M.C. Beaton The Perfect Paragon

The Perfect Paragon

M. C. Beaton

St. Martin's, Aug 2005, $22.95, 240 pp.

ISBN: 031230448X

In the Cotswolds, figuring she might as well get paid for having someone try to kill her, Agatha Raisin turned pro, opening up Raisin Investigations. After working a dangerous case in which she almost died (see THE DEADLY DANCE), Agatha hires new office help that she hopes is a bit friendlier and safer than her previous assistant.

A new client snooty Robert Smedley hires Agatha to prove that his wife Mabel is cheating on him. Though she fears a domestic investigation, Agatha accepts the case because she needs the money, but finds Mabel seems to be a paragon of society. She shows no indiscretions, goes to church, and volunteers her time. Agatha wonders if Ms. Smedley is human as she finds nothing on Mabel. The sleuth locates the corpse of teenager Jessica Bradley. Feeling good will while wondering if Mabel is rubbing off on her (God forbid) Agatha volunteers to investigate the murder; positive publicity being a virtue. However, when someone murders her client (thank goodness she received an advance) she drops the case since no one can pay her expenses or fee that is until the widow hires Agatha to prove she did not murder her late husband.

Agatha Raisin is her usual crusty, in your face self in this fabulous entry of the long running series refreshed by her turning pro. Unlike most of the literary sleuths who feel obligated to solve a client's murder, Agatha stays true to character seeing no economic gain by wasting her time on a non-paying job until THE PERFECT PARAGON hires her. M.C. Beaton is at her best with this fine tale filled with twists but kept together by the irascible uncouth Agatha.

Harriet Klausner