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julsmarshall's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Delightful! Funny and clever with a quaint English town full of characters that I can’t wait to get to know better! Big pups when it is a 30 year old series, all the ebooks are available with no wait!
helgamharb's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't like the main character. She was rude to everyone and expected to be liked by all. The book was mostly about food, village life and the geography of certain villages. Maybe the next Agatha Raisin would be better.
sweetpea72's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
donnaratcliff's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first experience of 'Agatha Raisin' and I'll be back for more. The plot is not a complicated one and some of the characterisations a little cliched but I found this to be an easy and enjoyable read.
bookishrealm's review against another edition
4.0
What a pleasant surprise! I wasn't exactly going into this one thinking that I would enjoy it as much as I did. Please keep in mind that this book was originally published in 1992 so all the elements don't exactly age very well.
The Quiche of Death is the first in the Agatha Raisin series and follows a character of the same name who decides to give up her successful PR firm to move to a small town called Carsely. Trying to navigate her new town and the community, Agatha makes the decision to enter the local quiche competition except she decides to buy her quiche instead of making it from scratch. Unfortunately, someone in the town gets her leftovers and ends up dying. While she is initially a suspect and shunned by some members of the village, Agatha works hard to figure out who was truly responsible.
One of the highlights of this book is the character development. Agatha isn't a likeable character. In fact, I'll go as far to say that she's an asshole. Nevertheless, she's hilarious. There's quite a bit of dry humor that makes this book delightful. Not only does she have a lot going on in terms of her internal dialogue, but she also says whatever the hell she wants to anyone that she wants. It makes for tumultuous, yet funny relationships with other characters. What I did find is that there is a softer side to Agatha that may be revealed in future books. The hard external shell that she exhibits with everyone seems to alter when she gets the opportunity to feel comfortable and get to know people.
As expected, there wasn't a lot of "intense" action with the plot. It's pretty straight-forward although I did appreciate the fact that I didn't know who the killer was until the end of the story. I'm getting the feeling that a lot of these could be read as standalones. This book had a closed ending that didn't necessarily lend itself to a sequel; however, it did make me excited to see more of Agatha and how she will continue to grow and get to know more people in the village. Overall, this was a good start to a cozy mystery series. I'm looking forward to reading more in the future.
The Quiche of Death is the first in the Agatha Raisin series and follows a character of the same name who decides to give up her successful PR firm to move to a small town called Carsely. Trying to navigate her new town and the community, Agatha makes the decision to enter the local quiche competition except she decides to buy her quiche instead of making it from scratch. Unfortunately, someone in the town gets her leftovers and ends up dying. While she is initially a suspect and shunned by some members of the village, Agatha works hard to figure out who was truly responsible.
One of the highlights of this book is the character development. Agatha isn't a likeable character. In fact, I'll go as far to say that she's an asshole. Nevertheless, she's hilarious. There's quite a bit of dry humor that makes this book delightful. Not only does she have a lot going on in terms of her internal dialogue, but she also says whatever the hell she wants to anyone that she wants. It makes for tumultuous, yet funny relationships with other characters. What I did find is that there is a softer side to Agatha that may be revealed in future books. The hard external shell that she exhibits with everyone seems to alter when she gets the opportunity to feel comfortable and get to know people.
As expected, there wasn't a lot of "intense" action with the plot. It's pretty straight-forward although I did appreciate the fact that I didn't know who the killer was until the end of the story. I'm getting the feeling that a lot of these could be read as standalones. This book had a closed ending that didn't necessarily lend itself to a sequel; however, it did make me excited to see more of Agatha and how she will continue to grow and get to know more people in the village. Overall, this was a good start to a cozy mystery series. I'm looking forward to reading more in the future.
iamdoug's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
pata's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
mushmysteriesandmore's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hannahleoni's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
saltygalreads's review against another edition
5.0
Agatha Raisin has decided to retire to the Cotwolds and give up her busy career in London. When she settles into her new cottage, she begins to fear that she will be bored and has made a mistake. But then Agatha enters a baking contest with a spinach quiche. After the lecherous judge dies of poisoning, Agatha becomes embroiled in an amateur murder investigation. But she is poking a hornets' nest with all her questions; and better figure it out before she becomes a victim.
This audiobook was nonstop fun! I was hooked and couldn't stop, listening intently and laughing uproariously at some points. The narration was spectacular, the plot full of surprises and the characters so enjoyable. The description of Agatha's daytrip to Bath with The Boggles was especially hilarious!
I will definitely be continuing with this series.
This audiobook was nonstop fun! I was hooked and couldn't stop, listening intently and laughing uproariously at some points. The narration was spectacular, the plot full of surprises and the characters so enjoyable. The description of Agatha's daytrip to Bath with The Boggles was especially hilarious!
I will definitely be continuing with this series.