Bal fatal : Entrez dans la danse...

Agatha Raisin #15

by M.C. Beaton, Esther Ménévis (Translator)

Calme plat dans les Cotswolds : pas un meurtre à la ronde pour notre détective préférée, Agatha ! Lorsqu'une riche divorcée lui demande d'élucider les menaces de mort dont sa fille Cassandra est victime, Agatha saute sur la proposition. Enfin une grosse affaire et sûrement un sacré coup de pub ! Elle ne croit pas si bien dire : lors d'un bal en l'honneur des fiançailles de Cassandra, elle déclenche une émeute en déjouant un assassinat... dont elle risque bien d'être la prochaine cible.

Avec plus de 800 000 exemplaires vendus, Agatha Raisin, l'héritière très spirituelle de Miss Marple version rock, a imposé sa personnalité loufoque et irrésistible. Vous reprendrez bien un peu de Worcestershire sauce dans votre thé ?

« C'est comme si la célèbre détective d'Agatha Christie avait rajeuni, adopté des moeurs de cougar, un humour caustique, et mangé de la vache folle. On est en Angleterre... C'est un régal. » Le Point

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Cozy, British Literature

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

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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 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.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha has a new neighbor.
And this time it isn't a handsome gentleman, it's a 67 year old woman who wants to work for Agatha's new detective agency.
Oh, did I forget to tell you she's finally opened her own agency?
Well, she has. And high time, too.
Thanks to "the Paris incident", in which she was treated shabbily (or so she thought) by the Gendarmerie after her purse was riffled while she was on public transit, Agatha has decided to go legit.



This story had depth!
I mean, in as much as an Agatha Raisin story can have depth. But I was pleasantly surprised at some of the ways the characters (one in particular) developed and changed throughout the story.
Would love to elaborate but that would be a spoiler.



The gist is that Agatha is trying to juggle a new business, jealousies, friendships, and her own feelings of inadequacy. Now that I think about it, the only new thing here is the business.
And yet, I love her.
Go figure.
Recommended for fans.

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Einen "Agatha Raisin"-Krimi zu lesen, ist inzwischen für mich ein bisschen wie "heimkommen". Ich fühle mich in diesen Krimis und mit den schon bekannten Charakteren sehr wohl. Und auch Agatha, die zum Teil eine sehr bissige Art hat, ist mir ans Herz gewachsen. Dazu noch dieser malerische Ort, in dem die Geschichten spielen...
In diesem Band hat Agatha ihr eigenes Detektivbüro eröffnet und wartet gespannt auf neue Fälle, die über das Aufsuchen von vermissten Haustieren hinausgehen. Und bald schon steckt sie mitten drin in einem gefährlichen Fall und wird gleich von mehreren Seiten bedroht...
Dieser Fall war sehr spannend, wieder humorvoll auf eine trockene Art, die ich sehr mag, und schön unterhaltsam und kurzweilig. Ich freue mich auf den nächsten Band!

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha opens her own detective agency. At first she is disappointed in handling only small cases like missing cats. Then she gets an exciting case to investigate, an attempted murder. While investigating the case, a murder occurs that appears to be connected. Her detective agency gets so busy that she has to hire staff to help her--which causes some drama.

I do believe this mystery is the most intricate and complicated mystery that we have seen so far in this series. It was nice to have a more complicated mystery in the plot. There ends up being multiple plot lines going on, which kept my attention well and I never felt bored or confused. There are several new multidemensional characters that are introduced, but there are also the same local village friends that we have adored since the beginning of the series.

Agatha is still her cantancerous and ornery self. She is a flirt around all good looking men, which may end up getting her into trouble. Agatha is a character that I can not help but love because of her witty wisecracks.

I think this is the strongest book in the series so far, I guess because the mystery had more depth and the multiple plot lines. I do recommend reading the series in order because characters and info from previous books are mentioned.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha finally got around to starting her own detective agency and among the lost cats and wandering spouses, of course she stumbles over a more serious affair. The threats come from unexpected directions and this is quite suspenseful (and yet again quite gritty for a ‘cozy’ mystery). Clever, surprising ending(s) brought this up a notch and I enjoyed it quite a lot. That’s two in a row!

