After six gruelling months spent in London, Agatha Raisin returns to her beloved Cotswold village of Carsely - and to her attractive neighbour, James Lacey. True, James is less than thrilled to see her, but Agatha is soon consoled by a sensational murder. The victim, found in a lonely field, is hiker Jessica Tartinck, who spent her life enraging wealthy landowners by insisting on her walking club's right to hike over their properties. And now she has been found in a cornfield, battered over the head. Agatha lures the reluctant James into helping with her informal investigation, and there are so many leads to follow, for Jessica's fellow walkers seem able, even willing, to commit murder. And then there are the enraged landowners...Hope springs eternal in Agatha's breast, and she feels confident that the trail of a slippery killer may also be the road to love...or will it lead to even more deaths?
This trail leads to a dead end.
After six months in London, Agatha Raisin returns to her beloved Cotswold village―and her dashing neighbor, James Lacey. Well, sort of. James might not be so interested in Agatha. But soon enough, Agatha becomes consumed by her other passion: crime-solving. A woman has been found dead in a lonely field nearby. Her name is Jessica Tartinck, a hiker who infuriated wealthy landowners by insisting on her hiking club's right to trek across their properties.
Now it's up to Agatha, with James's help, to launch an investigation. Together, they will follow no shortage of leads; many of Jessica's fellow Dembley walkers seem all too willing and able to commit murder. But the trail of a killer is as easy to lose as your heart―and your life. So Agatha and James had better watch their every step. . .
"Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha."―Chicago Sun-Times