Bøger af M.C. Beaton

There may be trouble ahead . . . so will Agatha face the music?Can the feisty Agatha 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 walks in wealthy divorcee Catherine Laggat-Brown, and Agatha is given her first real case. Death threats, blackmail and physical attack soon follow, and once again Agatha is off scouring the countryside for clues and showing friends and enemies alike what Raisin Investigations can do!Praise for the Agatha Raisin series:'A potent cocktail of satire, mystery and adventure that will leave you wanting more' Myshelf.com 'Sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non-PC, M.C. Beaton has created a national treasure' Anne Robinson'M.C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem' Publishers Weekly'The Miss Marple-like Raisin is a refreshing, sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likeable heroine.' Booklist

A vengeful ghost comes back to haunt the living?Reports of a haunted house soon have Agatha snooping around, but it turns out the victim of the haunting is a universally disliked old biddy on whom someone is playing a practical joke. And then the old lady is murdered - but for Agatha, solving a crime is much more fun than hunting a ghost! Very soon she's up to her usual tricks, involving the villagers, local police, and, of course, her handsome new neighbour . . .Praise for the Agatha Raisin series:'Fast-paced, witty and well-plotted.' MyShelf.com 'Sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non-PC, M.C. Beaton has created a national treasure' Anne Robinson'M.C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem' Publishers Weekly'The Miss Marple-like Raisin is a refreshing, sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likeable heroine.' Booklist

A therapist had moved into the village of Carsely and Agatha Raisin hates her. Not only was this therapist, Jill Davent, romancing Agatha's ex-husband, but she had dug up details of Agatha's slum background. Added to that, Jill was counselling a woman called Gwen Simple from Winter Parva and Agatha firmly believed Gwen to have assisted her son in some grisly murders, although has no proof she had done so. A resentment is different from a dislike and needs to be shared, so as the friendship between James and Jill grows stronger, the more Agatha does to try to find out all she can about her. When Jill is found strangled to death in her office two days' later, Agatha finds herself under suspicion - and must fight to clear her name.

The tenth in the Agatha Raisin murder mysteries complete with brand new cover design

Eye of newt, toe of frog . . . and murder most foul!Left with bald patches thanks to the wicked doings of a murderer from a previous investigation, Agatha flees to coastal Wyckhadden to re-grow her lost locks. With hair tonic supplied by a local witch, Agatha's tresses begin to flow - but the witch is found bludgeoned to death. The odd elderly residents of Agatha's elegantly faded hotel seem innocuous, but as she delves deeper she discovers secrets best left and powerful motives for revenge. Balancing the amorous attentions of police inspector Jimmy Jessop with an ever more treacherous search for the killer, Agatha is at her wits' end - and ready to cast a spell of her own . . .Praise for the Agatha Raisin series:'Sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non-PC, M.C. Beaton has created a national treasure' Anne Robinson'M.C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem' Publishers Weekly'The Miss Marple-like Raisin is a refreshing, sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likeable heroine.' Booklist

The local ladies all deem Mr John a wizard, so when Agatha finds a few grey hairs on her head - and the rinse she tries at home turns her hair purple - she makes a beeline for the handsome Evesham hairdresser. And as well as sorting out her hair it soon becomes clear the charming man also has designs on her heart - but their future together is cut short when Mr John is fatally poisoned in his salon.Once again Agatha finds herself embroiled in a murder case. Was it one of Mr John's many customers, all of whom divulged to him their darkest secrets? Praise for the Agatha Raisin series:'M. C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem.' Publishers Weekly'The detective novels of M. C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status.' The Times'Being a cranky, middle-aged female myself, I found Agatha charming!' Amazon customer review'Agatha Raisin is sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non PC. M C Beaton has created a new national treasure... the stories zing along and are irresistible, unputdownable, a joy. If you buy one book a year, let it be this. Agatha Raisin is The Strongest Link.' Anne Robinson

