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Beaton, M C - Agatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas Goodbye
Hardback: 206 pages (Oct. 2007) Publisher: Constable Robinson ISBN:1845295765

AGATHA RAISIN AND KISSING CHRISTMAS GOODBYE takes place mainly in October with the last couple of chapters covering another of Agatha's unforgettable Christmas dinners!

Agatha's detective agency is doing well though the cases are routine – divorces and missing pets - and Agatha employs the young Toni Gilmour to take the place of Harry who has gone on to university.

Agatha receives a letter from a Mrs Tamworthy who is a wealthy lady of the manor in the small Cotswold village of Lower Tapor. Mrs Tamworthy fears that one of her family is about to kill her. When Agatha meets the woman and hears what's she's got planned for her children's inheritance, she begins to see why she's in danger. Agatha attends Mrs Tamworthy's birthday party, in order to protect her client. However she fails and Mrs Tamworthy is killed by hemlock poisoning. Mrs Tamworthy's daughter in law employs Agatha to discover who murdered her so the family can be free of suspicion and more importantly to them, be able to get a good price for the estate. Agatha's team swings into action, questioning villagers and family and irritating the police as usual.

AGATHA RAISIN AND KISSING CHRISTMAS GOODBYE is a short outing for Agatha, just over 200 pages. The mystery isn't too complex nor to be truthful, very interesting but it's nice to be in Agatha world again. All the usual characters make an appearance: Charles, Roy, Mrs Bloxby, Bill and a mercifully brief visit from her ex-husband James. I wouldn't particularly recommend starting the Agatha series with this one, the eighteenth, but it will entertain her many, many existing fans.

Karen Meek, England
November 2007

Karen blogs at
Euro Crime.

Details of the author's other books with links to reviews can be found on the Books page.
More European crime fiction reviews can be found on the Reviews page.



last updated 26/10/2008 09:33