Darlene's Book Nook: Audiobook Review: Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death by M.C. Beaton

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Audiobook Review: Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death by M.C. Beaton

TITLE: Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death

SERIES: Agatha Raisin, Book #7
AUTHOR: M.C. Beaton

NARRATOR: Penelope Keith
PUBLISHER: AudioGO Ltd.
PUBLICATION DATE: December 1, 2012

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook, 5 hrs and 45 mins
GENRE: Mystery
ISBN: 9781482983777

Agatha Raisin's neighboring village of Ancombe is usually the epitome of quiet rural charm, but the arrival of a new mineral-water company - which intends to tap into the village spring - sends tempers flaring and divides the parish council into two stubborn camps. When Agatha, who happens to be the PR person for the water company, finds the council chairman murdered at the spring, tongues start wagging. Could one of the council members have silenced the chairman before he could cast the deciding vote? It is up to Agatha, still nursing a bruised heart from her broken engagement, to investigate the councilors, solve the crime - and promote the water company in the face of all this scandal.

MY REVIEW:

The seventh book in the Agatha Raisin series brings us back to the Cotswolds. In the last book, I missed the villagers of Carsely because the book took place predominantly in Cypress. I was happy to be reunited with the familiar characters of Bill Wong, Mrs. Bloxby, and Roy Silver.

Agatha comes out of retirement to do some PR work for a water company, whose spring is in the village of nearby Ancombe. Not all the residents feel that bottling water from the local spring is a good idea and, when one of the council members is murdered, Agatha has her hands full with not only trying to save the company from negative publicity but also to save the day by trying to solve the murder! Agatha’s ego gets a little boost with the attention of a much younger lover.

For me, it seemed that there was a lot going on in this mystery. Perhaps, it was all the new characters from Ancombe. I didn’t love it like some of the past books in the series, although I was very pleased that it was back in the familiar surroundings of the Cotswolds but the mystery itself fell a little bit flat for me. I found myself very annoyed with James Lacey!

Penelope Keith, the narrator, is always a delight! I love what she brings to Agatha’s character: Her spunk and her attitude!

MY RATING: