Cozy Mysteries discussion

By popular request, our featured author for June is M.C. Beaton. A pseudonym used by
Marion Chesney.

Marion Chesney (Marion McChesney)
Scotland (1936 - )
aka M C Beaton, Sarah Chester, Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Marion Gibbons, Jennie Tremaine, Charlotte Ward

About Marion Chesney:
Marion Chesney, the widely acclaimed author of historical romances, also writes the popular Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth mystery series under the name M. C. Beaton. Born in Scotland, she currently divides her time between the English Cotswolds and Paris.

Information and booklists from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/

Series: Hamish MacBeth by M.C. Beaton.


1. Death of a Gossip (1985)
2. Death of a Cad (1987)
3. Death of an Outsider (1988)
4. Death of a Perfect Wife (1989)
5. Death of a Hussy (1990)
6. Death of a Snob (1991)
7. Death of a Prankster (1992)
8. Death of a Glutton (1993) aka Death of a Greedy Woman
9. Death of a Travelling Man (1993)
10. Death of a Charming Man (1994)
11. Death of a Nag (1995)
12. Death of a Macho Man (1996)
13. Death of a Dentist (1997)
14. Death of a Scriptwriter (1998)
15. Death of an Addict (1999)
16. A Highland Christmas (1999)
17. Death of a Dustman (2001)
18. Death of a Celebrity (2002)
19. Death of a Village(2003)
20. Death of a Poison Pen (2004)
21. Death of a Bore (2005)
22. Death of a Dreamer (2006)
23. Death of a Maid (2007)
24. Death of a Gentle Lady (2008)
25. Death of a Witch (2009)
26. Death of a Valentine (2009)
27. Death of a Chimney Sweep(Feb 2011) aka Death of a Sweep
28. Death of a Kingfisher (Feb 2012)

The Casebooks of Hamish Macbeth: Death of a Gossip / Death of a Cad (1998)

Series: Agatha Raisin by M.C. Beaton.
http://www.agatharaisin.com/

1. Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (1992)
2. Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (1993)
3. Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (1994)
4. Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (1995)
5. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (1996)
6. Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist (1997)
7. Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death (1998)
8. Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham (1999)
9. Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden (1999)
10. Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam (2000)
11. Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell (2001)
12. Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came (2002)
13. Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate (2003)
14. Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House (2003)
15. The Deadly Dance (2004)
16. Agatha Raisin and the Perfect Paragon (2005)
17. Love, Lies and Liquor (2006)
18. Kissing Christmas Goodbye (2007)
19. Agatha Raisin and a Spoonful of Poison (2008)
20. There Goes The Bride (2009)
21. Busy Body (2010)
22. As the Pig Turns (Oct 2011)

Introducing Agatha Raisin: Vicious Vet / Quiche of Death (omnibus) (2008)

Written as M.C. Beaton.
Novels

The Skeleton in the Closet (2001)

Omnibus

Very Merry Mysteries (1999) (with Charlotte MacLeod and Margaret Maron)

Non fiction

The Agatha Raisin Companion (2010)

Other works written under her real name or other pseudonyms.

Series

Westerby
1. The Westerby Inheritance (1982)
2. The Westerby Sisters (1983)

Six Sisters
1. Minerva (1983)
2. The Taming of Annabelle (1983)
3. Deirdre and Desire (1984)
4. Daphne (1984)
5. Diana the Huntress (1985)
6. Frederica in Fashion (1985)

House for the Seasons
1. The Miser of Mayfair (1986)
2. Plain Jane (1986)
3. The Wicked Godmother (1987)
4. Rake's Progress (1987)
5. The Adventuress (1987)
6. Rainbird's Revenge (1988)

School for Manners
1. Refining Felicity (1988)
2. Perfecting Fiona (1989)
3. Enlightening Delilah (1989)
4. Finessing Clarissa (1989)
5. Animating Maria (1990)
6. Marrying Harriet (1990)

Waverley Women
1. The First Rebellion (1989)
2. Silken Bonds (1989)
3. The Love Match (1989)

Travelling Matchmaker
1. Emily Goes to Exeter (1990)
2. Belinda Goes to Bath (1991)
3. Penelope Goes to Portsmouth (1991)
4. Beatrice Goes to Brighton (1991)
5. Deborah Goes to Dover (1992)
6. Yvonne Goes to York (1992)

