The Deadly Dance - (Agatha Raisin) by M C Beaton (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The Deadly Dance continues the tradition in M. C. Beaton's beloved Agatha Raisin mystery series--now a hit show on Acorn TV and public television.

Bossy, impulsive, and unlucky in love, the all-too-human Agatha Raisin has proved to be a surprisingly effective---and endearing---amateur sleuth. But can Agatha make it as a private investigator? After getting mugged on vacation, in what she will always think of as the Paris Incident, she decides to find out.

Agatha soon learns that running her own detective agency in the Cotswolds is not quite like starring in a Raymond Chandler movie. Instead of dames in distress with big shoulder pads, her clients are ladies with missing cats and a man whose son has run off with his car. Agatha even worries that she might be outclassed by her sixty-seven-year-old secretary, Emma Comfrey.
But then wealthy divorcée Catherine Laggat-Brown walks in with their first "real" case. Mrs. Laggat-Brown's daughter has received a death threat, and when Agatha thwarts an attack on the girl at a dinner dance, she recognizes an opportunity to show what Raisin Investigations can do. Even better, the case gives her a chance to reunite with her long-absent friend, Sir Charles Fraith. As they scour the Cotswolds in search of leads, Charles' insights prove invaluable and his charms irresistible, leading poor Emma to fall madly in love with him.

As ever, Agatha bumbles her way through the case, trying her friends' patience and flirting shamelessly with the chief suspect. Will she put her tiny agency on the map, or has even the outrageous Agatha finally bitten off more than she can chew?

From the Back Cover

Praise for M.C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin series:

"Outwardly bossy and vain, inwardly insecure and vulnerable, Agatha grows more endearing with each installment."
- Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem."
- Publishers Weekly

"Agatha Raisin, a cranky, crude and raunchy woman, somehow manages to warm her way into the reader's heart and elicit their sympathy."
- Midwest Book Review

Review Quotes

"It's been 40 years since Dame Agatha Christie's death, and in that time, reviewers have often bestowed her mantle on new authors. M. C. Beaton is one of those so honored, and she deserves it. When it comes to artfully constructed puzzle plots and charming settings, Beaton serves it up...This is a classic British cozy plot, and a setting done with panache. Maybe M. C. Beaton really is the new 'Queen of Crime.'" --The Globe & Mail

"Agatha is a one-of-a-kind character. She's anything but charming, yet she charms. As always, Beaton's prose is first rate. Her writing is sharp, penetrating and highly entertaining." --RT Book Reviews

"A thoroughly enjoyable, humorous and entertaining offering from M. C. Beaton, which will certainly not disappoint .... This is a lighthearted, page-turning read which will retain your attention on a cold winter's night." --Stornoway Gazette

"It is always fun to read an Agatha Raisin mystery, but the latest installment freshens up a delightful series by converting the heroine from amateur sleuth to professional without changing her caustic wit. Agatha remains crude and rude even to clients, but also retains that vulnerability that endears her to readers." --Midwest Book Review

"A very satisfying change for the smart woman of mystery with a new cast of colorfully realized characters blending with a few old favorites." --Mystery Lovers Bookshop News

"The story was first-rate and moved along with many twists and turns that kept me always guessing...I read this book in one sitting, which I think speaks for itself." --I Love a Mystery

"Fans of Agatha Raisin will be absolutely delighted at this latest addition to the series. Ms. Beaton has surpassed herself in The Deadly Dance." --Reviewing the Evidence

About the Author

M. C. Beaton is the author of fourteen previous Agatha Raisin novels, the Hamish Macbeth series, and an Edwardian mystery series written as Marion Chesney. She currently divides her time between Paris and the English Cotswolds.