Agatha Raisin's neighbouring village of Ancombe is usually the epitome of quiet rural charm, but the arrival of a new mineral-water company - which intends to tap into the village spring - sends tempers flaring and divides the parish council into two stubborn camps.When Agatha, who just happens to be handling the PR for the water company, finds the council chairman murdered at the basin of the spring, tongues start wagging. Could one of the council members have polished off the chairman before he could cast the deciding vote? Poor Agatha, still nursing a bruised heart from one of her unsuccessful romantic encounters, must get cracking, investigate the councillors and solve the crime.Praise for the Agatha Raisin series:'M. C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem.' Publishers Weekly'The detective novels of M. C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status.' The Times'Being a cranky, middle-aged female myself, I found Agatha charming!' Amazon customer review'Agatha Raisin is sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non PC. M C Beaton has created a new national treasure... the stories zing along and are irresistible, unputdownable, a joy. If you buy one book a year, let it be this. Agatha Raisin is The Strongest Link.' Anne Robinson

Cold-blooded murder heats up Agatha's summer holiday! Agatha travels to Cyprus, only to contend with her estranged fiance, an egregious group of truly terrible tourists, and a string of murders. . .In this sixth entertaining outing Agatha leaves the sleepy Cotswold village of Carsely to pursue love - and finds a murderer. Spurned at the altar, she follows her fleeing fianc James Lacey to Cyprus, where, instead of enjoying the honeymoon they'd planned, they witness the killing of an obnoxious tourist in a disco. Intrigue and a string of murders surround the unlikely couple, in a plot as scorching as the Cypriot sun! Praise for the Agatha Raisin series:'M. C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem.' Publishers Weekly'The detective novels of M. C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status.' The Times"e;Anyone interested in a few hours"e; worth of intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin."e; The Cleveland Pain Dealer"e;M C Beaton has created a new national treasure... the stories zing along and are irresistible, unputdownable, a joy... Agatha Raisin is The Strongest Link."e; Anne Robinson'Being a cranky, middle-aged female myself, I found Agatha charming!' Amazon customer review'I dream of being able to speak out like Aggie . . . she's a heroine!' A. Lucas, Essex, reader review

The morning of Agatha's 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. James breaks off the engagement. So when Jimmy is found murdered next day, Agatha and James are both the prime suspects. And they'll have to work together in order to clear their names . . .Praise for the Agatha Raisin series:'M. C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem.' Publishers Weekly'The detective novels of M. C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status.' The Times'Being a cranky, middle-aged female myself, I found Agatha charming!' Amazon customer review'I dream of being able to speak out like Aggie . . . she's a heroine!' A. Lucas, Essex, reader review

Fashionable society regards Sir Benjamin Wright with the utmost honour and respect. Yet Lady Emma knows that her husband is, in fact, a drunken jealous brute who delights in humiliating her both in and out of the bedroom.So, his unexpected murder is a blessing, she thinks - that is, until the constable's accusing finger points to her as the murderer. But it soon becomes apparent that her late husband hid many secrets and enemies.When the practical Comte Saint-Juste arrives on the scene offering his services, Lady Emma is about to discover what the French dedication to l'amour really means...

As scandal and intrigue swirl around her, Jessica must discover where the heart finds true happiness. . . .Mannerling, the splendid family estate gambled away by Sir Beverley, remains the passion of his daughters. Beverley himself has died; the eldest daughter, Isabella -having failed in her bid to reclaim the family home--is blissfully wed. The mantle of saviour now falls to the next eldest daughter, Jessica.How fortunate then that the new owner of Mannerling had a marriageable son. In truth, Harry is a brutal letch, a drunkard, and a wastrel, but Jessica, blinded by determination, vows to secure a betrothal. She is barely aware of the attentions of handsome, charming Professor Robert Sommerville, whose affection for Jessica is equalled only by the fear that her obsession to secure Mannerling will lead to disaster for all concerned.As scandal and intrigue swirl around her, Jessica must discover where the heart finds true happiness. . . .

