M.C. Beaton wrote two long-running cozy mystery series. Agatha Raisin (36 books, 1992–2025, continuing) follows a retired London PR executive turned amateur sleuth in the Cotswolds — start with The Quiche of Death (1992). Hamish Macbeth (38+ books, 1985–2026, continuing) follows an unambitious, sharp-eyed Highland police constable in the fictional village of Lochdubh — start with Death of a Gossip (1985). Both series are still being published today, continued by author R.W. Green following Beaton’s death in 2019.
Who Was M.C. Beaton?
M.C. Beaton was the pen name of Marion Chesney, a Scottish journalist-turned-novelist born in Glasgow in 1936. Before Beaton became a household name in cozy mystery, Chesney spent decades writing historical romance under her own name and under several other pseudonyms, including Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, and Charlotte Ward. She created Hamish Macbeth in 1985 and Agatha Raisin in 1992, and over her lifetime she published more than 160 novels — she was, for years, one of the most borrowed authors in UK libraries.
Beaton passed away on December 30, 2019, at age 83. Before she died, she brought on R.W. Green (Rod Green), a longtime friend and the husband of her UK editor, to continue both series after discussing plots and characters with her directly. Green has written as her co-author since 2020 and continues both series to this day — so despite her death, neither Agatha Raisin nor Hamish Macbeth has actually ended.
Agatha Raisin Books in Order
Agatha Raisin is a blunt, chain-smoking former PR executive from a Birmingham slum who sells her London firm, retires early to the Cotswolds village of Carsely, and immediately discovers that quiet village life suits her worse than she expected. She stumbles into her first murder investigation over a quiche contest and never really stops solving crimes after that — eventually opening her own detective agency, Raisin Investigations.
- The Quiche of Death (1992) — A poisoned quiche at a village contest turns newcomer Agatha into a murder suspect.
- The Vicious Vet (1993) — Agatha’s interest in the village vet sours fast when his ugly reputation catches up with him.
- The Potted Gardener (1994) — Garden-club jealousy in Carsely escalates from vandalism into murder.
- The Walkers of Dembley (1995) — A ramblers’ rights dispute in a nearby village turns fatal.
- The Murderous Marriage (1996) — A wedding brings old entanglements back into Agatha’s life, then a murder complicates everything.
- The Terrible Tourist (1997) — A holiday abroad goes sideways when a fellow tourist turns up dead.
- The Wellspring of Death (1998) — A trendy healing spring draws a crowd, and one of them doesn’t survive it.
- The Wizard of Evesham (1999) — A self-proclaimed wizard and a string of odd local incidents catch Agatha’s attention.
- The Witch of Wyckhadden (1999) — Rumors of witchcraft in a seaside town mask a very human motive for murder.
- The Fairies of Fryfam (2000) — Local superstition blames “fairy mischief” for a death Agatha is sure has a human culprit.
- The Love from Hell (2001) — A new romantic entanglement turns toxic right as a murder investigation heats up.
- The Day the Floods Came (2002) — Cotswolds flooding uncovers more than just water damage.
- The Case of the Curious Curate (2003) — A new curate stirs up church politics — and then a body.
- The Haunted House (2003) — A supposedly haunted manor turns out to hide a real killer.
- The Deadly Dance (2004) — A society dance in the Cotswolds ends with a murder among the guests.
- The Perfect Paragon (2005) — Carsely’s newest “perfect” resident makes enemies fast — and ends up dead.
- Love, Lies and Liquor (2006) — A seaside getaway with James goes wrong when a fellow guest is murdered.
- Kissing Christmas Goodbye (2007) — A family gathering at Christmas conceals a decades-old grudge that turns deadly.
- A Spoonful of Poison (2008) — A church fete poisoning pulls Agatha into a village-wide web of suspects.
- There Goes the Bride (2009) — James’s wedding to someone else is derailed by murder, dragging Agatha straight into the case.
- Busy Body (2010) — A health-and-safety officer’s unpopular new job comes with unpopular new enemies.
- As the Pig Turns (2011) — A village pig roast turns into a crime scene.
- Hiss and Hers (2012) — Old flames and new jealousy collide in a case close to home.
- Something Borrowed, Someone Dead (2013) — A wedding shop and a poisoned bottle of elderflower wine set off Agatha’s latest case.
- The Blood of an Englishman (2014) — A pantomime rehearsal goes fatally wrong.
- Dishing the Dirt (2015) — A meddling therapist stirs up village secrets before becoming a murder victim herself.
