Marion Gibbons (née Chesney; 10 June 1936 – 30/31 December 2019) was a Scottish writer of romance and mystery novels, whose career as a published author began in 1979. She wrote numerous successful historical romance novels under a form of her maiden name, Marion Chesney, including the "Travelling Matchmaker" and "Daughters of Mannerling" series. Using the pseudonym M. C. Beaton, she also wrote many popular

mystery novel Mystery is a fiction genre where the nature of an event, usually a murder or other crime, remains mysterious until the end of the story. Often within a closed circle of suspects, each suspect is usually provided with a credible motive and a re ...

s, most notably the

Agatha Raisin Agatha Raisin is a fictional detective in a series of humorous mystery novels, originally written by Marion Chesney using the pseudonym M. C. Beaton. Chesney's friend Rod W. Green took over as writer with ''Hot to Trot''. The books are publish ...

and

Hamish Macbeth Hamish Macbeth is the lackadaisical police constable of the fictional Scottish Highland town of Lochdubh, in a series of murder mystery novels created by M. C. Beaton ( Marion Chesney). Considered by many to be a useless, lazy moocher, Macbet ...

mystery series. Both of these book series have been adapted for TV. She also wrote romance novels under the pseudonyms Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester. Writing as Marion Chesney, her final endeavour was an Edwardian mystery series featuring Lady Rose Summer, a charming debutante with an independent streak, and Captain Harry Cathcart, an impoverished aristocrat. In an interview, she stated that she ceased writing the Edwardian series as a result of the pressure of writing for the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series.

Biography

Marion Chesney was born on 10 June 1936 in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

, Scotland, and worked as a buyer of fiction for the Glasgow bookshop John Smith & Son before working at the

Scottish Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...

as a theatre critic, newspaper reporter and editor. She married Express Middle East Correspondent Harry Scott Gibbons in 1969; they had a son, Charles. The couple moved to the Cotswolds when their son was about to go to university, assuming that he would go to Oxford, though in fact he did not. Chesney had also lived in the USA. In later life she divided her time between a cottage in the

Cotswolds The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Ju ...

, and Paris. She died at a hospital in Gloucester, England on 30 or 31 December 2019, at the age of 83.

Bibliography

As Ann Fairfax

* ''My Dear Duchess'' (1979) * ''Henrietta'' (1979) * ''Annabelle'' (1980) * ''Penelope'' (1982)

As Jennie Tremaine

* ''Kitty'' (1979) * ''Daisy'' (1980) * ''Lucy'' (1980) * ''Polly'' (1980) * ''Molly'' (1980) * ''Ginny'' (1980) * ''Tilly'' (1980) * ''Susie'' (1981) * ''Poppy'' (1982) * ''Sally'' (1982) * ''Maggie'' (1984) * ''Lady Anne's Deception'' (1986)

As Helen Crampton

* ''The Marquis Takes a Bride'' (1980) * ''Marriage a la Mode'' (1980) * ''The Highland Countess'' (1981)

As Marion Chesney

Stand-alone novels

* ''Regency Gold'' (1980) * ''Lady Margery's Intrigue'' (1980) * ''The Constant Companion'' (1980) * ''Quadrille'' (1981) * ''My Lords, Ladies and Marjorie'' (1981) * ''The Ghost and Lady Alice'' (1982) * ''Love and Lady Lovelace'' (1982) * ''Duke's Diamonds'' (1982) * ''The Flirt'' (1985) * ''At The Sign of the Golden Pineapple'' (1987) * ''Miss Davenport's Christmas'' (1993) * ''The Chocolate Debutante'' (1998) ''(some of these books were re-published much later as part of other series, often as by "M. C. Beaton")'' Those Endearing Young Charms # ''The French Affair'' (1984) # ''To Dream of Love'' (1986) # ''A Marriage of Inconvenience'' (1992) # ''A Governess of Distinction'' (1992) # ''The Glitter and the Gold'' (1993) # ''Duke's Diamonds'' (1982) # ''Those Endearing Young Charms'' (1986)

