Book Review: Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by M. C. Beaton (1999)

Synopsis: Seeking solitude while her hair grows back from a vengeful attack by a hairdresser, Agatha Raisin takes a vacation at an English seaside resort in the village of Wyckhadden only to discover it is a dreary place in the offseason and the others at her hotel are elderly and only interested in playing Scrabble. When someone breaks into her room and vandalizes her fur coat, Agatha immediately suspects the local witch that had criticized her for wearing fur when she visited earlier in the day for hair tonic and a love potion. However, when she goes to confront the witch, Francie, she finds the woman dead and any hopes of ending her vacation early and returning home are dashed when she becomes a suspect in the murder.

Review: I didn't have any books on hold at the library and, for the first time in a while, went with no idea what I planned on checking out. As a result of this, even though I have had mixed opinions about previous Agatha Raisin mysteries, I decided to stick with the familiar and checked out Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden.

It turned out to be a mystery I couldn't put down.

At first, I thought my opinion of this book would be negative because as much as I try, I still have a hard time liking the title character though, to be fair, that might have been the author's intent. It's just hard to root for (or feel sorry for) a woman who seems a bit self-centered at times, trying to play the victim card when she herself shared a lot of the blame for the things that have happened to her, especially as far as romance goes.

That said, the book was helped considerably by a solid mystery. The victim, Francie, was a popular figure in the village but also seemed to have her fair share of enemies who felt as though they were scammed by the woman. The later murder of Francie's daughter, Janine, only added to the mystery. Was it because she knew who the killer was? Or was there another reason?

I was especially intrigued with the idea the killer might be someone Agatha was hanging out with at the hotel. While none of the people seemed like they would be the type to commit murder, I was in agreement with Agatha when she thought it was odd none of them wanted to talk about the incident and, as the book progressed, it was clear some, if not all of them, were mentally unstable.

I was a bit undecided about Agatha's budding relationship with the local police inspector, Jimmy. On one hand, it didn't seem out of character for her and did add an interesting wrinkle to the case, especially since I wasn't completely sure he wouldn't turn out to be the killer (perhaps with his own past involving Francie). On the other, it didn't exactly change my opinion about the main protagonist either. She came off as a bit desperate (willing to marry any man for the sake of being married) and there was no way to spin the end of that relationship in a way that didn't make her look like the bad guy. I would like to see her take a book or two off from dating as a result.

I also wasn't a huge fan of the ending, mostly because it seemed a bit rushed. Plus, Agatha wasn't even the person to solve it, her newly adopted cat did, along with an all-too-easy confession from the killer. I would have liked to see her find a clue or something, to make it look as though she did some work.

Final Opinion: I thought it was a solid mystery, other than maybe the ending, and the book is worth taking the time to read because of that. Unfortunately, while I am a fan of the author, I still struggle to be a fan of her amateur detective.

My Grade: B

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Here are some reviews of other Agatha Raisin mysteries:

Book Review: Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembly by M. C. Beaton (1995)

Book Review: Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death by M. C. Beaton (1998)

Book Review: Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (1992)

Book Review: Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M. C. Beaton (1994)