Rating: 
Summary: Aggie's a Riot-----but Beaton needs a new editor.
Review: There is simply no question I adore Agatha Raisin in all her grumpy, middle-aged, love-starved, prickly, hard-nosed and soft-hearted misadventures! In this latest effort, the latest in the series of handsome men who briefly live next door to Aggie's cottage in the Cotswold village of Carsely and help her solve mysteries is a silver-haired married computer guy. Unfortunately, he's a mere shadow of a character, just a temporary device to get Aggie involved in a new case and to provide a temporary distraction as she pines for her ex-husband and former neighbor James Lacey, a chilly jerk she's still fixated on in a mild way. Aggie and her new neighbor agree to try to help Mrs. Witherspoon, a ninety-something holy terror, uncover the source of the "haunting" of her home by sitting up in the house all night to catch the ghost. The whole effort goes hilariously awry when Agatha runs shrieking from the house at the sight of Mrs. Witherspoon in her nightgown and a facial mask (the only laugh-out-loud moment in the book---and I'm used to many chuckles from Agatha). Mrs. Witherspoon is subsequently murdered, and Agatha and her handsome neighbor-du-jour begin the search for her murderer and the reason for the haunting. Lost treasure, secret rooms, and more late night burgling are included in the enjoyable hunt. Now, equally important to me is Aggie's personal life. This book finds her still pained by reminders of James Lacey. Her former friend, co-investigator and erstwhile lover Sir Charles Fraith shows up again in this story --- and thus begins my complaint about whoever is editing the prolific Ms. Beaton's manuscripts. When we last met Charles, he was in the process of divorcing a French wife who duped him into marriage with a false claim of pregnancy with twins, and he was uncharacteristically pudgy with thinning hair. In this book, he seems to be unhappily separated from a French wife and the father of children, and claims his weight gain and hair loss were due to successful treatment for lung cancer. Now, really..........can't someone at this publishing house provide better editorial support than that? Ms. Beaton is a talented and prolific writer, and I adore her work. Prior books have been cursed with editorial errors----dialogue attributed to the wrong character, etc. But this is really a problem. Agatha's ex-husband James Lacey suffered from a cancerous brain tumor in earlier books in the series. Are we now to assume both Charles and James had cancer? Did Charles re-acquire his wife or re-marry? This at best needs clarification, and at worst is a howling mistake in continuity. Either way, that's what I thought editors were for. Please, Ms. Beaton----keep writing these delightful stories, and insist on better editors and proof-readers. And----a modicum of resolution of the lovable but unloved Agatha's past relationships would help!!
Rating:
Summary: Aggie's a Riot-----but Beaton needs a new editor.
Review: There is simply no question I adore Agatha Raisin in all her grumpy, middle-aged, love-starved, prickly, hard-nosed and soft-hearted misadventures! In this latest effort, the latest in the series of handsome men who briefly live next door to Aggie's cottage in the Cotswold village of Carsely and help her solve mysteries is a silver-haired married computer guy. Unfortunately, he's a mere shadow of a character, just a temporary device to get Aggie involved in a new case and to provide a temporary distraction as she pines for her ex-husband and former neighbor James Lacey, a chilly jerk she's still fixated on in a mild way. Aggie and her new neighbor agree to try to help Mrs. Witherspoon, a ninety-something holy terror, uncover the source of the "haunting" of her home by sitting up in the house all night to catch the ghost. The whole effort goes hilariously awry when Agatha runs shrieking from the house at the sight of Mrs. Witherspoon in her nightgown and a facial mask (the only laugh-out-loud moment in the book---and I'm used to many chuckles from Agatha). Mrs. Witherspoon is subsequently murdered, and Agatha and her handsome neighbor-du-jour begin the search for her murderer and the reason for the haunting. Lost treasure, secret rooms, and more late night burgling are included in the enjoyable hunt. Now, equally important to me is Aggie's personal life. This book finds her still pained by reminders of James Lacey. Her former friend, co-investigator and erstwhile lover Sir Charles Fraith shows up again in this story --- and thus begins my complaint about whoever is editing the prolific Ms. Beaton's manuscripts. When we last met Charles, he was in the process of divorcing a French wife who duped him into marriage with a false claim of pregnancy with twins, and he was uncharacteristically pudgy with thinning hair. In this book, he seems to be unhappily separated from a French wife and the father of children, and claims his weight gain and hair loss were due to successful treatment for lung cancer. Now, really..........can't someone at this publishing house provide better editorial support than that? Ms. Beaton is a talented and prolific writer, and I adore her work. Prior books have been cursed with editorial errors----dialogue attributed to the wrong character, etc. But this is really a problem. Agatha's ex-husband James Lacey suffered from a cancerous brain tumor in earlier books in the series. Are we now to assume both Charles and James had cancer? Did Charles re-acquire his wife or re-marry? This at best needs clarification, and at worst is a howling mistake in continuity. Either way, that's what I thought editors were for. Please, Ms. Beaton----keep writing these delightful stories, and insist on better editors and proof-readers. And----a modicum of resolution of the lovable but unloved Agatha's past relationships would help!!
Rating: 
Summary: Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House
Review: This is the 14th book in the popular Agatha Raisin series, and the plots are starting to have a familiar ring to them, though they are still a fast and entertaining read. In this installment Agatha plays sleuth with her new, handsome neighbor Paul Chatterton, who is conveniently married to a woman who lives in Spain. Agatha was socialized to view every male as a possible romance, and Paul is no exception. They offer their services to Mrs. Witherspoon, an elderly eccentric who lives in the village of Hebberdon, who claims her house is haunted, and then work together when Mrs. Witherspoon is found murdered. In the end it is Agatha and her friend, Sir Charles, who solve the case after Sir Charles arrives in Carsely for an unexpected visit. What will Agatha do next? Stay tuned for #15.
Rating:
Summary: Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House
Review: This is the 14th book in the popular Agatha Raisin series, and the plots are starting to have a familiar ring to them, though they are still a fast and entertaining read. In this installment Agatha plays sleuth with her new, handsome neighbor Paul Chatterton, who is conveniently married to a woman who lives in Spain. Agatha was socialized to view every male as a possible romance, and Paul is no exception. They offer their services to Mrs. Witherspoon, an elderly eccentric who lives in the village of Hebberdon, who claims her house is haunted, and then work together when Mrs. Witherspoon is found murdered. In the end it is Agatha and her friend, Sir Charles, who solve the case after Sir Charles arrives in Carsely for an unexpected visit. What will Agatha do next? Stay tuned for #15.
Rating: 
Summary: time to retire
Review: This is the fourteenth book about Agatha Raison, an early retiree who moves to the Cotswald from London. Carsely is a picturesque, quaint village. Agatha frequently gets bored, but luckily there is always a murder that she can investigate. In this outing, Agatha and her new next door neighbor, Paul, investigate who is playing tricks on grouchy old Mrs. Witherspoon, the owner of the haunted house. Before long, Mrs. Witherspoon is found dead at the foot of the stairs. Agatha likes to put her past public relations skills to use by helping the police. It usually lands her in trouble and this time is no different. I feel this series is getting extremely tired. Each book feels exactly like the last one. Agatha gets a new male neighbor, she starts to have romantic feeling about him, they investigate together, and by the end of the book they are usually on the outs. The characters have stagnated. The plots get recycled. It's time to retire Agatha permanently.
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