Agatha Raisin and the Witches' Tree

Agatha Raisin, Book 28

By: M.C. Beaton

Narrated by: Penelope Keith

'No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime' Mail on Sunday

Toil and trouble in store for Agatha!

Cotswolds inhabitants are used to bad weather, but the night sky is especially foggy as Rory and Molly Harris, the new vicar and his wife, drive slowly home from a dinner party in their village of Sumpton Harcourt. They struggle to see the road ahead - but then screech to a halt. Right in front of them, aglow in the headlights of their car, a body hangs from a lightning-blasted tree at the edge of town. But it's not suicide; Margaret Darby, an elderly spinster of the parish, has been murdered - and the villagers are bewildered as to who would commit such a crime, and why.

Agatha Raisin rises to the occasion, delighted to have some excitement back in her life as if truth be told, she was getting bored of the long run of lost cats and divorces on the books. But Sumpton Harcourt is an isolated and unfriendly village, she finds a place that poses more questions than answers. And when two more murders follow the first, Agatha begins to fear for her reputation - and her life. That the village has its own coven of witches certainly doesn't make her feel any better...

©2017 M.C. Beaton (P)2024 Hachette Audio UK

Great book!

Another thoroughly entertaining story by M.C. Beaton featuring Agatha Raisin, superbly narrated by Penelope Keith. Love these books.

sad

have to agree with fellow reviewer Karen on this one. I love love love Agatha Raisin, but something went very wrong here. As Karen mentioned, the writing is rather bad on this one. Editing errors, name changes but also clumsily written scenes. MC Beaton normally has me laughing out loud with her well-written dialogue, but here everything was stilted. Penelope Keith reads it rather lacklustre, it made me wonder whether something had happened to cause such a sad reading, when normally she is the best of the best. All in all an (audio) book that doesn't even come close to its predecessors.

Woeful!

I have every Agatha Raisin audiobook that is narrated by Penelope Keith, and have greatly enjoyed the escapism and beautiful narration.

This book is just a mess. The once beautiful character interaction has become sour, and some personalities have completely changed. Agatha is lacklustre.

There are also so many editing errors. One example: after a conversation between Charles and Agatha regarding her having bought a car without Sat Nav, a little further on in the book Agatha is being directed by her Sat Nav. This is one of so many discrepancies. Also the main character Mrs Bloxby’s first name has changed from Margaret to Sarah!

The narrative wanders off on irrelevancies that seem to have no point, or make any sense.

I forced myself to keep reading, although I was tempted to quit so many times. Please concentrate on writing the best of Agatha Raisin without rushing - perhaps two books a year is too many. Forget the amusing but lacking TV series, and go back to the intelligent writing of Agatha Raisin’s adventures.

At the beginning of the book I wondered why Penelope Keith didn’t seem to have her heart and soul into the narration. Now I understand - imagine having to read this appalling book with gusto!