The Witches' Tree

An Agatha Raisin Mystery

By: M. C. Beaton

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Molly hunched over the steering wheel. A breeze started to move the fog, which danced in swaying pillars in front of her headlights, somehow even more difficult to drive through than the previous thick fog. As she approached the village, through the shifting fog, she saw the lightning-blasted limbs of the witches' tree....

Driving home from a dinner party in the village of Sumpton Harcourt, Rory and Molly Harris, the new vicar and his wife, strain to see the road ahead - and then suddenly brake, screeching to a halt. Right in front of them, aglow in the headlights, a body hangs from a gnarled tree at the edge of town. An elderly spinster has been murdered - and the villagers are bewildered as to who would commit such a crime.

Agatha Raisin rises to the occasion (a little glad for the excitement, to tell the truth, after a long run of lost cats and divorces on the books). But when two more murders follow the first, Agatha begins to fear for her reputation - and even her life. The village is a small and very private place, she finds. It even has its own coven of witches....

©2017 M. C. Beaton (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Good story bad narrator

I really found this narrator dreadfully boring. It was difficult to tell the. Characters apart. It just made it dull.

I don't know why I am hooked on these books.

these books are easy listening and don't take much effort to listen. agatha comes up with some reasoning at the end, her life in jeopardy and case gets solved. I am listening in order due to character development. cant waIt to finally get back to listening Penelope Keith narrate.

Story

Unfortunately the voicing seemed forced. Distracting the listener from the story. The accents were over done and grating.

Love the narrator

Great story and a really good narrator. Don’t be put off by other people’s complaints. Try it for yourself. This narrator makes Agatha sound less like a harridan and I much prefer this “new” Agatha.

What Happened?

I love Agatha Raisin audiobooks. Especially when Penelope Keith narrates them. There is no humor in this book and there is a lot of nastiness between the characters. It’s hard to distinguish the characters because they all sound about the same. There needs to be a more animated narrator. Like Penelope Keith.

I thought Mrs Bloxbys name was Margaret and now it’s Sara.

Agatha yes, story no, supporting characters soso

I am still attached to the character of Agatha, but feel there is no investment here in creating a sensible story or ever developing any of the characters beyond the caricatures they have become. As another reviewer wonders, does M C Beaton write those stories herself anymore or does someone write them for her following a very fixed formula? Is it intent that everything is so overdrawn and cliche, or is it sloppyness? Agatha is still a draw, but I feel disappointed by lack of progress and development in her personal life and general outlook.

Good addition to the series

When a body is found hanging from the village’s witches tree, Agatha is employed to find the killer. As she’s on the trail, she is faced with more deaths, deception and witchcraft putting herself and her team’s life on the line. Things take a twist with Sir Charles.

A typical Agatha Raisin mystery. Most amusing

The most annoying set of characters in mysterydom. Still it works. I root for Agatha & am bemused by the misunderstandings, and plot twists.You wish Charles and Agatha would wed but deep down you know given their personalities it would never work. The sleazy behaviour in the story make one wish Britain really wasn't as depraved as depicted. Like the USA that's probably a hopeless proposition.

Great writing!

Delightful and unpredictable, if you love murder mysteries this will not disappoint. I recommend the whole series!

Love

I absolutely love Agatha!! She is amazing!! I loved every second of this book.