Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849011443 ISBN 13: 9781849011440

Verlag: Robinson Publishing, 2010

Recently married to James Lacey, the witty and fractious Agatha Raisin quickly finds that marriage, and love, are not all they are cracked up to be. Rather than basking in marital bliss, the newlyweds are living in separate cottages and accusing each other of infidelity. After a particularly raucous fight in the local pub, James suddenly vanishes--a bloodstain the only clue to his fate--and Agatha is the prime suspect.Determined to clear her name and find her husband, Agatha begins her investigation. But her sleuthing is thwarted when James' suspected mistress, Melissa, is found murdered. Joined by her old friend Sir Charles, Agatha digs into Melissa's past and uncovers two ex-husbands, an angry sister, and dubious relations with bikers. Are Melissa's death and James' disappearance connected? Will Agatha reunite with her husband, or will she find herself alone once again?

From the Inside Flap:

Who Doesn't Love Agatha Raisin?
"Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand new Agatha Raisin mystery."
-Tampa Tribune Times

"Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha."-Chicago Sun-Times

"The Miss Marple-like Raisin is a refreshingly sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likable heroine...A must for cozy fans."-Booklist

"Anyone interested in...intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin."-Atlanta Journal Constitution

"The Raisin series brings the cozy tradition back to life. God bless the Queen!"-Tulsa World

"[Beaton's] imperfect heroine is an absolute gem!"-Publishers Weekly

Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam
"Witty...[a] highly amusing cozy."-Publishers Weekly

"Agatha is as fractious and funny as ever. Don't miss this one."-Tulsa World

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

"More great fun from an endearing heroine."-Library Journal

Agatha Raisin Aad the Wizard of Evesham
"Another delightful cozy featuring Cotswolds surroundings, a bit of history, and buoyant characters."-Library Journal

"[A] smartly updated Miss Marple...Beaton's books about this tough little Raisin cookie are well-made and smoothly oiled entertainment machines...Trust Agatha to solve it all in style."
-Amazon.com

"The return of Agatha Raisin, amateur sleuth extraordinaire, is always a treat and M.C. Beaton does not miss a beat...Another fabulous English cozy by the great M.C. Beaton."
-Harriet Klausner, Painted Rock Reviews

Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death
"Tourists are advised to watch their back in the bucolic villages where M.C. Beaton sets her sly British mysteries...Outsiders always spell trouble for the inbred societies Beaton observes with such cynical humor."-The New York Times Book Review

"Outspoken, chain-smoking, aggravating Agatha roars back for a[n]...outing that will keep fans cheering. Must be something in the water."-The Poisoned Pen

Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist
"Another refreshing and delightful series addition." -Library Journal

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage
"Beaton gleefully creates one excruciating situation after another for her indomitable heroine to endure." -Publishers Weekly

From the Back Cover:

"Anyone interested in a few hours' worth of intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin."-Atlanta Journal Constitution

Agatha Raisin Has Finally Married The Man Of Her Dreams.
But Now Her Life Is Nothing Short Of A Nightmare...

The honeymoon is most definitely over for Agatha Raisin and her new husband, James Lacey. It's only been a short time since their wedding-and already they aren't getting on. But his wandering eye and her God-awful housekeeping are the least of their problems. Just days after a very public, very ugly marital row, James disappears-and when his mistress is later found murdered, he's the prime suspect. Agatha just doesn't buy it. Sure, he's a liar and a sneaky, low-down cheat. But a murderer? That's bloody impossible! And as some speculate on the role Agatha may have played in his vanishing, the forever-feisty Mrs. Raisin must piece together the most unsavory parts of the dead woman's past to clear James's name-and her own...

"[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

"Among the many joys of all Agatha Raisin adventures are Beaton's sweetly formal prose and her vivid descriptions of colorful villagers. This one, however, adds a crackerjack plot and a delightfully comic ending to the mix, making it clearly the best of the lot." -Booklist (starred review)