Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Once again feeling the gloom that comes from investigating divorce cases, the only thing keeping Agatha Raisin going is her plans to once again attempt to have a perfect Christmas dinner party even though the holiday is still months away. When a wealthy widow, Phyllis Tamworthy, wants to hire Agatha because she believes her family will murder her, the detective, believing her would-be client might be insane, is reluctant to accept. However, when Phyllis is murdered while Agatha is in her manor, she decides to investigate and gets help from her newest employee, Toni. She soon learns just about everyone who knew Phyllis had motive to kill her. Review: I wasn't sure if I wanted to check out Kissing Christmas Goodbye from the library because it is only June and I'm just not ready to even start thinking about the Christmas holiday yet. However, I was concerned later books in the series would reference this one, leading to confusion or spoilers, so decided to read it aft...

Synopsis: Tommel Castle is set to host an elaborate Valentine's Day wedding between Alannah Hamilton and Darius Palmerston, with Alannah's wealthy and influential father, Charles, saving no expense and Police Sergeant Hamish MacBeth's ex-fiancée Elspeth Grant traveling with the wedding party to provide exclusive coverage of the event for her television station. However, as seemingly forewarned by Elspeth's gift for premonition, the happy event is met with tragedy and Hamish, along with his constable, Davey Forbes, are soon investigating a murder after Palmerston is found slashed to death by a sword hours after the wedding and another wedding guest is later found killed.  Review: While I had my early doubts (and dislikes) about the direction Hamish Macbeth's story was taking following M. C. Beaton's death and the decision to continue the series with R. W. Green's assist, I have admittedly begun to enjoy some of the later books more than expected. In fact, wh...

Synopsis: Agatha Raisin has tried to convince herself she is over her ex-husband James Lacey, even after he returned unexpectedly into her life and moved back into the cottage next door to hers. However, when he offers to take her on a surprise holiday, her old romantic feelings cloud her judgement and, despite warnings from the vicar's wife, Mrs. Bloxby, she accepts. Only, the romantic vacation to a warm beach Agatha imagined instead turns out to be a trip to Snoth-on-Sea, an English resort town that has fallen on hard times, is nothing like James remembered and turns their vacation (complete with separate hotel rooms) into an instant failure. And that is before Agatha gets dragged in for police questioning after her missing scarf is used to strangle Geraldine Jankers, a dreadful woman she had a public spat with just hours before, resulting in an extended stay as she tries to find the real killer, has her life put at risk as a result and sees any hope of reconciliation with James...

Synopsis: Agatha Raisin is in a bit of a rut. Business has slowed down at her detective agency, forcing her to downsize her staff and the few cases she does get are barely enough to pay the bills. Even though she hates divorce cases, she reluctantly agrees to let Robert Smedley hire her to spy on his wife, Mabel, only to find Mabel is both smart enough to know she is being followed and might be the most perfect wife ever. Things take an unexpected turn soon when Agatha and her new photographer, Phil, discover the body of missing teenager Jessica Bradley. For publicity, Agatha vows to find Jessica's killer free of charge but when Robert Smedley is also murdered, just hours after un-hiring Agatha and claiming he made up with his wife, Agatha soon finds evidence suggesting the murders might be related. Review:   I misjudged how long it would take me to read the stack of books I checked out from our library prior to its temporary closure for renovation and finished the last one, The P...

Synopsis: After putting her life in danger to solve murders for the police and receiving no credit for her efforts, Agatha Raisin decides to give up her amateur sleuthing and instead open a detective agency. She finds immediate success and soon has a full staff working for her, including her new neighbor, Emma Comfrey.  While most of her cases involve missing pets, adulterous spouses and runaway teenagers, Agatha is soon hired by Mrs. Laggat-Brown to investigate death threats being made against her soon-to-be-married daughter and stops a murder attempt at a dinner party. As her investigation continues, the detective once again finds her own life in danger, both from the investigation itself and from Emma, who has fallen in love with Sir Charles Fraith and grown jealous over Agatha's friendship with him. Review: Our local library will be closed for a month because it is moving out of its temporary location and back into its newly remodeled building. As a result, I took the time to...

Synopsis: After experiencing back-to-back heartbreaks, Agatha Raisin is determined to avoid any sort of relationship with her new neighbor, Paul Chatterton. However, when Paul convinces her to investigate a reported haunted house, she readily accepts and soon finds herself falling for him - only to learn he is married. Any hopes of cutting Paul off completely is then dashed when Mrs. Witherspoon, the owner of the haunted home, dies under mysterious circumstances and Agatha finds herself involved in yet another murder investigation. Review: After taking a short break from Agatha Raisin mysteries, I checked Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House out from my local library and gave it a shot. While my opinion of the oft-heartbroken detective has remained mixed, I have enjoyed some of the more recent books more than the earlier ones. Unfortunately, this one proved to be more of a step backwards. There were things about the book I did like. For one, I was much more intrigued by Agatha's ...

