Welcome to the B&N Mystery Forum Refugees group on Facebook!

[Becke Davis]

If you have found your way here from the Facebook Mystery Forum group, let us know! The more, the merrier!

[Denise]

Hi! I'm here!

[Becke Davis]

Yay! What's on your reading list, Denise?

I've got a couple of library books I'm looking forward to reading (Louise Penny, Lisa Gardner, Laura Lippman, Ruth Ware, M.J. Rose) and I still have some hardcovers and paperbacks I bought by Carola Dunn, Lee Child, Susan Elia McNeal and REDEMPTION by Blake Crouch.

[Denise]

I just got an order from The Mystery Guild, of the latest books in Carolyn Hart's Ghost series (Ghost on the Case), and M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series (Beating about the Bush). I haven't read either of these series in full, though. I read the first Ghost book, but didn't pick it up again until a book or two ago, when Death on Demand was ending. I came to Agatha Raisin late, getting her two first novels in one volume at a bookstore closing clearance sale, and then read through the seventh in the series, but picked it up again a few books ago. I actually really hated the last Agatha Raisin I read (Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer), because everyone was really unpleasant in it, and kept punching each other in the face! I mean, two older ladies showed up on Agatha's doorstep at one point, and when she answered the door, one of them punched her! And the whole book was like that. But I decided to give her another chance. If this book is the same, I may give up. Agatha has never been the most pleasant of characters, but that last one was just overdoing it. Hope this one is better!

[Becke Davis]

I just got an order from The Mystery Guild, of the latest books in Carolyn Hart's Ghost series (Ghost on the Case), and M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series (Beating about the Bush). I haven't read either of these series in full, though. I read the first Ghost book, but didn't pick it up again until a book or two ago, when Death on Demand was ending. I came to Agatha Raisin late, getting her two first novels in one volume at a bookstore closing clearance sale, and then read through the seventh in the series, but picked it up again a few books ago. I actually really hated the last Agatha Raisin I read (Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer), because everyone was really unpleasant in it, and kept punching each other in the face! I mean, two older ladies showed up on Agatha's doorstep at one point, and when she answered the door, one of them punched her! And the whole book was like that. But I decided to give her another chance. If this book is the same, I may give up. Agatha has never been the most pleasant of characters, but that last one was just overdoing it. Hope this one is better!

I consider Agatha Raisin books cozies, or at least cozy-ish, but the punch-ups you describe don't really fit that description. Maybe something was going on in M. C. Beaton's life that needed release. I've read a few mystery series where I've come across the odd book that doesn't appeal to me. In most cases, I've gone on to enjoy others. I hope this will hold true for you!

[JRob]

Just adding my two cents here even without being a B&N MF Refugee...I haven't read any of the Agatha Raisin books but I did watch the two seasons of episodes that streamed on Acorn TV. I quite enjoyed those even though the feedback from others that did read the books is that they usually didn't like the actress cast as Agatha.

[Becke Davis]

JRob - I've watched several of the Agatha Raisin episodes and enjoyed them.

When it comes to M.C. Beaton's books, I've read more of her Hamish Macbeth books than her Agatha Raisins.

Maybe I can watch the Agatha Raisin series because I'm not terribly familiar with the books. I read Kerry Greenwood's Miss Fisher books after watching the series. Much as I love the series (those clothes!), I still prefer the books.

On the other hand, I am addicted to the British series Midsomer Murders but I just can't get into the books by Caroline Graham that they were based on.

I think some of the Agatha Christie adaptations are brilliant - for that matter, I like the Inspector Alleyn series based on Ngaio Marsh's books - but it drives me up the wall when the scripts change the author's plots.

What are some of TV shows that get it right and do justice to the books?

[Denise]

Just adding my two cents here even without being a B&N MF Refugee...I haven't read any of the Agatha Raisin books but I did watch the two seasons of episodes that streamed on Acorn TV. I quite enjoyed those even though the feedback from others that did read the books is that they usually didn't like the actress cast as Agatha.

I've seen some of the series, and also enjoyed it. I think the problem is that the actress doesn't look much like Agatha is described in the books.

Whether or not I like this new book, there are still a bunch of earlier books that I haven't read yet, so I still should be able to get a lot more enjoyment out of the series!