- Pushing Up Daisies (2016) — A community garden dispute turns deadly.
- The Witches’ Tree (2017) — Local folklore around an old tree hides a modern-day murder.
- The Dead Ringer (2018) — A church bell-ringing society becomes the center of Agatha’s newest investigation.
- Beating About the Bush (2019) — Agatha investigates a case tangled up in old rivalries and new business dealings.
- Hot to Trot (2020) — R.W. Green’s first credited entry; a champion-horse scandal turns deadly at a dressage event.
- Down the Hatch (2021) — A pub landlord’s murder pulls Agatha into local rivalries over the town’s watering hole.
- Devil’s Delight (2022) — A cricket match and a suspicious death send Agatha digging through old village grudges.
- Dead on Target (2023) — An archery club murder gives Agatha a fresh case to untangle.
- Killing Time (2024) — Agatha investigates a death connected to a Cotswolds clock and antiques trade.
- Sugar & Spite (2025) — The most recent entry, pulling Agatha into a case rooted in village rivalry and old secrets.
Book 37, Dead Before Tea Time, is scheduled for October 2026 — so the series is still very much active. There are also two short works worth knowing about: Agatha’s First Case (2015), a prequel-style novella, and Hell’s Bells (2013), a short story.
Hamish Macbeth Books in Order
Hamish Macbeth is the opposite of Agatha in temperament — a lanky, red-haired Highland police constable who actively avoids promotion so he can keep fishing, keep his dog, and keep policing the small fictional village of Lochdubh in Sutherland, Scotland. He’s lazy by reputation and sharp by nature, solving murders through local knowledge and instinct rather than ambition. Nearly every title in the series follows the pattern “Death of a ___.”
- Death of a Gossip (1985) — A gossip columnist at a fishing school is found strangled, and Hamish has no shortage of suspects who wanted her silenced.
- Death of a Cad (1987) — A boorish guest at an engagement party is shot during a grouse hunt.
- Death of an Outsider (1988) — Exiled to a dreary posting, Hamish investigates a murder involving a lobster tank and a very unpopular victim.
- Death of a Perfect Wife (1989) — A newcomer’s obsession with “perfect” village living ends in poisoning.
- Death of a Hussy (1990) — A wealthy woman’s fiery car crash turns out to be murder, with five suspects and equal motive.
- Death of a Snob (1992) — A Christmas house party on a remote island turns deadly when a snobbish guest is killed.
- Death of a Prankster (1992) — A wealthy practical joker’s own “joke” of a deathbed gathering ends with his real death.
- Death of a Greedy Woman (1993) — A singles’ matchmaking retreat curdles into murder when one guest proves too greedy to like.
- Death of a Travelling Man (1993) — A drifter camped near the village is found beaten to death, and no one in Lochdubh wants to talk.
- Death of a Charming Man (1994) — A charismatic newcomer stirs up local rivalries that spiral into violence.
- Death of a Nag (1995) — A relentlessly critical local figure’s death gives Hamish a village full of people relieved to see them go.
- Death of a Macho Man (1996) — A blustering newcomer’s attempt to dominate Lochdubh ends in murder.
- Death of a Dentist (1997) — A dentist with a shady reputation behind his professional smile turns up dead.
- Death of a Scriptwriter (1998) — A visiting TV writer’s ambition and rivalries follow him straight to his death.
- Death of an Addict (1999) — Addiction and desperation in the village lead to a death the community would rather not examine. (A Highland Christmas, a Christmas novella, was also published in 1999.)
- Death of a Dustman (2001) — A local refuse collector’s death exposes secrets few villagers wanted uncovered.
- Death of a Celebrity (2002) — A TV crew filming in Lochdubh brings a murder along with the cameras.
- Death of a Village (2003) — A campaign to modernize Lochdubh turns violent when it threatens the wrong interests.
- Death of a Poison Pen (2004) — Anonymous poison-pen letters throughout the village escalate into murder.
- Death of a Bore (2005) — A tediously self-important newcomer’s death gives Hamish more suspects than he’d like.
- Death of a Dreamer (2006) — A woman’s grand fantasies about her own life collide fatally with reality.
- Death of a Maid (2007) — A housekeeper’s murder exposes secrets inside a wealthy Highland household.
- Death of a Gentle Lady (2008) — A seemingly harmless elderly woman’s death turns out to hide a much darker history.
- Death of a Witch (2009) — A woman claiming psychic powers is murdered, and superstition and skepticism both cloud the case.
- Death of a Valentine (2009) — A Valentine’s Day romance scam ends in murder.
