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Marion Chesney

8 series 38 books in order 1 standalone book

Marion Chesney, a British writer born in 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, and who died in 2019, began as a bookseller and theatre critic before becoming a journalist for the Scottish Daily Express and Daily Express. In 1977 she began writing historical romance novels, eventually publishing over one hundred books under her own name and various pseudonyms, before turning to detective stories as M. C. Beaton.

Born
1936
Known for
Agatha Raisin, Hamish Macbeth, [A House for the season, The Travelling Matchmaker

Series by Marion Chesney

Agatha Raisin

30 books in order · 1992–2025

  1. Cover of Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death

    Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death

    1992 · M. C. Beaton

    Mrs. Agatha Raisin moves to the English Cotswolds to enjoy a quiet country life, expecting to make friends and take part in village activities.…

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  2. Cover of Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet

    Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet

    1993 · M. C. Beaton

    Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet is a mystery novel in the Agatha Raisin series, written by M. C. Beaton. The book features the titular character, a…

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  3. Cover of Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener

    Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener

    1994 · M. C. Beaton

    Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener is a mystery novel in the Agatha Raisin series, which features the titular character as a fictional detective.…

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  4. Cover of Agatha Raisin and the walkers of Dembley

    Agatha Raisin and the walkers of Dembley

    1995 · M. C. Beaton

    After six grueling months in London, Agatha Raisin returns to her favorite Cotswold village, Carsely, and to her neighbor James Lacey. James is not…

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  5. Cover of Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage

    Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage

    1996 · M. C. Beaton

    Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage is a mystery novel in the Agatha Raisin series, which features the titular character as a fictional…

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  6. Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist

    1997 · M. C. Beaton

    Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist is a mystery novel in the Agatha Raisin series, originally created by Marion Chesney under the pseudonym M. C.…

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  7. Cover of Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death

    Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death

    1998 · M. C. Beaton

    Agatha Raisin and the wellspring of death is a 1998 book by Marion Chesney. It is book 7 of the series Agatha Raisin. Catalog genres: Mystery &…

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  8. Cover of Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham

    Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham

    1999 · M. C. Beaton

    British sleuth Agatha Raisin investigates the death by poison of her hairdresser, who is believed to have been blackmailing his customers. A novel by…

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  9. Cover of Agatha Raisin and Love, Lies and Liquor
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  10. Cover of Agatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas Goodbye
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Hamish Macbeth

35 books in order · 1989–2025

  1. Cover of Death of a Perfect Wife

    Death of a Perfect Wife

    1989 · M. C. Beaton

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  2. Cover of Death of a hussy

    Death of a hussy

    1990 · M. C. Beaton

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  3. Cover of Death of a Prankster

    Death of a Prankster

    1992 · M. C. Beaton

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  4. Cover of Death of a Glutton

    Death of a Glutton

    1995 · M. C. Beaton

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  5. Cover of Death of a Nag

    Death of a Nag

    1995 · M. C. Beaton

    Constable Hamish Macbeth, whose engagement to Priscilla Halburton-Smythe has ended, takes a vacation at a bed and breakfast in Skay after reading…

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  6. Cover of Death of a Travelling Man
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  7. Cover of Death of a Dentist

    Death of a Dentist

    1997 · M. C. Beaton

    As the small village of Lochdubh has no dentist, locals travel to Frederick Gilchrist's dental surgery in nearby Braikie. A blinding toothache…

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  8. Cover of Death of a Scriptwriter

    Death of a Scriptwriter

    1998 · M. C. Beaton

    Hamish Macbeth, Scotland's one-man village police force, investigates the deaths of an actress and a television writer. Patricia Martyn-Broyd, an…

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  9. Cover of Death of a Gossip

    Death of a Gossip

    1999 · M. C. Beaton

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  10. Cover of A Highland Christmas

    A Highland Christmas

    1999 · M. C. Beaton

    Police Constable Hamish Macbeth battles his own Christmas blues during a bitterly cold week before Christmas in Lochdubh, missing his family who are…

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[A House for the season

6 books in order · 1986–1988

  1. Cover of The Miser of Mayfair

    The Miser of Mayfair

    1986 · Marion Chesney

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  2. Cover of Plain Jane

    Plain Jane

    1986 · Marion Chesney

    At number 67 Clarges Street, a fashionable London town house, the downstairs staff has a special mission each season: to arrange a match. Plain Jane,…

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  3. Cover of Rake's progress

    Rake's progress

    1987 · Marion Chesney

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  4. Cover of The adventuress

    The adventuress

    1987 · Marion Chesney

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  5. Cover of The wicked godmother

    The wicked godmother

    1987 · Marion Chesney

    Beautiful Harriet Metcalf is unexpectedly made guardian of twin heiresses and must sponsor them for a London season. Renting the unlucky house at 67…

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  6. Cover of Rainbird's Revenge

    Rainbird's Revenge

    1988 · Marion Chesney

    The haughty Duke of Pelham decides to live in his London house on Clarges Street, previously rented out by his unscrupulous agent, and resolves to…

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The Travelling Matchmaker

6 books in order · 1990–1992

  1. Cover of Emily Goes to Exeter

    Emily Goes to Exeter

    1990 · Marion Chesney

    A dead employer's legacy of five thousand pounds lets spinster Hannah Pym resign from housekeeping to travel the English countryside by stagecoach.…