Isabella Beverley is blessed with unparalleled beauty but, unfortunately, has been raised in the most snobbish and haughty of families. And when her father gambles away their fortune - including Mannerling, the exquisite family mansion, Isabella discovers that there is very little sympathy for her plight. As the eldest, Isabella is chosen to court Mr. Judd, the roguish bachelor who won Mannerling. Surely no sacrifice is too great to regain Mannerling? But tempting her away from Mr. Judd is Lord Fitzpatrick, an Irish rake who fears Isabella can never love a man as she does her home - but is nonetheless determined to convince her to choose man over manse!

A case of mistaken identity is transformed into a case of true love!As usual, the poor relations are in need of money to finance the hotel and this time it is up to Colonel Sandhurst to come to the rescue. After coming across Sir Randolph's daughter Frederica, who is running away to escape an awful marriage to Lord Bewley, the Colonel devises a plan to force Sir Randolph to settle his six month outstanding hotel bill and save Frederica from her terrible fate.The clever plan is thwarted when Lord Bewley shows up at the drop point instead of Sir Randolph, and the poor relations must make a deal with Lord Bewley in order to get their money... and keep Colonel Sandhurst out of gaol!

The Poor Relation hotel is the toast of London and its owners are preparing to sell up and retire - but one last romantic adventure awaits them!Driven into hiding at the hotel by a tyrannous father and a rich but wizened suitor, Lady Jane Fremney attempts to end her life. The poor relations save the young lady and determine to improve her lot in life by bringing her out for the Season.All the young bucks call on Jane, among them the handsome but racy Comte de Mornay, an exile from Napoleon's France who has broken many a heart and so far eluded matrimony. Jane is quite adamant he is unsuitable for her - but when his life is threatened by an assassin's pistol, it is up to her to help him escape from danger... and into l'amour!

Lizzie is the sixth and youngest daughter of the late Sir Beverley, the patriarch who gambled away their beloved estate, Mannerling. Each of Lizzie's sisters had been entrusted by their ambitious mother to cast lures for the various owners of their former home. Instead, each one happily married for love. Now it's Lizzie's turn to save Mannerling.Yet the new owner, the Duke of Severnshire, is far too arrogant for Lizzie's heart. And while the duke has no intentions toward the saucy chit, her curt dismissal of him is perplexing--for no woman has ever refused him! Now, as his lavish house party to select a bride becomes a whirlwind of mismatches and scandal, lovely Lizzie is turning the duke's own thoughts away from a suitable marriage--to the wonders of falling in love!

As one of the two remaining unmarried Beverley sisters, Belinda considers herself the last hope for Mannerling, the beloved estate gambled away by their father. Each of her four elder sisters had hoped--even schemed--to marry one of Mannerling's successive owners. But all had chosen true love over their ancestral home.Practical and duty-bound, Belinda will woo and wed Lord St. Clair, current holder of the estate. True, he is a silly fop, hardly what she desires in a husband, but she vows to make the man love her--even at the expense of her own happiness.However, dashing Lord Gyre can hardly ignore the ridiculous drama -- Belinda is far too good for that dandy St. Clair. Therefore, his lordship decides it is his duty to win the lovely Belinda's heart!

Commotion reigns at the Poor Relation hotel when two unwelcome ladies create chaos among the established order of things!Sir Philip Sommerville is quite the antique, but not too old to bring home a paramour: fat, vulgar and greedy Mrs Budge who, the other poor relations are agreed upon, has to go.And then there is Lady Carruthers, a highly rouged widow who passes off her grown daughter, Arabella, as a school miss while setting her own cap for the young Earl of Denby, despite the fact that young Arabella is quite smitten with the dashing golden-haired earl! So once again it is up to the other poor relations to straighten out the course of true love...