[Sally906 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agatha Raisin is the character I love to hate. If she was a real life person I would be polite but not pick her as a close friend. Yet I love to read what she gets up to and how the few friends she does have love her warts and all.

This time she is in danger just because she is being her normal self - half way through she starts to realise there is an issue, but thinks it's someone else's problem not hers.

[Jo Berry ☀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the previous book in this series, I complained the plots and the regular characters were getting stuck in a rut. Well, this book definitely marks a sea change. It’s almost as if they brought in another writer to liven things up. The approach was different to the usual formula - this time heavily writing from different character POVs, upping the level of crime, and building on Agatha’s friendships. Everything felt refreshed and like we’re finally moving on. I liked it.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what number in the series this one is, but Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton, an Agatha Raisin novel, is right on with her other books. In this installment, Agatha is beginning to feel her age. She stopped once or twice to think about how someone else might be feeling, so perhaps a mild mellowing is happening as well.
Agatha decides to open her own detective agency. It's much harder than she thought it would be. She has to hire staff and work more than one case at a time. Her first really significant case involves a threatening letter and an actual murder attempt. The familiar characters are all back, and the usual LOL moments here and there. I liked the mystery in this one. It was more complex and the story of Agatha's new staff at the agency is also good. Short novel,mild language.

[BeccaJBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

My book blog partner in crime, Kate, and I listened to the bulk of this audio book on a 5 hour drive back from Manchester. I've just finished the rest of it, and I'm quite glad it's over actually!

Don't get me wrong I love Agatha, but this book had so many characters to get your head around, and it felt like there were two completely separate stories going on, until the end.

Agatha has started her own private investigation firm and after getting the usual missing dogs, unfaithful husbands and cats up trees, she lands a threatened murder case!

As usual the police eventually warn her off helping and she gets herself into all kinds of mischief. Attempts are made on her life. People die. But in the end all is well in her sleepy little village again.

A sweet little story to listen to on a couple of drives, but I won't be reading it again :)

Www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Raisin and the Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton is the 15th book in the Agatha Raisin Mystery series. Agatha Raisin opens her detective agency and is hired by a wealthy divorcee whose daughter has received a death threat if she proceeds with her engagement. These books grow on you. Even though Agatha is so self assured and arroganr, she recognises her vulnerabilities and her flaws and you cannot help but like her. There is a lot going on in this book. A fun and easy read.

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha and the Wedding Assassin
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (February 2013) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (November 2004)

The Deadly Dance finds Agatha Raisin opening her own detective agency where initially the cases are disappointing with lost pets and divorce investigations. Finally a client brings some drama when Catherine Laggat-Brown hires Agatha and company to investigate threats. Soon Agatha is preventing an assassination and then murder follows as well. To further complicate the case, Agatha has hired her new neighbour Emma as secretary at the agency and Emma starts crushing on Sir Charles Fraith. Agatha is then in danger from the assassin and from her own staff.

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 Deadly Dance was adapted as Episodes 3 and 4 of Series 3 for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). There doesn't appear to be a separate trailer for The Deadly Dance but clips from it are included in the Season 3 trailer which can be seen on YouTube here.

[Millie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first Agatha Raisin book I have read and it was awful. I am surprised by all the good reviews. I did not like Agatha at all and the plot was preposterous. Perhaps if I had started at the beginning of the series I would like her better (?). I considered giving it one star but decided to be a bit generous with two because I started mid-series. The writing was simplistic which made it a very quick read. It did not measure up to the level of authors such as Deborah Crombie or Louise Penny.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do think this series is getting better! The mysteries are more complex, with more twists than the earlier ones (although I did figure this one out before the end) and NO JAMES LACEY! It annoys me that she still pines for him and falls for anything good-looking in trousers, but she seems to slowly be gaining insight into her flaws. Very slowly. But she's still good fun and the ending was absolutely hilarious.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agatha Raisin's new detective agency is just starting out. She's invested in an office, hired junior detectives and a secretary. So far their only client is a woman who wants them to find her lost cat.

