Killing Time * M.C. Beaton, R.W. Green * Agatha Raisin #35

When a string of local shop break-ins turns deadly with the murder of a close friend, the Cotswolds' most irascible private investigator must track down a ring of violent thieves while managing a high-society promotional festival and dodging personal death threats.

The Story: Originally created by the legendary New York Times bestselling mystery icon M.C. Beaton and smoothly continued by her longtime friend and collaborator R.W. Green, this high-energy thirty-fifth installment turns the idyllic English countryside into a fast-paced, high-stakes puzzle box. The narrative completely avoids the predictable, slow pacing of typical village procedurals. Instead, the authors establish an exceptionally sharp, entertainment-first framework that masterfully balances classic Cotswolds charm with modern criminal danger.

The plot follows the cranky and clever Agatha Raisin, whose busy private detective agency is working flat out to solve a sudden wave of local shop burglaries. The situation hits a highly volatile crisis point when the break-ins take a violent turn, resulting in the murder of a close friend during a raid on his antique shop. Compounding her hectic schedule, her old friend and former flame, Sir Charles Fraith, coaxes Agatha out of public relations retirement to coordinate a glamorous promotional extravaganza at his ancestral home, Barfield House. Tempted by a 400-year-old unsolved historical puzzle known as "The Campden Wonder," Agatha dives headfirst into the planning, inadvertently sweeping herself up in a chaotic antique auction bidding war along the way.The mystery deepens when Agatha begins receiving chilling death threats and narrowly avoids a brazen kidnapping attempt. To lie low, she escapes to Mallorca to visit her latest paramour, John Glass - a former police officer now working as a cruise liner dance instructor. Rather than finding a quiet sanctuary, she faces intense relationship drama and discovers that her island hiatus is a critical piece of the broader criminal web. Racing back to the UK before the clock runs down, Agatha must coordinate her agency allies, dismantle a ring of ruthless killers, and save her romance before the grand finale of the Barfield Extravaganza. Published by Minotaur Books, this pacy whodunit uphauls the best traditions of the series, ensuring Agatha's iron will and sharp instincts take center stage.

Perfect For: Devotees of traditional, fast-reading British cozy mysteries and sharp amateur sleuth stories like the works of Richard Osman, Lilian Jackson Braun, or Ann Cleeves; viewers of the hit Agatha Raisin television series eager to experience the deeper book canon; and readers of the ongoing modern Joffe and Minotaur cozy libraries.

Published 2025 by Minotaur Books.

Cozy Mysteries / British Crime Fiction / Private Investigator Whodunits / Antique & Auction Mysteries / Series Continuations