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Agatha Raisin
The Agatha Raisin series by M. C. Beaton has 38 known books (38 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with The Quiche of Death (1992). M. C. Beaton wrote the series; it was continued by R. W. Green.
- Books
- 38 known books (36 novels + 1 novella + 1 short story)
- Published
- 38
- First published
- 1992
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime
Start here: The Quiche of Death (1992)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Quiche of Death
"The Quiche of Death" (1992) is the book that started it all: M. C. Beaton's first Agatha Raisin novel, 201 pages long, introducing the brash, hard-drinking former London PR executive as she retires to the quaint Cotswolds village of Carsely expecting peace and quiet -- and instead finds a body almost on arrival, setting the template for the whole series. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Quiche of Death - Book 2:
The Vicious Vet
"The Vicious Vet" is the second installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 1993 and running 224 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Vicious Vet - Book 3:
The Potted Gardener
Published in 1994 at 196 pages, "The Potted Gardener" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Potted Gardener - Book 4:
The Walkers of Dembley
"The Walkers of Dembley" (1995, 170 pages) is the fourth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "The Potted Gardener" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Walkers of Dembley - Book 5:
The Murderous Marriage
In this 1996 entry, the fifth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "The Murderous Marriage" runs 207 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Murderous Marriage - Book 6:
The Terrible Tourist
"The Terrible Tourist" appeared in 1997 as the sixth Agatha Raisin mystery, 198 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Terrible Tourist - Book 7:
The Wellspring of Death
"The Wellspring of Death" is the seventh installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 1998 and running 207 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Wellspring of Death - Book 8:
The Wizard of Evesham
Published in 1999 at 196 pages, "The Wizard of Evesham" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Wizard of Evesham - Book 9:
The Witch of Wyckhadden
"The Witch of Wyckhadden" (1999, 196 pages) is the ninth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "The Wizard of Evesham" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Witch of Wyckhadden - Book 10:
The Fairies of Fryfam
In this 2000 entry, the tenth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "The Fairies of Fryfam" runs 197 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Fairies of Fryfam - Book 11:
The Love from Hell
"The Love from Hell" appeared in 2001 as the eleventh Agatha Raisin mystery, 229 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Love from Hell - Book 12:
The Day the Floods Came
"The Day the Floods Came" is the twelfth installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 2002 and running 257 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Day the Floods Came - Book 13:
The Case of the Curious Curate
Published in 2003 at 221 pages, "The Case of the Curious Curate" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Case of the Curious Curate - Book 14:
The Haunted House
"The Haunted House" (2003, 261 pages) is the fourteenth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "The Case of the Curious Curate" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Haunted House - Book 15:
The Deadly Dance
In this 2004 entry, the fifteenth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "The Deadly Dance" runs 233 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Deadly Dance - Book 16:
The Perfect Paragon
"The Perfect Paragon" appeared in 2005 as the sixteenth Agatha Raisin mystery, 234 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Perfect Paragon - Book 17:
Love, Lies and Liquor
"Love, Lies and Liquor" is the seventeenth installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 2006 and running 244 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Love, Lies and Liquor - Book 18:
Kissing Christmas Goodbye
Published in 2007 at 237 pages, "Kissing Christmas Goodbye" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Kissing Christmas Goodbye - Book 19:
A Spoonful of Poison
"A Spoonful of Poison" (2008, 276 pages) is the nineteenth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "Kissing Christmas Goodbye" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Spoonful of Poison - Book 20:
There Goes the Bride
In this 2009 entry, the twentieth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "There Goes the Bride" runs 277 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of There Goes the Bride - Book 21:
Busy Body
"Busy Body" appeared in 2010 as the twenty-first Agatha Raisin mystery, 278 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Busy Body - Book 22:
As the Pig Turns
"As the Pig Turns" is the twenty-second installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 2011 and running 292 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of As the Pig Turns - Book 23:
Hiss and Hers
Published in 2012 at 272 pages, "Hiss and Hers" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hiss and Hers - Book 24:
Christmas Crumble
"Christmas Crumble" (2012, 71 pages) is a companion short story slotted at position 23.5 in the Agatha Raisin series, following "Hiss and Hers" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Christmas Crumble - Book 25:
Something Borrowed, Someone Dead
In this 2013 entry, the twenty-fourth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "Something Borrowed, Someone Dead" runs 291 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Something Borrowed, Someone Dead - Book 26:
The Blood of an Englishman
"The Blood of an Englishman" appeared in 2014 as the twenty-fifth Agatha Raisin mystery, 232 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Blood of an Englishman - Book 27:
Agatha's First Case
"Agatha's First Case" (2015) is a short prequel novella, running just 39 pages, set during Agatha Raisin's PR career in London before she ever moves to Carsely. Published as book 25½, it works as an origin story for readers who want to see Agatha before the village and the murders, though it reads fine picked up at its publication slot too. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Agatha's First Case - Book 28:
Dishing the Dirt
"Dishing the Dirt" is the twenty-sixth installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 2015 and running 307 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dishing the Dirt - Book 29:
Pushing Up Daisies
Published in 2016 at 267 pages, "Pushing Up Daisies" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Pushing Up Daisies - Book 30:
The Witches' Tree
"The Witches' Tree" (2017, 232 pages) is the twenty-eighth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "Pushing Up Daisies" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Witches' Tree - Book 31:
The Dead Ringer
In this 2018 entry, the twenty-ninth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "The Dead Ringer" runs 1 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Dead Ringer - Book 32:
Beating About the Bush
"Beating About the Bush" appeared in 2019 as the thirtieth Agatha Raisin mystery, 1 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Beating About the Bush - Book 33:
Hot to Trot
"Hot to Trot" (2020, 288 pages) is the first Agatha Raisin novel credited jointly to M. C. Beaton and R. W. Green, marking the handover after Beaton's 2019 death to the writer who had already ghostwritten several of her late books -- Agatha's Cotswolds sleuthing continues here at the same brisk, sharp-tongued pace. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hot to Trot - Book 34:
Down the Hatch
"Down the Hatch" (2021, 121 pages) is one of the Agatha Raisin novels written by R. W. Green, who took over the series after M. C. Beaton's death in 2019 -- with Beaton's blessing, having already ghostwritten several of her late novels -- continuing Agatha's Cotswolds detective work at the same brisk pace and with no real change in tone. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Down the Hatch - Book 35:
Devil's Delight
"Devil's Delight" (2022, 256 pages) is the thirty-third Agatha Raisin mystery, falling between "Down the Hatch" and "Dead on Target" in the run R. W. Green has written since M. C. Beaton's 2019 death, with Beaton's name retained on the cover. It keeps Agatha's brash, sharp-tongued detective work -- and the village fetes and jealous rivalries around Carsely -- going at the same brisk pace Beaton established. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Devil's Delight - Book 36:
Dead on Target
Credited to M. C. Beaton and continued by R. W. Green, "Dead on Target" is the thirty-fourth book in the series, published in 2023 at 256 pages. It carries forward the same vain, sharp-tongued Agatha Raisin, still solving murders in and around Carsely with an eye for attention as much as justice. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead on Target - Book 37:
Killing Time
Published in 2024 at 272 pages, "Killing Time" is part of R. W. Green's continuation of Agatha Raisin following Beaton's death, keeping the village fetes, jealous rivalries, and comic bite of the original series intact as book thirty-fifth in the run. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Killing Time - Book 38:
Sugar and Spite
"Sugar and Spite" (2025, 250 pages) is one of the Agatha Raisin novels written by R. W. Green, who took over the series after M. C. Beaton's death in 2019 -- with Beaton's blessing, having already ghostwritten several of her late novels -- continuing Agatha's Cotswolds detective work at the same brisk pace and with no real change in tone. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sugar and Spite
The order the story's events happen in, novellas slotted where they belong.