However, things slowly pick up (a man wants to find his son, but only because he wants his car back) another woman wants evidence her husband is cheating on her and a young woman about to be married has received a death threat.

The last case is when things really start to escalate. Agatha and her secretary, Emma Comfrey, arrive at the engagement party and help the lady narrowly avoid getting shot at by a sniper.

Why would anyone want to kill this girl? Agatha is determined to find out. Meanwhile her friends, Ron and Sir Charles arrive to help.

The secretary Emma, starts out as a good ally, but she begins to show signs of instability as the story progresses.

In this book, the relationships Agatha has begun to cultivate in her Cotswold village are beginning to ripen and blossom.

Another fun read.

[Aimee Nicole Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha is a hot mess but I love her. She’s starting to learn what it means to be a real friend—something she never had or has ever been prior to moving to Carsley. She still gets blindsided by a handsome man, but I have faith in her.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After years of solving crimes as a hobby, Agatha Raisin finally opens her very own detective agency. She figures this should be easy with all her investigative experience. However, it’s not quite as simple as she thought it would be. Her agency is hired to do little cases like finding missing cats. Agatha was hoping for more than that.


She finally gets a client, Catherine Laggat-Brown, looking to hire her to protect her daughter. Apparently the girl has been receiving death threats. Mrs. Laggat-Brown wants to know why and who is behind it. Agatha jumps at the chance to sink her teeth into a real case. Of course things don’t go as smoothly as Agatha would have liked and she finds this case is more complex than she thought – blackmail, death threats…this case has it all.


To make matters even more complicated, Agatha – once again - has a new neighbor. For a change it’s not someone Agatha immediately falls in love with. This time it’s a woman in her sixties who Agatha hires to help out at the detective agency. It doesn’t take long for Agatha to realize there’s something not quite right with her new employee.


This is another good entry in the Agatha Raisin series. As always, I enjoy the short mysteries M.C. Beaton writes. The stories flow perfectly and aren’t too complicated. They are easy to follow, but they go by way too quickly. The author continues to keep the series fresh by introducing new characters along the way.


My one complaint is that they still talk as if Agatha is in her 90’s instead of mid-50’s. Now they added her new neighbor to the mix and she’s in her mid-60’s. The way everyone in the story talks about them, you’d think they were nearer to 100 years old. Plus, they both seem to fall madly in love at the drop of a hat. I guess it can be humorous but I find it to be more pathetic than anything else. But, I still love Agatha and I’m ready to get to the next one. It’s on to #16 in the series.

[The Flooze · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great addition to the series, introducing new characters and a change of scene for Agatha.

There's also an expansion of point of view. In the past, we've occasionally been privy to the thoughts of other characters, but only very briefly and usually as a means of expanding on Agatha's personality or looks. This time we have large passages devoted to other characters' mindsets. The change is refreshing. It heightens the tension while also upping the amusement as we learn whether or not Agatha has a clue of what's going on around her.

As for what's going on: a hell of a lot. Death threats, murder, intimidation, a stay at a police safe house, more than one side trip to Paris, all rounded off with the most hilarious depiction of party prep.

Out of all that, I think the last was the most horrifying.

Wait, no. There was a (delightful) bonus story and THAT included the most horrific example of kitchen ineptitude I think I've ever read. But it wasn't quite as funny as the Deadly Dance example. That had me giggling and choking in such a way that the boyfriend was momentarily concerned for my health.

Overall, it's very pleasing to find that, even in her fifteenth adventure, Agatha Raisin is as entertaining as ever.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was just rambling through the doings of Agatha and Carsely around about page 75, and enjoying them as always, when I suddenly realised that no murder had up to that point been committed - an attempted shooting okay, but no actual murder. Then page 78, 'And on that bed lay a man, face-down.' Of course it was the first murder!