Westerby

# ''The Westerby Inheritance'' (1982) # ''The Westerby Sisters'' (1982)

The Six Sisters

# ''Minerva'' (1983) # ''The Taming of Annabelle'' (1983) # ''Deirdre and Desire'' (1984) # ''Daphne'' (1984) # ''Diana the Huntress'' (1985) # ''Frederica in Fashion'' (1985)

A House for the Season series

# ''The Miser of Mayfair'' (1986) # ''Plain Jane'' (1986) # ''The Wicked Godmother'' (1987) # ''Rake's Progress'' (1987) # ''The Adventuress'' (1987) # ''Rainbird's Revenge'' (1988)

The School for Manners

# ''Refining Felicity'' (1988) # ''Perfecting Fiona'' (1989) # ''Enlightening Delilah'' (1989) # ''Finessing Clarissa'' (1989) # ''Animating Maria'' (1990) # ''Marrying Harriet'' (1990)

Waverley Women

# ''The First Rebellion'' (1989) # ''Silken Bonds'' (1989) # ''The Love Match'' (1990)

The Travelling Matchmaker

# ''Emily Goes to Exeter'' (1990) # ''Belinda Goes to Bath'' (1991) # ''Penelope Goes to Portsmouth'' (1991) # ''Beatrice Goes to Brighton'' (1991) # ''Deborah Goes to Dover'' (1992) # ''Yvonne Goes to York'' (1992)

Poor relation

# ''Lady Fortescue Steps Out'' (1993) # ''Miss Tonks Turns to Crime'' (1993) aka ''Miss Tonks Takes a Risk'' # ''Mrs. Budley Falls From Grace'' (1993) # ''Sir Philip's Folly'' (1993) # ''Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue'' (1994) # ''Back in Society'' (1994)

The Daughters of Mannerling

# ''The Banishment'' (1995) # ''The Intrigue'' (1995) # ''The Deception'' (1996) # ''The Folly'' (1996) # ''The Romance'' (1997) # ''The Homecoming'' (1997)

Edwardian Murder Mystery

# ''Snobbery with Violence'' (2003) # ''Hasty Death'' (2004) # ''Sick of Shadows'' (2005) # ''Our Lady of Pain'' (2006)

As Charlotte Ward

* ''The Westerby Inheritance'' (1982)

As M. C. Beaton

Hamish Macbeth series

# '' Death of a Gossip'' (1985) # '' Death of a Cad'' (1987) # '' Death of an Outsider'' (1988) # ''Death of a Perfect Wife'' (1989) # '' Death of a Hussy'' (1991) # ''Death of a Snob'' (1992) # ''Death of a Prankster'' (1992) # ''Death of a Glutton'' OR ''Death of a Greedy Woman'' (1993) # ''Death of a Travelling Man'' (1993) # ''Death of a Charming Man'' (1994) # ''Death of a Nag'' (1995) # '' Death of a Macho Man'' (1996) # ''Death of a Dentist'' (1997) # ''Death of a Scriptwriter'' (1998) # ''Death of an Addict'' (1999) # ''A Highland Christmas'' (2000) # ''Death of a Dustman'' (2001) # ''Death of a Celebrity'' (2002) # ''Death of a Village'' (2003) # ''Death of a Poison Pen'' (2004) # ''Death of a Bore'' (2005) # ''Death of a Dreamer'' (2006) # ''Death of a Maid'' (2007) # '' Death of a Gentle Lady'' (2008) # ''Death of a Witch'' (2009) # ''Death of a Valentine'' (2010) # ''Death of a Chimney Sweep'' (2011) # ''Death of a Kingfisher'' (2012) # ''Death of Yesterday'' (2013) # ''Death of a Policeman'' (2014) # ''Death of a Liar'' (2015) # ''Death of a Nurse'' (2016) # ''Death of a Ghost'' (2017) # ''Death of an Honest Man'' (2018) Short Stories and Companion books: * ''Knock, Knock, You're Dead'', ebook short story (2016) Posthumous: # ''Death of a Green-Eyed Monster'' (2022, credited to "M C Beaton with R W Green")

Agatha Raisin series

# ''

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death ''The Quiche of Death'' (1992) is the first Agatha Raisin Mystery fiction, mystery novel by Marion Chesney under her pseudonym M. C. Beaton. Premise Agatha Raisin retires from her profitable position as a PR agent in London and moves to the ...

