All 30+ Agatha Raisin Books in Order by M.C. Beaton [Guide]

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery series that’s full of charm and wit, then you’ll want to read the Agatha Raisin books in order.

The Agatha Raisin books are set in England and follow the life of an ex-pat who turns her back on glamour and excitement to live anonymously in a small village.

With more than 30 books in the series, it can be a challenge to keep track of the Agatha Raisin books in order, but we’re here to help. Before do, though let’s take a closer look at the author, M.C. Beaton.

Recent & Upcoming Agatha Raisin Books:
Devil’s Delight (December 13, 2022)
Dead on Target (Expected: September 19, 2023)

Who Is M.C. Beaton?

M.C. Beaton was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Beaton started her career as a bookseller, where she was responsible for the fiction section at John Smith & Sons Ltd. She is now an international bestselling author of the Agatha Raisin series and Hamish Macbeth series.

Beaton also writes Regency romances under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and several pseudonyms. Her books have been translated into 17 languages, and her Agatha Raisin mysteries were made into an Acorn/Sky TV series starring Ashley Jensen.

Agatha Raisin Books In Order Of Publication

This is a full list of the Agatha Raisin Books in order based on their date of publication. This is how thousands of readers enjoyed the series as it was originally released and is a solid option when starting any series.

The Quiche of Death (1992)
The Vicious Vet (1993)
The Potted Gardener (1994)
The Walkers of Dembley (1995)
The Murderous Marriage (1996)
The Terrible Tourist (1997)
The Wellspring of Death (1998)
The Wizard of Evesham (1999)
The Witch of Wyckhadden (1999)
The Fairies of Fryfam (2000)
The Love from Hell (2001)
The Day the Floods Came (2002)
The Case of the Curious Curate (2003)
The Haunted House (2003)
The Deadly Dance (2004)
The Perfect Paragon (2005)
Love, Lies and Liquor (2006)
Kissing Christmas Goodbye (2007)
A Spoonful of Poison (2008)
There Goes The Bride (2009)
Busy Body (2010)
As the Pig Turns (2011)
Hiss and Hers (2012)
Christmas Crumble (2012) (Short Story)
Something Borrowed, Someone Dead (2013)
The Blood of an Englishman (2014)
Dishing the Dirt (2015)
Agatha’s First Case (2015) (Short Story)
Pushing up Daisies (2016)
The Witches’ Tree (2017)
The Dead Ringer (2018)
Beating About the Bush (2019)
Hot to Trot (2020)
Down the Hatch (2021)
Devil’s Delight (2022)
Dead on Target (2023)
Killing Time (Expected: October 8, 2024)

Agatha Raisin Books in Chronological Order

Truthfully, the only thing that makes this list of Agatha Raisin books in order any different than the previous one is that Agatha’s First Case and Christmas Crumble were moved to the very front of the list.

M.C. Beaton’s website places Christmas Crumble before Agatha’s First Case so we have done so here as well.

Christmas Crumble (Short Story)
Agatha’s First Case (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
Busy Body
As the Pig Turns
Hiss and Hers
Something Borrowed, Someone Dead
The Blood of an Englishman
Dishing the Dirt
Pushing up Daisies
The Witches’ Tree
The Dead Ringer
Beating About the Bush
Hot to Trot
Down the Hatch
Devil’s Delight
Dead on Target
Killing Time (Expected: October 8, 2024)

Agatha Raisin Books in Order by R.W. Green

M.C. Beaton passed away 2 days shy of the worst year in recent memory. Yes, she died December 30th, 2019 and avoided all the drama that followed with 2020.

But you’ll notice that the Agatha Raisin books did not stop following the author’s death. Who has picked up the mantel? The author’s name is R.W. Green and this is a list of Agatha Raisin Books written by Green, instead of a Beaton.

Hot to Trot (2020)
Down the Hatch (2021)
Devil’s Delight (2022)
Dead on Target (2023)
Killing Time (Expected: October 8, 2024)

A Summary of Agatha Raisin Books in Order: First 15 Books

Agatha’s First Case

At 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 Brian Devese to tell him that he is soon going to be arrested for the murder of his wife and that the agency no longer wants to represent him.

Brian, 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.

The Quiche of Death

Putting all her eggs in one basket, Agatha Raisin gives up her successful PR firm, sells her London flat, and samples a taste of early retirement in the quiet village of Carsely. Bored, lonely and used to getting her way, she enters a local baking contest: Surely a blue ribbon for the best quiche will make her the toast of the town.

But her recipe for social advancement sours when Judge Cummings-Browne not only snubs her entry, but falls over dead! After her quiche’s secret ingredient turns out to be poison, she must reveal the unsavory truth.

Agatha has never baked a thing in her life! In fact, she bought her entry ready-made from an upper crust London quicherie. Grating on the nerves of several Carsely residents, she is soon receiving sinister notes.

