Busy Body, M. C. Beaton
Busy Body, M. C. Beaton
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

Busy Body
An Agatha Raisin Mystery

Author: M. C. Beaton

Narrator: Penelope Keith

Unabridged: 6 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/12/2010


Synopsis

Agatha Raisin has never been one for forced holiday cheer, but her friendly little village of Carsely has always prided itself on its traditional Christmas festivities. But this year the bells will not be ringing out, as Mr. John Sunday, an officer with the Cotswold Health and Safety Board, has chosen Christmas as the time to crack down on safety hazards all around the community. But he goes too far when he rules that there cannot be a Christmas tree atop the church tower this year. Mr. Sunday is soon found facedown in the petunias, very much dead. Agatha is instantly on the case, but with so many people having threatened the life of the victim, it's almost impossible to know where to start!

About M. C. Beaton

M. C. Beaton, hailed as the “Queen of Crime” by the Globe and Mail, was the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Agatha Raisin novels—the basis for the hit series on Acorn TV—as well as the Hamish Macbeth series. Born in Scotland, Beaton also wrote nearly one hundred historical romances under several pseudonyms. Her books have been translated into nineteen languages and sold more than twenty-two million copies worldwide. 

About Penelope Keith

Penelope Keith is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and award-winning actress who is best known for her roles in To the Manor Born and The Good Life, but she has appeared in many other television programs, including No Job for a Lady and Law and Disorder. Her theater performances include The Norman Conquests, Hay Fever, and Mrs. Warren’s Profession. She has received several BAFTA Awards and in 2014 was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kim on July 22, 2011

I honestly don't know why I continue to read this series. Almost every single person is unpleasant, INCLUDING the main character. The whole feeling of the series is uncomfortable, itchy and irritable - it's like wearing a too-tight sweater. I guess because they take place in a Cotswold village, I ke......more

Goodreads review by Pattie on October 18, 2010

Another great Beaton book with the irascible Agatha Raisin at it again. A number of murders are investigated in this book with more time passing than usual and, consequently, a mystery a bit more complex than those in the past. A new addition to the detective agency adds another dimension. There's a......more

Goodreads review by Jenny on September 26, 2013

Read them! All of them. All 23. They are simply fabulous! I love them and love Agatha Raisin. The stories are set in the English Cotswolds - which is where I'm from, so that makes them extra special, but I cannot recommend them highly enough. If you want to read about an opinionated, outspoken, head......more

Goodreads review by Jessica on December 15, 2021

Although Marion Chesney/M. C. Beaton has long been one of my favorite authors, I had not tried her Agatha Raisin books. Shocking, I know! I've read all her Regency romances multiple times, and ditto Hamish Macbeth (okay, just once for all of them, except for A Highland Christmas). So with great deli......more

Goodreads review by Berit☀️✨ on August 20, 2017

Will Agatha and Charles actually end up together??? Once again Agatha finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.... she also managed to get the swine flu.... there was a lot going on in this book, and ultimately all of it was over Christmas lights..... when I pick up a book in the series......more


Quotes

“Terrific…Beaton, the pen name for Marion Chesney, does a brilliant job of depicting Agatha’s struggles with aging and keeping her detective agency afloat. Her romantic upheavals (will she ever marry close friend Sir Charles Fraith?) continue to tantalize.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Testy Agatha, continuing her habit of falling for unsuitable men, scores again with a cunning mixture of satire and mystery.” Kirkus Reviews

“Beaton is a master of the cozy formula—there are plenty of red herrings, a large cast of suspects, and an eagle-eye view of village life.” RT Book Reviews