Kissing Christmas Goodbye - (Agatha Raisin) by M C Beaton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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

Unlike quite a number of people, Agatha had not given up on Christmas. To have the perfect Christmas had been a childhood dream whilst surviving a rough upbringing in a Birmingham slum. Holly berries glistened, snow fell gently outside, and inside, all was Dickensian jollity. And in her dreams, James Lacey kissed her under the mistletoe, and, like a middle-aged sleeping beauty, she would awake to passion once more....

Agatha Raisin is bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but she'll scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog. Only two things seem to offer potential excitement: the upcoming Christmas festivities and her ex, James Lacey. This year she is sure that if she invites James to a really splendid, old-fashioned Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log.
When a wealthy widow hires Agatha because she's convinced a member of her family is trying to kill her, Agatha is intrigued---especially when the widow drops dead after high tea at the manor house. Who in this rather sterile house, complete with fake family portraits, could have hated the old lady enough to poison her?
Agatha sets out to find the murderer, all the while managing a pretty, teenage trainee who makes her feel old and planning for a picture-perfect Christmas, with James, all the trimmings, and perhaps even snow.

Review Quotes

"Beaton's Agatha Raisin series just about defines the British cozy." --Booklist on M. C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin Series

"Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand-new Agatha Raisin mystery." --The Tampa Tribune on M. C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin Series

"Anyone interested in...intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin." --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on M. C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin Series

"[Beaton's] imperfect heroine is an absolute gem!" --Publishers Weekly on M. C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin Series

"Outwardly bossy and vain, inwardly insecure and vulnerable, Agatha grows more endearing with each installment." --The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) on M. C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin Series

"[M. C. Beaton] is Britain's successor to Dame Agatha Christie. If you've never read an Agatha Raisin novel, it's time to start.... All of them are cunningly plotted, beautifully written, and more fun than you can imagine." --The Globe and Mail on M. C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin Series

"[Agatha] is a glorious cross between Miss Marple, Auntie Mame, and Lucille Ball, with a tad of pit bull tossed in. She's wonderful." --St. Petersburg Times on M. C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin Series

About the Author

M. C. Beaton has been hailed as the "new Queen of Crime" (The Globe and Mail). Chosen as the British guest of honor at Bouchercon 2006, she is the author of seventeen previous Agatha Raisin novels, the Hamish Macbeth series, and an Edwardian mystery series published under the name Marion Chesney. Born in Scotland, she currently divides her time between Paris and the English Cotswolds.