Synopsis: Still mourning her divorce from James Lacey and the way their unhappy marriage ended with him choosing a life at monastery over her, Agatha Raisin takes a vacation at the remote Robin Crusoe Island. When she returns, she is determined to get on with her life and starts by joining a Pilates class and visiting a beauty salon. She crosses paths with the soon-to-be-married Kylie at the latter and keeps her mouth shut when she thinks the young woman is making a mistake.  Soon after, a heavy rainfall causes flooding and Agatha spots Kylie's body, dressed in her wedding dress, floating on top the water. When she learns it was murder, Agatha makes it her mission to find the killer. This time, she's getting help from her new neighbor, a divorced, successful mystery writer by the name of John Armitage.   Review: I must admit, I was looking forward to reading Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came , mostly because I was curious how the title character would start over foll...

Synopsis: Despite being warned by literally everyone she knows, Agatha Raisin finally marries James Lacey and, just as everyone she knew warned her, the marriage quickly goes south as James refuses to give up his bachelor ways and criticizes everything she does while they keep their separate cottages just to have space from each other. Furthering complicating things are the brain tumor James is diagnosed with and his affair with the attractive Melissa Sheppard.  Then, before things between them can be resolved, James goes missing, leaving behind a pool of blood in his cottage. Days later, Melissa is found dead. Despite warnings from the police not to meddle, Agatha, with the help from her friend/sometimes lover Sir Charles, investigates in an attempt to clear both her missing husband of murder and herself. Review : I grabbed Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell the last time I was at the library because, while her on again/off again romance with James Lacey has been one of the th...

Synopsis: Depressed and still pining for James Lacey, Agatha Raisin randomly chooses the small village of Fryfam and rents a cottage to get away. She quickly begins to regret the decision, especially when she sees mysterious lights in her garden at night and items inside her rented home go missing. It isn't long, however, before she and her friend/sometimes lover Sir Charles Fraith wind up investigating another murder. This time, Agatha is one of the suspects. Review: As is the case most years, I am using my remaining vacation time to take the last two weeks of the year off from my day job. I knew I would need some books to read and picked out Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam at my local library. While I am admittedly beginning to warm up to Agatha Raisin a bit, this book wasn't one of my favorites. My biggest problem with the book, and many other books in the series, is Agatha's obsession with James. It's just something that seems forced, especially since she...

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...

Synopsis: Sergeant Hamish Macbeth is both pleased and puzzled when Constable David "Davey" Forbes is re-assigned to work with him in Lochdubh. However, before he has a chance to convince Davey to tell him about the disciplinary issue that resulted in his demotion, Macbeth is once again investigating a murder, this time it's the mistress of a wife-abusing fisherman who has gone missing. Adding to the mystery are two young women who have been spotted in the area and may be victims of human trafficking. Review: I didn't have anything particular in mind when I went to the library a few days ago and figured I'd pick out something new. However, as I was walking to the checkout counter with my original choice, I noticed Death of a Smuggler in the new book section and decided to give the newest Hamish Macbeth book a try instead. I wasn't overly sure what to expect from this book since they haven't been quite the same since Beaton's death and Green's att...

Synopsis: Fellworth "Fell" Dolphin has had a hard life. His parents were both abusive and misery and since his father's death, he has been forced to work as a waiter to support both himself and his controlling mother. As a result, when his mother dies, he is more relieved than sad and is shocked when he learns his parents were surprisingly wealthy. To fend off his mother's relatives, Fell convinces his co-worker, Maggie, to pose as his fiancée, not knowing Maggie is secretly in love with him. They soon find their lives upended when an investigation into where his parents' money came from both re-opens a long-forgotten train robbery case and unearths a family secret. Review: I originally checked out another book from my local library but lost interest with it after the first chapter (that sometimes happens). So, since I wanted something else to read, I returned to the library in search of something from a familiar/favorite author. Originally, I was going to give ...

Synopsis: Ever since he first met James Bland, Sergeant Hamish Macbeth knew there was more to the American than he let on. So, when Bland joins the Lochdubh police force, officially as part of an exchange program but in reality, to get Macbeth's help tracking down a spy ring, he isn't surprised but also a bit reluctant. Unfortunately, the new mission also comes at a time when Lochdubh is being terrorized by a burglar and puts his fledgling relationship with Claire on the ropes. Review: I came across Death of a Spy while returning some books to our library over the weekend and since I didn't have anything else immediately on my reading list, decided to check it out. I haven't been a big fan of the Hamish Macbeth books published since M. C. Beaton's death but was willing to give this one a fair chance. In the end, my opinion of it, like the others, was mixed. The whole James Bland/spy ring thing is something I've never been able to get on board with. My biggest...

Synopsis: Kate Hibbert has a habit of disappearing for weeks at a time so, when Lochdubh's newest resident goes missing, Sergeant Hamish Macbeth isn't immediately worried, even after Kate's cousin, Diane, visits him in person to express her concerns. When Hibbert's body turns up in a lake, Macbeth discovers evidence suggesting Hibbert had been blackmailing many of the local residents. In addition to having plenty of suspects and possibly needing to arrest one of his friends, Macbeth has another issue. His nemesis, DCI Blair, has been put in charge of the case and he has a new assistant, Davey Forbes, who may be spying for Blair. Review: After being left saddened by the end of Death of a Green-eyed Monster , I was a little hesitant to read the next book in the Hamish Macbeth series, Death of a Traitor . However, mostly out of curiosity and a desire to see a happier ending, I checked it out at the library. Unfortunately, while this book ended on a higher note than the p...

