The Dead Ringer

New York Times bestselling author M. C. Beaton’s cranky and clever Agatha Raisin is back with another baffling mystery.

The picturesque Cotswold village of Thirk Magna is famous for the medieval church of St. Ethelred and its celebrated bells. As preparations begin for a visit from the charismatic Bishop Peter Salver-Hinkley, excitement sweeps through the community.

At the same time, Agatha persuades Julian Brody, a charming local lawyer and bell-ringer, to hire her to investigate a long-unsolved mystery: the disappearance of the Bishop’s former fiancée, wealthy heiress Jennifer Toynby, whose body was never found.

But before Agatha can make much progress, the village is rocked by a series of murders. A local policeman is discovered dead in the church crypt. One of a pair of identical twin bell-ringers is murdered near the church. Then a journalist—and one of Agatha’s recent romantic interests—is found dead in her own home.

As the body count rises, Agatha broadens her investigation and begins to suspect that the handsome Bishop may be hiding dangerous secrets. But is he truly responsible for the killings, or is someone trying to destroy both him and his reputation?

To uncover the truth, Agatha must untangle a web of old scandals, buried grudges, and deadly deception before another victim falls.