A short story giving readers the background of Agatha Raisin, and how she got her start in public relations. This is the first Agatha Raisin book that I've read and it was interesting enough for me to continue on with the series. As for the character, I'm undecided if I actually like her or not. It is difficult to read a series if one doesn't like or respect the main character. ( )

A fun introduction to a twenty something Agatha and how she got her start. A bit more noir-ish than cozy but highly enjoyable any way you look at it! ( )

Provides an introduction as to how Agatha broke into the PR business. Not as funny as following books but interesting, nonetheless. ( )

Una lettura veloce, abbastanza piacevole e molto leggera, un giallo all’acqua di rose che più che altro racconta l’avvio dell’attività di PR di Agatha Raisin, un tuffo nel suo passato per conoscere gli inizi delle sue avventure. ( )

Agatha’s First Case by M.C. Beaton is a 2015 Minotaur Books publication.

I have waffled for ages about jumping into one of M.C. Beaton’s long-running mysteries series- so when I saw this novella length story featuring Agatha Raisin and her first case, I decided to dip my toe into the water.

This story was published in 2015 and the first full-length Raisin novel was published in 1992- so for fans of the series, this one was probably just a short bit of fun fluff sandwiched between installments, but it gave me an advantage, should I decide to give the series a start, in earnest someday. Although this novella was an okay test-taste, if you will, I’m still waffling. I may try the ‘Macbeth’ series first, then decide.

Overall, I read this one out of curiosity, just to see if the series might be a good fit for me. It is a great way to meet Agatha and see how she got started on the road to amateur sleuthing- but, as the series is categorized as a cozy- it didn’t entirely meet my qualifications for that genre- mainly due to the language, which did take me a bit by surprise. I may see how hard it is to find all the installments- and if they are mostly available, I'll give it a fair shake- as it does seem like a very popular series.

2.5 stars ( )