'' (1992) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet'' (1993) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener'' (1994) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley'' (1995) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage'' (1996) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist'' (1997) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death'' (1998) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham'' (1999) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden'' (1999) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam'' (2000) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell'' (2001) # ''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) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Perfect Paragon'' (2005) # ''Love, Lies and Liquor: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2006) # ''Agatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas Goodbye'' (2007) # ''A Spoonful of Poison: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2008) # ''Agatha Raisin: There Goes The Bride'' (2009) # ''Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2010) # ''As the Pig Turns: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2011) # ''Hiss and Hers'' (2012) # ''Something Borrowed, Someone Dead: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2013) # ''The Blood of an Englishman'' (2014) # ''Dishing the Dirt'' (2015) # ''Pushing up daisies'' (2016) # ''The Witches' Tree'' (2017) # ''The Dead Ringer'' (2018) # ''Beating About the Bush'' (2019) Short stories and related works: # ''Agatha Raisin and the Christmas Crumble'' (2012) # ''Hell's Bells'' (2013) # ''Agatha's First Case'' (2015) # ''The Agatha Raisin Companion'' (2010) with introduction by M.C.Beaton. Posthumous: # ''Hot to Trot'' (2020, credited to "M. C. Beaton with R. W. Green") # ''Down the Hatch'' (2021, credited to "M. C. Beaton with R. W. Green") # ''Devil's Delight'' (2022, credited to "M. C. Beaton with R. W. Green")

Stand-alone novels

* ''The Education of Miss Paterson'' (1985) * ''Ms. Davenport's Christmas'' (1993) * ''The Skeleton in the Closet'' (2001)

As Sarah Chester

* ''Dancing on the Wind'' (1988)

References

External links

An Interview with Marion Chesney
1936 births 2019 deaths Writers from Glasgow Scottish women novelists Scottish romantic fiction writers Scottish mystery writers 20th-century Scottish novelists 21st-century Scottish novelists Women romantic fiction writers Women mystery writers 20th-century Scottish women writers 21st-century Scottish women writers

Bibliography

As Ann Fairfax

* ''My Dear Duchess'' (1979) * ''Henrietta'' (1979) * ''Annabelle'' (1980) * ''Penelope'' (1982)

As Jennie Tremaine

As Helen Crampton

* ''The Marquis Takes a Bride'' (1980) * ''Marriage a la Mode'' (1980) * ''The Highland Countess'' (1981)

As Marion Chesney

Stand-alone novels

Those Endearing Young Charms

# ''The French Affair'' (1984) # ''To Dream of Love'' (1986) # ''A Marriage of Inconvenience'' (1992) # ''A Governess of Distinction'' (1992) # ''The Glitter and the Gold'' (1993) # ''Duke's Diamonds'' (1982) # ''Those Endearing Young Charms'' (1986)

Westerby

# ''The Westerby Inheritance'' (1982) # ''The Westerby Sisters'' (1982)

The Six Sisters

# ''Minerva'' (1983) # ''The Taming of Annabelle'' (1983) # ''Deirdre and Desire'' (1984) # ''Daphne'' (1984) # ''Diana the Huntress'' (1985) # ''Frederica in Fashion'' (1985)

A House for the Season Series

# ''The Miser of Mayfair'' (1986) # ''Plain Jane'' (1986) # ''The Wicked Godmother'' (1987) # ''Rake's Progress'' (1987) # ''The Adventuress'' (1987) # ''Rainbird's Revenge'' (1988)

The School for Manners

# ''Refining Felicity'' (1988) # ''Perfecting Fiona'' (1989) # ''Enlightening Delilah'' (1989) # ''Finessing Clarissa'' (1989) # ''Animating Maria'' (1990) # ''Marrying Harriet'' (1990)