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  2. Cover of Belinda Goes to Bath

    Belinda Goes to Bath

    1991 · Marion Chesney

    Hannah Pym returns to the English countryside in search of adventure and romance in distress. She boards a stagecoach and becomes embroiled in the…

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  3. Cover of Penelope Goes to Portsmouth

    Penelope Goes to Portsmouth

    1991 · Marion Chesney

    Kind-hearted Hannah Pym travels to Portsmouth with the beautiful but practical Penelope Wilkins, daughter of a rich merchant. Miss Pym realizes…

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  4. Cover of Beatrice Goes to Brighton

    Beatrice Goes to Brighton

    1991 · Marion Chesney

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  5. Cover of Deborah Goes to Dover

    Deborah Goes to Dover

    1992 · Marion Chesney

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  6. Cover of Yvonne Goes to York

    Yvonne Goes to York

    1992 · Marion Chesney

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The Six sisters

7 books in order · 1983–2013

  1. Cover of The Taming of Annabelle

    The Taming of Annabelle

    1983 · Marion Chesney

    Blue-eyed blonde Annabelle Armitage envies her eldest sister Minerva her intended, Lord Sylvester Comfrey, after their hunt-happy vicar father…

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  2. Cover of Deirdre and Desire

    Deirdre and Desire

    1983 · Marion Chesney

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  3. Cover of Daphne

    Daphne

    1984 · Marion Chesney

    Daphne Armitage, described as the black-haired beauty among six sisters, intends to avoid the turmoil of true love by seeking a husband who is merely…

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  4. Cover of Diana the Huntress

    Diana the Huntress

    1985 · Marion Chesney

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  5. Cover of Frederica in Fashion

    Frederica in Fashion

    1985 · Marion Chesney

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  6. Cover of Deirdre & Desire

    Deirdre & Desire

    2013 · Marion Chesney

    Red-haired, jade-eyed Deirdre is determined to marry for love and nothing else, so she is unmoved when her father proposes the well-bred,…

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  7. Cover of Minerva

    Minerva

    2013 · Marion Chesney

    Raven-haired Minerva, eldest daughter of an impecunious country vicar, is sent to town under the wing of the disreputable old Lady Godolphin with the…

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Daughters of Mannerling

6 books in order · 1995–1997

  1. Cover of The Intrigue

    The Intrigue

    1995 · Marion Chesney

    In this installment of the Beverly family saga centered on their quest to reclaim Mannerling, the family mansion lost through gambling by Sir…

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  2. Cover of The banishment

    The banishment

    1995 · Marion Chesney

    An English lord loses his estate through gambling and is banished with his family to a small cottage. With six daughters and the family's restoration…

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  3. Cover of The Deception

    The Deception

    1996 · Marion Chesney

    The Deception is the third book in the Mannerling Series by Marion Chesney. When Abigail Beverley's sister is attacked by Harry Devers, the son of…

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  4. Cover of The Folly

    The Folly

    1996 · Marion Chesney

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  5. Cover of The Romance

    The Romance

    1997 · Marion Chesney

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  6. Cover of The Homecoming

    The Homecoming

    1997 · Marion Chesney

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The Poor Relation

5 books in order · 1992–1994

  1. Cover of Lady Fortescue Steps Out

    Lady Fortescue Steps Out

    1992 · Marion Chesney

    Elderly widow Lady Fortescue and her friends devise a plan to escape genteel poverty by relieving rich relatives of expensive trinkets, using the…

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  2. Cover of Miss Tonks Turns to Crime

    Miss Tonks Turns to Crime

    1993 · Marion Chesney

    The book features a group of impoverished, socially marginalized individuals who were once connected in the past. They reunite under circumstances…

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  3. Cover of Mrs. Budley falls from grace
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  4. Cover of Sir Philip's Folly

    Sir Philip's Folly

    1993 · Marion Chesney

    The Poor Relation Hotel, known for its elegance and eccentricity, experiences disruption when Sir Philip Somerville brings home his paramour, Mrs.…

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  5. Cover of Back in Society

    Back in Society

    1994 · Marion Chesney

    The final volume in The Poor Relations series centers on Lady Jane Fremney, a widowed woman facing bankruptcy who requires a husband to secure her…

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The School for Manners

5 books in order · 1988–1990

  1. Cover of Refining Felicity

    Refining Felicity

    1988 · Marion Chesney

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  2. Cover of Perfecting Fiona

    Perfecting Fiona

    1989 · Marion Chesney

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  3. Cover of Finessing Clarissa

    Finessing Clarissa

    1989 · Marion Chesney

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  4. Cover of Animating Maria

    Animating Maria

    1990 · Marion Chesney

    Maria Kendall, celebrated for her beauty and grace, becomes the latest charge of the eccentric matchmaking sisters Amy and Effy Tribble, known for…

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  5. Cover of Marrying Harriet

    Marrying Harriet

    1990 · Marion Chesney

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Standalone books

  1. Cover of The Constant Companion
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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Marion Chesney written?

We list 38 books by Marion Chesney across 8 series, published between 1980–2025 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Marion Chesney's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Hot to Trot.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Marion Chesney's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.