Even in the small village of Carsely, Agatha Raisin's detective agency is doing well. When Lord Billington is found murdered, suspects abound: Billington had enraged the villagers by threatening to turn their allotments into housing developments. He was a boor, he hated everyone, and someone disliked him enough to do away with him. Agatha and her detectives start inquiring, and bodies soon start popping up left and right, but are all those murders connected? All the while, Agatha's love life goes hot and cold; will she ever find that elusive mate?

I was in the mood for a cozy mystery, and I picked up PUSHING UP DAISIES. I have never read M. C. Beaton before. An amusing, predictable and cute story, she said. Ha! What I thought would be a sedate little country mystery turned out to be a very complex story with plot twists that nearly gave me whiplash, which is fantastic! Agatha Raisin is more of a Jessica Fletcher who is trying to quit smoking and has a penchant for gin and tonics. She doesn't need a man, but she wants to get married again, how novel! She has a very sharp tongue, she's very direct; she is decidedly not a sweet little old lady, and I love her!

PUSHING UP DAISIES is a marvel of British dry wit, snappy dialogues, and very colourful characters: think of Miss Marple done by Monty Python! The tone is as comfortable as can be, the story moves at a furious pace, and even though PUSHING UP DAISIES is the latest book in a long series, and the cast of characters is quite large, I never felt lost because each individual is so clearly defined. There was a romantic plot twist, that even if it was bittersweet, left me elated, because it was so unexpected but welcome. I love that Agatha doesn't get herself into impossible situations, and surprisingly enough, everything felt real. There are almost as many romantic entanglements as there are suspenseful twists, and both are well balanced and meshed together, and they were equally delightful. I never thought one character would be killed off, another I had grown quite fond of did not behave quite as I anticipated, and I just love Detective Bill Wong! The main culprit was the logical one, but what wild ride it was reaching the startling conclusion, I enjoyed every moment! From this day on, count me among M. C. Beaton's fans! Why, oh why, did I ever wait this long!

Book Summary

When Agatha Raisin left behind her PR business in London, she fulfilled her dream of settling in the cozy British Cotswolds where she began a successful private detective agency. Unfortunately, the village she lives in is about to get a little less cozy. Lord Bellington, a wealthy land developer, wants to turn the community garden into a housing estate. When Agatha and her friend Sir Charles Fraith attempt to convince Lord Bellington to abandon his plans he scoffs: “Do you think I give a damn about those pesky villagers?” So when Agatha finds his obituary in the newspaper two weeks later, it’s no surprise that some in town are feeling celebratory.

The villagers are relieved to learn that Bellington’s son and heir, Damian, has no interest in continuing his father’s development plans. But the police are definitely interested in him—as suspect number one. His father’s death, it seems, was no accident. But when Damian hires Agatha to find the real killer, she finds no shortage of suspects. The good news is that a handsome retired detective named Gerald has recently moved to town. Too bad he was seen kissing another newcomer. But when she is also found murdered, Gerald is eager to help Agatha with the case. Agatha, Gerald, and her team of detectives must untangle a web of contempt in order to uncover a killer’s identity.

M.C. Beaton's Pushing Up Daisies continues the tradition in this beloved mystery series.