- Book 1:
Agatha's First Case
"Agatha's First Case" (2015) is a short prequel novella, running just 39 pages, set during Agatha Raisin's PR career in London before she ever moves to Carsely. Published as book 25½, it works as an origin story for readers who want to see Agatha before the village and the murders, though it reads fine picked up at its publication slot too. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Agatha's First Case - Book 2:
The Quiche of Death
"The Quiche of Death" (1992) is the book that started it all: M. C. Beaton's first Agatha Raisin novel, 201 pages long, introducing the brash, hard-drinking former London PR executive as she retires to the quaint Cotswolds village of Carsely expecting peace and quiet -- and instead finds a body almost on arrival, setting the template for the whole series. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Quiche of Death - Book 3:
The Vicious Vet
"The Vicious Vet" is the second installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 1993 and running 224 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Vicious Vet - Book 4:
The Potted Gardener
Published in 1994 at 196 pages, "The Potted Gardener" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Potted Gardener - Book 5:
The Walkers of Dembley
"The Walkers of Dembley" (1995, 170 pages) is the fourth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "The Potted Gardener" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Walkers of Dembley - Book 6:
The Murderous Marriage
In this 1996 entry, the fifth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "The Murderous Marriage" runs 207 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Murderous Marriage - Book 7:
The Terrible Tourist
"The Terrible Tourist" appeared in 1997 as the sixth Agatha Raisin mystery, 198 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Terrible Tourist - Book 8:
The Wellspring of Death
"The Wellspring of Death" is the seventh installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 1998 and running 207 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Wellspring of Death - Book 9:
The Wizard of Evesham
Published in 1999 at 196 pages, "The Wizard of Evesham" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Wizard of Evesham - Book 10:
The Witch of Wyckhadden
"The Witch of Wyckhadden" (1999, 196 pages) is the ninth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "The Wizard of Evesham" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Witch of Wyckhadden - Book 11:
The Fairies of Fryfam
In this 2000 entry, the tenth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "The Fairies of Fryfam" runs 197 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Fairies of Fryfam - Book 12:
The Love from Hell
"The Love from Hell" appeared in 2001 as the eleventh Agatha Raisin mystery, 229 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Love from Hell - Book 13:
The Day the Floods Came
"The Day the Floods Came" is the twelfth installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 2002 and running 257 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Day the Floods Came - Book 14:
The Case of the Curious Curate
Published in 2003 at 221 pages, "The Case of the Curious Curate" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Case of the Curious Curate - Book 15:
The Haunted House
"The Haunted House" (2003, 261 pages) is the fourteenth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "The Case of the Curious Curate" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Haunted House - Book 16:
The Deadly Dance
In this 2004 entry, the fifteenth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "The Deadly Dance" runs 233 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Deadly Dance - Book 17:
The Perfect Paragon
"The Perfect Paragon" appeared in 2005 as the sixteenth Agatha Raisin mystery, 234 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Perfect Paragon - Book 18:
Love, Lies and Liquor
"Love, Lies and Liquor" is the seventeenth installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 2006 and running 244 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Love, Lies and Liquor - Book 19:
Kissing Christmas Goodbye
Published in 2007 at 237 pages, "Kissing Christmas Goodbye" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Kissing Christmas Goodbye - Book 20:
A Spoonful of Poison
"A Spoonful of Poison" (2008, 276 pages) is the nineteenth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "Kissing Christmas Goodbye" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Spoonful of Poison - Book 21:
There Goes the Bride
In this 2009 entry, the twentieth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "There Goes the Bride" runs 277 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of There Goes the Bride - Book 22:
Busy Body
"Busy Body" appeared in 2010 as the twenty-first Agatha Raisin mystery, 278 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Busy Body - Book 23:
As the Pig Turns
"As the Pig Turns" is the twenty-second installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 2011 and running 292 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of As the Pig Turns - Book 24:
Hiss and Hers
Published in 2012 at 272 pages, "Hiss and Hers" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hiss and Hers - Book 25:
Christmas Crumble
