June 14, 2016
Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House (#14) by MC Beaton - average at best
Not sure why I keep reading these. The formula is pretty standard. Agatha returns from some London assignment to find a new man moved in next door. She immediately imagines some 'happy ever after' with him and obsesses about her appearance. Meanwhile she sticks her nose into someone else's business and there is a murder. The police flail about, Agatha enlists the help of the new guy and they solve the murder. At various points Sir Charles will show up and help out / make new guy jealous or both.
That's it, nothing else to it.
In the process, of course, I get extremely annoyed that a seemingly capable woman could be so shallow and needy.
The only positive is that they are always a quick undemanding read and sometimes that's just what is needed.
I guess the only other reason for me reading this series is that I was given a number of them in kindle format, so they are 'there' when I'm looking for something mindless.
Not sure why I keep reading these. The formula is pretty standard. Agatha returns from some London assignment to find a new man moved in next door. She immediately imagines some 'happy ever after' with him and obsesses about her appearance. Meanwhile she sticks her nose into someone else's business and there is a murder. The police flail about, Agatha enlists the help of the new guy and they solve the murder. At various points Sir Charles will show up and help out / make new guy jealous or both.
That's it, nothing else to it.
In the process, of course, I get extremely annoyed that a seemingly capable woman could be so shallow and needy.
The only positive is that they are always a quick undemanding read and sometimes that's just what is needed.
I guess the only other reason for me reading this series is that I was given a number of them in kindle format, so they are 'there' when I'm looking for something mindless.
January 1, 2019
Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House by M.C.Beaton is the 14th book in the Agatha Raisin mystery series. Agatha's new neighbour, Paul Chatterton asks Agatha to help him investigate a supposedly haunted house but when the owner is killed, they find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation with the possibility of hidden treasure from the past. I enjoyed this book very much. A quick read and I liked that Agatha recognises her short comings and bumbling manner, but doesn't give up and manages to come out on top at the end. She announces at the end that she is opening a detective agency and it will be interesting to follow her through this.
May 30, 2020
I love Agatha Raisin and all her imperfections. These books are funny, cozy, and beautifully British. They are a form of therapy for me during tough times.
May 9, 2022
3.2 stars. Until the very end, I still had that ‘stuck in a rut’ feeling with this latest book in the series. The murder case being investigated follows the usual formula and everyone is fast becoming a flat character. Even the two new male characters we have met in the last few stories are basically James Lacey each time.
And it’s a shame, because the idea of a haunted house gave the author an opportunity to give this book a different vibe - a seance perhaps, some conversations about life and death, some spooky goings-on. Unfortunately, the fun we could have had with a potential ghost is done and dusted long before the end of chapter two, and what we got was almost nothing. It was as if the author forgot all about it and then we just fell into the usual routine.
However, the ending of this book gives me hope we are about to turn a corner. We’ll see!
And it’s a shame, because the idea of a haunted house gave the author an opportunity to give this book a different vibe - a seance perhaps, some conversations about life and death, some spooky goings-on. Unfortunately, the fun we could have had with a potential ghost is done and dusted long before the end of chapter two, and what we got was almost nothing. It was as if the author forgot all about it and then we just fell into the usual routine.
However, the ending of this book gives me hope we are about to turn a corner. We’ll see!
December 14, 2018
Encore du remue-ménage en perspective : nouveau voisin, nouvelle enquête dans un manoir hanté, nouvelles spéculations éparpillées. Aucune surprise dans cette lecture, mais quel plaisir de butiner dans cette campagne anglaise et de se ressourcer auprès de l'énergie positive d'Agatha Raisin ! Suis irrécupérable.
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http://blogclarabel.canalblog.com/arc...
September 14, 2017
3.5 stars. I really do enjoy Agatha, and she annoys me a lot less - maybe because I know about that lack of self confidence and good heart beneath that grumpy exterior.
October 29, 2020
The book is entertaining and the mystery is ok. I love anything with a secret passage. There are some very funny scenes.
The only problem is that this is part of a series. Agatha Raisin would never have been able to solve mysteries, even as an amateur, by making this many amateur mistakes. Also, she plays second fiddle to her next door neighbor for too much of the book, just following where he wants to lead a lot of the time. That's not how I remember her from another book I read in this series. I would judge this higher if this was a standalone but knowing this is further along in a series is just a disconnect.
The only problem is that this is part of a series. Agatha Raisin would never have been able to solve mysteries, even as an amateur, by making this many amateur mistakes. Also, she plays second fiddle to her next door neighbor for too much of the book, just following where he wants to lead a lot of the time. That's not how I remember her from another book I read in this series. I would judge this higher if this was a standalone but knowing this is further along in a series is just a disconnect.
January 16, 2024
2024 reread
2.5 stars. This is not a good book in the series. Agatha almost seemed like a different character fora lot of this book, and her character has been so consistent up until now.
What I thought on the first read is basically what I think now. I do appreciate the overall mystery more on the reread, I have to admit. But I'm not sure that the same care was taken with the characters in this book. I'll be rereading more, so have to see if it's just a blip. Sometimes that happens in long running series.
The ending does suggest something that I've been very impatient to see happen in this series, so I can't wait to read the next book again. It should be the start of a big change for Agatha, and a change for the series.
Remember to read this series in order. Don't treat them as stand alone stories as each novel has story-lines that follow the earlier novels.
The fourteenth Agatha Raisin book was nowhere near the best of the series. In fact, a lot of it seemed a bit of a mess, and the haunted house ploy hardly played into the novel.
Agatha has a new neighbour, and again she is besotted with this man. It is a theme that repeats a little too often, I think. Together they investigate what is thought to be a haunted house, and the owner of the house is then found dead. Are there two mysteries to solve? Well, the book tosses one avenue out the window pretty quickly.
Charles makes a welcome return. In this book, he has children with his ex-wife, but I thought from a precious novel in the series that the ex-wife's pregnancy had been faked. Well, I may have to go back and re-read to make sure.
For die hard Agatha Raisin fans, you will love this book. I thought it was pretty par for the course, but will keep reading the series as I'm sure there are still great Agatha Raisin novels to read.
2.5 stars. This is not a good book in the series. Agatha almost seemed like a different character fora lot of this book, and her character has been so consistent up until now.
What I thought on the first read is basically what I think now. I do appreciate the overall mystery more on the reread, I have to admit. But I'm not sure that the same care was taken with the characters in this book. I'll be rereading more, so have to see if it's just a blip. Sometimes that happens in long running series.
The ending does suggest something that I've been very impatient to see happen in this series, so I can't wait to read the next book again. It should be the start of a big change for Agatha, and a change for the series.
Remember to read this series in order. Don't treat them as stand alone stories as each novel has story-lines that follow the earlier novels.
The fourteenth Agatha Raisin book was nowhere near the best of the series. In fact, a lot of it seemed a bit of a mess, and the haunted house ploy hardly played into the novel.
Agatha has a new neighbour, and again she is besotted with this man. It is a theme that repeats a little too often, I think. Together they investigate what is thought to be a haunted house, and the owner of the house is then found dead. Are there two mysteries to solve? Well, the book tosses one avenue out the window pretty quickly.
Charles makes a welcome return. In this book, he has children with his ex-wife, but I thought from a precious novel in the series that the ex-wife's pregnancy had been faked. Well, I may have to go back and re-read to make sure.
For die hard Agatha Raisin fans, you will love this book. I thought it was pretty par for the course, but will keep reading the series as I'm sure there are still great Agatha Raisin novels to read.
November 2, 2016
Agatha is back to finding her footing. The new neighbor is a lost cause. Maybe there is something haunting that house. A crotchety old bachelor ghost who possesses every man who lives there. At least the indomitable Sir Charles is back. He's cheeky, lazy and cheap. Reminds me of boyfriends from days gone past.
October 24, 2019
Avec plus de 800.000 exemplaires vendus, on ne présente plus Agatha Raisin, l'héritière très spirituelle de Miss Marple version rock. En seulement quelques années, l’héroïne de M.C. Beaton a su imposer sa personnalité loufoque et irrésistible sur les rayons des librairies de l’Hexagone et les lecteurs en redemandent. Ils sont toujours plus nombreux et impatients de retrouver leur détective favorite dans des enquêtes toujours plus rocambolesques ! On peut désormais parler d'un véritable phénomène « Agatha Raisin ».
Pourtant, il faut bien avouer que les enquêtes d'Agatha sont parfois décevantes : comme dans Vacances tous risques, lorsque notre quinqua sans scrupule était en vacances à Chypre, ou dans L’enfer de l’amour, lorsqu’on la retrouvait en pleine déconfiture sentimentale ou plus récemment dans Chantage au presbytère où Agatha, complètement larguée par James Lacey, apparaissait le cœur et l’égo en miettes…
Mais sans qu'on se l'explique véritablement, on se surprend pourtant à retomber sous le charme d'Agatha au moment où on s'y attend le moins ! C’est exactement ce qui s’est passé avec ce quatorzième tome de la série, Gare aux fantômes. Pourtant, le schéma narratif reste le même, à ceci près que, cette fois, M.C. Beaton a cherché à innover et à introduire enfin dans son récit des éléments nouveaux visant à relancer une série en perte de vitesse. Enrichie d’un nouveau personnage tout à fait intéressant, son intrigue, plus rythmée, plus incisive fonctionne davantage que la précédente.
