Agatha Raisin Books in Order

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Agatha Raisin is not your typical cozy mystery heroine — she’s brash, vain, hopelessly bad at romance, and genuinely doesn’t like most people. That’s exactly why readers have loved her for over 30 years. M.C. Beaton’s long-running series follows Agatha, a retired London PR executive, as she moves to the Cotswolds village of Carsely and stumbles into murder investigation after murder investigation.

With 37 books and counting, here’s the complete reading order — including the shift to co-author R.W. Green after M.C. Beaton’s passing in 2019.

The Complete Agatha Raisin Reading Order

  1. The Quiche of Death (1992)
  2. The Vicious Vet (1993)
  3. The Potted Gardener (1994)
  4. The Walkers of Dembley (1995)
  5. The Murderous Marriage (1996)
  6. The Terrible Tourist (1997)
  7. The Wellspring of Death (1998)
  8. The Wizard of Evesham (1999)
  9. The Witch of Wyckhadden (1999)
  10. The Fairies of Fryfam (2000)
  11. The Love from Hell (2001)
  12. The Day the Floods Came (2002)
  13. The Case of the Curious Curate (2002)
  14. The Haunted House (2003)
  15. The Deadly Dance (2004)
  16. The Perfect Paragon (2005)
  17. Love, Lies and Liquor (2006)
  18. Kissing Christmas Goodbye (2007)
  19. A Spoonful of Poison (2008)
  20. There Goes the Bride (2009)
  21. Busy Body (2010)
  22. As the Pig Turns (2011)
  23. Hiss and Hers (2012)
  24. Something Borrowed, Someone Dead (2013)
  25. The Blood of an Englishman (2014)
  26. Dishing the Dirt (2015)
  27. Pushing up Daisies (2016)
  28. The Witches’ Tree (2017)
  29. The Dead Ringer (2018)
  30. Beating About the Bush (2019)
  31. Hot to Trot (2020, with R.W. Green)
  32. Down the Hatch (2021, with R.W. Green)
  33. Devil’s Delight (2022, with R.W. Green)
  34. Dead on Target (2023, with R.W. Green)
  35. Killing Time (2024, with R.W. Green)
  36. Sugar and Spite (2025, with R.W. Green)
  37. Dead Before Tea Time (2026, with R.W. Green)

There’s also a prequel novella, Agatha’s First Case (2015), which can be read anytime — it shows Agatha’s very first amateur sleuthing job before she moved to Carsely.

Do You Need to Read Agatha Raisin in Order?

Not strictly — each book is a self-contained mystery. But Agatha’s relationships (especially with her on-again, off-again love interest James Lacey, and her circle of Carsely friends) develop across the series, so reading in order adds a lot of the fun.

Worth knowing: M.C. Beaton passed away in December 2019, shortly after Beating About the Bush was published. Starting with Hot to Trot, the series has continued with co-author (and now primary author) R.W. Green, working from Beaton’s notes and outlines to keep Agatha’s voice consistent.

Where Should I Start?

The Quiche of Death is the obvious starting point — it introduces Agatha, Carsely, and the whole cast. If you watched the “Agatha Raisin” TV series first and want to jump into the books at a similar tone, The Vicious Vet and The Potted Gardener are both fan favorites early on.

FAQ

Is Agatha Raisin the same as the TV series?
The books came first — Sky’s “Agatha Raisin” TV series (2016–2022), starring Ashley Jensen, is loosely based on them, though as with most TV adaptations, plots and details differ from book to book.

Who is R.W. Green?
R.W. Green began co-authoring the series with M.C. Beaton starting with book 31, and has continued it as primary author since her death in 2019, working to keep Agatha’s voice and the Cotswolds setting consistent with the earlier books.

Is the series still ongoing?
Yes — as of 2026 the series is up to 37 books, with new entries continuing to release roughly once a year.

Which Agatha Raisin book is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below!

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