Dead On Target: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M. C. Beaton

Dead On Target: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M. C. Beaton and R. W. Green

256 pages

Published September 2023 by St. Martin's Publishing Group

Source: my copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review

Publisher's Summary:

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 trousers round his ankles. 

Agatha’s 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 of foul play, however, and is shocked when Wilkes eventually agrees...with her as his prime murder 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 killer who is determined to make her the next victim...

My Thoughts: 

This is Beaton's 34th Agatha Raisin book - thirty fourth. I haven't paid any attention to how long she's been utilizing the services of another author (or if, in fact Green is the person who actually wrote this book, a la the way Agatha Christie novels continue to be written*). It's got to be getting hard to come up with new story ideas, new ways to kill people off and bury the mystery of who-done-it into a book. I've noticed in the past few books that more and more characters are being introduced into Agatha's circle, giving the author(s) more to play with. And, over time, there has started to be more of a softness to Agatha. Yes, she's still incredibly self-centered and absorbed in her appearance. But we're seeing more affection for those around her. 

As with any series (book or t.v.) that lasts any length of time at all, particularly those set in small town areas, it begins to stretch credulity that so many murders would occur in so small a place. Perhaps it's because the police, at some level, see so inept - maybe would-be murders have no fear of being caught? Perhaps it's because these particular areas seem to draw in people who can be murdered without much being missed. 

The beauty of the Agatha Raisin books is that you never have to have read the previous books to enjoy the book; but for those who have, it's always a pleasure to get to know the characters that much better. Will it win any awards? Not likely. Do these books always make for lively entertainment, the kind of thing that it's complete froth but also clears the mind after meatier reads. I enjoyed it, as I usually do, and I'm almost certain to pick up book #35 when it appears. 

*Yes, in fact, Beaton has selected Green to carry on writing Agatha's stories.