Has her cheating and meddling landed her in hot water, or are the threats related to the suspicious death? It may mean the difference between egg on her face and a coroner’s tag on her toe…

The Vicious Vet

Feisty Agatha Raisin, former London PR exec, retired to quiet a Cotswold village. But retirement doesn’t stay quiet when handsome vet Paul Bladen accidentally kills himself while attending Lord Pendlebury’s horse.

Agatha and attractive neighbor James Lacey investigate the curious lack of sorrow shown by his divorced wife while a killer plans another “accident.”

The Potted Gardener

Never say die. That’s the philosophy Agatha Raisin clings to when she comes home to cozy Carsely and finds a new woman ensconced in the affections of her attractive bachelor neighbor, James Lacey.

The beautiful newcomer, Mary Fortune, is superior in every way, especially when it comes to gardening. And Agatha, that rose with many thorns, hasn’t a green thumb to her name. With garden Open Day approaching, she longs for a nice juicy murder to remind James of her genius for investigation.

And sure enough, a series of destructive assaults on the finest gardens is followed by an appalling murder. Agatha seizes the moment and immediately starts yanking up village secrets by their roots and digging up all the dirt on the victim. The problem is, Agatha has an awkward secret of her own.

The Walkers of Dembley

Agatha Raisin joins Dembley hiking club to pursue handsome Cotswold neighbor James Lacey. Angry member Jessica targets wealthy landowner Charles Fraith, who retaliates with tea invitation, but her body is found dead on his grounds. Agatha and James investigate the crime, and the group ready to kill.

The Murderous Marriage

After Jimmy Raisin, Agatha’s first husband, stops her wedding and she is left jilted at the altar, he is found strangled to death. Agatha Raisin must prove her innocence, along with that of her intended James Lacy, in this mystery filled with murder and mayhem.

The Terrible Tourist

Agatha Raisin’s marriage was put off when her ex-husband showed up, unfortunately alive.

Fortunately, he was murdered and Agatha solved the crime. Now she is off to Cyprus to track down her ex-fiance. Instead of enjoying their planned honeymoon, however, they witness the murder of an obnoxious tourist.

Two sets of terrible tourists surround the unhappy couple, arousing Agatha’s suspicions. And, much to James’ chagrin, she won’t rest until she finds the killer. Unfortunately, it seems the killer also won’t rest until Agatha is out of the picture.

Agatha is forced to track down the murderer, try to rekindle her romance with James, and fend off a suave baronet, all while coping with the fact that it’s always bathing suit season in Cyprus.

The Wellspring of Death

Agatha Raisin’s neighbouring village of Ancombe is usually the epitome of quiet rural charm, but the arrival of a new mineral-water company – which intends to tap into the village spring – sends tempers flaring and divides the parish council into two stubborn camps.

When Agatha, who just happens to be handling the PR for the water company, finds the council chairman murdered at the basin of the spring, tongues start wagging. Could one of the council members have polished off the chairman before he could cast the deciding vote?

Poor Agatha, still nursing a bruised heart from one of her unsuccessful romantic encounters, must get cracking, investigate the councillors and solve the crime.

The Wizard of Evesham

After a home dye job ruins her hair, Agatha Raisin, the prickly yet lovable amateur sleuth, turns to the wonderful new hairdresser in the neighboring town for help. And as Agatha soon learns, Mr. John is as skilled at repairing her coiffure as he is at romancing her heart.

But the charming Mr. John isn’t all he appears to be. According to gossip around the salon and the village, some of his former clients seem to be afraid of him. Could Mr. John really be a ruthless blackmailer?

When a murderer strikes at the busy salon, Agatha must discover the truth and the killer’s identity before it’s too late.

The Witch of Wyckhadden

There is nothing more depressing for a middle-aged lovelorn woman with bald patches on her head than to find herself in an English seaside resort out of season. Agatha Raisin, her hair falling out after a run-in with a hairdresser-cum-murderess from a previous investigation, travels to an old-fashioned hotel in order to repair the damage away from the neighbors in her all-too-cozy Cotswolds village.

Unhappy about the slow results and prompted by the elderly residents of the resort, she consults the local witch for help. Agatha purchases a hair tonic (and a love potion, just in case!) and is soon sprouting hairs and capturing the fancy of the village police inspector.

But the quiet town is stunned by the murder of the witch. Which one of the graying guests is capable of such a brutal crime? The brassy yet endearing Agatha won’t stop until she finds the culprit–and, of course, a little love, too.

The Fairies of Fryfam

When a fortune teller from a previous case informs Agatha Raisin that her destiny – and true love – lies in Norfolk, she promptly rents a cottage in the quaint village of Fryfam. No sooner does she arrive than strange things start happening.

Random objects go missing from people’s homes, and odd little lights are seen dancing in the villagers’ gardens and yards. Stories soon begin circulating about the presence of fairies.