- Death of a Chimney Sweep (2011) — An old chimney sweep’s death uncovers a long-buried local secret.
- Death of a Kingfisher (2012) — A nature reserve dispute over a rare bird turns into a murder investigation.
- Death of Yesterday (2013) — A missing persons case from years past resurfaces with deadly consequences.
- Death of a Policeman (2014) — Budget cuts threaten to close Hamish’s beloved police station, right as a new murder complicates the fight to save it.
- Death of a Liar (2015) — A serial fabricator’s death leaves Hamish struggling to separate lies from real motive. (Knock, Knock, You’re Dead!, a short story, followed in 2016.)
- Death of a Nurse (2016) — A private nurse’s murder exposes tensions inside the household she worked for.
- Death of a Ghost (2017) — Local ghost stories provide cover for a very real killer.
- Death of an Honest Man (2018) — A newcomer known for blunt honesty turns out to have made one enemy too many. (Death of a Laird, a short story, followed in 2022.)
- Death of a Green-Eyed Monster (2022) — Jealousy among Lochdubh’s residents boils over into murder.
- Death of a Traitor (2023) — Hamish investigates a betrayal within the community with deadly consequences.
- Death of a Spy (2024) — A stranger with a hidden agenda brings danger to the Highlands.
- Death of a Smuggler (2025) — A smuggling operation along the coast turns lethal.
- Death of a Groom (2026) — The most recent entry, centering on a wedding that doesn’t go as planned.
The next full-length entry, Death of a High Flyer (Book 39), is expected in February 2027, so — like Agatha Raisin — this series has no real “final book” yet.
Do Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth Connect?
No. Unlike some authors who build a shared universe, Beaton kept these two series entirely separate — different country (England’s Cotswolds vs. the Scottish Highlands), different protagonist, different supporting cast. There’s no crossover and no shared timeline. You can read either series in complete isolation from the other, and many readers only ever pick up one.
What About Her Other Pen Names?
Before Beaton, there was Marion Chesney the historical romance novelist. Writing under her own name and pseudonyms like Ann Fairfax and Jennie Tremaine, Chesney produced dozens of Regency-era romance series — The Six Sisters, The Poor Relation, A House for a Season, and more. These are a genuinely different genre from her mysteries (Regency romance rather than cozy crime), so if that’s what you’re after, that’s really a separate reading-order guide of its own rather than something to fold into “M.C. Beaton books in order.”
Where Should You Start?
If you want a female amateur sleuth with real bite — vain, insecure, funny, and a little merciless — start Agatha Raisin with The Quiche of Death. If you’d rather follow a quietly clever, deliberately underachieving police constable solving crime in a gorgeous, isolated setting, start Hamish Macbeth with Death of a Gossip. Both series are built as case-of-the-book mysteries, so either is fully readable as a standalone entry point — but reading in publication order lets you follow Agatha’s evolving love life and detective agency, or Hamish’s slow-burn relationships and career dodging, without missing the connective tissue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is M.C. Beaton still alive? No. M.C. Beaton, the pen name of Marion Chesney, died on December 30, 2019, at age 83.
Who is writing the new M.C. Beaton books? R.W. Green (Rod Green) has continued both the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series since 2020, working from plots and character notes he discussed with Beaton before her death.
Which M.C. Beaton series should I read first? Neither is a prerequisite for the other. Agatha Raisin suits readers who want a sharp-tongued female lead and English village settings; Hamish Macbeth suits readers who prefer a male lead, a police-procedural flavor, and Scottish Highland scenery.
How many books are in each series? Agatha Raisin has 36 novels plus two short works as of this guide, with book 37 due October 2026. Hamish Macbeth has 38 novels plus several short stories and novellas, with book 39 due February 2027.
Do I need to read either series in order? It’s recommended but not required. Each book is a self-contained mystery, though character relationships and personal arcs build gradually across both series.
Is the TV adaptation faithful to the books? Not especially, for either series. The Agatha Raisin TV series (Ashley Jensen) softens her character considerably compared to the books, and the 1990s Hamish Macbeth show starring Robert Carlyle only loosely adapted the source material.
The Bottom Line
Between Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth, M.C. Beaton built two of the most enduring series in modern cozy mystery — nearly 75 books combined, spanning more than four decades, and neither one finished yet. Agatha’s blunt, self-doubting charm and Hamish’s lazy brilliance couldn’t be more different, but both hold up as comfort reading precisely because they never take themselves too seriously. Whichever one you start with, you’ve got a very long, very satisfying backlist waiting.
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