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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Agatha Raisin is a very complicated character. On the one hand, she is always worried about what others will think, how they will judge her, and how she can show them up. (Which to be fair to her, most of her village DOES judge everyone's moves, so she doesn't worry for no reason). But then on the other hand, she doesn't take any crap from anyone. If someone is rude to her or insults her, she can dish it right back and yell at them for it. I love her sass and her attitude, but it makes me sad when she feels like her self-worth is based on what her male friends think. She also makes some assessments that crack me up, such as "She thought leggings came along with push-chairs and babies".
The mystery in this book was interesting and there were SO MANY red-herrings. And Agatha starts to figure this out, but her side-kick Charles AND the police seem to ignore her about this. I was with Agatha and actually guessed the identity and motive of the murderer before she did, but only slightly before. And only because of subtle clues and descriptions.
I'm glad that James was not in this book so there was less moaning and groaning about him and her obsession with him was dampened. Also Charles as a sidekick added some humor because he is a ridiculous and sometimes over the top (and whiny) character.
The mystery in this book was interesting and there were SO MANY red-herrings. And Agatha starts to figure this out, but her side-kick Charles AND the police seem to ignore her about this. I was with Agatha and actually guessed the identity and motive of the murderer before she did, but only slightly before. And only because of subtle clues and descriptions.
I'm glad that James was not in this book so there was less moaning and groaning about him and her obsession with him was dampened. Also Charles as a sidekick added some humor because he is a ridiculous and sometimes over the top (and whiny) character.
I really hate being disappointed in a book. Not that I don't get annoyed at a disappointing movie or album or whatever, but there's something particularly unexpected and irksome about a poor book from a trusted writer. Note - not a disaster from a favourite writer; that'd be a cause for real concern, not my current feeling of vague irritation. Don't get me wrong, this is not John Irving's descent from the majesty of 'A Prayer for Owen Meaney' to that dull one about tattooists (or, on a muscial note, Bowie managing to go from 'Scary Monsters' to 'Never Let me Down' in a few short years), but still I found myself turning each page with an almost audible grunt of dissatisfaction and a sense of being very ineptly mugged.
It'd be too tiresome to go into some sort of line by line breakdown of what's wrong with this book (and besides, it's fairly clear no editor ever bothered such an analysis prior to publication, so why should I?), but it'd be facile to just shrug and say 'it didn't work for me' when there is actual stuff which can be pointed at accusingly.
It's not very well written but anyone coming to one of Beaton's cosy mysteries expecting scintillating dialogue and subtle characterisation is in for a nasty shock. As with all the other Agatha Raisin mysteries, every character uses the exact same voice, the heroine and her coterie of friends and admirers are so sketchily, well sketched, that were it not for someone occasionally baldly stating their ages the reader would struggle to pin them down to within a couple of decades. At times even that doesn't really help much - Agatha herself is at times described as a pensioner and middle-aged and jumps in and out of bed with the gay abandon of a teenager, while I still have no idea what age her occasional paramour, Charles, is supposed to be.
More importantly though, the actual solution to the mystery is both extremely obvious from the very beginning and, crucially and disappointingly, is solved by Charles taking 'a lucky guess' and thus discovering the murderer. Throw in a small village in which - because it suits the plot - there lives a sound engineer who can also set up bugs on people, about fifty unhappily married and easily seduced women and a seeming innocent who just happens to have connections in the Glasgow underworld...oh never mind. I can already feeling myself considering looking up a few examples of utter stupidity and I said I wasn't going to do that.
Suffice to say that usually Beaton turns out uninspired but comfortingly cosy mysteries - this, however, falls well below even that standard.
Like Agatha and any of her tediously uncaring lovers I'm horribly disappointed...
It'd be too tiresome to go into some sort of line by line breakdown of what's wrong with this book (and besides, it's fairly clear no editor ever bothered such an analysis prior to publication, so why should I?), but it'd be facile to just shrug and say 'it didn't work for me' when there is actual stuff which can be pointed at accusingly.
It's not very well written but anyone coming to one of Beaton's cosy mysteries expecting scintillating dialogue and subtle characterisation is in for a nasty shock. As with all the other Agatha Raisin mysteries, every character uses the exact same voice, the heroine and her coterie of friends and admirers are so sketchily, well sketched, that were it not for someone occasionally baldly stating their ages the reader would struggle to pin them down to within a couple of decades. At times even that doesn't really help much - Agatha herself is at times described as a pensioner and middle-aged and jumps in and out of bed with the gay abandon of a teenager, while I still have no idea what age her occasional paramour, Charles, is supposed to be.
More importantly though, the actual solution to the mystery is both extremely obvious from the very beginning and, crucially and disappointingly, is solved by Charles taking 'a lucky guess' and thus discovering the murderer. Throw in a small village in which - because it suits the plot - there lives a sound engineer who can also set up bugs on people, about fifty unhappily married and easily seduced women and a seeming innocent who just happens to have connections in the Glasgow underworld...oh never mind. I can already feeling myself considering looking up a few examples of utter stupidity and I said I wasn't going to do that.
Suffice to say that usually Beaton turns out uninspired but comfortingly cosy mysteries - this, however, falls well below even that standard.
Like Agatha and any of her tediously uncaring lovers I'm horribly disappointed...
Another great book in the series. I love the relationship with Agatha and Charles and now with James back things will be getting more interesting.
Agatha finds a gray hair and does what any woman would do. She heads straight to the best colorist she can find. Of course, she develops an interesting relationship with him. Then he is murdered and Agatha once again delves into the world of detecting. This was a lot of fun.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was weird. I don't know why I keep reading these Agatha Raisin books. The plots never seem to change.
mysterious
medium-paced
Poor old Agatha. It seems like she can barely finish solving one crime before she stumbles headfirst into the next one, foul language and all! Still, this is exactly why we love her, and I personally enjoy seeing the repetition of her being questioned by her friend Bill Wong in each and every book, it makes it more 'cosy' to me somehow, and I feel more reassured that everything will work out fine in the end.
In Eversham there is great excitement when a new hairdresser opens on the high street.
Agatha, who has been aghast to find several grey hairs in her head, makes a beeline for the salon, and is seen by the owner himself - Mr John. What a charming and handsome man he seems to be. And Agatha can't help notice that there are many women who seem to be giving him the eye, and see him as some sort of wizard, due to the magic he can do to in revitalising women's hair, and so when he meets a tragic end in his own salon it's of course up to Agatha and her fair-weathered love interest Charles to find out who is behind the death, whilst also trying to stay 10 steps ahead of the clueless police force.
Wonderful, like a hot cup of tea on a rainy day, Agatha NEVER disappoints.
In Eversham there is great excitement when a new hairdresser opens on the high street.
Agatha, who has been aghast to find several grey hairs in her head, makes a beeline for the salon, and is seen by the owner himself - Mr John. What a charming and handsome man he seems to be. And Agatha can't help notice that there are many women who seem to be giving him the eye, and see him as some sort of wizard, due to the magic he can do to in revitalising women's hair, and so when he meets a tragic end in his own salon it's of course up to Agatha and her fair-weathered love interest Charles to find out who is behind the death, whilst also trying to stay 10 steps ahead of the clueless police force.
Wonderful, like a hot cup of tea on a rainy day, Agatha NEVER disappoints.