In this 24th book in the 'Agatha Raisin' series, the private detective is on the trail of a poisoner. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
People who live in the Cotswold village of Piddlebury are gracious when newcomer Gloria French - who always helps out at church and reads to the elderly - asks to borrow things.....like a bag of flour, a pot, a bowl, a necklace, and so on.
The residents get annoyed, however, when Gloria refuses to return anything....claiming it's all hers. And everyone KNOWS Gloria is the culprit when several bottles of homemade elderberry wine are nicked from a church event.
As it turns out, stealing the wine was a big mistake. One of the bottles labeled 'Very Special' is laced with poison.....and Gloria is found dead.
A village murder is a calamitous event and Jerry Tarrant, head of the Piddlebury parish council, hires private detective Agatha Raisin to investigate the incident. Agatha, who lives in the nearby town of Carsley, is a stout fiftyish Englishwoman with small bear-like eyes, shiny brown hair, and a knack for solving crimes.
Agatha and one of her operatives, a beautiful girl named Toni, take a room in a Piddlebury pub and proceed to investigate Gloria's homicide. They speak to local residents; inquire about the wine; learn what kind of poison was used; etc.
Agatha and Toni discover that many people disliked Gloria, either because she was a thief or because she chased married men. There would seem to be many local suspects, but the townsfolk form a united front and insist 'a passing outsider' must have committed the crime.
A second poisoning with elderberry wine makes this seem HIGHLY unlikely, but the Piddleburians stick to their story. This makes Agatha extremely suspicious and she pursues various lines of inquiry.
Agatha's investigation takes many weeks, during which she makes numerous trips to and from Piddlebury and relies on her friends and co-workers for help. As always Agatha develops a crush on a handsome man - this time it's a traveler called Brian Summers, who's staying in Piddlebury for a rest.
Agatha eventually comes up with a theory that pans out, but puts more than one person in danger.
Favorite recurring characters make an appearance in the story, including: James Lacey - Agatha's ex-husband; Sir Charles Fraith - Agatha's long-time friend; Mrs. Bloxby - the vicar's wife; Roy Silver - Agatha's former employee; and more. Toni, who should know better by now, continues to get involved with older men, and this causes more trouble than usual.
The plot is rather thin, and mostly a vehicle for Agatha's usual antics, such as: chasing a good-looking man; getting jealous when James dates other women; interfering in Toni's private life; dining with Sir Charles (who always 'forgets his wallet'); getting into amusing scrapes; stressing over her weight and appearance; and so on.
The novel is fun for a light read, but it's not among the best books in the series.
Rating: 3 stars
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