SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMEONE DEAD, by M. C. Beaton

25/series. Three cheers for two decades of Agatha Raisin! Once a high-powered ad exec in London, Agatha's oversize personality is having trouble adjusting to the more modest lifestyles of rural England. The now middle-aged steamroller/private detective is sleuthing her way through the Cotswolds again, this time investigating a series of elderberry wine poisonings. As always, Agatha's beady eyes are looking for romance as well as murderers, and her long-suffering employees trail in her wake trying valiantly to pick up the pieces. This time she's up against a clever and ruthless killer who's hiding behind more than one victim. While not the most sophisticated of styles, and in the end there's a clear feeling of oh-what-the-hell-let's-tie-this-up, Agatha (ever searching for that elusive romantic connection while suffering a variety of ungracious and ungrateful males) has a huge following of devoted readers. If you gobble up British cozies, and enjoy a sometimes awkward and ungracious main character, this is the book for you.
It's a 3.
www.mcbeaton.com