From Publishers Weekly
When a fortune-teller tells Agatha Raisin that her destiny lies in Norfolk, the puckish 50-ish heroine of nine previous adventures in this witty series doesn't think twice about renting a cottage sight unseen in a county she's never visited. Of course, Agatha has been spurned by the love of her life, her Cotswolds neighbor James Lacey, which has a lot to do with her removing herself and her two cats, Hodge and Boswell, to the village of Fryfam. There she meets the members of the Fryfam's Women's Group, to whom she explains her presence by saying she's writing a crime novel, Death at the Manor--an unfortunate fib as the village squire, Tolly Trumpington-James, is soon murdered at his manor house. Aided by suave friend Sir Charles Fraith, Agatha sets about prying into the lives of the locals to discover who wanted the squire dead. Peculiar lights at the bottom of her garden (the work of fairies?), the theft of a heavily insured George Stubbs painting, the brief disappearance of her two cats and a second murder, that of Tolly's gamekeeper, may disturb but not shake Agatha from her quest. In the end Charles uses his charm to elicit an important clue from the ravishing barmaid at the pub popular with the Fryfam menfolk. That the social comedy largely overshadows the mystery and its solution won't bother Beaton fans, who will be far more concerned whether Agatha falls for Charles herself or wins back the feckless James in this highly amusing cozy. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Beaton's feisty Agatha Raisin, British public relations expert, feminist, and amateur sleuth, moves to Norfolk on the advice of a fortune-teller to find her true love. A pin in the map leads her to Lavender Cottage in the village of Fryfam, where she finds flickering fairy lights, petty theft, and manor-house murder. Donada Peters transports the listener back to the days of gripping radio drama when actors surrounded the studio mike and eager audiences listened at the radio console. Peters's male voices are so carefully nuanced that Cotswoldman and East Anglian, gruff huntsman and suave baronet step easily off the page and delight the imagination. E.V. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Kirkus Reviews
Bereft, as she thinks, of James Lacey, the love of her life, drolly blunt Agatha Raisin (Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden, 1999, etc.) begins her tenth acid cozy by following a fortuneteller's advice: she ups and moves to Lavender Cottage in the Norfolk village of Fryfam, where her missing vase is only the latest of a series of mysteriously vanished objects. But not everything in Fryfam disappears. There's quite a show of dancing lights at the bottom of Agatha's back garden; one of her new neighbors turns up dead; and indomitable James will return as well. -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Hoping that love and good fortune will follow her, Agatha Raisin heads to picturesque Fryfam, where a hodgepodge of blackmail and murder awaits.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When a fortune teller from a previous case informs Agatha Raisin that her destiny-and true love-lies in Norfolk, she promptly rents a cottage in the quaint village of Fryfam. No sooner does she arrive than strange things start happening. Random objects go missing from people's homes and odd little lights are seen dancing in the villagers' gardens and yards. Stories soon begin circulating about the presence of fairies.

But when a prominent village resident is found murdered, and some suspicion falls on her and her friend Sir Charles Fraith, Agatha decides she's had enough of this fairy nonsense and steps up her sleuthing for a human killer.

The prickly yet endearing Agatha will have fans dangling in suspense: Will she catch her crook-and a husband?

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

When a fortune-teller tells Agatha Raisin that her destiny lies in Norfolk, the puckish 50-ish heroine of nine previous adventures in this witty series doesn't think twice about renting a cottage sight unseen in a county she's never visited. Of course, Agatha has been spurned by the love of her life, her Cotswolds neighbor James Lacey, which has a lot to do with her removing herself and her two cats, Hodge and Boswell, to the village of Fryfam. There she meets the members of the Fryfam's Women's Group, to whom she explains her presence by saying she's writing a crime novel, Death at the Manor--an unfortunate fib as the village squire, Tolly Trumpington-James, is soon murdered at his manor house. Aided by suave friend Sir Charles Fraith, Agatha sets about prying into the lives of the locals to discover who wanted the squire dead. Peculiar lights at the bottom of her garden (the work of fairies?), the theft of a heavily insured George Stubbs painting, the brief disappearance of her two cats and a second murder, that of Tolly's gamekeeper, may disturb but not shake Agatha from her quest. In the end Charles uses his charm to elicit an important clue from the ravishing barmaid at the pub popular with the Fryfam menfolk. That the social comedy largely overshadows the mystery and its solution won't bother Beaton fans, who will be far more concerned whether Agatha falls for Charles herself or wins back the feckless James in this highly amusing cozy. (June) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

AudioFile

Beaton's feisty Agatha Raisin, British public relations expert, feminist, and amateur sleuth, moves to Norfolk on the advice of a fortune-teller to find her true love. A pin in the map leads her to Lavender Cottage in the village of Fryfam, where she finds flickering fairy lights, petty theft, and manor-house murder. Donada Peters transports the listener back to the days of gripping radio drama when actors surrounded the studio mike and eager audiences listened at the radio console. Peters's male voices are so carefully nuanced that Cotswoldman and East Anglian, gruff huntsman and suave baronet step easily off the page and delight the imagination. E.V. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

Bereft, as she thinks, of James Lacey, the love of her life, drolly blunt Agatha Raisin (Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden, 1999, etc.) begins her tenth acid cozy by following a fortuneteller's advice: she ups and moves to Lavender Cottage in the Norfolk village of Fryfam, where her missing vase is only the latest of a series of mysteriously vanished objects. But not everything in Fryfam disappears. There's quite a show of dancing lights at the bottom of Agatha's back garden; one of her new neighbors turns up dead; and indomitable James will return as well.