Thereafter Agatha trots off to Paris, gets involved with the French gendarmerie, is flown back to England and then her investigations, as is often the case, rub the local constabulary up the wrong way as she gets into one scrape after another.

The usual cat and mouse hunting continues and in the end it is Agatha, despite her disasters along the way, again as is often the case, who comes up trumps. But her friend police officer Bill wong does say, 'You've had all the luck of the amateur.' However, undaunted Agatha, having establihsed her own detective agency, replies, 'I am a professional now.' Long may she continue to be and long may she continue to track down perpetrators of crime, despite the attempts of officialdom to warn her off.

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the Agatha Raisin series and this book certainly didn't let me down! This is the 15th book in the series. It is the type of book that is perfect for a sunny day sat out reading, it is a quite quick read as it is one that captures your attention and retains it throughout the novel.

In this book we follow Agatha on a journey to find out who starting sending death threats then who killed the grooms father. The journey leads us from the quiet little village all the way to France, it is a fun little mystery book to read .

[Michael mister.is.me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun read

[Kovaxka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Már el is felejtettem, hogy Aggie milyen rendkívül szórakoztató! Jót tett a kihagyás: ismét felhőtlenül tudtam élvezni a bumfordiságát, pörgését, ötleteit. Szerencsére Charles megint színre lépett, és a szomszédba végre nem férfi költözött! Így szerelmi vívódás helyett megkaptuk az induló nyomozóirodát és vele Emmát, aki telitalálatnak bizonyult.

Az ügy nem volt túl acélos, de nem is a körömrágásért szeretjük ezt a sorozatot. Bárcsak feleannyi önbizalmam lenne, mint Agathának! A karácsonyi vacsorával feltette az i-re a pontot. Jöhet a következő kaland!

A címet nem értem.

[Sarah Ellen (in a slump) * and quite the curmudgeon as of late* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I am what? 15 books into this series?
I have drunk the gin and tonic ~ I mean Kool Aid (Flavor Aid whatever) and I am happily immersed in these ridiculous mysteries.
If I were rating this book as a normal book it would get three stars BUT I love Aggie and her friends so I am giving it four stars.
Fight me.

[Rbucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved MC Beaton in the past, but had not read this character. The mystery was fun and diverting, but I didn't care much for the main character.

[Virginia Moscatelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'avventura di Agatha che mi ha coinvolta di meno.
Ho sempre amato questa serie, ma questa volta non scorreva

[Amanda Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so finally we get Agatha's detective agency!
This book felt somewhat different to the previous 14 for that sole reason. We got to see more mysteries. We got quite a few more characters in detail. And the central mystery (or mysteries) was actually rather thrilling.

I do feel that it could have been tightened up a tad more - there was a lot of back and forth, and sloppy policing and all that - but it was such a successful change from the previous formats that I am rating it closer to four than three.

Looking forward to seeing what happens next with the agency.

[Dora Carson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love MC Beaton but this particular story really annoyed me. I found the characters unrealistic and unbelievable. I usually don't mind exaggerated characters but I found Agatha Raisin particularly unsympathetic in this mystery; and I thought the Emma character went from interesting to ridiculous. Even the mystery itself did not engage me. The only reason I finished the book is b/c I hate leaving books half-read.

[Erna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was intense. I loved the ending- hilarious! 🤣

[Tina Panik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining as always, this installment details the creation of the detective agency, a crucial part of future volumes. (I read a bunch out of order).

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have no idea why I like this series 😂
Agatha is awful and just eats out a lot and falls for inappropriate men 🤷‍♀️

I guess I just find them comforting, silly and easy!

[Iris Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy MC Beaton’s books. She has written so many great books but I do not care for the character, Agatha Raisin. However, I’m stuck in her stories and keep reading. I don’t really know why I torture myself with this unlikable character. This one had so many murders I couldn’t keep it all straight and glad when it was over. A 3* read.