Poor Relation
1. Lady Fortescue Steps Out (1993)
2. Miss Tonks Turns to Crime (1993)
aka Miss Tonks Takes a Risk
3. Mrs. Budley Falls from Grace (1993)
4. Sir Philip's Folly (1993)
5. Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue (1994)
6. Back in Society (1994)

Daughters of Mannerling
1. The Banishment (1995)
2. The Intrigue (1995)
3. The Deception (1996)
4. The Folly (1996)
5. The Romance (1997)
6. The Homecoming (1997)

Edwardian Murder Mystery
1. Snobbery with Violence (2003)
2. Hasty Death (2004)
3. Sick of Shadows (2005)
4. Our Lady of Pain (2006)

Novels

Henrietta (1979) (writing as Ann Fairfax)
My Dear Duchess (1979)
Regency Gold (1980)
Annabelle (1980)
Lady Margery's Intrigues (1980)
Kitty (1980)
The Constant Companion (1980)
The Highland Countess (1981)
Quadrille (1981)
My Lords, Ladies and Marjorie (1981)
Daisy (1981)
The Ghost and Lady Alice (1982)
The Marquis Takes a Bride (1982)
Love and Lady Lovelace (1982)
Duke's Diamonds (1982)
Penelope (1983)
Viscounts Revenge (1983)
Lady Lucy's Lover (1983)
The Poor Relation (1984)
The French Affair (1984)
Sweet Masquerade (1984)
The Original Miss Honeyford (1985)
The Flirt (1985)
The Education of Miss Patterson (1985)
Those Endearing Young Charms (1986)
To Dream of Love (1986)
At the Sign of the Golden Pineapple (1987)
Miss Fiona's Fancy (1987)
Milady in Love (1987)
Lessons in Love (1987)
The Paper Princess (1987)
The Savage Marquess (1988)
The Perfect Gentleman (1988)
Pretty Polly (1988)
The Scandalous Lady Wright (1990)
His Lordship's Pleasure (1991)
Her Grace's Passion (1991)
The Scandalous Marriage (1991)
A Marriage of Inconvenience (1992)
A Governess of Distinction (1992)
The Desirable Duchess (1993)
The Glitter and the Gold (1993)
Miss Davenport's Christmas (1993)
The Sins of Lady Dacey (1994)
The Dreadful Debutante (1994)
The Chocolate Debutante (1995)
The Loves of Lord Granton (1996)
Tilly (2002)
Sally (2002)
Dancing on the Wind (2003)

Omnibus

Summertime Splendor (1993) (with Cynthia Bailey-Pratt, Sarah Eagle and Melinda Pryce)
The Paper Princess / The Perfect Gentleman (1994)
The Ghost and Lady Alice / Duke's Diamonds (1995)
The Love Match / Quadrille (1998)

Novels written as Jennie Tremaine

Molly (1980)
Ginny (1980)
Susie (1981)
Maggie (1984)
Lady Anne's Deception (1985)
Tilly (1987)
Lucy (1987)
Polly (1987)
Poppy (1990)
Daisy (1990)

Please forgive me for the GRs links to the books and all their covers not being completed yet. This took quite a bit of work already and I'm trying to take the weekend off as it's my birthday tomorrow. :)

I'll get the links done next week, but seeing as June 1st is right around the corner, I wanted to get the featured author posted so everyone could start looking for a book.

Happy Birthday!! Thanks for doing all the hard work!
I think I might try a Hamish MacBeth

Happy Birthday! And thank you a lot for all this work (to compile this information has to have been a hard job).

Great job!! I had no idea she was this prolific. I've read several of the Agatha Raisins and have several more in my TBR. (Agatha was getting on my nerves so I took a break.) I've read and enjoyed all her Marion Chesney Edwardian mysteries. I haven't read any of the Hamish MacBeth's though I have the first few. I'll take this as an opportunity to read another Agatha Raisin and maybe try out Hamish MacBeth.
Have a Happy Birthday!

