Life is never, ever dull in Agatha Raisin's sleepy Cotswolds village!Agatha Raisin's private detective agency is working flat out on a series of burglaries which take a violent turn when a friend of Agatha's is murdered during a raid on his antiques shop. Although determined to nail the villains, Agatha still makes time to help Sir Charles Fraith prepare to stage a massive, hugely glamorous event in the grounds of his ancestral home, Barfield House.When Agatha begins to receive death threats and narrowly avoids being abducted by kidnappers, she takes advantage of a previously arranged trip to Majorca to lie low for a while. There she meets her partner, former police officer John Glass, who is now working as a dance instructor on a cruise liner. Their relationship founders over John's apparent closeness to his stage dance partner, Louise. Putting her love life on hold, Agatha heads home, having worked out who has been threatening her life.Can Agatha track down the would-be killer, nail her friend's murderers and rescue her romance with John? Everything comes to a climax at the Barfield Extravaganza when on top of everything else, Agatha also manages to solve a 400-year-old Cotswold murder mystery!"In addition to building suspense, Green provides lots of comedy and fascinating information about event-planning, antiques, and sleuthing throughout. Agatha Raisin lives on." Booklist"Agatha is always a hoot, but behind the extravagant exterior lie a clever mind and an iron will." Kirkus Reviews"A whole load of fun... Agatha, it's great to have you back." First Clue

''The detective novels of M C Beaton have reached cult status'' The Times''Every new Agatha Raisin escapade is a total joy'' Ashley Jensen''No wonder she''s been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime'' Mail on Sunday''A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed'' Daily Mail------------

Life is never dull in Agatha Raisin''s sleepy Cotswolds village! The newest cosy mystery in the million-copy bestselling Agatha Raisin crime series.

All Sergeant Hamish Macbeth ever wants is a quiet life in the tranquil surroundings of Lochdubh, his home village in the Scottish Highlands. Although the area he polices is vast, he''s happiest when he''s working alone, yet the police authorities insist he has an assistant. In the past, they have supplied a variety of problematic misfits, but they surpass themselves with their latest effort - an American named James Bland. Having met Bland previously, when he was left in no doubt that the American led a life coloured by secrets and skulduggery, Hamish isn''t surprised when he discovers the real motive behind Bland''s police secondment involves him in helping track down a spy ring, some members of which have met grisly ends. That investigation tears Hamish away from Lochdubh at a time when the village is suffering a disturbing spate of increasingly violent burglaries. The identity of the burglar, however, is a perplexing mystery. All of that blows Hamish''s quiet life out the window and puts a serious strain on his relationship with female paramedic, Claire. Can Hamish cope with the murky world of espionage, seek out the spies before anyone else is murdered, capture the Lochdubh burglar before his nocturnal rampage runs out of control and rescue his sadly neglected love life? Only time will tell... Praise for the Hamish Macbeth series: ''This Hamish Macbeth novel maintains Beaton''s distinctive voice and includes the usual village eccentrics, loads of Scottish lore, and the light humor that Beaton fans have loved through the years. . . A definite purchase for all mystery collections'' Starred Review, Library Journal ''Unmissable!'' Peterborough Telegraph ''First rate ... deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere.'' Booklist ''It''s always a treat to return to Lochdubh.'' New York Times ''Readers will enjoy the quirks and unique qualities of the cast ... Beaton catches the beauty of the area''s natural geography and succinctly describes its distinct flavour.'' Library Journal ''Befuddled, earnest and utterly endearing, Hamish makes his triumphs sweetly satisfying.'' Publishers Weekly