Grâce à cette nouvelle comédie policière vraiment distrayante et réussie, M.C. Beaton, dont on pouvait craindre qu’elle ait épuisé ses ressources, semble avoir retrouvé la forme ! Il n’en fallait pas plus pour que l’on ait envie de retrouver son impertinente héroïne dans de prochaines aventures !
Pourtant, il faut bien avouer que les enquêtes d'Agatha sont parfois décevantes : comme dans Vacances tous risques, lorsque notre quinqua sans scrupule était en vacances à Chypre, ou dans L’enfer de l’amour, lorsqu’on la retrouvait en pleine déconfiture sentimentale ou plus récemment dans Chantage au presbytère où Agatha, complètement larguée par James Lacey, apparaissait le cœur et l’égo en miettes…
Mais sans qu'on se l'explique véritablement, on se surprend pourtant à retomber sous le charme d'Agatha au moment où on s'y attend le moins ! C’est exactement ce qui s’est passé avec ce quatorzième tome de la série, Gare aux fantômes. Pourtant, le schéma narratif reste le même, à ceci près que, cette fois, M.C. Beaton a cherché à innover et à introduire enfin dans son récit des éléments nouveaux visant à relancer une série en perte de vitesse. Enrichie d’un nouveau personnage tout à fait intéressant, son intrigue, plus rythmée, plus incisive fonctionne davantage que la précédente.
Grâce à cette nouvelle comédie policière vraiment distrayante et réussie, M.C. Beaton, dont on pouvait craindre qu’elle ait épuisé ses ressources, semble avoir retrouvé la forme ! Il n’en fallait pas plus pour que l’on ait envie de retrouver son impertinente héroïne dans de prochaines aventures !
October 22, 2019
This was a great first read for me. Funny, Haunting, tense. I could not put it down. I love Agatha she is a lot of fun although she tend to do some stupid this where men is concern. The plot development was good as well as the story line.
A great read for Halloween. I am looking forward in reading her next book.
A great read for Halloween. I am looking forward in reading her next book.
August 28, 2021
Agatha and the Spooky Mansion
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (January 2013) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (October 2003)
The Haunted House finds Agatha Raisin crushing on yet another new neighbour Paul Chatterton and then joining him in investigating an alleged haunting. Murders soon follow and Agatha is quickly back on the detecting trail with Sir Charles Fraith joining in as well.
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 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 continuation series Book 32 Down the Hatch is yet to be released, and is expected to be published in October 2021. Down the Hatch is apparently entirely written by continuation writer R.W. Green whereas #31 Hot to Trot was a collaboration with M.C. Beaton.
Trivia and Link
The Haunted House was adapted as Episodes 1 and 2 of Series 3 for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). It was shown as a Hallowe'en tie-in during October 2019. A trailer can be seen on YouTube here.
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (January 2013) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (October 2003)
The Haunted House finds Agatha Raisin crushing on yet another new neighbour Paul Chatterton and then joining him in investigating an alleged haunting. Murders soon follow and Agatha is quickly back on the detecting trail with Sir Charles Fraith joining in as well.
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 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 continuation series Book 32 Down the Hatch is yet to be released, and is expected to be published in October 2021. Down the Hatch is apparently entirely written by continuation writer R.W. Green whereas #31 Hot to Trot was a collaboration with M.C. Beaton.
Trivia and Link
The Haunted House was adapted as Episodes 1 and 2 of Series 3 for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). It was shown as a Hallowe'en tie-in during October 2019. A trailer can be seen on YouTube here.
December 16, 2011
As I have said before, the Agatha Raisin books are no longer about the dead body in the other room; they are about the interactions between the recurring cast of characters and the maturing of Agatha. As she comes to realize that she is important and that people do care about her - even if she tries to stare them down with her bear like eyes and doesn’t understand that when she spout off at the mouth there is a living breathing human being at the pointy end of her jabs – they just have to be willing to get beyond the wall that she has built.
What could be more tempting than a report of a haunted house? Agatha, with the help of her new neighbor Paul Chatterton, head out to do a little detecting and spend the night doing their own Ghost Hunters type of investigating. But when Agatha gets a little more than what she was expecting and the nasty Mrs. Witherspoon is soon found dead, Agatha once again finds herself knee deep in an investigation and Bill Wong must come to the rescue.
