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perednia's review against another edition
3.0
Better than the last few before it. Plan to return to the series after this one.
spencesational's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A book full of tics.
I've read about ten of these books now and love them. They are a quick, easy read; not overly fussy and to the point. I love Agatha's pointed nature and sarcasm and the fact that, by hook or by crook, she eventually solves the crime and gets the job done.
However, what I have also found is that, at times, they are too simplistic. Let me give you some examples.
If you have read one of these books you will know that although Agatha is a loveable character, in the books she is not very liked, mainly for sticking her nose in others' business. In this book she goes up to someone's door.
Agatha knocks on (so and so's) door. The person answers:
(Person aggressively): "What do you want?."
Agatha: "I want to speak to you about the crime."
(Person, now nicely): "Oh, do come in then."
And another:
Agatha: "You look a mess."
Person: "How dare you! Would you like a cup of tea?"
See? Simplistic, basic and unrealistic.
In another scenario (without giving anything away), someone commits a crime and is arrested. The arresting officer states that they will appear in front of the judge the next day and will go on trial. This just doesn't happen. In reality, you would be interviewed by the police then, if charged, go in front of a magistrate, where you would plead guilty or not guilty and then depending on the crime would have a date set for trial in a Magistrates Court or in front of a judge and jury at Crown court. Nothing goes straight to trial, so this, for me, spoils it a little bit in a way.
On the other hand, I don't think these are supposed to be anything more than snippets of what really happens in real life. They are funny, whether it be Agatha's acidic tongue or her haphazardness, they are short and they are fun and I wouldn't look too deep into them representing anything like the real world. If you take them for what they are; simple, you will enjoy them a lot more and I can't wait to read another.
I've read about ten of these books now and love them. They are a quick, easy read; not overly fussy and to the point. I love Agatha's pointed nature and sarcasm and the fact that, by hook or by crook, she eventually solves the crime and gets the job done.
However, what I have also found is that, at times, they are too simplistic. Let me give you some examples.
If you have read one of these books you will know that although Agatha is a loveable character, in the books she is not very liked, mainly for sticking her nose in others' business. In this book she goes up to someone's door.
Agatha knocks on (so and so's) door. The person answers:
(Person aggressively): "What do you want?."
Agatha: "I want to speak to you about the crime."
(Person, now nicely): "Oh, do come in then."
And another:
Agatha: "You look a mess."
Person: "How dare you! Would you like a cup of tea?"
See? Simplistic, basic and unrealistic.
In another scenario (without giving anything away), someone commits a crime and is arrested. The arresting officer states that they will appear in front of the judge the next day and will go on trial. This just doesn't happen. In reality, you would be interviewed by the police then, if charged, go in front of a magistrate, where you would plead guilty or not guilty and then depending on the crime would have a date set for trial in a Magistrates Court or in front of a judge and jury at Crown court. Nothing goes straight to trial, so this, for me, spoils it a little bit in a way.
On the other hand, I don't think these are supposed to be anything more than snippets of what really happens in real life. They are funny, whether it be Agatha's acidic tongue or her haphazardness, they are short and they are fun and I wouldn't look too deep into them representing anything like the real world. If you take them for what they are; simple, you will enjoy them a lot more and I can't wait to read another.
christinede3e1's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tcorder's review against another edition
2.0
Not one of her better Agatha Raisin books. I get the feeling that Beaton needs to take some time off from writing Agatha Rasin mysteries to give herself time to come up with some newer and better ideas for the series. This one just seemed so thin that she had to throw in another two or three sub-plots just to flesh the book out to a respectable number of pages. The result is just a jumble of events that don't really work together and leaves the reader a little confused as to just which part of the story they are reading about on any given page.
pollyholden's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
aurora_blue's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sdramsey's review against another edition
3.0
Perhaps coming into this series quite a number of books in was a mistake--I just could not like the main character. Belatedly, I've read that one should start at the beginning of the series, so that may be good advice to pass along. I listened to the audiobook quite quickly, but I don't think I'll be picking up other books in the line.
meganjeg's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book renewed my affection for Agatha Raisin. I love vicariously travelling to the Cotswold with Agatha to meet the locals and unravel the crimes. And when mayhem is caused at a local village fair when the jam tasting is spiked with LSD, I was thoroughly hooked to find out more.
Whilst it can be hard for the series to feel original 19 books in, I feel this book really returned to the root of what makes the series so enjoyable.
fat_girl_fiction's review against another edition
4.0
Agatha Raisin and a Spoonful of Poison by M.C.Beaton
I haven't read an Agatha Raisin book in a long time, and starting this one felt like slipping on a comfy cardigan. I love Agatha, she's grumpy, is obsessed with men and always ends up getting herself in trouble. But she's a brilliant detective, which is why we love her.
The plot of this one, wasn't as tight as I'd have liked it to be. The person who committed the murders didn't really have a reason for it, and now thinking back, not all of the ends were tied up. But you can't help but be engrossed in Agatha's personal life, her dinner dates with Gorgeous George Selby and the goings on of her friends.
All in all, a welcome return home for me and it's about time someone made this into a TV series! With it's eclectic characters and beyond believable plot lines it would show Midsomer Murders a thing or two!
I haven't read an Agatha Raisin book in a long time, and starting this one felt like slipping on a comfy cardigan. I love Agatha, she's grumpy, is obsessed with men and always ends up getting herself in trouble. But she's a brilliant detective, which is why we love her.
The plot of this one, wasn't as tight as I'd have liked it to be. The person who committed the murders didn't really have a reason for it, and now thinking back, not all of the ends were tied up. But you can't help but be engrossed in Agatha's personal life, her dinner dates with Gorgeous George Selby and the goings on of her friends.
All in all, a welcome return home for me and it's about time someone made this into a TV series! With it's eclectic characters and beyond believable plot lines it would show Midsomer Murders a thing or two!