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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The mystery is entertaining enough, and I can see why there's a tv series, but wow Agatha is awful.
This book is very much a product of its time, and it has not aged well. There is some low-key homophobia and racism that I only saw one other reviewer point out. Also some very 90s self-loathing and fatphobia on Agatha's part. As I listened to the audiobook, it was not fun listening to Agatha's casual comments about needing to lose weight. The only dated part that was funny to me was how much microwaves were mentioned, as I am endlessly entertained by 1980s microwave cookbooks.
Agatha is awful. She has no friends and randomly decides to retire to the country at 50, but she HAS NO IDEA HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS so she basically just ends up as a crabby newcomer to the village. For some reason she decides that cheating her way into winning a baking contest will make people like her, and then she ends up a murder suspect for a hot minute. She basically just bullies people into doing what she wants, and lies when it benefits her. She hates village society so much that she falls asleep during the groups she signed herself up for. And somehow she manages to make friends? There are delightfully cranky MCs and then there's Agatha who has no good parts.
The adaptation is probably fine. Finished the book to find out the end, and I do not intend to read the rest of the series.
This book is very much a product of its time, and it has not aged well. There is some low-key homophobia and racism that I only saw one other reviewer point out. Also some very 90s self-loathing and fatphobia on Agatha's part. As I listened to the audiobook, it was not fun listening to Agatha's casual comments about needing to lose weight. The only dated part that was funny to me was how much microwaves were mentioned, as I am endlessly entertained by 1980s microwave cookbooks.
Agatha is awful. She has no friends and randomly decides to retire to the country at 50, but she HAS NO IDEA HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS so she basically just ends up as a crabby newcomer to the village. For some reason she decides that cheating her way into winning a baking contest will make people like her, and then she ends up a murder suspect for a hot minute. She basically just bullies people into doing what she wants, and lies when it benefits her. She hates village society so much that she falls asleep during the groups she signed herself up for. And somehow she manages to make friends? There are delightfully cranky MCs and then there's Agatha who has no good parts.
The adaptation is probably fine. Finished the book to find out the end, and I do not intend to read the rest of the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to Agatha Raisin. She's smart, curmudgeonly, driven, plain and doesn't suffer fools at all well. I found Beaton's writing style unaffected and unpretentious. Will definitely read more in the series.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After my last, emotionally distressing book, I picked this up as something a bit more soothing to read.
Beaton's Raisin books are quick, silly, and engaging.
Only 35 of them to go.
Beaton's Raisin books are quick, silly, and engaging.
Only 35 of them to go.
This past weekend, I watched an episode of Agatha Raisin on Acorn and was a little confused about the characters and their relationship to each other. Agatha seemed quirky and I wanted to know more. The reading genies popped up this as a suggestion (how did they know I'd just watched an episode?!). So I downloaded the audio thinking it would be good company during my commute, I was right.
Agatha Raisin has sold her PR firm deciding to retire early to the country, in the village of Carsely. Having trouble adjusting to the slower pace, she decides to enter the local quiche baking contest to “make her mark”. Not being a cook nor baker is going to stop her. Agatha drives into London to purchase one from the top quiche baker thinking it would be the winning pie. It doesn’t. It does, however, make her a suspect in the death of the judge.
Not one to be idle, Agatha pokes her nose in the investigation, not only to clear herself but to find the real killer.
I’m glad that I went back to the beginning, to better understand how Agatha has adapted to country life, as well as the start of a fine detective.
Agatha Raisin is more tv detective Columbo than Agatha Christie's Mrs. Marple, but more stylish and quirky. It made my commute fly by.
Happy Reading!
Agatha Raisin has sold her PR firm deciding to retire early to the country, in the village of Carsely. Having trouble adjusting to the slower pace, she decides to enter the local quiche baking contest to “make her mark”. Not being a cook nor baker is going to stop her. Agatha drives into London to purchase one from the top quiche baker thinking it would be the winning pie. It doesn’t. It does, however, make her a suspect in the death of the judge.
Not one to be idle, Agatha pokes her nose in the investigation, not only to clear herself but to find the real killer.
I’m glad that I went back to the beginning, to better understand how Agatha has adapted to country life, as well as the start of a fine detective.
Agatha Raisin is more tv detective Columbo than Agatha Christie's Mrs. Marple, but more stylish and quirky. It made my commute fly by.
Happy Reading!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Adorable. I've found my next set of comfort-reading books.
I like the show based on these books so I thought I’d give the series a go. Obviously I knew it was gonna be quite different, so I’m not too disappointed over those changes (well. What feels like changes to me, from TV to book, while obviously it’s the opposite). Definitely a cut above the recent cozies I’ve read. Agatha is harder to like in this than in the show, but I kinda loved that about her. She’s older, more brunt, bossy, and judgy than most heroines of these series (or at least the ones I’ve read so far), and I like that too. Give me an older female sleuth any day. There are some things about it that feels a little dated but not enough to be too much of her bother. It captures perfectly this sort of quality of British village kookiness that you expect in this kind of media. I think the side characters are more charming in the show—especially Roy—but I’m hoping these book ones will grow on me because I’ll definitely read more of the series.