Even before the gentle mayhem kicks in, Agatha Raisin seems to be at the end of her rope. Retired once more from p.r. work (Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death, 1998, etc.), she’s still living in Carsely village, still smarting from her rejection by her neighbor and sometime partner James Lacey, and now rendered half-bald by the ministrations of a vengeful hairdresser. No surprise, then, that she opts to adjourn for the winter to the seaside town of Wyckhadden, where the few elderly guests at the Garden Hotel spend their time at Scrabble and gossip. Daisy Jones, one of the group, is madly in love with Colonel Lyche and equally, but more platonically, addicted to sessions with a pair of local witches—Francie and her daughter, Janine. Their lotions help repair Agatha’s hair loss, but her gain is their grievous loss: Francie is found battered to death; Janine, drowned. Inspector Jimmy Jessop, on the case, is attracted to Agatha, yet soon after their engagement is announced in the Times, Jimmy finds Agatha in a compromising position with her old friend Sir Charles Frail, who’s just passing through town. Even when Agatha finally solves the mystery of the witches— deaths, the triumph brings her no joy, for reasons only the most patient readers will care to discover. Silly circumstances evoke equally silly behavior, not only from the quaintly eccentric locals but also from a detective who ought to know better.
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-312-20494-9
Page Count: 208
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1999
A thrilling—and hilarious—beginning to a promising new series.
Determined to live an independent life, Veronica Speedwell is anything but a proper Victorian lady. So when her home is attacked during her aunt’s funeral, a rollicking adventure ensues.
Mastermind of the charming Lady Grey Mysteries series, Raybourn (Bonfire Night, 2014, etc.) introduces her latest feisty heroine, deftly twining together suspense, romance, and cracking good dialogue. Certainly, lepidoptery should be a suitable hobby for a lady; chasing pretty things like butterflies can hold no dangers. But Veronica, a foundling raised from birth by her two late aunts, has taken things a little too far: by capturing and selling highly sought-after butterflies, she’s financed her own expeditions to exotic locations, where she’s indulged in emotionally careful yet physically torrid affairs. After rescuing Veronica from her attacker, Baron von Stauffenbach whisks her to London, depositing her in the care of the enigmatic Mr. Stoker, a brooding, Byronic hero of the natural history persuasion. Before the Baron can return to tell Veronica what he knows of her mother, he's found dead, and the police like Stoker for a suspect. Stoker and Veronica partner up to find the real culprit, hurtling pell-mell into a captivatingly intricate plot, including a traveling circus, the fetid Thames, and the Tower of London, as they dodge villains with murky motives and hulking henchmen. Soon, they realize that Stauffer’s death may be connected to the mystery of Veronica’s birth parents, and Stoker himself has a few secrets to discover, including what really happened on his disastrous expedition to the Amazon, which left him scarred and disgraced. As Veronica and Stoker careen through dastardly plot twists, they match wits, bantering with skill worthy of Tracey and Hepburn.
A thrilling—and hilarious—beginning to a promising new series.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-451-47601-2
Page Count: 352
Publisher: New American Library
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
A character-driven procedural that subordinates its mystery to a strong sense of place and family ties.
A poor New Mexico border county’s residents are proud of an unusual tourist attraction and concerned about a possible new development that could threaten it, the jobs it provides, and ultimately the county’s peace.
Posadas County (Lies Come Easy, 2018, etc.) is home to NightZone, a combination of astronomical observatory, high-end hotel, restaurant, and walking trails that draws tourists from all over the world, most arriving on a purpose-built narrow-gauge train from the county seat. Taciturn sheriff Bobby Torrez sends his more socially adept undersheriff, Estelle Reyes-Guzman, to the county commissioners meeting, where developer Kyle Thompson, who just bought a large tract of land next to the observatory, is expected to make a presentation. Instead of coming, Kyle sends word that he wants to meet with Miles Waddell, who used part of the hefty fortune he inherited to finance NightZone and worries that a large development will ruin the near-total darkness the observatory needs. Eventually Kyle sends along his gun-toting wife, Lydia, who accepts Miles’ offer of a room at NightZone, has a pleasant chat with Miles and Estelle, reveals nothing of Kyle’s plans, but later tells Estelle that he doesn’t want to ruin NightZone. The sheriffs have other fish to fry when a gunman shoots up the local newspaper office and wounds two workers. The weapon is a .22 aimed with precision from a stolen vehicle. Torrez suspects his wild nephew, Quentin, may be involved. That case pales when Kyle Thompson either falls or is pushed off a mesa to his death. The way his body lands indicates murder, and his wife isn’t willing to leave the case to the police. Both Thompsons were New York State Police officers, so Lydia has investigative skills, but her pain may lead her into danger. The experienced sheriffs must unravel both cases in Havill’s 24th Posadas mystery.
A character-driven procedural that subordinates its mystery to a strong sense of place and family ties.Pub Date: March 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-9909-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
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