Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage

By: M. C. Beaton

Narrated by: Penelope Keith

Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

Almost bigamy and absolute murder - Agatha Raisin's life is never dull.... The morning of Agatha's longed-for marriage to James Lacey dawns bright and clear. But her luck runs out in the church when Jimmy, the husband she had believed long dead, turns up large as life and twice as ugly. Agatha has a go at strangling him. It's all too much for James, who breaks off the engagement. So when Jimmy is found murdered the next day, Agatha and James are both suspects. And they'll have to work together in order to clear their names....

©1996, 2006 M. C. Beaton (P)2012 AudioGO, Ltd.

Poor Agatha! ...Don't skip this one.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes. After reading other reviews I was wary of this book by one of my favorite authors. I was curious why so many readers had negative things to say about the usually marvelous reader and the story itself. Curiosity won out and I had to read it for myself. It turns out that our beloved Agatha seems so unjustly treated by her fellow characters, that it really got my dander up! Also, she reacts in ways that I did not expect of her, and consequently did not want to believe of her. So, at first I thought, "I don't like this!" However, the reality is that the story is as full of twists and turns as we have all come to expect...in fact more so. Since the crisp character of Agatha with all her faults is like an old friend, It is only human nature to want things to work out harmoniously for her in the end rather than seemingly inequitably. Readers experience that often enough in real life.

In a nutshell, I recommend that avid friends of Agatha brave the reading of this tangled mystery, and muddle through with our heroine to the surprising ending.

Would you ever listen to anything by M. C. Beaton again?

Absolutely.

What about Penelope Keith’s performance did you like?

Ms. Keith perfectly intones our crusty Agatha and renders the other characters with tell-tale hints of their personalities.

Do you think Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Definitely...Agatha needs a well deserved pat on the back next time.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Delightful and hilarious cozy mystery

I stumbled upon this series as I made my way through Agatha Christie...it kept popping up, so when I finished I gave this series by MC Beaton a try and I absolutely love them. Being a middle aged woman myself (well 49) I crack up every time she brings up those crazy things that happen to us as we age (when she talks about not wanting to fart I busted out laughing, to the vexation of my sleeping husband) She’s so smart yet naive, a bully yet a pushover, confident yet struggles with self esteem...in other words she is a real woman. The escapades she finds herself entangled in are so plausible that at no time do I feel the story is contrived.
Buy the book, but start at the beginning of the series and I welcome you as you begin your wonderful journey into the hilarious mind and life that is Agatha Raisin.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Agatha Raisin series

Good old Agatha Raisin...loved it! Finally to know her background story. It also explains her somewhat.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I Love Agatha

I have lots of time on my hands to listen to books and it's hard to find new interests but Agatha is a hoot and fun listen!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Another great piece

This is by far my favorite in the series yet. Funny, sardonic, and as real to life as an English country side murder mystery series can be.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Did not enjoy this one

This was my least favourite Agatha Raisin so far. I felt that it was too removed from the village. It was more unbelievable than usual. The plot became too convoluted for me which made the whole book seem weak. I am not sure if I would read another Agatha after this one.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great mystery

the mark of a good mystery is not being able to guess who the killer is.. and these books have yet to fail me in that regard.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

love this series

fantastic book. i Love the characters and how she reads them. great series. keeps you hooked and fast paced

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Bums, Bigamy, and Bloodshed

When Agatha's long lost husband, Jimmy, shows up at her wedding to James, all heck breaks loose . . . James breaks their engagement . . . Agatha gives Jimmy a handful of cash and tells him to bugger off . . . the townsfolk see Agatha and Jimmy's fight, and soon after, he's found dead . . . James has fled Carsely to clear his head . . . and Detective Bill Wong is left to investigate the murder . . . in which both Agatha and James are suspects . . . this installment to the series is just as crazy and funny as the rest, finding Detective Wong falling for a fellow police officer . . . whom Agatha believes to be a witch (with a b) . . . one of my favorite parts is when Detective Wong takes his girlfriend to meet his parents . . . which leaves no doubt as to the witch's true character . . . lol . . . James returns, long enough to help Agatha clear both their names, and investigate the murder . . . which leads them on an interesting trail . . . another GREAT listen . . . and ending, again, is superb . . .

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

I like this author--light + fun

Good characters. Light. Not super mystery, but fine. Amusing. Diverting. Good for a car trip. British. Good dialogue. Not deep.