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The Vicious Vet
(Agatha Raisin #2)
by
Feisty Agatha Raisin, former London PR exec, retired to quiet Cotswold village. Handsome vet Paul Bladen accidentally kills himself while attending Lord Pendlebury's horse. Agatha and attractive neighbor James Lacey investigate the curious lack of sorrow shown by his divorced wife while a killer plans another "accident".
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Paperback, 198 pages
Published
August 29th 2006
by St. Martin's
(first published 1993)
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Start your review of The Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin, #2)
After reading many glowing reviews of the Agatha Raisin series, I was pleased to find a copy of this book for 50c at our local thrift store. I just read it in a couple of days, but that does not mean that it was so gripping that I could scarcely put it down. It was because it's not that long a book, and I wanted to get to the end so I could find something more interesting to read.
The protagonist is nothing like the modern Miss Marple, as suggested by the blurb on the back. Instead, she's an arr ...more
The protagonist is nothing like the modern Miss Marple, as suggested by the blurb on the back. Instead, she's an arr ...more
I think I enjoyed this one a little more than the first. Now that the set up of Agatha's move to the village is over we can jump right into village life and the next murder. Loved Agatha scaring off James when she'd get too eager and the scene with her destroying the ladies room in the pub trying to cover up a blemish on her nose had me chuckling while reading the whole scene. Agatha is a great character, prickly enough to be interesting but with sometimes seen softer side that keeps her likable
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3.5 stars
Enjoyed this second book in the series a bit more than book 1. Probably 4.6 as opposed to 4.5. Looking forward to reading more in the series.
I got serious reader's block half way through this which spoilt it a tad, but before long I was back on track binge reading and Agatha was as amusing and infuriating as ever! I'm beginning to really like her cats as well.... Another great read from MC Beaton.
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Book on CD read by Diana Bishop.
Book two in the popular Agatha Raisin cozy mystery series.
I was not a fan of the first Agatha Raisin book, giving it only 1 star. I found Agatha unbelievable and the plot weak. But … I needed a book for a challenge, and this one was both relatively short, and fit the bill, so I decided to give Agatha Raisin another try.
Agatha is still abrasive and rude, but she’s growing on me. Or I should say, her escapades are growing on me. This begins with a new veterinarian i ...more
Book two in the popular Agatha Raisin cozy mystery series.
I was not a fan of the first Agatha Raisin book, giving it only 1 star. I found Agatha unbelievable and the plot weak. But … I needed a book for a challenge, and this one was both relatively short, and fit the bill, so I decided to give Agatha Raisin another try.
Agatha is still abrasive and rude, but she’s growing on me. Or I should say, her escapades are growing on me. This begins with a new veterinarian i ...more
Second in the highly popular Agatha Raisin murder mystery series The highly irrepressibly Agatha feels sure the attractive new village vet has taken a shine to her, yet before romance can blossom, Dr Bladen accidentally kills himself in an unfortunate incident involving a horse and a needle. Ah well, his death serves as an excuse for her to become chummier with her neighbour James Lacey as once more they are thrown together in an amateur murder investigation...
Cosy, highly entertaining, and ver ...more
Cosy, highly entertaining, and ver ...more
Another good read in the Agatha Raisin series. Really enjoyed this book because it explains the reasons for the murders much better than the TV series did, as well as the Colonel's horror at being linked romantically with anyone.
A light and enjoyable read or listen. Agatha cracks me up, and yet she has powers of observation and deduction that are superior to the local police - not sure if that is always the same in all these cozy-styled mysteries. What marks this series from others is the very g ...more
A light and enjoyable read or listen. Agatha cracks me up, and yet she has powers of observation and deduction that are superior to the local police - not sure if that is always the same in all these cozy-styled mysteries. What marks this series from others is the very g ...more
Such lovely and easy reading - can't wait to get back to the next! Don't let only 3 stars deter you from this series - the highest I've ever given a cozy is 4 stars. I love Agatha in all her sardonic self.
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Well, I thought I'd give it another try, but this one is no improvement over the previous. Reviewers quoted on the cover call these books "playful", "delicious", "hilarious", "intelligent, amusing reading", and the main character "irascible but endearing". I dunno - I find her repulsive and deeply depressing - a person so utterly lacking in self-awareness that she is constantly behaving in ways that are offensive to others while simultaneously making herself miserable. Can't see the humour. I'll
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This is the second in the Agatha Raisin series, following on from Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death. Agatha Raisin is an oddly compelling character; a strange mix of the downright rude and the vulnerable. When we meet Agatha in this book, she has just returned from a holiday where she had attempted, unsuccessfully, to follow her handsome neighbour - only to find that on her return to the village of Carsely, there is a new vet causing fluttering hearts.
