Mystery is by far my favorite genre, and within that genre I tend to gravitate toward cozy mysteries. Add to that a Scottish author and, well, I’m all in. Everyone has a guilty pleasure when it comes to their reading life, and for me, the Agatha Raisin mystery series falls squarely in that court. With 36 books currently published or soon-to-be published to choose from, it’s easy to find something light and familiar to turn to after a few heavier, darker novels.
M. C. Beaton, a Scottish writer who died in 2019, was a prolific author, with numerous series to her name. Much like Agatha Christie, she also wrote romance novels under several different pseudonyms. Her two most popular series, however, are her Hamish MacBeth series and her Agatha Raisin series. Both series have been adapted for television, and while I haven’t seen the Hamish MacBeth series on the small screen, I absolutely love the Agatha Raisin series starring Ashley Jensen, which currently has 20 episodes.
Author R. W. Green was a long-time friend of M. C. Beaton’s and after her death continued on with the Agatha Raisin series in her name. As with Ray Bradbury, who stated he became a writer so he could live forever, M. C. Beaton’s name continues to appear on the subsequent books in the Agatha Raisin series, along with R. W. Green’s name. I haven’t noticed a huge difference in the books post Beaton’s death, although they feel a bit more modern and fresh, but the writing style is very similar.
Volume 36 in the series, Sugar and Spite, is exactly what I needed after two darker and heavier novels, previously reviewed here on my site. I loved both The White Octopus Hotel and The Homemade God, but I was happy to take a break from dual timelines, magical realism, death, loss, and family drama to go on a lark with private investigator Agatha and her team.
Yes, there is death and loss in this cozy murder mystery, but there is also love, found family, inclusivity, and snappy prose to go along with it. Agatha loves a good meal, a glass of wine, and a fancy outfit, and R. W. Green continues in M. C. Beaton’s style in describing all the things that make Agatha enjoy life to the fullest.
I have jumped around quite a bit in reading the Agatha Raisin series and I don’t think it matters much, except for keeping straight Agatha’s many paramours. The minor characters like Bill Wong and police chief Wilkes come and go and it’s easy to pick up the missing pieces if you encounter them later in the series without much background. If you want to start at the beginning, The Quiche of Death is #1 and it is an excellent one to cut your teeth on.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Publishers, and M. C. Beaton, whose spirit and popularity lives on through R. W. Green.
Michelle Blanchard Ardillo 
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