Agatha Raisin: Dishing the Dirt
MC Beaton
This one revolves around the fact that a therapist, Jill Davent has taken a particular interest in Agatha, hiring a private detective of her own in order to find out details from Agatha’s past. Agatha is heard to threaten to kill Jill, and so when Jill is killed two days later obviously the police and certain villagers think that it’s Agatha’s doing.
She hires a attractive lawyer Sir David Herythe, who seems to be genuinely interested in her, but later admits to Charles that he is only interested in having a fling. The protectiveness that Charles has displayed in previous books, resurfaces as he threatens to kill Herythe. Herythe is found dead two days later, by his cleaner, and so the police suspect that he was responsible. It’s a slight difference, as it’s usually Agatha in that situation, but nice to see that Charles feels strongly about her.
Simon, the youngest male member of Agatha’s detective agency, falls in love with Ruby Carson, a police detective who isn’t exactly open about the reasons why she’s interested in spending time with him. She’s actually involved with someone else, a high ranking police officer.
There are several other story threads, as is usual in these books, such as Ruby’s ex stepson Justin Nichols becoming romantically interested in Toni, Agatha galvanising the entire village to celebrate Mrs Bloxby’s birthday, Jill Davent’s ex husband Tristam asking Agatha out to dinner, and Agatha buying her cleaner’s house so that Doris and her husband can live in it without financial hardship.
It’s a very nice addition to the series, and I especially liked the reminder of just how generous Agatha is. She’s been generous several times, throughout the previous books, but the reaction that Mrs Bloxby has to receiving all the presents and well wishes is very sweet.
Musings of a thirtysomething woman 