Description

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An irresistible new adventure for the bossy, vain, and endearing Agatha Raisin—now the star of a hit show on Acorn TV and public television—from New York Times bestselling M.C. Beaton, "the reigning queen of the cozies" (Booklist).

Winter Parva is a "picturesque" (touristy) Cotswold village with gift shops, a medieval market hall, and thatched cottages. After a disappointing Christmas season, the parish council has decided to hold a special event in January, complete with old-fashioned costumes, morris dancing, and a pig roast on the village green.

Always one for a good roasting, Agatha Raisin organizes an outing to enjoy the merriment. The rotary spit turning over a bed of blazing charcoals is sure to please on this foggy and blistery evening. But as the fog lifts slightly, the sharp-eyed Agatha notices something peculiar about the pig: a tattoo of a heart with an arrow through it and the name Amy.

"Stop!" she screams suddenly. "Pigs don't have tattoos."

The "pig," in fact, is Gary Beech, a policeman not exactly beloved by the locals, including Agatha herself. Although Agatha has every intention of leaving matters to the police, everything changes when the Gary's ex-wife, Amy, hires Agatha's detective agency to investigate—and another murder ensues. With that provocation, how could any sleuth as vain and competitive (and secretly insecure) as Agatha do anything other than solve the case herself?

About the Author

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M. C. Beaton, who was the British guest of honor at Bouchercon 2006, has been hailed as the "Queen of Crime" (The Globe and Mail). In addition to her New York Times and USA Today bestselling Agatha Raisin novels—now a hit show on Acorn TV and public television—Beaton is the author of the Hamish Macbeth series and many Edwardian mysteries. Born in Scotland, she currently divides her time between the English Cotswolds and Paris.

Praise For…

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CRITICS HAIL AGATHA RAISIN AND M. C. BEATON!

“Tourists are advised to watch their backs in the bucolic villages where M. C.  Beaton sets her sly British mysteries...Outsiders always spell trouble for the societies Beaton observes with such cynical humor.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Beaton’s] imperfect heroine is an absolute gem!”—Publishers Weekly

“Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series just about defines the British cozy.”—Booklist

“Anyone interested in...intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin.”—Atlanta Journal Constitution

“Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha.”—Chicago Sun-Times

“Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand-new Agatha Raisin mystery.”—Tampa Tribune Times

“The Raisin series brings the cozy tradition back to life. God bless the Queen!”—Tulsa World

“The Miss Marple–like Raisin is a refreshingly sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likable heroine...a must for cozy fans.”—Booklist

AS THE PIG TURNS

“Beaton has written a pleasantly twisty cozy for the holidays.”—RT Book Reviews

“It’s been said of Agatha Christie that she’s given more pleasure in bed than any other woman, but M.C. Beaton is matching her as a prolific purveyor of cosy whodunits perfect for pre-lights out reading…like Midsomer Murders with wit and a bit of edge.”—The Daily Telegraph (UK)

“Hilarious…Beaton's legion of fans will most definitely enjoy her latest Agatha Raisin mystery, As the Pig Turns. Newcomers to the series will be pleasantly surprised by this unique cozy.” —Gumshoe Reviews

BUSY BODY

“M. C. Beaton has a foolproof plot for the village mystery.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Beaton does a brilliant job.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  

“Agatha scores again with a cunning mix of satire and mystery.”—Kirkus Reviews