Thank you for the birthday wishes. I have at least two misc Agatha Raisin books lying around. I don't think I have any Hamish MacBeth, so that'll narrow down my list of choices for me. :)

I knew there were quite a few M.C. Beaton books in both series. I had no idea there were so many books written under so many different names until I started doing my research. And yes, it can take awhile. And yes, it can also take awhile to link each book to it's GRs book as well. So taking a break after putting the list up, and will get the links done later.(Which is why, if you catch me while I'm working on the list, you'll see that I "save space" with several posts all at the top not sure how many I'll need. Each post can only be so long, restricted in length, and I still need room for the covers later.)

hhmmm, maybe in honor of the WWE wrestler, Randy "the Macho Man" Savage's death last friday (in a car accident) I'll see if I can find... Death of a Macho Man. Granted, the two have nothing in common but the name in the title...

Yay! I love MC Beaton!

ஐ Briansgirl "Book Sale Queen"ஐ wrote: "Other works written under her real or other pseudonyms.

Series

Westerby
1. The Westerby Inheritance (1982)
2. The Westerby Sisters (1983)

Six Sisters
1. Minerva (1983)
2. The Taming o..."

I've read all of these and loved them.

I like M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series. I haven't tried anything else of hers. I didn't realize, either, that she had written this many books...amazing!

Elizabeth wrote: "I like M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series. I haven't tried anything else of hers. I didn't realize, either, that she had written this many books...amazing!"

That's one of the reasons its nice to feature a different author each month. Not only do some find new authors they'd like to read, but you may also find new stuff by an author you already like.

It's also why I like to feature a specific author (and all they've written) instead of featuring one particular book. I do however, pick one or two books, say the first in each of their popular series to list on the home page as upcoming group reads, just to highlight that we're reading that author that month, not that you have to read those particular books.

Happy Birthday!! Thank you for all the hard work. It is amazing. I have read her books for a long time and did not know she wrote under so many names. I have read all the Hamish MacBeth, Agatha Raisin and most of the Marion Chesney but I have found a new group of books in the last of her series the Daughters of Mannerling. That I will read.

Do the Agatha Raisin books need to be read in order? I can't decide whether to try Agatha Raisin or Hamish MacBeth. Did someone say the Agatha Raisin books have a little humor. Maybe I am sexist. I prefer Miss Marple to Hercule Poirot. She's so ordinary, he's so prim and proper

Thanks Linda. :)

ஐ Briansgirl "Book Sale Queen"ஐ wrote: "Please forgive me for the GRs links to the books and all their covers not being completed yet. This took quite a bit of work already and I'm trying to take the weekend off as it's my birthday tomor..."

Happy birthday!!!
And thank you for the incredible job you did/are doing!

I love Beaton-at least the Hamish Macbeth series.

I'd love to try another one but I'm a little scared. I'm thinking the Edwardian series but I'd love a suggestion.

Can anybody help me? :s

Thanks Ellie

Good heavens--I hope you are eating birthday cake or having a nice glass of wine--happy birthday!
I'll check out these lengthy lists later--but thank you~!

Happy Birthday Brian's Girl Book Sale Queen (hey you have to tell me how to make those symbols) I have only been on this list a short time, but I think you are doing a wonderful job. It's a great group.

I *love* Agatha Raisin! I will read . I'd also like more suggestions to try.

Just ordered from AbeBooks. Have never read any of her books before so this could be a dangerous beginning. :)

Thanks Everyone. I'm actually making popcorn at the moment and my oldest son (14) and I are sitting in the dark watching Jack Nickelson and Morgan Freeman in The Bucket List. lol And I didn't want to bake my own birthday cake, so I bought a french silk (chocolate) pie at the store. :)

As for how to get those fancy symbols... honestly I have no idea. lol I just cut and pasted them off someone else's name. hehe

I would read the Agatha Raisin's in order - you don't really have to for the mysteries themselves, but to understand the backstory of her friends you should. Still, the stories would be fine as stand alones - the first one is one of my favourites :)

Happy Birthday, Briansgirl!

Ooh, M. C. Beaton! I had been meaning to try some of her books for a while already, so this will finally get me motivated. I think I'll go for the Hamish Macbeth series; something about his description appeals to me more than Agatha.

I've actually read the first of the Edwardian Mysteries, Snobbery With Violence, published under the name Marion Chesney, but I had no idea that she and M. C. Beaton were one and the same. The things you find out!

In my opinion i think both the Hamish MacBeth and Agatha Raisin need to be read in order because of the other people that are involved with the main characters.

