Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death (Agatha Raisin Series #7)

by M. C. Beaton

Overview

Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death continues the tradition in M. C. Beaton's beloved Agatha Raisin cozy mystery series—now a hit show on Acorn TV and public television.

This time, the feisty sleuth stumbles upon the victim of an unnatural death in Cotswold village's famous natural spring. Who was the unlucky corpse? The Ancombe Parish Council chairman-and the only uncommitted member voting on whether to allow the Ancombe Water Company to tap into the town's spring. Add ex-fiance James, watery politicians, and slippery entrepreneurs to the mix, and you have Agatha Raisin up to her neck in a murky murder mystery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250039521
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/15/1999
Series:	Agatha Raisin Series , #7
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.48(d)

About the Author

M. C. Beaton (1936-2019), the “Queen of Crime” (The Globe and Mail), was the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Agatha Raisin novels — the basis for the hit series on Acorn TV and public television — as well as the Hamish Macbeth series and the Edwardian Murder Mysteries featuring Lady Rose Summer. Born in Scotland, she started her career writing historical romances under several pseudonyms and her maiden name, Marion Chesney.

In 2006, M.C. was the British guest of honor at Bouchercon.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Anyone interested in a few hours' worth of intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin."—Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Cotswolds snoop Agatha Raisin ("Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist", 1997, etc.), still smarting from her broken engagement to neighbor James Lacey, returns in yet another cozy featuring backbiting provincial villagers. The Ancombe Water Company is trying to negotiate a deal with the parish council to bottle water from a historic village spring, a move that has sharply divided the council. When the body of Robert Struthers, the council chairman who had not yet committed on the issue, is found head-down in the spring, Agatha, who's doing PR for the water company, and James each decide to investigate. Bitterness keeps them apart, and 50-something Agatha is romanced by the much younger Guy Freemont, a company director. Beaton performs deftly, with Agatha pining for James while weighing the pros and cons of village life. Particularly entertaining elements include James's undercover stint in a militant environment group and, in a finale that follows a second murder, the introduction of a new side to Mrs. Bloxby, the vicar's usually plodding wife"—Publishers Weekly "What makes readers love Agatha Raisin?...Somehow this cranky middle-aged dame's many flaws only make her more appealing."—Booklist

Editorial Reviews

Beaton performs deftly.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Anyone interested in a few hours' worth of intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A sillier than usual chapter in the life of Agatha Raisin ("Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist", 1997, etc.), now retired from her public-relations job and living in the Cotswolds village of Carsely. The appearance of Agatha's husband (since deceased) just as she was to marry James Lacy, her icy neighbor and partner in sleuthdom, has soured that relationship, and Agatha, now bored and lonely, accepts a p.r. job with the Ancombe Water Company, run by brothers Peter and Guy Freemont. The two plan to sell mineral water from a spring in Ancombe, not far from Carsely, on land owned by Robina Toynbee. The villagers are bitterly divided on the idea, even more so after Agatha discovers the body of Robert Struthers, chairman and deciding vote of the Ancombe Parish Council, killed by a blow to the head. Agatha's p.r. efforts continue unabated, as does her casual affair with Guy Freemont. Then, at the height of the campaign's celebratory fete, Robina, frightened by threatening letters and about to renege on her leasing arrangement, is also found murdered. Agatha and James get together at last to quiz the villagers and report, as usual, to Detective Bill Wong, eventually putting him on the right track but never recovering that old romantic feeling. Fond feelings are in short supply all round, with Mrs. Bloxby, the vicar's wife, the least obnoxious female (or male, for that matter) in residence. The unexplained rancor of all the others makes as much sense as the addled plot or the contrived clues that end it all. Even Agatha's devoted fans may want to sit out this one.

Kirkus Reviews