Agatha Raisin and the Deadly Dance

By: M. C. Beaton

Narrated by: Penelope Keith

Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

Can the feisty Agatha Raisin cut it as a private investigator? She soon learns that running her own detective agency in the Cotswolds is not quite like starring in a Raymond Chandler movie. But then in walks wealthy divorcée Catherine Laggat-Brown, and presents Agatha with her first real case. Death threats, blackmail, and worse quickly follow, and once again Agatha is off scouring the countryside for clues and showing friends and enemies alike what Raisin Investigations can do!

©2006 M. C. Beaton (P)2004 AudioGO

Agatha is back and causing more trouble!

Agatha Raisin, amateur sleuth extraordinaire, has decided to start up her own detective agency. At first things are slow going with lost cats. However soon she hires her new neighbour, Emma Comfrey, as her secretary and her friend, Sir Charles, refers a case to her. A Mrs Laggart-Brown wants her to investigate the death threats her daughter has received. As Agatha and her detectives investigate they discover a tangle of relationships and murder, as they try to get to the bottom of it.

I’m smitten with Agatha Raisin. She’s sassy, funny and I love that she is now a detective – officially! Cozy mystery series with their amateur detectives poking their nose into things can sometimes get very long-winded, so it’s refreshing to see a series that has gone from amateur to official detective and thus gives Agatha a reason to poke her nose into things!!

I enjoyed the mystery a lot, but perhaps what I enjoyed more was Sir Charles Fraith being around, and James Lacey not. James Lacey is Agatha’s ex-husband, who went off to be a monk and then disappeared. He’s barely even mentioned in Agatha Raisin and the Deadly Dance and as I’m firmly on Team Charles I was completely fine with this! I have a feeling that M.C. Beaton will be making him pop up sooner or later though.

Penelope Keith is the voice of Agatha Raisin for me. I really enjoyed Penelope’s acting career, being such a big fan of british tv, and I’m glad she’s voicing these audiobooks. I love the voices she provides, especially the caring tones she puts in her voice for Mrs Bloxby, who is perhaps Agatha’s greatest friend. I hope Penelope Keith continues to provide the voice for these audiobooks for many years to come, because both Penelope and Agatha herself are the reason I keep coming back to listen to more.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Penelope Keith is a great narrator

Every one of these books in the series are fantastic and brought alive by Penelope Keith. She makes the story so funny and so exciting. I love this series. MC Beaton writes The kind of stories I like to read.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Agatha Raisin and the deadly dance

As always lots of fun and frolic. Penelope Keith is Agatha raisin the perfect reader.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Slow to start but...

this one in the series was a little slow to start. I understand that the groundwork had to be laid for the opening of Agatha's new business. There were a lot of details that were missing that I wish we could have had. But true to form, the authors pulled it off with a lot of exciting and ridiculously crazy Adventures of Agatha!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Best book in the series!

There's nothing like a psycho hose beast to shake things up in a series! Our characters get a little scared and a little tweaked in this offering from Beaton and it made this a very enjoyable read. I strongly encourage you to get this series. The books make for a FUNNY, light, and easy read. You won't regret it.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Best yet

This is the best in the series. Agatha comes into her own as a professional detective. Charles and Mrs. Bloxby are there along with a few other characters that add to the delight of this book. This is a must read for fans of Agatha.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Love Agatha!!

Agatha is just a great character, she is flawed but in a good and funny way. Her friends are also great characters.

These stories are only about 6 hours long but always a great listen! I would recommend listening to the series in order. They are less than a credit and if you find them on sale get as many as you can.

Penelope Keith is fabulous as the narrator!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I want more!!!

Love the series, love the narrator Ms. Keith and of course the character Agatha Raisin!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

One of my favorite series

After The Chronicles of St May, Agatha Raisin is my favorite series. Unlike some mystery series, intricate plots are thin on the ground; it's all about "that Raisin female." Agatha makes things happen, and in that regard she reminds me of Emmiline Lukas, AKA Lucia. And in the tradition of EF Benson, MC Beaton has created a character who falls flat on her face, allowing us a good laugh at her expense, then picks herself up and triumphs.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Really funny!

What did you love best about Agatha Raisin and the Deadly Dance?

the end Agatha's disastrous attempt to cook Christmas dinner

What did you like best about this story?

all the funny antics Agatha gets up to

What does Penelope Keith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

she breathes life in Agatha and I feel like I am really there

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

agatha was getting dressed for Christmas dress in a sexy red dres with high heels and almost burns down the community center because she forgot about the turkey she was cooking in their oven

Any additional comments?

hilarious story get this one and there goes the bride. in that one agatha stalks her ex across Turkey and the Crimea

3 of 4 people found this review helpful