Friday, November 18, 2011

As the pig turns by M.C. Beaton aka Marion Chesney

22nd in the Agatha Raisin series

Agatha has a run-in with an overzealous policeman, Gary Beech, who tickets her for basically nothing on a clogged road outside her Cotswolds village of Carsely. After Beech tickets her a second time for slightly exceeding the speed limit, Agatha announces in the village store: "I'd like to kill him.... May he roast slowly over a spit in hell!" When Beech turns up dead, his decapitated body substituted for the pig that was supposed to be roasting over a fire as part of a post-Christmas celebration on a neighboring village's green, Agatha falls under suspicion. Meanwhile, she must cope with, among other personal problems, uncertainty about the men in her life, including her ex-husband.

There are very few series I can't wait to read and this is one of maybe 4.  It is always such a delight and I've re-read this series many times now.  You do have to suspend some belief but I read these more for the characters versus the actual mystery.  Though this had more mystery elements than previous. I'm always ready for a new Agatha Raisin book!