THE PAGE-TURNING NEW MYSTERY IN THE BESTSELLING HAMISH MACBETH SERIES!------------Sergeant Hamish Macbeth is craving peace and quiet. But visitors to his home village of Lochdubh, nestled in the Scottish Highlands, have other ideas...Hamish and the new love in his life, Claire, have holiday plans. But thoughts of rest and relaxation are rudely interrupted by the arrival of a new constable, complete with a surprise, and a secret.Hoping the grand re-opening of his local pub will be a good distraction from Constable Forbes''s intrigue, Hamish gets a nasty surprise when he''s confronted by a family who have a score to settle with a missing man.Discovering a murdered woman''s body puts further pressure on Hamish, especially when he learns that she''s linked to the missing man... but who are they, and why were they in Lochdubh? With a host of questions, a growing list of suspects and ever more bewildering circumstances, the arrival of the odious Detective Chief Inspector Blair is truly the last thing Hamish needs. As Hamish''s sworn enemy, why is Blair interested in this case?Hamish vows to find the murderer before anyone else falls victim. Never has a quiet life seemed further from his grasp!------------Praise for the Hamish Macbeth series . . .''It''s always a treat to return to Lochdubh'' New York Times''Unmissable!'' Peterborough Telegraph''First rate ... deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere'' Booklist''Beaton catches the beauty of the area''s natural geography and succinctly describes its distinct flavour'' Library Journal''Befuddled, earnest and utterly endearing, Hamish makes his triumphs sweetly satisfying'' Publishers Weekly

''A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed'' DAILY MAIL''The detective novels of M C Beaton have reached cult status'' THE TIMES------------Feathers are flying in Agatha Raisin''s brand new case!Agatha Raisin can think of nothing duller than a lecture on birdwatching... but events take a thrilling turn when an angry interloper storms the stage at the Carsely Ladies'' Society and threatens the three bird fanatics. When Agatha walks in on the trio of women in the middle of a blazing row, her detective instincts start ''twitching''. And when one of the birdwatchers is found dead, she can''t resist investigating.Her first lead comes from the victim''s brother, who believes his sister was murdered by her fellow twitchers. Further digging reveals the disturbing nature of the women''s friendship, and a bewilderingly long list of suspects.Agatha will have to break out her binoculars and embrace her bitter side to solve the murders. Will she be able to gather all the breadcrumbs and put together the clues before she becomes a sitting duck herself?

Life is never, ever dull in Agatha Raisin's sleepy Cotswolds village!Agatha Raisin's private detective agency is working flat out on a series of burglaries which take a violent turn when a friend of Agatha's is murdered during a raid on his antiques shop. Although determined to nail the villains, Agatha still makes time to help Sir Charles Fraith prepare to stage a massive, hugely glamorous event in the grounds of his ancestral home, Barfield House.When Agatha begins to receive death threats and narrowly avoids being abducted by kidnappers, she takes advantage of a previously arranged trip to Majorca to lie low for a while. There she meets her partner, former police officer John Glass, who is now working as a dance instructor on a cruise liner. Their relationship founders over John's apparent closeness to his stage dance partner, Louise. Putting her love life on hold, Agatha heads home, having worked out who has been threatening her life.Can Agatha track down the would-be killer, nail her friend's murderers and rescue her romance with John? Everything comes to a climax at the Barfield Extravaganza when on top of everything else, Agatha also manages to solve a 400-year-old Cotswold murder mystery!"In addition to building suspense, Green provides lots of comedy and fascinating information about event-planning, antiques, and sleuthing throughout. Agatha Raisin lives on." Booklist"Agatha is always a hoot, but behind the extravagant exterior lie a clever mind and an iron will." Kirkus Reviews"A whole load of fun... Agatha, it's great to have you back." First Clue

''The detective novels of M C Beaton have reached cult status'' The Times''Every new Agatha Raisin escapade is a total joy'' Ashley Jensen''No wonder she''s been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime'' Mail on Sunday''A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed'' Daily Mail------------

Life is never dull in Agatha Raisin''s sleepy Cotswolds village! The newest cosy mystery in the million-copy bestselling Agatha Raisin crime series.

