Cranky but lovable sleuth Agatha Raisin’s detective agency has become so successful that she wants nothing more than to take quality time... read full description
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Nov 23, 2008
realityshowgirl
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A Spoonful Of Poision
M.C Beaton
Mystery
276 pages
copyright: 2008
isbn: 0-312-34912-2
Cranky but lovable sleuth Agatha Raisin’s detective agency has become so successful that she wants nothing more than to take quality time for rest and relaxation. But as soon as she begins closing the agency on weekends, she remembers that when she has plenty of quality time, she doesn’t know what to do with it. So it doesn’t take much for the vicar of a nearby village to pe More...
M.C Beaton
Mystery
276 pages
copyright: 2008
isbn: 0-312-34912-2
Cranky but lovable sleuth Agatha Raisin’s detective agency has become so successful that she wants nothing more than to take quality time for rest and relaxation. But as soon as she begins closing the agency on weekends, she remembers that when she has plenty of quality time, she doesn’t know what to do with it. So it doesn’t take much for the vicar of a nearby village to pe More...
Nov 26, 2011
Ali
rated it: 
You know where you are with Agatha Raisin, they're not taxing books, not complicated and they each run pretty much along similar lines. In this one we the good old village fete and a bizarre poisoning. I was glad this didn't go over the top again like we had a couple of books ago, the story is more reminiscent of earlier A R novels except fotr the detective agency and the new characters. I did think this one did seem a bit padded out. As if M C Beaton had to write a certain length book and the p
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Nov 09, 2010
Sarah
rated it: 
M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series is my absolute FAVORITE cozy mystery series out there! I love it for so many reasons I probably couldn't name in one go here in this review. If ever you need a pick-me-up or you're in a book slump, an Agatha Raisin book is guaranteed to make you happy. Plus, they're quick, fast reads you could probably finish in one sitting on a rainy Sunday.
A Spoonful of Poison is the nineteenth book in the Agatha Raisin series featuring the ensemble cast we have g More...
A Spoonful of Poison is the nineteenth book in the Agatha Raisin series featuring the ensemble cast we have g More...
Dec 10, 2009
Maria
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 06, 2009
Suzanne
rated it:
Have you ever read a book that was so bad it was good? That was my first impression of this MC Beaton book. I had no idea that she was such a popular cozy mystery writer. In fact, I accidently stumbled across her book while purusing the shelves at my local library while waiting for a book I'd put on hold to arrive.
While I waited I grabbed the book, sat down, and started reading . First impressions: the writing is atrocious, clunky descriptions and dialoge, disjointed narration that j More...
While I waited I grabbed the book, sat down, and started reading . First impressions: the writing is atrocious, clunky descriptions and dialoge, disjointed narration that j More...
May 13, 2009
Amanda
rated it:
I really don't know why I read the Agatha Raisin novels. I love Hamish Macbeth so of course I decided to try Beaton's other mystery series, but found that I really dislike Agatha a lot. Because I am a compulsive reader I just had to read all the Agatha Raisin novels in the series that I could get from my library, even though a lot of them annoyed me. This one was just too much. These novels are just so repetitive, in every single one the same character flaws are stressed, the same sentiments exp
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Dec 18, 2011
Kate
rated it:
This was a better and more involve story, but I think I need a rest from Agatha or be in a different mood when I read the next one as I still want to shake her, even though she was sometimes a little more sensible about herself this time. Toni is an excellent young assistant - and a good addition to the story.
Cranky but lovable sleuth Agatha Raisin’s detective agency has become so successful that she wants nothing more than to take quality time for rest and relaxation. But as soon as More...
Cranky but lovable sleuth Agatha Raisin’s detective agency has become so successful that she wants nothing more than to take quality time for rest and relaxation. But as soon as More...
Nov 13, 2010
Cheryl
rated it:
I enjoy reading cozy mysteries every now and then. I'm a huge fan of the Jessica Fletcher "Murder, She Wrote" books. This is the first Agatha Raisin book I've read. When I picked it up, I thought it would be very similar to the Jessica Fletcher novels; an older woman solving mysteries in a small English village instead of a small town in the United States. I was wrong and a little disappointed. Agatha Raisin is definitely not your typical sweet, aging lady detective. She's abrasi
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Feb 03, 2010
Agatha Raison (or should I say M.C. Beaton) will always get a 5 star rating from me. It is 4:13 a.m. and in typical fashion I am awake and it's too cold to be up, so my laptop is in bed with me & I am wondering what would happen if Hamish MacBeth and Agatha Raison met? Anyway, this book is another great one. Beaton is a master when it comes to telling the truth about the human psyche - the vulnerabilities, the insecurities, the way the mind betrays itself again & again in spite of our attempts t
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Nov 06, 2008
Francey
rated it: 
This is number 19 in the Agatha Raisin series. I've read most of them, again I will not list them all. They are very fun. Agatha is a cranky but lovable sleuth. She has lots of flaws and she's pretty insecure. She was in advertising, sold her business to retire in the quaint area of the Cotswolds in England. She gets bored and discovers she's a pretty good detective. FUN reading.