Synopsis: Things finally seem to be going right for Sergeant Hamish Macbeth. He remains in his beloved town of Lochdubh and to the surprise of many, his beautiful constable, Dorothy McIver has agreed to marry him. However, a few days before the wedding, a murder and an attempted murder put a dark cloud over the upcoming ceremony. To make matters worse, many of Hamish's friends begin to suspect Dorothy isn't being completely honest with her fiancé about her past.  Review: I was surprised to see Death of a Green-Eyed Monste r when I was at the library last week. With M. C. Beaton's passing in 2019, I assumed Death of an Honest Man would be the final Hamish Macbeth book. So, seeing a new chapter in his story, written with the help of another writer while Beaton was still alive, was something I thought was intriguing. Though, admittedly, I also had some doubts about the book as well. I finished reading it early this morning and, while it did prove to be a lot better than I ...

Synopsis: When a corporation wants to bottle water from a popular local spring, Agatha Raisin , still trying to get her neighbor, James, out of her mind, accepts a freelance job getting the local residents on board. When one of the people opposing the company is found murdered, she tries to focus on her job and stay away from another amateur investigation but changes her mind when James decides to investigate it himself. Review: I was a little hesitant to check out another Agatha Raisin book because they haven't been as good as I was hoping lately. However, I decided to give it one more try. Unfortunately, this one didn't convince me I shouldn't take a break. It's not that I don't like M. C. Beaton's books, I am just finding it harder to care about Agatha Raisin with every new book and this book didn't change that. The mystery itself was OK, though it wasn't overly difficult to figure out who the killer was (there was really only one person who had the...

Synopsis: Even though he has made it clear he wants nothing to do with her after their failed wedding , Agatha Raisin is still determined to make things work with her neighbor, James, and travels to Cyprus to track him down. While there, she meets a group of obnoxious tourists and just can't seem to get away from them, even after finally finding James. When one of the tourists is murdered right in front of them at a disco, the stress from the investigation and Agatha's developing friendship with suave baronet S ir Charles Fraith make reconciliation with James even less likely. Review: My wife was able to access re-runs of one of her favorite shows and, as she binged watched those, I ended up reading this book in a relatively short amount of time. Overall, I thought it was an OK book though there were also some things I really didn't like about it. As far as the mystery goes, I thought it was a decent one. The victim, Rose, was loud, obnoxious, and a bit of a flirt but th...

Synopsis:  Nothing seems to be going right for Agatha Raisin on her wedding day. However, she is still determined to marry James Lacey even though she has doubts about whether or not he really loves her. Things go from bad to worse when Jimmy, the husband she told everyone was dead, interrupts the wedding, causing James to leave in embarassment and anger. When Jimmy is strangled to death later that evening, Agatha and James are the primary suspects and, despite their ongoing tension, must work together to find the real killer. Review: After being a bit disappointed by the last Agatha Raisin mystery I read, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one. However, it turned out to be an entertaining book. I think the thing I liked most about this mystery was the way it did a decent job of keeping the door open regarding multiple suspects. This included the unfriendly woman who purchased Agatha's cottage and even James, who I kept on my suspect list solely because he could ha...

Synopsis: Agatha Raisin returns from vacation to discover Carsely has a new resident, Mary Fortune. Mary seems to be loved by all the residents (especially Agatha's neighbor, James Lacey) due, in part, to her gardening expertise. However, when area gardens are vandalized prior to a prestigious horticulture contest, the village turns against the "outsider" Mary and she is eventually found murdered with her head buried in a pot of soil. Despite the local authorities encouraging her not to, Agatha conducts her own investigation and discovers Mary wasn't the charming person she appeared to be. Review:   I had to go to the large print section of our local library to find this third book in the Agatha Raisin series. However, after reading it over the weekend, I was glad I didn't wait for the regular print copy of it to return. At first, I wasn't really sure what to think about the mystery. Part of this was it took quite some time for Mary to finally be murdered and...

Synopsis: When a new veterinarian, Paul Bladen, sets up shop in Carsley, the village women swoon over him and even Agatha Raisin, still hurting after her neighbor, James, rejected her, falls for his charms. She's even willing to go on a date with him despite his obvious dislike and cruelty toward dogs and cats. When Bladen dies while performing surgery on a horse, the authorities believe it is an accident but Agatha, believing it is an opportunity to get closer to James, convinces her neighbor to help her investigate it as a murder. Review: Even though there was part of me that was still a bit skeptical about this series, I did enjoy the first Agatha Raisin book enough to at least try a second one and wound up checking this one out from the library a few days ago. I have to admit, after reading this book, I am now hooked. I honestly am not sure what I enjoyed more about this book, the mystery or the comical investigation being conducted by Agatha and James, which consisted of Ag...