Well, I'm going to read the Agatha Raisin in order & have ordered the first one from the library. I've read several of the Hamish but out of order-I have been unable to find a copy of the first one.

I'm going to keep looking (the library doesn't have it, not even interlibrary loans, & it's not on Kindle) but I'm glad I didn't wait: it's a great series, one of my favorites. I wish I could have read it in order but I'm glad I didn't wait. I've had such fun with the ones I've read!

Thanks Hannah. Yeah, I learned alot about this author as I was researching her to list all her known written works. So much to choose from!

Another happy b-day wish Briansgirl!

@Ellie - I couldn't find the first Hamish book anywhere either. But the audiobook is available at audible so that's what I did. The narrator is Davina Porter and she's quite good. She also does the Outlander books if you're familiar with those. She must be the go-to narrator for a Scottish accent. Anyway, it was the only way I found to placate my book series OCD and start with the first.

I'll either read the first Agatha Raisin or Death of a Cad. I have both on hand so we'll see which one speaks to me.

I don't usually buy audiobooks since they tend to be quite expensive (don't know audible so will have to check that out). I will see if the library carries it.

Thanks.

Thanks Karen

I've picked 3 to start: (as Marion Chesney)
So I feel like I'm covering a range of Beaton (the Hamish series, the Agatha series, & one from her Marion Chesney Edwardian series which is an era I love-for books, anyway-and of which I read terrific reviews.

And a few weeks ago, the library had these books on sale for $1.00 each:

I also found a used copy of which I've ordered so I'll be able to read the first in the Hamish series.

I just discovered Beaton-thru this group, of course-a couple of months ago. Since then, I've read

I also bought 3 at a library sale (@ $1.00 each): .

I have found the Hamish series completely charming. I want to just move into the village & live with these people. I want to marry Hamish. No, I want to be Hamish! (Or maybe I'd rather be M.C.Beaton & create all these lovely people and stories).

So I feel *optimistically* that I should be able to enjoy this month's author much more than last-I bought several Dick Francis books & couldn't find my way comfortably into any of them. :/
Maybe another time will be right for them.

Or maybe I'll put them up on bookswap.

M.C. Beaton seems to be a comforting extension of the Christie-style mystery (minus Poirot). I'm a little nervous about Agatha, not being a fan of, say, Miss Marple, but then someone here wrote that she preferred Agatha to Miss Marple. That made me feel hopeful!

Oh, I also downloaded the following from the library:


I'm particularly looking forward to Death of a Dentist, having been through some dental surgery this year, lol.

I love her titles & I have not felt the books disappointed.

Ellie, I think you'll find that Agatha is not much like Miss Marple, much as she'd maybe like to be. And, I also would like to live in Hamish's village :)

Hi, as I've never read any M C Beaton books I thought I'd try the first books of the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series. I went on Amazom to see if they are available for the kindle Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death was £0.99 and Death of a Gossip was only £0.49 (both on the UK website at least) - very welcome news.

I am excited to check out my library for this author. I do not know if I have read any, but Agatha Raisin sounds so familiar.

Linette wrote: "Ellie, I think you'll find that Agatha is not much like Miss Marple, much as she'd maybe like to be. And, I also would like to live in Hamish's village :)"

:D

I read Death of a Maid a while back and am looking forward to reading more of Beaton's work.

I haave probably at least half of the Hamish and Agatha books. I love both series. There are a couple in my TBR pile right now.

I need to see what I need and see if I can get a good buy for my Kindle, so I have some of these series on there.

Picked up The Quiche of Death today at Border's. Never read this author tho I've watched the PBS Hamish series. Don't see any quiche recipes --a little disappointed!

With Agatha it's more about what she can't cook, not what she can. ;)

Linette wrote: "With Agatha it's more about what she can't cook, not what she can. ;)"

Agreed. She can't cook.

I picked up at the library yesterday.

I found two M.C. Beaton Paperbacks at library. should be able to do both by months end. neither one is Agatha Raisin series. Am disappointed that I will have to do two of Hamish since I would have liked to try both series. I could probably order on inter library if I have a chance one of the Raisin ones, but will content myself with what is there at the moment. Starting off with after I finish a book I need to complete for another book club.