"Christmas Crumble" (2012, 71 pages) is a companion short story slotted at position 23.5 in the Agatha Raisin series, following "Hiss and Hers" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Christmas Crumble - Book 26:
Something Borrowed, Someone Dead
In this 2013 entry, the twenty-fourth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "Something Borrowed, Someone Dead" runs 291 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Something Borrowed, Someone Dead - Book 27:
The Blood of an Englishman
"The Blood of an Englishman" appeared in 2014 as the twenty-fifth Agatha Raisin mystery, 232 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Blood of an Englishman - Book 28:
Dishing the Dirt
"Dishing the Dirt" is the twenty-sixth installment of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, published in 2015 and running 307 pages. Like the rest of the series, it drops the vain, competitive former PR woman back into the gossip, jealousy and body count of village life in Carsely, with her on-and-off entanglement with neighbor James Lacey never far from the plot. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dishing the Dirt - Book 29:
Pushing Up Daisies
Published in 2016 at 267 pages, "Pushing Up Daisies" continues Agatha Raisin's run of cozy Cotswolds murders, with M. C. Beaton's trademark mix of village fetes, sharp comic timing, and a heroine more interested in being right and being noticed than in playing detective for anyone's benefit but her own. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Pushing Up Daisies - Book 30:
The Witches' Tree
"The Witches' Tree" (2017, 232 pages) is the twenty-eighth book in the Agatha Raisin series, following "Pushing Up Daisies" and, like its neighbors, built around Agatha's brash, hard-drinking style of amateur detection amid the quaint but murder-prone village of Carsely. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Witches' Tree - Book 31:
The Dead Ringer
In this 2018 entry, the twenty-ninth in M. C. Beaton's long-running series, Agatha Raisin turns her sharp tongue and competitive streak on another Cotswolds murder, aided -- or exasperated -- by her long-suffering staff Toni and Simon and her friend Sir Charles Fraith. "The Dead Ringer" runs 1 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Dead Ringer - Book 32:
Beating About the Bush
"Beating About the Bush" appeared in 2019 as the thirtieth Agatha Raisin mystery, 1 pages long. The series' formula holds here as elsewhere: a body turns up in idyllic Carsely, and Agatha investigates as much to prove herself right as out of any civic-minded impulse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Beating About the Bush - Book 33:
Hot to Trot
"Hot to Trot" (2020, 288 pages) is the first Agatha Raisin novel credited jointly to M. C. Beaton and R. W. Green, marking the handover after Beaton's 2019 death to the writer who had already ghostwritten several of her late books -- Agatha's Cotswolds sleuthing continues here at the same brisk, sharp-tongued pace. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hot to Trot - Book 34:
Down the Hatch
"Down the Hatch" (2021, 121 pages) is one of the Agatha Raisin novels written by R. W. Green, who took over the series after M. C. Beaton's death in 2019 -- with Beaton's blessing, having already ghostwritten several of her late novels -- continuing Agatha's Cotswolds detective work at the same brisk pace and with no real change in tone. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Down the Hatch - Book 35:
Devil's Delight
"Devil's Delight" (2022, 256 pages) is the thirty-third Agatha Raisin mystery, falling between "Down the Hatch" and "Dead on Target" in the run R. W. Green has written since M. C. Beaton's 2019 death, with Beaton's name retained on the cover. It keeps Agatha's brash, sharp-tongued detective work -- and the village fetes and jealous rivalries around Carsely -- going at the same brisk pace Beaton established. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Devil's Delight - Book 36:
Dead on Target
Credited to M. C. Beaton and continued by R. W. Green, "Dead on Target" is the thirty-fourth book in the series, published in 2023 at 256 pages. It carries forward the same vain, sharp-tongued Agatha Raisin, still solving murders in and around Carsely with an eye for attention as much as justice. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead on Target - Book 37:
Killing Time
Published in 2024 at 272 pages, "Killing Time" is part of R. W. Green's continuation of Agatha Raisin following Beaton's death, keeping the village fetes, jealous rivalries, and comic bite of the original series intact as book thirty-fifth in the run. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Killing Time - Book 38:
Sugar and Spite
"Sugar and Spite" (2025, 250 pages) is one of the Agatha Raisin novels written by R. W. Green, who took over the series after M. C. Beaton's death in 2019 -- with Beaton's blessing, having already ghostwritten several of her late novels -- continuing Agatha's Cotswolds detective work at the same brisk pace and with no real change in tone. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sugar and Spite
Key facts about the Agatha Raisin series
Our list has 38 books in the Agatha Raisin series. Since all 38 are out now, you can read the whole list today. 36 are novels, while the rest are a short story and a novella.