The final book in M.C. Beaton's charming A House for the Season series. Love comes home to A House for the Season!When the Duke of Pelham returns to his town house at 67 Clarges Street he is grimly determined to find himself a suitable wife, and love will have nothing to do with his selection.The duke's search is soon disrupted by the arrival in town of Miss Jenny Sutherland - a beautiful but hugely spoilt country girl whose vanity is overwhelming. In fact it was her guardian who brought her to London in the hope her ward will get the put-down she so sorely deserves. But no one had counted on the intervention of Rainbird, the duke's shrewd and resourceful butler. Befriending Jenny, they devise a mischievous scheme that will ensure Jenny's social success - and secure, once and for all, the fate of the close-knit family of servants at No. 67 Clarges Street!'Romance fans are in for a treat' - Booklist'[M. C. Beaton] is the best of the Regency writers' - Kirkus Reviews

The fifth book in M.C. Beaton's charming A House for the Season series. Appearances can be very deceptive...At first, Emily Goodenough and her uncle are exactly what the servants at No. 67 Clarges Street are hoping for: respectable tenants to usher in an uneventful Season. But all is not what it seems and it's not long before Rainbird the butler uncovers their secret: Mr Goodenough is an ex-butler and his 'daughter' a runaway chambermaid!Rainbird's resolve is tested, however, when he learns of villainous Mr Percival Pardon's plot to unmask the pair and force his attentions on Emily. So the staff join forces with their former fellow servants in a scheme to make the Goodenoughs Society's darlings, foil Mr Pardon's plot, and snare the man of her dreams for Emily in the bargain!'Romance fans are in for a treat' - Booklist'[M. C. Beaton] is the best of the Regency writers' - Kirkus Reviews

The fourth book in M.C. Beaton's charming A House for the Season series. He's just not the marrying kind...Lord Guy Carlton, late of His Majesty's Regiment and weary from the war in France, has only wine, women and song in mind when he rents No. 67 Clarges Street for the season. He certainly has no desire for a serious attachment - and as for marriage: never! But Lord Guy Carlton didn't factor in the lovely but very proper Miss Esther Jones. Although one of the richest women in England she is also one of the most innocent, which could make her an unwilling victim of the philandering lord... and so, once again, it is up to the downstairs staff at Clarges Street to devise a campaign to reform the rake who is laying siege to her heart!'Romance fans are in for a treat' - Booklist'[M. C. Beaton] is the best of the Regency writers' - Kirkus Reviews

The third book in M.C. Beaton's charming A House for the Season series. It's double trouble for poor, put-upon Harriet!Lovely but penniless Harriet Metcalf is horrified when she is named in a nobleman's will as guardian of his two ghastly and snobbish twin daughters. The innocent Harriet doesn't feel wily enough to cope with the intricacies of the London Season - not to mention two of its most eligible bachelors, the Marquis of Huntington and Lord Vere.Harriet views them only as suitors for the twins, while the gentlemen see only Harriet's charms. And soon she finds herself falling for one of them... but a cruel betrayal will be her ruin unless the Clarges Street servants can save her honour, while she loses her heart!'Romance fans are in for a treat' - Booklist'[M. C. Beaton] is the best of the Regency writers' - Kirkus Reviews

The second book in M.C. Beaton's charming A House for the Season series. It's up to the servants of No. 67 Clarges Street to hatch a scheme... and arrange a match!'Oh, to be as beautiful as Euphemia!' sighs plain Jane Hart when she joins her sister at No.67 for the Season, as then Lord Tregarthan might notice her... as she has noticed him and forever lost her heart. And while it is Euphemia's fate to flit her way through balls and into the arms of a marquis, Jane's is to stay at home... until the Downstairs staff transform the plain Miss into the Season's sensation and send her waltzing into a daring liaison with the man of her dreams'Romance fans are in for a treat' - Booklist'[M. C. Beaton] is the best of the Regency writers' - Kirkus Reviews