But when a prominent village resident is found murdered, and some suspicion falls on her and her friend Sir Charles Fraith, Agatha decides she’s had enough of this fairy nonsense and steps up her sleuthing for a human killer.

The prickly yet endearing Agatha will have fans dangling in suspense: Will she catch her crook – and a husband?

The Love from Hell

Recently married to James Lacey, the witty and fractious Agatha Raisin quickly finds that marriage, and love, are not all they are cracked up to be. Rather than basking in marital bliss, the newlyweds are living in separate cottages and accusing each other of infidelity. After a particularly raucous fight in the local pub, James suddenly vanishes – a bloodstain the only clue to his fate – and Agatha is the prime suspect.

Determined to clear her name and find her husband, Agatha begins her investigation. But her sleuthing is thwarted when James’s suspected mistress, Melissa, is found murdered. Joined by her old friend Sir Charles, Agatha digs into Melissa’s past and uncovers two ex-husbands, an angry sister, and dubious relations with bikers.

Are Melissa’s death and James’s disappearance connected? Will Agatha reunite with her husband or will she find herself alone once again?

The Day the Floods Came

Marital bliss was short-lived for Agatha Raisin. Her marriage to James Lacey was a disaster from the beginning, and in the end, he left her-not for another woman, but for God.

After having been miraculously cured of a brain tumor, James has decided to join a monastery in France. Agatha can usually depend on her old friend, Sir Charles Fraith, to be there when times are tough, but even Charles has abandoned her, dashing off to Paris to marry a young French tart.

Miserable and alone, Agatha hops on a plane and heads for a remote island in the South Pacific. To Agatha’s surprise, she makes friends with her fellow travelers easily, and keeps herself out of mischief, despite the odd feeling she gets from one particularly attractive honeymooning couple. But when she later finds that the pretty bride has drowned under suspicious circumstances, Agatha wishes she had found a way to intervene.

Returning home to the Cotswolds, Agatha is grimly determined to move on with her life and to forget about James and Charles. They have, after all, forgotten about her. And what better way than to throw herself into another murder investigation?

A woman, dressed in a wedding gown and still clutching her bouquet, has just been found floating in a river. The police say it’s suicide, but Agatha suspects the girl’s flashy young fiancé. With the help of her handsome, and single, new neighbor, Agatha sets off to prove the police wrong.

The Case of the Curious Curate

Agatha Raisin is feeling miserable—and with good reason. Her ex-husband, James, has abandoned her, and she’s been humiliated by an unseemly proposition from John Armitage, her handsome neighbor. So complete is her devastation that Agatha has given up on makeup and taken to wearing the loose cotton dresses and flat, sensible shoes she has always abhorred.

But there is light at the end of this dark and lonely tunnel, and its source is Carsely’s beatific new curate, Tristan Delon. With his golden hair, large blue eyes, and perfect mouth, Tristan has attracted the interest of more than a few of his female congregants. And to her surprise, he seems to have taken a special interest in Agatha.

Despite his charms, however, there is something odd about the curate, and after he’s found dead in the vicar’s study, it’s up to Agatha and John to investigate.

The Haunted House

Just back from an extended stay in London, Agatha Raisin finds herself greeted by torrential rains and an old, familiar feeling of boredom. When her handsome new neighbor, Paul Chatterton, shows up on her doorstep, she tries her best to ignore his obvious charms, but his sparkling black eyes and the promise of adventure soon lure her into another investigation.

Paul has heard rumors about Agatha’s reputation as the Cotswold village sleuth and wastes no time offering their services to the crotchety owner of a haunted house. Whispers, footsteps, and a cold white mist are plaguing Mrs. Witherspoon, but the police have failed to come up with any leads, supernatural or otherwise.

The neighbors think it’s all a desperate ploy for attention, but Paul and Agatha are sure something more devious is going on. Someone’s playing tricks on Mrs. Witherspoon, and when she turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Agatha finds herself caught up in another baffling murder mystery.

The Deadly Dance

Infuriated that her holiday was ruined by a mugging, Agatha Raisin decides to open up her own detective agency. The romance-minded sleuth is thrilled by visions of handsome fellow gumshoes and headline-making crimes—but soon finds the only cases she can get are a non-glamorous lot of lost cats and an errant teenager.

But when a wealthy divorcée hires the agency to investigate a death threat against her daughter Cassandra, Agatha thwarts a vicious attack on the heiress bride. Now Agatha is in hot pursuit of the culprit.

But when the groom’s father turns up dead, Agatha must untangle a growing list of suspects, from Carsely’s quiet village lanes to Paris’ most fashionable streets. Soon the willfully undaunted Agatha is in trouble with French and British police; on the outs (again) with old friends—and dead in the sights of a murderer.

Conclusion

Which of the Agatha Raisin books in order was your favorite? How many books have you read so far?

Looking for more books in order?

Check out another Agatha: Agatha Christie books in order.