Dead on Target (Agatha Raisin)

by M.C. Beaton

A visit to the local village fete for a spot of fun and relaxation turns into a nightmare for Agatha Raisin when she discovers the body of the local landowner in the woods - with an arrow in his chest and his trousers round his ankles.

At first her old adversary, Detective Chief Inspector Wilkes, declares the death a tragic accident, believing the victim has been hit by a stray arrow from an archery demonstration. Agatha is convinced the man was murdered and is shocked when Wilkes eventually agrees... particularly as he considers her to be his prime suspect!

Determined to clear her name and find the real killer, Agatha launches her own investigation, quickly becoming involved with a family at war, an unscrupulous gangster -- and a murderer who is determined to make her the next victim...

'This Hamish Macbeth novel maintains Beaton's distinctive voice and includes the usual village eccentrics, loads of Scottish lore, and the light humor that Beaton fans have loved through the years. . . A definite purchase for all mystery collections' Starred Review, Library Journal

'Unmissable!' Peterborough Telegraph

Praise for the Hamish Macbeth series:

'First rate ... deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere.' Booklist

'It's always a treat to return to Lochdubh.' New York Times

'Readers will enjoy the quirks and unique qualities of the cast ... Beaton catches the beauty of the area's natural geography and succinctly describes its distinct flavour.' Library Journal

'Befuddled, earnest and utterly endearing, Hamish makes his triumphs sweetly satisfying.' Publishers Weekly

• ISBN10: 1408718502
• ISBN13: 9781408718506
• Publish Date: 21 September 2023 (first published 19 September 2023)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Constable
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Dead on Target is the 34th village cozy featuring Agatha Raisin, created by M.C. Beaton and ghost written by R.W. Green. Released 19th Sept 2023 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 256 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in June 2024 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a such a perennial beloved series that it needs no introduction. Irascible but almost certainly good on the inside Agatha, is drawn into a *situation* again when a harmless trip to the local village fete sees her stumble across a local landowner with his pants around his ankles and inconveniently and permanently pierced by an arrow to the chest. 

The cast of returning characters are there (including her earlier nemesis DCI Wilkes). The fun of the series comes from Agatha's simmering annoyance with nearly everyone's incompetence apart from her own. 

The series has continued despite the author's sad departure in late 2019. It's always dicey whenever a very long running series is overtaken by another author, but in this case, Mr. Green does an impressive job of capturing the characters and the spirit of the story respectfully and more or less seamlessly.

Four stars. It works perfectly well as a standalone, but as always it would make a superlative choice for a very long binge or buddy read with other volumes in the series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.