Hot to Trot: An Agatha Raisin Mystery, Book 31

If "Hot to Trot" doesn't become your favorite book in the Agatha Raisin series, it will definitely be in your top five. It has everything and everyone, including a tiny glimmer of hope for a rekindled romance (and possibly a second marriage?) between James and Agatha. Though those hopes get dashed in subsequent books.

Well, Agatha Raisin is back in the saddle again, in a manner of speaking. With her beloved creator no longer with us, may she rest in peace, her chosen successor, R. W. Green, is continuing this series with her blessing. This, his first, is a worthy effort.The impecunious Sir Charles Fraith, Agatha’s former lover, has just married a perfectly horrid but fabulously wealthy woman. There is no love lost between her and Agatha. When the new Lady Fraith is murdered shortly after the nuptials, Charles and Agatha become suspects.As Agatha works to find the true killer(s), her investigation leads her into the world of international horse riding competitions, where intrigue abounds. What she discovers is not all that it initially seems, and the end has a totally unanticipated twist, which caught me by surprise.Compared to the last several books in the series, which ranged from dreadful to mediocre, this one is a vast improvement all around. At least the writing is cogent and the plot coherent. The only issue is that the character of Agatha needs a little work, as she needs to be a tad more biting. There are also minor editing issues. Still, this entry in the series is certainly is a step in the right direction. I look forward to the next book in the series.

As saddened as I was to hear that the modern Queen of Crime had passed, I was overjoyed that she had chosen with great care a person to carry her torch. I really like the fresh and respectful light shed on all of the Raisin characters. It was like trading in your 10-year-old flat screen for a 4K OLED television. It does take some time to get used to the movement (kinda B-movie-like) and seeing all the pores on people's faces.....but then you're hooked on the vividness. As a simple example, on pg127, pp3 there is way more movement and sensory-familiarity in the scene than Chesney would have done: "pinged", "shook", "too hot", "sucked in air", "cool her mouth", "sip". pg128, pp4: "pinged", "scooped the collapsed pie" (I could almost see the steam and smell the metallic-microwave meat pie - which gave me her attitude and facial expression once she dumped it in the trash - this yuck-food made her all-in to go with Roy to the pub for dinner when she normally just condescends to his company - this shows she is growing in her relationship with others - and why wouldn't she? That is what happens in tough times, and this is the gravest situation for her personally). Chesney spent how many years trying to get us into the mind of Agatha - her background and how it affected her, her desire to be loved played out in chronic fantasies, her dogged work ethic, her personal jealousies, her moments of true humanity? Green didn't change any of that. He simply brightened the bits that Chesney assumed we already had well developed in our minds. I see that as he truly likes our beloved Agatha and really wants her to shine. Bravo Mr. Green!!!! Chesney chose well! Thank you for your commitment to bringing us our Raisin-addiction........but my favorite update from Green is the suspect list. We've never gotten to see Agatha's systematic thinking. Chesney was heavily invested in showing Agatha's mental chaos even during the case review. I really want my heroine to be brainy and organized (much more sexy) all the while almost falling off ladders and ruining good shoes. It was handy to dog-ear that page for reference too.

The first thing I noticed upon receiving this newest installment of the wild and crazy adventures of everyone's favorite sleuth, Agatha Raisin, was that the book jacket announces that M. C. Beaton died in 2019. The book comes with a message about the creation of Agatha that might have been written by Beaton at any time in the past. The book also includes a forward by R. W. Green in which he primarily speaks of his final interview with the super creator of not just Agatha Raisin but also the wonderful Highland sleuth Hamish Macbeth. Alas, Green does not communicate how much of this new Agatha Raisin story he wrote. Was this effort a true collaboration? Did he merely edit and finish work that Beaton left behind or did he ghost write the entire cozy British mystery? The plot is okay if a bit fantastic. There is a very definite change in the storytelling. Agatha is much less abrasive and FUNNY than in the previous extensive library of this series set in The English Cotswolds. Charles and James definitely come off as vastly different men than in Beaton's countless entries in the series. James definitely has made the greatest change and he will be almost unrecognizable to Agatha's fan. The book is entertaining, but it is not in the same high class of the originals. One wonders if Green will take over the series somewhat in the manner that Tony Hillerman''s daughter has co-opted her father's Navajo police series. Readers should be aware that in any future editions, the authorship will most definitely be written by Green and not M. C. Beaton. Now, the final question is "What has become of Hamish Macbeth?" Did Beaton leave behind any unpublished manuscripts from that wonderful Scottish mystery series, my all-time favorite? It is so sad to lose a beloved author.