The first book in M.C. Beaton's charming A House for the Season series. Is Number 67 Clarges Steet the unluckiest house in Mayfair?Every Season the beaux mondes of the Regency would hire a house in the heart of London's fashionable West End at a disproportionately high rent for often inferior accommodation and yet No.67 Clarges Street, a town house complete with staff, remains vacant from year to year. Could it be that it is associated with ill luck and even death? Something must be done so that the servants of the house don't lose their livelihood...Salvation seems to come in the form of Roderick Sinclair who confirms he wishes to rent the house for the current Season. The staff are overjoyed - until they find that Mr Sinclair is a terrible miser who is planning no parties. Furthermore, his ward, Fiona, though a dazzling Highland beauty, does not seem to possess one bright idea in her head. But it is Rainbird, No.67's clever and elegant butler, who sees through her facade and resolves to help his mysterious mistress in whatever way he can...'Romance fans are in for a treat' - Booklist'[M. C. Beaton] is the best of the Regency writers' - Kirkus Reviews

The 15th mystery featuring Hamish Macbeth from teh bestselling M.C.Beaton, author of the Agatha series.

Whether dressed in her finery or disguised as a frump, he wanted her just the same!How can plain Frederica withstand a Season's scrutiny after the five beauties before her have married so magnificently? The only solution is to run away from home...Disguised as a chambermaid, Freddie soon finds her way into the household of the fashionable Duke of Pembury. But the wild gentleman is soon on to her tricks and finds himself escorting Freddie back to London, where, once again on the marriage mart, her sisters make over the tomboyish runaway until even she cannot recognise herself!But a certain gentleman can, and so it would seem that Freddie is not fated to be plain - or unmarried - after all....

Diana's passion is a rather strange one for a lady - she loves to hunt while dressed as a man!With her lustrous black hair and enormous dark eyes, Diana is shy of men yet dreams of the freedom they must enjoy. Only when she is invited to Town by the icily blond Lord Mark Dantrey does she begin to realise that being a women does have unexpected advantages. And what of the gypsy, who prophesised a dark stranger, and warned of a fair one? Surprising twists and turns await Diana on the path of true love.

Daphne Armitage is the acknowleged beauty of that family of renowned belles, but beauty is more than skin deep.Black-haired, exquisite Daphne is certain she can avoid the turmoil of true love by demanding nothing more of a husband than to be an elegant companion. Teh self-absorbed Mr Archer seems to fit the bill to perfection. But when Mr Simon Garfield agitates Daphne's calm outward manner, the results are dramatic and delightful!

The second book in M.C. Beaton's charming Waverly Women trilogy. Modern notions were all well and good - but where did one find a man to share them?Though Frederica chafes at the restricted life she lives as the adopted daughter of an infamous bluestocking, she does agree with the philosophy: until men learn to appreciate women as intellectual equals, Frederica is better off without them!But her sister's recent elopement sparks fires of romance in Frederica's well-educated head. She is ripe to accept the considerable charms of Lord Harry Danger who saves her from a pack of drunken thugs - but if only he would treat her as an equal and stop all that silly flirting!'Romance fans are in for a treat' - Booklist'[M. C. Beaton] is the best of the Regency writers' - Kirkus Reviews

The first book in M.C. Beaton's charming Waverly Women trilogy. His kiss has left her flushed and disconcerted - perhaps men are best avoided after all!The Earl of Tredair has had his fill of balls, routs, and silly misses, and he despairs of finding anyone out of the ordinary - that is, until he meets Miss Fanny Waverley.Most unique and intriguing, she and her two sisters are the adopted daughters of the reclusive bluestocking Madame Waverley. They have been raised as her disciples to spread the word of women's rights and to encourage poor oppressed females to stand up against the iniquities of the male sex. But, can they resist love?The beautiful Miss Fanny finds it quite hard to think of all men as cruel and lustful beasts - how can she, when now she finds herself longing to kiss one of the most hated of the species!'Romance fans are in for a treat' - Booklist'[M. C. Beaton] is the best of the Regency writers' - Kirkus Reviews

Red-haired, jade-eyed Deirdre is determined to marry for Love - nothing else will do. So the fact her father's candidate for her hand, Lord Harry Desire, is well bred and good looking, interests her not a jot! But the feelings he arouses in her are truly distracting.Deirdre's discovery of what desire can mean and where her heart really lies brings about a delicious climax to this adventure of intrigue, misunderstanding - and love!