As in the previous novel, Agatha seems u ...more
As in the previous novel, Agatha seems u ...more
Truth be told,I haven't read an "Agatha" book yet(and I have read the whole series) that hasn't kept me amused and entertained. Our heroine is a 50-plus detective,living in a village in England,who finds herself in the most amazing predicaments. She has two lovers and deals with middle age issues like the dreaded "hairs in strange places." I started reading this series in my 30's and loved the fact that a woman in her 50's could still have fun, friends,and that naughty S** word! I might just go ...more
Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Great mystery, especially if you're looking for one set in England. Looking forward to the next one!
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The second outing of Agatha Raisin doesn't improve a bit on the 1st one. She still remains rather unlikeable and to add to the mix, we have a naive retired army colonel as the romantic interest, which doesn't improve the book a bit! Though the plot was moderately better than the 1st one.
My Rating - 2.5/5 ...more
My Rating - 2.5/5 ...more
Agatha Raisin is back and slowly getting used to her retired life in the Cotswolds. She wants romance and excitement. Her neighbor, James Lacey, would be the perfect choice to add happiness to her life. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to feel the same way. So, she turns her sights on the new town veterinarian, Paul Bladen.
Agatha isn’t the only one interested in the new vet, though. She notices that many of the town’s women are bringing in their pets for various reasons. Most of them are manufactu ...more
Agatha isn’t the only one interested in the new vet, though. She notices that many of the town’s women are bringing in their pets for various reasons. Most of them are manufactu ...more
Reading this book proved to be a forgettable business. The author must have been inspired at the beginning and might have had severe bouts of writer's block at about the middle, where the plot began to run out of steam. It's sensible to acknowledge that any decently written cozy looks exciting in the beginning. That's because the fan of the genre knows that the pieces on the board are being arranged and soon there will be murder, mayhem, suspects, wash rinse repeat.
The exact moment of me losin ...more
The exact moment of me losin ...more
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Agatha Raisin is not a Miss Marple type personality, in fact most of the time she is just downright snarly. But reading the book as the story unfolds you just can't help routing for her. M. C. Beston is a marvelous writer with a knack for the absurd. Here is a quote from one of the sideline characters that had me almost peeing in my proverbial pants.
". . .a landowner no longer has any privacy. If it’s not busybodies like you, it’s those damn
environmentalists, walking over my land with their ...more
". . .a landowner no longer has any privacy. If it’s not busybodies like you, it’s those damn
environmentalists, walking over my land with their ...more
Published:
Author: M.C Beaton
Recommended for: fans of comedy detection novels
This is the second book in the wonderful series featuring the amateur sleuth Agatha Raisin, this book will definately have you laughing at the humourous way that M.C Beaton has created the character and what she gets up to. The characters are all brilliantly described in such a way that you can picture them in your mind and the place they are living in. In this novel Agatha Raisin is going after the new good looking vet ...more
Author: M.C Beaton
Recommended for: fans of comedy detection novels
This is the second book in the wonderful series featuring the amateur sleuth Agatha Raisin, this book will definately have you laughing at the humourous way that M.C Beaton has created the character and what she gets up to. The characters are all brilliantly described in such a way that you can picture them in your mind and the place they are living in. In this novel Agatha Raisin is going after the new good looking vet ...more
I really love this crotchety middle aged woman named Agatha. She makes me smile and laugh because she just says it like it is. She recently retired from public relations and is finding that she's quite bored. After her first successful attempt at solving a murder she gets a bit of an over-inflated ego and believes she's the only one who can find out the answer as to who wanted the local veterinarian dead. The plus side for her (she has a mad wild crush on James) is that her neighbor, retired mil
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This one's rather far from my usual fare, but there we were at JFK with a five-hour layover and I'd finished the books I'd packed and my wife offered me this one from her bag to pass the time. It wasn't quite what I expected, but it was a fun, light story. Agatha Raisin isn't nearly as clever as most of the literary detectives with whom I'm familiar, nor as prone to exotic adventure, but she perseveres pluckily and keeps her chin up and gets the job done. I didn't think the mystery aspect was re
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OK, I have to admit I binge read seven books in the series, so they all sort of blend together, sort of....
There is a new vet in town and all the ladies are seeming to need to bring their pets to see him, including Agatha..... soon, the vet is killed, and there are plenty of suspects... Agatha of course gets into the middle of it all.... she also starts crushing on her next-door neighbor James, who ends up helping her, solve this mystery.....
There is a new vet in town and all the ladies are seeming to need to bring their pets to see him, including Agatha..... soon, the vet is killed, and there are plenty of suspects... Agatha of course gets into the middle of it all.... she also starts crushing on her next-door neighbor James, who ends up helping her, solve this mystery.....
