First – A thank you to NetGallery and St Martin’s Press for the preview.
This Agatha Raisin starts out simple and straight forward. Sir Edward Chumble holds a dinner party. Vicar, Rory Harris, and wife return home and find Margaret Darby, a local woman from their church, hanging in tree. Originally thought to be suicide, Molly Harris, vicar’s wife, points out the woman’s high heel shoes are too clean to have climbed tree.
Agatha Raisin is called in by Sir Edward Chumble to solve the mystery on his behalf. Effectively, to turn over whatever she finds to him so he can claim the solving. Of course, when a second body is found hanging from tree, P.C. Turret (ferret like for finding out dirt on people), who is not liked by many, the story gets more complex.
This is the 3rd Agatha Raisin novel I have read. So, unlike other readers, I haven’t followed the entire series. The mystery is solid – with the various quirky potential suspects and the digging into their background for motive I find interesting. But the middle of the book let me down with Agatha and her relationship with Charles. The back and forth, on and off, and Agatha’s uncertainties made me so frustrated. I’ve enjoyed in prior books Agatha’s antics with men, but this time it didn’t hit the right note for me. Luckily the ending got more focused and MC Beaton wrapped up the mystery in a solid manner. Because of the impression left in the middle of the book, I am rating this a 3.5 stars… rounding down to 3. Honestly on the fence between a 3 or a 4… maybe if I was an avid Agatha follower, I would have given a 4.

Reading a new Agatha Raisin novel is like a visit with a dear friend.

Talk about snuggling up with a good book! I loved this latest Agatha tale! I really enjoyed the developments between Agatha and Charles. Can't wait to read more in future installments!

The Witches’ Tree is a terrific addition to the Agatha Raisin series.  It is clever, funny, and has a wonderful cast of quirky characters- both series favourites and new additions.  

The Witches Tree begins with a village Vicar and his wife discovering the body of one of the church volunteers hanging on The Witches’ Tree in the center of the green.  But this body is only the first.  Hungry for excitement and tired of the lost pets and divorce cases that are the bread and butter of her business, Agatha eagerly tackles the case.  It helps that the local squire is willing to pay in hopes of getting the credit.

As in all her mysteries, Agatha gets into plenty of trouble both with her nosy questions and romantic daydreams.  Thankfully she has the help of her friends and colleagues.  The interplay between Agatha and Sir Charles is part of what makes Beaton’s novels so fun.  She has a great way of mixing the real and the comically absurd - I loved the local witches.  I adore the Agatha Raisin mysteries, and The Witches’ Tree is no exception.  Whether you are a current fan or a newcomer to the series The Witches’ Tree is certain to please.

5 / 5

I received a copy of The Witches’ Tree from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Although I have enjoyed this series for all of the previous books, I felt this story line lacked something. In addition, the back and forth between Agatha and Charles seemed a bit pathetic instead of fun. The mystery involved murders occurring in a small, gloomy Cotswold town with a witches' coven. Not my favorite.

Agatha is my new favorite heroine. She's so real! She's bad tempered, unrealistic about love, throws things, is fiercely loyal, smart and determined. A truly well.rounded character. The mystery is solid, the dialogue is witty and there's humor and heart. Everything I want on a story right here.

I have to confess I may be ready to give up on Agatha Raisin. Although she seems to be becoming a bit more self-aware, not much seems to really change for this woman. Hopefully the author can find Agatha a permanent partner in the near future and put a stop to her violent passions for any new man that comes near.

It's a good book when you need a break from life and all the crap in life. The writing isn't as great as some of her earlier books.

Outrageously silly but so much fun as Aggie takes on a coven of Cotswold witches, a mad murderer plus her own rising hormones! All the usual tropes are there: Mrs Bloxby calms and soothes, Simon lusts after another woman, James makes a brief appearance before departing on his travels, and Charles dithers and forgets his wallet... The ultimate effortless switch-off read.

In M. C. Beaton's newest installment of the Agatha Raisin series, the story open with a murder victim being hung on the Witches Tree in the beautiful Cotswolds region of England. Agatha is a divorced private investigator in the village of Carsley. Agatha is still the grumpy, shrewd investigator that she always was, but now she is experiencing a need to find true love at the age of 50 something. She is always so amusing with her colorful sidekicks, but her long time friend, Sir Charles takes center stage in this episode. It seems that in this book, Aggie is raunchier than before as she hunts for love and sets everyone straight! I love the dialogue written in the book. It is definitely one of her best. Ms. Beaton always writes a fabulous story with tons of quirky characters and crazy murders, but I love her dialogue in this one, Bravo to her, this is one of my new favorites.

Agatha Raisin and the Witches' Tree by M.C. Beaton will be available October 3, 2017 by Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press. An egalley of this book was graciously made available to me by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Really great premise but fell short. Agatha spent more time feeling sorry for herself more time then usual that is. The setting and the mystery where all in place but feel short to me.

The Witches' Tree, the 28th Agatha Raisin mystery by acclaimed author M.C. Beaton, is so well written that it doesn't matter if one hasn't read all the previous books in the series prior to this one. Personally, I'd only read the first (The Quiche of Death) but did see all the episodes of the television series. Other than the location and some of the characters, new readers to the series should not expect the same warm/fuzzy feeling from the television shows to be evident in the books. The story is very enjoyable - it's a lovely combination of charming, spooky, amusing and it's also a little bit dark. Not one, but two bodies are found hanging from The Witches Tree in the small Cotswolds village of Sumpton Harcourt (near Carsely), and it's up to Agatha and her team to investigate and discover the culprit. There are lots of little behind the scenes antics as well (relationships between Agatha and James, and also between Agatha and Charles), and it does quite well as a standalone. The banter is quick and clever, and there is a little surprise in the epilogue as well. Highly, highly recommended!