A new day has dawned for Agatha. No longer is she languishing away because a man is not paying attention to her. She is now seeing them as a distraction and she has a new direction in life.
By the way, when did Agatha get sexy? I remember the previous books discussing her in a frumpy sort of way. Now she is turning heads and the ladies of Carsley are a bit on the jealous side. This is a new turn and I hope that it will add yet another dimension to a wonderfully curious woman.
What could be more tempting than a report of a haunted house? Agatha, with the help of her new neighbor Paul Chatterton, head out to do a little detecting and spend the night doing their own Ghost Hunters type of investigating. But when Agatha gets a little more than what she was expecting and the nasty Mrs. Witherspoon is soon found dead, Agatha once again finds herself knee deep in an investigation and Bill Wong must come to the rescue.
A new day has dawned for Agatha. No longer is she languishing away because a man is not paying attention to her. She is now seeing them as a distraction and she has a new direction in life.
By the way, when did Agatha get sexy? I remember the previous books discussing her in a frumpy sort of way. Now she is turning heads and the ladies of Carsley are a bit on the jealous side. This is a new turn and I hope that it will add yet another dimension to a wonderfully curious woman.
January 27, 2020
It was an easy read, so I understand why people might enjoy it, but it really wasn't a very good book. The plot was silly where it wasn't obvious, the characters were a strange mix of the bland and the ridiculous and the main character learned absolutely nothing over the course of the book. The style of writing is inconsistent, usually clinging to a close 3rd person with the main character but giving random flashes of other people's perspectives. The author has a strange obsession with outfit choices, and gives a detailed description of everything the heroine wears throughout the tale, and seems to have an odd dislike of the French which shows itself at random intervals throughout the story. All in all, I'm grateful that it was quick to read because I would not want to spend much longer on it.
November 1, 2016
Another single man moves in next door to Agatha, and as hard as she tries, her fantasies of happily ever after still start....
New neighbor Paul, comes to Agatha to see if she wants to help them Ghostbust A haunted house.... but is there really a ghost, or is it just a prank? The old lady's house who it is, is not much liked, and soon she is murdered... of course Agatha with The help of Paul this time, Jumps in to solve this murder...
Agatha is her usual cranky, blunt, overly obsessed with her luxe self, But now she is like an old friend, you just adore her for being her.....
New neighbor Paul, comes to Agatha to see if she wants to help them Ghostbust A haunted house.... but is there really a ghost, or is it just a prank? The old lady's house who it is, is not much liked, and soon she is murdered... of course Agatha with The help of Paul this time, Jumps in to solve this murder...
Agatha is her usual cranky, blunt, overly obsessed with her luxe self, But now she is like an old friend, you just adore her for being her.....
October 25, 2019
Agatha Raisin investigates the alleged haunting of a home in a nearby community, but soon the woman who lived there dies under suspicious circumstances. Although Runcorn wants to chalk it up to accidental death, Agatha and her new neighbor Paul Chatterton decide to investigate on their own. Two more deaths occur that may or may not be related to the first. Sir Charles shows up to take part in the action before Agatha solves it. Although the mystery itself is acceptable, I find Agatha's man-craziness tiresome. Penelope Keith's narration bumps the overall enjoyment up a bit!
March 13, 2019
Agatha oma tuntud headuses- kohati kobab pimeduses, aga lahendab asja. Lõpu arvad vaid veidi enne lõppu ära.
November 10, 2020
Listened to audiobook.
Awful. Ridiculously boring, it pained me too much to finish it so I left it with an hour to go.
Agatha is a very shallow character, I have no idea why she has to change her makeup and clothes every 2 minutes and constantly comment on her age and weight.
I found it dreary and kept going off on tangents. I really couldn’t have cared less in the end.
Awful. Ridiculously boring, it pained me too much to finish it so I left it with an hour to go.
Agatha is a very shallow character, I have no idea why she has to change her makeup and clothes every 2 minutes and constantly comment on her age and weight.
I found it dreary and kept going off on tangents. I really couldn’t have cared less in the end.
June 1, 2023
Agatha Raisin strikes again. This series has become my comfort read. Easy to listen to, funny, a familiar cast of characters from a little village in the Cotswolds. Agatha is middle-aged, loves her cats, embarrasses herself on the regular, and frequents the local pubs because she always seems to be hungry and loves a good gin and tonic. She has terrible taste in men and loves to stick her nose in where it doesn’t belong. What’s not to like?
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