Twice as Nice

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by MC Beaton
(Mystery)

This second installment in the Agatha Raisin series was twice as nice as the first one!

Agatha is settling into Cotswold life and is hot for her neighbor, James.  She is alternating between luring him into her clutches and turning him off in revulsion.  When a new veterinarian comes to town, Agatha trades the objects of her affections for this new man-prey.  When the vet turns up dead, Agatha uses it as an excuse to spend more time with James.  Now, they're both on the case of the killer.

I absolutely love the character of Agatha.  She is rude, crude and brassy--my type of gal.  She says just what she thinks and revels in her own selfishness.  This is one of the most original and life-like characters I've ever read about and I just devour these books.  The mystery didn't disappoint either, although much of the action is the tension between James and Agatha waiting and watching for their killer.  Agatha's detective skills are keen and I love the weird relationship with Detective Bill Wong.

Let's hope Number 3 is just as good.  What am I talking about?  Third time must be a charm in this series!