Start with The Quiche of Death, since it opens the publication order in 1992. The Vicious Vet is book 2, from 1993. The Potted Gardener is book 3, from 1994.
The Walkers of Dembley is book 4, from 1995. The Murderous Marriage is book 5, from 1996. The Terrible Tourist is book 6, from 1997.
The Wellspring of Death is book 7, from 1998, while The Wizard of Evesham is book 8, from 1999. The Witch of Wyckhadden is book 9, from 1999.
The Fairies of Fryfam is book 10, from 2000, while The Love from Hell is book 11, from 2001. The Day the Floods Came is book 12, from 2002. Since the list above shows all 38, you can find the rest there.
However, the story's own timeline begins with Agatha's First Case. Use the order switch above to see that timeline. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.
The books came out between 1992 and 2025, while their length runs from 1 to 307 pages. That is a run of 33 years.
M. C. Beaton has 132 books on our list. Additionally, they write The Six Sisters, Hamish Macbeth and A House for the Season, plus 6 more series. We shelve the books under cozy mystery.
About the Agatha Raisin series
Agatha Raisin is a brash, hard-drinking, sharp-tongued former London PR executive who retires early to the impossibly quaint Cotswolds village of Carsely expecting a peaceful life — and instead finds a body practically on arrival. M. C. Beaton built the series around a heroine who is deliberately unlikeable in the traditional cozy sense: vain, competitive, prone to disastrous crushes (most enduringly on her handsome neighbor James Lacey), and far more comfortable interrogating suspects than making friends. That abrasiveness is the joke and the appeal — Agatha solves crimes as much to prove herself right and be the center of attention as out of any civic-minded impulse, and the village regulars who put up with her (mild-mannered Sir Charles Fraith, her long-suffering employees Toni and Simon) provide the warmth she can't quite generate herself.
The series runs on a steady diet of village fetes, jealous rivalries, and murders dressed up in cozy English trappings, narrated with real bite and comic timing. After M. C. Beaton's death in 2019, author R. W. Green — who had ghostwritten several late Beaton novels — took over the series with Beaton's blessing, continuing it at the same brisk pace. It's the series for readers who want a cozy mystery with an actual edge to its heroine, and it was adapted into the Agatha Raisin TV series starring Ashley Jensen.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the Agatha Raisin series?
M. C. Beaton wrote the series; it was continued by R. W. Green.
How many Agatha Raisin books are there?
38 entries as of Sugar and Spite (2025): 36 numbered novels plus the prequel novella Agatha's First Case and the short story Christmas Crumble. A further book, Dead Before Tea Time, is expected in late 2026.
What order should I read the Agatha Raisin books in?
Publication order, starting with The Quiche of Death. Agatha's relationships and business evolve across the series, though each mystery is largely self-contained.
Who writes Agatha Raisin now?
R. W. Green has written the series since 2020's Hot to Trot, continuing after M. C. Beaton's death in 2019 in the same voice and style Beaton established.
Is Agatha's First Case a prequel?
Yes. This 2015 novella is set during Agatha's London PR career, before The Quiche of Death, and can be read first for story chronology or at its publication-order position.
Is there a new Agatha Raisin book coming?
Dead Before Tea Time is expected in late 2026, though an exact date has not been confirmed as of this writing.
If you like the Agatha Raisin series
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