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Dec 24, 2011
Sian
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Agatha Raisin and a Spoonful of Poison by M.C.Beaton
I haven't read an Agatha Raisin book in a long time, and starting this one felt like slipping on a comfy cardigan. I love Agatha, she's grumpy, is obsessed with men and always ends up getting herself in trouble. But she's a brilliant detective, which is why we love her.
The plot of this one, wasn't as tight as I'd have liked it to be. The person who committed the murders didn't really have a reason for it, and now thinking back More...
I haven't read an Agatha Raisin book in a long time, and starting this one felt like slipping on a comfy cardigan. I love Agatha, she's grumpy, is obsessed with men and always ends up getting herself in trouble. But she's a brilliant detective, which is why we love her.
The plot of this one, wasn't as tight as I'd have liked it to be. The person who committed the murders didn't really have a reason for it, and now thinking back More...
Jan 23, 2009
Susan
rated it:
I should give it 2-1/2 stars, as these books are like comfort food, and you can read them in an evening (almost, depends on how much time I have!)
As others have said on this site, I like Agatha but I'm not sure why sometimes - her being such an immature, insecure woman in her 50s is getting a little old, and I wish she'd have a bit of restraint and self-respect when it comes to men! Other than that, the mysteries really seem insignificant at this point, it's all about Agatha and her More...
As others have said on this site, I like Agatha but I'm not sure why sometimes - her being such an immature, insecure woman in her 50s is getting a little old, and I wish she'd have a bit of restraint and self-respect when it comes to men! Other than that, the mysteries really seem insignificant at this point, it's all about Agatha and her More...
Jan 15, 2012
Bambola
rated it:
Truly desperation reading, obtained from a raid on my mother's pile of library books as I had nothing to read. The only thing saving it from a lone star rating was that the actual whodunnit was reasonably interesting and not too obvious - although I did pick part of the solution fairly easily. But on the minus side, too many characters, mostly poorly drawn, and dreadfully clunky dialogue. Hasn't anyone told MC Beaton to actually try saying the dialogue out loud, or to get someone else to, and se
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Jul 29, 2011
Catherine
rated it:
I have read this series from front onward--this is not one of the great ones. The last few have been very good, I thought, with Agatha reflecting on who she is, what her strengths and flaws are, and how to manage them all better to try and be a bit happier in herself. Not this time. This book is about falling back into the same patterns with similar sorts of people, shooting herself in the foot on a regular basis, a gratuitous drugging of innocent people, and really no movement forward tor th
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Aug 10, 2011
Gerry
rated it:
Carnage in the Cotswolds once more and it needs Agatha Raisin to sort it all out - and she does!
Asked to assist in a nearby church fete, Agatha throws herself wholeheartedly into the project but once it begins, perhaps unsurprisingly, she finds herself investigating two supposed murders after the jam in a jam tasting competition had been laced with something.
Her young assistant Toni helps in unravelling the mystery but not before Agatha gets into numerous love trysts, whi More...
Asked to assist in a nearby church fete, Agatha throws herself wholeheartedly into the project but once it begins, perhaps unsurprisingly, she finds herself investigating two supposed murders after the jam in a jam tasting competition had been laced with something.
Her young assistant Toni helps in unravelling the mystery but not before Agatha gets into numerous love trysts, whi More...
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Nov 04, 2010
Chazz
rated it:
It's at least 4 stars, but I gave it a fifth star, because I just shopped at Best Buy, so I'm in a good mood.
Anyway, this is my very first M.C. Beaton novel. And it was darn entertaining. She can write, but she doesn't make you work. E.g., "The tentacles of obsession were coiling once more around Agatha's brain."
The just-mentioned Agatha is the lead character of this series, Agatha Raisin, a private detective. She's in her 50s, divorced, and likes a cigarette in one More...
Anyway, this is my very first M.C. Beaton novel. And it was darn entertaining. She can write, but she doesn't make you work. E.g., "The tentacles of obsession were coiling once more around Agatha's brain."
The just-mentioned Agatha is the lead character of this series, Agatha Raisin, a private detective. She's in her 50s, divorced, and likes a cigarette in one More...
Apr 02, 2011
Peggy
rated it:
I'm not sure why I read the Agatha Raisin books because they're very lightweight, quite formulaic and Agatha herself has scarcely become more self-aware over the course of 19 books. She keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. However, maybe this is why she is an appealing character - she's flawed, lonely and somewhat vulnerable, always ashamed of her lower class beginnings and constantly on the lookout for a man to be in her life. This one involves the spiking of desserts with LSD at
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Dec 10, 2011
Sheli
rated it:
This is the first Agatha Raisin book I have read and am glad that I have discovered the series!
I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and enjoyable with good characters.
In this book Agatha's detective agency is investigating two deaths caused by LSD being put into jam samples at a village summer fair (I love stuff like this!!) and has to spend a lot of time in the village with the local characters to try and get to the bottom of this.
Although being p More...
I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and enjoyable with good characters.
In this book Agatha's detective agency is investigating two deaths caused by LSD being put into jam samples at a village summer fair (I love stuff like this!!) and has to spend a lot of time in the village with the local characters to try and get to the bottom of this.