I have been a fan of this series for a long time and this latest offering does not disappoint, it even exceeded my expectations.
The whodunit was full of twists and turns and I had no idea who was the culprit.
I thoroughly enjoy the characters and appreciate the realistic portrayal of Agatha and her challenges with her self esteem and love life.
The ongoing characters and friendships are a delight to read.
I recommend reading this series over watching the television adaptation. As always the books are better.
I cannot read to read the next in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Absolutely Agatha - Beaton continues to charm with the irascable, predictable, entertaining Agatha Raisin. Beaton's style is brisk, with most characters thinly drawn and mostly unlikeable, but that is the charm, oddly enough. This new entry doesn't break new ground, and the ending is rather abrupt, but what's not to love? Agatha can do no wrong for her fans, and I'm one of them. For newbies, start at or near the beginning of this prolific series. Agatha is an acquired taste, and for those who have acquired the taste, we are insatiable.

The Witches Tree is Another great addition to the popular Agatha Raisin mystery series, that doesn't disappoint!

I have not read any of the books in the Agatha Raisin mysteries, though many of my friends love and devour each as they come out, raving about how good they are, so I wanted to see what the big attraction was when I saw this on NetGalley. Luckily, I got an advance copy to read and review. After reading the book, I am still trying to figure out what exactly they see in this series. I found the book, the story line, the characters and the plot okay, just not outstanding. I am not sure what to say about the central figure, Agatha Raisin and why she is so popular among my friends. In addition, I found the small-town England setting okay, but a bit too infused with British customs, cultural dialogue, euphemisms, etc. to suit me. I do not mind a book set in England, but I do not always particularly care for one that is totally infused with British cultural verbiage, customs, etc. I also think it might have helped me better understand things if I had read other books about Agatha Raisin’s exploits, as there were many mentions and allusions to things that had occurred, with little or no back story. I guess, by this time in the series, the author figures the readers already know who is who and what each brings to the table, so there is no need to expand—though a few short sentences would have helped the new-to-the-series reader understand better who was who and what was going on. Agatha Raisin is an interesting character. She is a strong, sensible woman who lets no one or thing get the better of her.

In this story, an elderly woman is found dead, hanging from the what is known as the witch’s tree. Agatha becomes involved almost immediately, as her radar senses something not quite right about the circumstances surrounding this death. With the help of Charles (not sure whether he is lover/soon-to-be something-else, friend with benefits or what) and James (the ex with whom she has a pretty tight relationship considering their status), Agatha sets about uncovering clues, ploughing through the never-ending list of suspects and towns folk in the small English town where the body was discovered, until she comes to the book’s conclusion and solution to who committed this heinous crime.

The book was interesting, but I doubt this series will move to the top of my list of books-to-read-when-a-new-installment arrives. I am glad I read the book, as it told me a lot about the Agatha Raisin character I have heard so much about in the past. I enjoyed watching her in action as she jumped right into the mystery. I also enjoyed her interactions with the other characters, towns people and suspects. I think anyone who enjoys the series will enjoy this one, for I think it is very typical.

After the last book, ‘Pushing up Daisies’, I had hoped that MC Beaton has turned a corner and her Agatha Raisin series would get back to what they had previous been with multiple story lines that bounced back and forth effortlessly. Unfortunately, this book returned to the usual drivel that has become her norm.

Fifty-three year old Agatha is in her usual depressed mood when there is no man in her life and work is the usual boring assortment of missing pets, marital affairs and wayward teens. Agatha is still the “pet hate” for Wilkes since she tends to solve more crime by “bumbling about” then he does. Thus begins the tale of the Witches’ Tree when the body of Margaret Darby is found hanging from a tree that has a curious past.

The story gets a bit twisted with several dead bodies, a coven, and a will that has gone through several revisions, but when it comes down to it, the village of Sumpton Harcourt has some very odd people not to mention too much affinity for Agatha Christy and romance novels.

Things were touched on in the book, involving the wife of the new vicar, that I did not think belonged in a cozy mystery and I was rather surprised to see it brought up here. There were parts that did not seem to be fully addressed by the end of the book and characters that took up more room than they should have. Overall, if you have read the full series to this point, you would not be able to pass by a new Agatha, but if you are just staring out, I suggest that you start at the beginning and develop you own love for the people of Carsley.

Okay, here’s my confession…

I want Agatha and Charles to get married and have a Happily Ever After.

I loved this latest entry in the Agatha Raisin series. The Witches Tree has a great mystery, some truly devious crimes, and it’s just pure fun.

Agatha is maturing. She’s still Agatha (no worries), but in this book she’s becoming more the person her readers know she can be. And her relationship with Charles is getting interesting…in a swoon-worthy way.

No worries – your favorite characters are there and there’s still a lot of nasty under the ‘peaceful’ country exterior.

A fast and fabulously fun read. And as a reminder, if you’re new to Agatha Raisin, you really can start anywhere. No need to go back to book 1.

M.C. Beaton is the queen of cozy mystery. Love the books...don't judge them by the tv series.

An elderly villager is found murdered, and Agatha is on the case. So many suspects: the new vicar, his lovely wife and lecherous brother, a pair of trust-fund siblings, and a pompous old git. But Agatha, with the help of her staff plus Charles and James, is determined to solve the mystery.

I have read every book in this series. The beginning of this book felt a little slow and forced, but the second half was better. Knowing Agatha's flaws, I expected some man obsession. I was dismayed to find her attaching to one man after another, in a desperate, almost sleazy way. A trifle disappointed in this book.