There Goes the Bride: An Agatha Raisin Mystery

Near the start of bestseller Beaton's splendid 20th Agatha Raisin mystery (after 2008's A Spoonful of Poison ), the lovelorn middle-aged detective reluctantly attends the wedding of her ex-husband, James Lacey, in the market town of Hewes. But before James can tie the knot with the lovely, much younger Felicity Bross-Tilkington, the bride is shot to death. Felicity's mother hires Agatha and her young detecting associate, Toni Gilmour, to find the monster responsible, despite the disapproval of Felicity's real estate whiz father, George. As other corpses connected to George begin turning up, his visiting friend, the debonair Sylvan Dubois, flirts shamelessly with Agatha. Sylvan's deadly charm puts Agatha in harm's way after she figures out the Frenchman and George are involved in illegal activities. Some Beaton fans may wish her heroine will find lasting romance and happiness, but a closing twist or two suggests Agatha is unlikely to settle down with one man anytime soon. (Oct.)