RIP the amazing Marion Chesney

[Desiremakesmeweak]

Marion Chesney passed away last month at 83 in Gloucester, England.

Ms. Chesney was absolutely without question the greatest writer in the English language in the categories of light romance, and mystery, and detective fiction, especially in terms of subtle turn of phrase, in the modern era, after Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.

Chesney, writing under pseudonyms (principally MC Beaton), created and wrote the TV series' Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth.

Her books are incredibly accessible, very easy to read and follow, and simply the most profound education in the English written language possible since Shakespeare - if you use them that way.

Those who know, know, while the rest have likely never even read any Chesney, and so they don't know. Don't let anyone try and tell you any different: Chesney IS the writer's style god in the high art of written English.

 

[Handley_Page]

Marion Chesney passed away last month at 83 in Gloucester, England.

Ms. Chesney was absolutely without question the greatest writer in the English language in the categories of light romance, and mystery, and detective fiction, especially in terms of subtle turn of phrase, in the modern era, after Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.

Chesney, writing under pseudonyms (principally MC Beaton), created and wrote the TV series' Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth.

Her books are incredibly accessible, very easy to read and follow, and simply the most profound education in the English written language possible since Shakespeare - if you use them that way.

Those who know, know, while the rest have likely never even read any Chesney, and so they don't know. Don't let anyone try and tell you any different: Chesney IS the writer's style god in the high art of written English.

Ah - MC Beaton ?
Her "Agatha Raisin" stories are vastly under-rated and very very humorous.
And Hamish MacBeth is a bloody masterpiece.

 

[vanmyers86]

Sounds like someone I should read. Which of her books would you recommend as an entry point for someone new to her work?

 

[colddiesel]

Two facts sum her up:-

1. After reading Georgette Heyer she asserted " I can do better" - and she did.

2. She sold 22 million books.

She used a bunch of pseudonyms, notably MC Beaton.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Two facts sum her up:-

1. After reading Georgette Heyer she asserted " I can do better" - and she did.

2. She sold 22 million books.

She used a bunch of pseudonyms, notably MC Beaton.

I liked Georgette Heyer when I was twelve. Maybe I should check one out.

 

[Handley_Page]

Sounds like someone I should read. Which of her books would you recommend as an entry point for someone new to her work?

I commend the Agathat Raisin books; they are quirky and interesting;
According to wiki, the list is:-


Novels

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (1992)[3]
Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (1993)[4]
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (1994)[5]
Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (1995)[6]
Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (1996)[7]
Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist (1997)[8]
Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death (1998)[9]
Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham (1999)[10]
Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden (1999)[11]
Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam (2000)[12]
Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell (2001)[13]
Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came (2002)
Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate (2003)
Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House (2003)
Agatha Raisin and the Deadly Dance (2004)
The Perfect Paragon: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2005)
Love, Lies and Liquor: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2006)
Kissing Christmas Goodbye: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2007)
A Spoonful of Poison: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2008)
There Goes the Bride: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2009)
The Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2010)
As the Pig Turns: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2011)
Hiss and Hers: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2012)
Something Borrowed, Someone Dead: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2013)
The Blood of an Englishman: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2014)
Dishing the Dirt: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (2015)
Agatha Raisin: Pushing Up Daisies (2016)
Agatha Raisin and the Witches' Tree (2017)
Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer (2018)
Beating about the Bush: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (December 2019)

Short stories

Agatha Raisin and the Christmas Crumble (2012) - published in the 20th Anniversary Edition of the "A Perfect Paragon" paperback.
Agatha Raisin: Hell's Bells (2013)
Agatha's First Case (2015)

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

Sounds like someone I should read. Which of her books would you recommend as an entry point for someone new to her work?

I don't like to say 'amazingly' here, but 'amazingly, it's her romances that have the most stunning turns of phrase in them. And they are not your standard 'romance' by any means. They usually involve some young woman with a ton of personality and wit - or several of them, including the odd male character of equivalent literary value.

She was also a very pithy writer, not wasting time to have a story move along - you'll never get border or flick through pages just to get to something good; it's ALL good.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I commend the Agathat Raisin books; they are quirky and interesting;
According to wiki, the list is:-


Novels

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (1992)[3]
Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (1993)[4]
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (1994)[5]
Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (1995)[6]
Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (1996)[7]
Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist (1997)[8]
Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death (1998)[9]
Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham (1999)[10]
Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden (1999)[11]
Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam (2000)[12]
Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell (2001)[13]
Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came (2002)
Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate (2003)
Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House (2003)
Agatha Raisin and the Deadly Dance (2004)
The Perfect Paragon: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2005)
Love, Lies and Liquor: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2006)
Kissing Christmas Goodbye: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2007)
A Spoonful of Poison: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2008)
There Goes the Bride: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2009)
The Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2010)
As the Pig Turns: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2011)
Hiss and Hers: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2012)
Something Borrowed, Someone Dead: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2013)
The Blood of an Englishman: An Agatha Raisin mystery (2014)
Dishing the Dirt: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (2015)
Agatha Raisin: Pushing Up Daisies (2016)
Agatha Raisin and the Witches' Tree (2017)
Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer (2018)
Beating about the Bush: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (December 2019)

Short stories

Agatha Raisin and the Christmas Crumble (2012) - published in the 20th Anniversary Edition of the "A Perfect Paragon" paperback.
Agatha Raisin: Hell's Bells (2013)
Agatha's First Case (2015)

I haven't read these, but the titles make me want to.