You have Hercule Poriot, Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp thanks to Agatha Christie now thanks to M.C.Beaton we have Agatha Raisin, James Lacey and DC Bill Wong all in their own way providing us with more cosy crime solving.
The walkers of Dembley is the fourth novel in the series of Agatha Raisin books. Over in Dembley a group of ramblers have started gaining militant momentum through the power of Jessica who insists that they should ramble through fields and country estates because it is their right of way. When Jessica insists on going through the land of Sir Charles Fraith, another of the group goes out to meet him and see the ‘lay of the land’ if that cliché can be allowed. Sir Charles turns their immediate descent on is property by being civil and asking them to stick to the path but would they like to stay for tea? Jessica does not agree and when the rest of the group back away, she insists on going on her own and takes a path of fate that ends her life by person or persons unknown dispatched via a spade in a field of oil seed rape.
Enter the police but also Agatha Raisin as she asked by a local neighbour, Mrs Mason in Carsley to help with the investigation as her niece is rather taken with one of the potential suspects, Sir Charles himself. Agatha along with her neighbour James who seems to continual to blow hot and cold in their friendship let alone relationship investigates. Posing as a couple they to start to walk with the Walkers of Dembley, even Bill Wong the Detective is happy for them to play apart, he fears they are in no danger but then another body is found and he also was part of the Walkers. Agatha uses her intuition to come to a conclusion and they set off to protect who they think the next victim might be.
Causing damage, mayhem and destruction along the way they save a life and apprehend the murderer but it brings them both closer together and then things take a very different turn for Agatha? Will she soften and be less direct, forthright and outspoken or does the detective we love to hate remain the same underneath? Only reading the next book will tell us that!
This may be guilt reading of the lesser literary variety but it does not half cheer the soul from a bad week at work, having to deal with the prospect of telling someone they are not fit for the job to having struggled with my previous read and the guilt felt eating a whole packet of biscuits and some chocolate all in one day. Thank you Agatha you cheer my soul and for the fact that I have more of your books to read I am eternally grateful and I hope I never run out of them.
The Book Jotter 
I couldn’t agree more. An Agatha Raisin cosy mystery is just what you need to relax after a long day/week. This year I have been so busy with my challenge I had almost forgot about good old Agatha. I think this is the last one in series I read, Agatha Raisin and Murderous Marriage here I come 🙂
I love that cover! My only experience with Agatha Raisin was an audiobook that I barely started. I liked it, but something else got in the way, like book club reading or something. I need to finish it. I love feel-good cozy mysteries!
I read the first three Agatha Raisin books and although I enjoyed the first two, the joke (for Agatha is a joke) wore a bit thin by the end of the third.