Although being p More...
Nov 18, 2008
Judy
rated it:
I really don't know why I like this series of books so much. No, wait, I know why. The books in this series can be read in an afternoon (particularly a rainy afternoon in front of the fireplace) and the main character is a self-centered, unfocused,cranky woman in her 50s. Sound familiar? The basic premise of the series (which is over ten books) centers around Agatha Raisin, a successful public relations guru, who took early retirement to move to the English countryside and find happiness in
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Sep 28, 2009
Mascanlon
rated it:
You either like or loath Agatha Raisin...I happen to love her. Se is smart, resilient in lost love (good riddance to James) and very clever in soling the local mysteries. In this outing she is helping to manage the church fete in a nearby village only to find the food laced with LSD causing an old parishioner to leap to her death from the nearby tower. as always Agatha is the middle of all the gossip, yearning after the wrong men and offending people right and left.
Jan 17, 2009
Deborah
rated it:
I always enjoy another visit with cranky old Agatha Raisin.
This was a bit slower than some of the other books. It seemed like she was flitting about here and there over and over.
A lot of it was also focused on her young employee, who has now started her own detective agency. I wonder will she start writing books about her now?
There is obviously another book in the wings, she left you hanging at the end, with an obvious plot to come.
Still a fun read over all.
This was a bit slower than some of the other books. It seemed like she was flitting about here and there over and over.
A lot of it was also focused on her young employee, who has now started her own detective agency. I wonder will she start writing books about her now?
There is obviously another book in the wings, she left you hanging at the end, with an obvious plot to come.
Still a fun read over all.
Apr 21, 2009
Chelsea
rated it:
I got into these books my senior year at BYU because they were funny and VERY quick reads. I picked up the most recent Agatha Raisin Mystery at the library off the new shelf and wasn't disappointed. The funny thing is that while Agatha is funny, she's not endearing and I actually love the supporting characters much more than Agatha herself. But they are fun little mysteries and clean, what more could you ask for?
Feb 17, 2010
George
rated it:
#19 in the Agatha Raisin mystery series set in the Cotswolds area. Head of her own detective agency, Agatha is again involved in murder and a series of problems which she seeks to resolve. There are more than the usual plot lines in this mystery along with the usual humor, Agatha's need to be the center of attention personality, her chasing after the next handsome man, and, at times, abrasiveness.
Jan 16, 2012
Jane
rated it:
It was just "ok". The plot was interesting, but got too entangled with people for me to enjoy at this time. I needed something mellower. I thought I enjoyed the Agatha Raisin mysteries, having read one or two before. But this one, not so much. Aggie was exceptionally cranky, as were a few other characters. The end drug on a bit much, but there was an interesting and unexpected twist.
Apr 08, 2009
Nancy
rated it:
Agatha Raisin is my favorite anti-hero: vain, moody; man-chasing and occasionally mean-spirited. So, mystery readers who are tired of sweet Miss Marple---DO pick up Agatha Raisin.
The books are formulaic; the plots are strikingly similar, but I still want to read every single new volume as soon as I can get my hands on it. It's all about Agatha and I just can't get enough of her.
The books are formulaic; the plots are strikingly similar, but I still want to read every single new volume as soon as I can get my hands on it. It's all about Agatha and I just can't get enough of her.
Aug 30, 2009
Lynn
rated it:
Agatha has her detective agency going. Hires Toni, a cute young underprivlidged girl who ends up starting her own agency. Two murders occur, caused by the vicar's wife of Magna Comfrey a neighboring village. The jam was poisened. All the great characters are in this story including her ex which marries a younger girl and leaves the reader anxious for the next book.
Jul 30, 2011
Jo
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27th June, 2009
Agatha Raisin is bossy, irritating and can be rude but still she can be funny and vulnerable which makes the character human. The murders are set in small villages with perpetrators form the local commumities. Its makes me look at my neighbours in a new light, you really do need to lock the door at night.
Agatha Raisin is bossy, irritating and can be rude but still she can be funny and vulnerable which makes the character human. The murders are set in small villages with perpetrators form the local commumities. Its makes me look at my neighbours in a new light, you really do need to lock the door at night.
Mar 08, 2009
Sheila
rated it:
It is the first Agatha Raisin mystery I have ever read and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. This is the 19th book in the series. Agatha and her team of private detectives are called to duty when a church fundraiser becomes the scene of two murders. Her crankiness and "man hungry" obsession wore a little thin.
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Dec 14, 2009
Kaye
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Agatha is back and managing a church fete at a nearby village. Only things don't go smoothly and some jam with LSD leads to a death. Throw in a handsome widower who might have murdered his wife and you've a case for Agatha. These cozy mysteries aren't great literature but Agatha has grown on me enough to continue the series.
Mar 01, 2009
Pat
rated it:
M. C. Beaton writes very light mysteries. I like her young Scottish constable series with Hamish MacBeth and it has gotten better, but the Agatha Raisin series is pretty bad. Her protagonist is just unlikeable and it would appear that even Beaton doesn't like her because she is always the butt of the joke.
