Agatha's First Case: An Agatha Raisin Short Story by M. C. Beaton

At age 26 Agatha Raisin has already come a long way. She has clawed her way up since leaving the Birmingham slum where she was born. She's lost her Birmingham accent, run away from her drunken husband, and found a job at a public relations office as a secretary. Then her boss asks Agatha to go to the home of Sir Bryce Teller to tell him that he is soon to be arrested for the murder of his wife and that the agency no longer wants to represent him.

Teller, impressed with the pugnacious Agatha, asks her to handle PR for him and even offers her an office and tells her she can hire a staff. Certainly the best thing Agatha can do for her first client is to find out who really murdered his wife and clear his name. And with her wits and gumption, Agatha sets out to do just that.

Series Agatha Raisin #0.5 | Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.| Narrator: Alison Larkin  | Length: 1 hour 19 minutes  Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery  | Source: Purchased | Rating: 4 Cups

Challenges Read For:  - Cruisin' Thru The Cozies -  My Book Choice

 

This one was quick but rather enjoyable.

 

When Agatha is tasked with the job of telling Sir Bryce Teller that the PR agency he’s currently with will no longer represent him due to the murder investigation he’s currently the prime suspect of, Agatha sees this as her chance to rise up from being a secretary. Impressed with her fortitude, Sir Bryce aids Agatha in establishing her own PR firm. Now Agatha only has one tiny little problem standing in her way; the murder she must solve to clear her clients name.

 

It’s been a minute since I’ve read an Agatha Raisin mystery and, to be honest, I didn’t even realize that this short existed until I was trying to use up my monthly Audible credit.

 

I was rather impressed with this one. Considering it was a little over a minute, I was expecting this to be rushed and incomplete. Thankfully, this was a well-rounded short that showed not only character origin and growth but also a full murder investigation with a conclusion.

 

This was my first time listening to Alison Larkin. She was such a delight to listen to and she really brought Agatha to life.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed seeing Agatha’s start. While it was a quick listen, it was fully fleshed-out. I highly recommend this to full-fledged Agatha Raisin fans and newbies alike.

Agatha’s First Case (short story)

Christmas Crumble (short story)

The Quiche of Death

The Vicious Vet

The Potted Gardener

The Walkers of Dembley

The Murderous Marriage

The Terrible Tourist

The Wellspring of Death

The Wizard of Evesham

The Witch of Wyckhadden

The Fairies of Fryfam

The Love from Hell

The Day the Floods Came

the Case of the Curious Curate

The Haunted House

The Deadly Dance

The Perfect Paragon

Love, Lies and Liquor

Kissing Christmas Goodbye

A Spoonful of Poison

There Goes the Bride

The Busy Body

As the Pig Turns

Hiss and Hers

Something Borrowed, Someone Dead

The Blood of an Englishman

Dishing Up Dirt

Pushing Up Daisies

The Witches’ Tree

The Dead Ringer

Beating about the Bush