For my money, this collaborative effort has resulted in one of the best Agatha stories in recent years – 5 StarsPlenty of reasons to enjoy ‘Hot to Trot’:Plot - Sir Charles Fraith’s new bride is found murdered, and the curmudgeonly Wilkes is pointing the finger of blame squarely at Sir Charles and Agatha. Unsurprisingly, Agatha is determined to prove their innocence by identifying the true murderer.Characters - Supported by Agatha’s work colleagues, and featuring Mrs Bloxby, James, and a very excitable Roy Silver, this is packed with well-known characters, plus there are several interesting new faces too.Setting – Agatha’s investigations lead her to seek-out information among the show-jumping set, and whilst plenty of the action occurs in Carsley and the surrounding Gloucestershire villages, this adventure also sees Agatha tracking-down evidence in the Bordeaux region of France.Fun – Zipping along at a positive cantor, this is packed with all the elements that make this series fun: Agatha is as brave and as forthright as ever, but still manages to finds herself in plenty of scrapes. Still a romantic at heart, there’s more than one chap offering her a little up-close-and-personal company. And, there’s more than one showdown with suspects too.Overall: If this is farewell to Agatha, then it’s a very fond one. ‘Hot to Trot’ rekindles the sense of silliness and fun of the early stories. Immensely enjoyable.

A good plot but not well executed. Charles was diluted as a character and his relationship with Agatha was disappointing. James would never call her Aggie and was under used in the story line. He too was a diluted version of himself. I could tell cm Beaton had had help with this and sadly I don’t think it did her any favours.

A thoroughly enjoyable Swan Song from a remarkable lady. The book itself was entertaining and gripping...once picked up one can't put it down. I love the characters...the good are good , the bad are despicable !! Probably not one of her best novels but it will go on my bookshelf among all her other Agatha Raisin escapades. I must have been living on a desert island as I didn't know she had died. I met her a few time in the Cotswolds and found her to be not only intelligent, shrewd and charming , but also humorous and a fascinating conversationalist. Where now for Agatha Raisin ???? If there is a new author I wish him/her well... a difficult act to follow .

When I read that this had not been written by Beaton I expected the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised how good It was. At certain points the differences took me out of the story because some of the character changes were glaring. For example Toni would never 'giggle' and James was never so lovey-dovey with Agatha. Also in the most recent books it looked like Agatha and Charles would end up to together. Charles's character was missing, and we spent more time with Gustav. The cats had also definitely met Roy Silver many times before. So while I enjoyed this last outing, and I hope more are written by R W Green, I miss the real sparky abrasive Agatha.

Whilst it’s nice not to be left on a cliff edge (who will it be, Charles or James?) I found this collaborative effort disappointing. The plot is a good one , but it’s the characters who have kept me reading this series, and they seem both smaller and larger than life in this one. Little things mean a lot : Charles has lost his witty edge, James is fast turning into a pussycat, Agatha’s constant comparing of herself to Toni, a girl young enough to be her daughter, is something a woman with an ounce of intelligence, not to mention self respect, should have got over years ago. That’s the trouble in a nutshell. These people should grow, develop and become more self aware as time goes by, but they seem stuck in a time warp, or in some cases , regressing. When they do try to address their failings, as James and Agatha do, when reflecting on their divorce, there is no build up, no reason given for this abrupt seeing of sense.And I do wish people would get titles right when writing about the aristocracy. Sir Charles Fraith’s wife is Lady Charles Fraith, not Lady Mary, (unless she holds a title in her own right , which this one does not.)At least Mrs. Bloxby is Margaret once more.