Waverley Women

# ''The First Rebellion'' (1989) # ''Silken Bonds'' (1989) # ''The Love Match'' (1990)

The Travelling Matchmaker

Poor relation

The Daughters of Mannerling

# ''The Banishment'' (1995) # ''The Intrigue'' (1995) # ''The Deception'' (1996) # ''The Folly'' (1996) # ''The Romance'' (1997) # ''The Homecoming'' (1997)

Edwardian Murder Mystery

# ''Snobbery with Violence'' (2003) # ''Hasty Death'' (2004) # ''Sick of Shadows'' (2005) # ''Our Lady of Pain'' (2006)

As Charlotte Ward

* ''The Westerby Inheritance'' (1982)

As M. C. Beaton

Hamish Macbeth series

# '' Death of a Gossip'' (1985) # '' Death of a Cad'' (1987) # '' Death of an Outsider'' (1988) # ''Death of a Perfect Wife'' (1989) # '' Death of a Hussy'' (1991) # ''Death of a Snob'' (1992) # ''Death of a Prankster'' (1992) # ''Death of a Glutton'' OR ''Death of a Greedy Woman'' (1993) # ''Death of a Travelling Man'' (1993) # ''Death of a Charming Man'' (1994) # ''Death of a Nag'' (1995) # '' Death of a Macho Man'' (1996) # ''Death of a Dentist'' (1997) # ''Death of a Scriptwriter'' (1998) # ''Death of an Addict'' (1999) # ''Death of a Dustman'' (2001) # ''Death of a Celebrity'' (2002) # ''Death of a Village'' (2003) # ''Death of a Poison Pen'' (2004) # ''Death of a Bore'' (2005) # ''Death of a Dreamer'' (2006) # ''Death of a Maid'' (2007) # '' Death of a Gentle Lady'' (2008) # ''Death of a Witch'' (2009) # ''Death of a Valentine'' (2010) # ''Death of a Chimney Sweep'' (2011) # ''Death of a Kingfisher'' (2012) # ''Death of Yesterday'' (2013) # ''Death of a Policeman'' (2014) # ''Death of a Liar'' (2015) # ''Death of a Nurse'' (2016) # ''Death of a Ghost'' (2017) # ''Death of an Honest Man'' (2018) # ''Death of a Green-Eyed Monster'' (2022, credited to "M C Beaton with R W Green")

Hamish Macbeth companion books

* ''A Highland Christmas'' (1999) * ''Knock, Knock, You're Dead'', ebook short story (2016)

Agatha Raisin series

# ''

'' (1992) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet'' (1993) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener'' (1994) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley'' (1995) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage'' (1996) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist'' (1997) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death'' (1998) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham'' (1999) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden'' (1999) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam'' (2000) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell'' (2001) # ''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) # ''Agatha Raisin and the Perfect Paragon'' (2005) # ''Love, Lies and Liquor: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2006) # ''Agatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas Goodbye'' (2007) # ''A Spoonful of Poison: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2008) # ''Agatha Raisin: There Goes The Bride'' (2009) # ''Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2010) # ''As the Pig Turns: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2011) # ''Hiss and Hers'' (2012) # ''Something Borrowed, Someone Dead: An Agatha Raisin Mystery'' (2013) # ''The Blood of an Englishman'' (2014) # ''Dishing the Dirt'' (2015) # ''Pushing up daisies'' (2016) # ''The Witches' Tree'' (2017) # ''The Dead Ringer'' (2018) # ''Beating About the Bush'' (2019) # ''Hot to Trot'' (2020, credited to "M C Beaton with R W Green") # ''Down the Hatch'' (2021, credited to "M C Beaton with R W Green") There are also the short stories ''Agatha Raisin and the Christmas Crumble'' (2012), ''Hell's Bells'' (2013) and ''Agatha's First Case'' (2015), as well as ''The Agatha Raisin Companion'' (2010) with introduction by M.C.Beaton.

Stand-alone novels

* ''The Skeleton in the Closet'' (2001) * ''The Education of Miss Paterson'' (1985) * ''Ms. Davenport's Christmas'' (1993)

As Sarah Chester

* ''Dancing on the Wind'' (1988) {{Col-end