All Sergeant Hamish Macbeth ever wants is a quiet life in the tranquil surroundings of Lochdubh, his home village in the Scottish Highlands. Although the area he polices is vast, he''s happiest when he''s working alone, yet the police authorities insist he has an assistant. In the past, they have supplied a variety of problematic misfits, but they surpass themselves with their latest effort - an American named James Bland. Having met Bland previously, when he was left in no doubt that the American led a life coloured by secrets and skulduggery, Hamish isn''t surprised when he discovers the real motive behind Bland''s police secondment involves him in helping track down a spy ring, some members of which have met grisly ends. That investigation tears Hamish away from Lochdubh at a time when the village is suffering a disturbing spate of increasingly violent burglaries. The identity of the burglar, however, is a perplexing mystery. All of that blows Hamish''s quiet life out the window and puts a serious strain on his relationship with female paramedic, Claire. Can Hamish cope with the murky world of espionage, seek out the spies before anyone else is murdered, capture the Lochdubh burglar before his nocturnal rampage runs out of control and rescue his sadly neglected love life? Only time will tell... Praise for the Hamish Macbeth series: ''This Hamish Macbeth novel maintains Beaton''s distinctive voice and includes the usual village eccentrics, loads of Scottish lore, and the light humor that Beaton fans have loved through the years. . . A definite purchase for all mystery collections'' Starred Review, Library Journal ''Unmissable!'' Peterborough Telegraph ''First rate ... deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere.'' Booklist ''It''s always a treat to return to Lochdubh.'' New York Times ''Readers will enjoy the quirks and unique qualities of the cast ... Beaton catches the beauty of the area''s natural geography and succinctly describes its distinct flavour.'' Library Journal ''Befuddled, earnest and utterly endearing, Hamish makes his triumphs sweetly satisfying.'' Publishers Weekly

THE PAGE-TURNING NEW MYSTERY IN THE BESTSELLING HAMISH MACBETH SERIES!------------Sergeant Hamish Macbeth is craving peace and quiet. But visitors to his home village of Lochdubh, nestled in the Scottish Highlands, have other ideas...Hamish and the new love in his life, Claire, have holiday plans. But thoughts of rest and relaxation are rudely interrupted by the arrival of a new constable, complete with a surprise, and a secret.Hoping the grand re-opening of his local pub will be a good distraction from Constable Forbes''s intrigue, Hamish gets a nasty surprise when he''s confronted by a family who have a score to settle with a missing man.Discovering a murdered woman''s body puts further pressure on Hamish, especially when he learns that she''s linked to the missing man... but who are they, and why were they in Lochdubh? With a host of questions, a growing list of suspects and ever more bewildering circumstances, the arrival of the odious Detective Chief Inspector Blair is truly the last thing Hamish needs. As Hamish''s sworn enemy, why is Blair interested in this case?Hamish vows to find the murderer before anyone else falls victim. Never has a quiet life seemed further from his grasp!------------Praise for the Hamish Macbeth series . . .''It''s always a treat to return to Lochdubh'' New York Times''Unmissable!'' Peterborough Telegraph''First rate ... deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere'' Booklist''Beaton catches the beauty of the area''s natural geography and succinctly describes its distinct flavour'' Library Journal''Befuddled, earnest and utterly endearing, Hamish makes his triumphs sweetly satisfying'' Publishers Weekly

''A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed'' DAILY MAIL''The detective novels of M C Beaton have reached cult status'' THE TIMES------------Feathers are flying in Agatha Raisin''s brand new case!Agatha Raisin can think of nothing duller than a lecture on birdwatching... but events take a thrilling turn when an angry interloper storms the stage at the Carsely Ladies'' Society and threatens the three bird fanatics. When Agatha walks in on the trio of women in the middle of a blazing row, her detective instincts start ''twitching''. And when one of the birdwatchers is found dead, she can''t resist investigating.Her first lead comes from the victim''s brother, who believes his sister was murdered by her fellow twitchers. Further digging reveals the disturbing nature of the women''s friendship, and a bewilderingly long list of suspects.Agatha will have to break out her binoculars and embrace her bitter side to solve the murders. Will she be able to gather all the breadcrumbs and put together the clues before she becomes a sitting duck herself?