This is book 2 of Agatha Raisin. These are I guess what we call "cozy mysteries". Agatha is a grumpy, retired woman living in an English village. There are a cast of characters of all the neighbors, the local policeman, etc. There is always some drama going on. Somehow Agatha is becoming quite the murder detective and her love life isn't going the way she wants it to!
I listened to this as an audiobook. I enjoyed the narrator's voice and somehow it's easy listening for me. I don't have to concent ...more
I listened to this as an audiobook. I enjoyed the narrator's voice and somehow it's easy listening for me. I don't have to concent ...more
I really did enjoy this one and only rated it four stars, just because it wasn't mindblowing, though still fab. I adore Agatha Raisin most of the time as she is funny and vulnerable yet still manages to be a strong heroine. The only thing I that sometimes gets on my nerves is her dislike of everyone (and everything) James takes an interest in. I know she fancies the pants off James but this is a whole new level of JELOUSY! Thanksfully though James isn't as petrified as he was at the beginning of
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There is so much to dislike about Agatha Raisin, but everyone has a soft spot for her. All the things that made her a hard-driving and successful businesswoman seem against her in the Cotswolds. She struggled all her life to be successful, but success in a romantic relationship seems to elude her. She is in love with her neighbor, James Lacey, and the only point of contact they have is solving mysteries, so solving mysteries is what she does.
In this mystery, a rather nasty vet is found dead and ...more
In this mystery, a rather nasty vet is found dead and ...more
Overall, I did not find book 2 of the series quite as good as the first one. I think that's often the case because in the first book of a series there is a lot of setting up and discovering the characters.
Having said that, I did find this another enjoyable tale of busy body Agatha Raisin in the Cotswolds. One of the side characters from the first book has a more prominent role in this one and turns out to have some surprising talents.
A short fun read, just over 5 hours on audio book, narrated b ...more
Having said that, I did find this another enjoyable tale of busy body Agatha Raisin in the Cotswolds. One of the side characters from the first book has a more prominent role in this one and turns out to have some surprising talents.
A short fun read, just over 5 hours on audio book, narrated b ...more
Ive been reading Agatha Raisin series on an irregular basis for quite some years by now.
Have found a couple of her books real enjoyable. This one seems to be of the less than average sort.
A sleek vet sets up shop in Agatha's village and all the middle aged women, including spinsters , divorcees , widows and matrons alike are behind him. He is found dead one day and his less than admirable traits come up. Soon a second death occurs , and suspicion of s double murder is consolidated in Agatha's ...more
Have found a couple of her books real enjoyable. This one seems to be of the less than average sort.
A sleek vet sets up shop in Agatha's village and all the middle aged women, including spinsters , divorcees , widows and matrons alike are behind him. He is found dead one day and his less than admirable traits come up. Soon a second death occurs , and suspicion of s double murder is consolidated in Agatha's ...more
Fun, light mystery and a very quick read. Categorized as 'cozy mystery' for most.
What I like about this series is the main character: Agatha Raisin--mostly because she is very nearly unlikable and very nearly put me off these books at first. Described as feisty by the promoters, I would almost call her bitchy. That adds its own bit of fun as she says aloud (and sharply) things that I might just think. ; )
As an added bonus, the books are set in the Cotswold's, which is just the most charming pla ...more
What I like about this series is the main character: Agatha Raisin--mostly because she is very nearly unlikable and very nearly put me off these books at first. Described as feisty by the promoters, I would almost call her bitchy. That adds its own bit of fun as she says aloud (and sharply) things that I might just think. ; )
As an added bonus, the books are set in the Cotswold's, which is just the most charming pla ...more
Cosy, fluffy, British.
Enjoyable and I liked it better than the first one, though the incident with Agatha in the pub bathroom had a screwball element that seemed out of step with the rest of the book. I liked getting to see James Lacey's thoughts and more of the village elements. The parallel plot, albeit brief, with Agatha's flirtation with getting into business again and the murder victim's crimes were nicely done.
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-3-4 Challenge B...: The Vicious Vet by M. C. Beaton | 2 | 10 | Nov 09, 2018 12:36AM | |
| 2-3-4 Challenge: The Vicious Vet by M. C. Beaton (Agatha Raisin #2) - September 2018 | 10 | 21 | Sep 14, 2018 04:54PM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin Book #2) / MC Beaton (4 stars) | 2 | 12 | Jan 08, 2018 03:52PM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Vicious Vet / M.C. Beaton - 3*** | 1 | 7 | Mar 12, 2017 06:25AM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Vicious Vet, M. C. Beaton. 4 Stars | 4 | 16 | Mar 18, 2016 07:06PM |
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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 Da ...more
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 Da ...more
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