Dishing the dirt An Agatha Raisin mystery

The acerbic Agatha Raisin is back in her twenty-sixth outing. This time quasi-therapist Jill Davent is spreading information about Agatha's Birmingham slum upbringing, which Agatha has taken great pains to keep hidden. Agatha confronts the private investigator whom Jill hired, and soon the PI and Jill herself are found murdered, leaving Agatha, who was heard threatening to kill Jill, as the chief suspect. To clear herself, Agatha, her detective agency staff, and Sir Charles Fraith work to solve the murders. It turns out Jill was a blackmailer, widening the suspect pool. When Agatha is almost killed, Sir Charles sends her to Venice on the Orient Express, out of harm's way with the killer still on the loose. Agatha is the same character fans have adored and others have disdained all these years: vain; envious of younger, prettier women; man crazy; and blunt to the point of rudeness. It may not be everyone's recipe for success, but it works for Agatha.--O'Brien, Sue Copyright 2015 Booklist

Never one to keep quiet, Agatha Raisin confronts Jill Davent when she learns Jill hired a detective to look into Agatha's background. Two days later, the therapist, who was suspected of being a quack, is found strangled and Agatha is the prime suspect. Now on her 26th case (after The Blood of an Englishman), Agatha must use her sleuthing expertise to save her own hide. [See Prepub Alert, 3/23/15.] © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.