This was so much fun as usual. I found myself laughing out loud. I didn’t want to put it down! So many times I just want to slap Charles upside the head, and Agatha and Jams keep dancing around each other. It all makes the reader wonder what is going to happen next.

Agatha Raisin, the private detective, is an ambitious and determined character, who isn't afraid to put herself out there in order to find answers. When she hears that her friend and former lover Charles is to be married, she takes it upon herself to investigate the bride-to-be. She is a woman of action and quickly finds herself in the thick of things, crashing the wedding and starting a public altercation.

The next morning, Agatha is nursing a hangover when she receives a call from Charles with the devastating news that his bride, Mary, has been murdered. Agatha takes on the case, diving into the equestrian world of which Mary had been a part of. She encounters a range of motives and suspects, from riding competitors to enemies from her schoolgirl days to her surly father who threatens Agatha.

Throughout the book, Agatha faces challenges and obstacles as she tries to track down the killer. Meanwhile, the police have their eyes on her as a suspect, putting her under even more pressure to solve the case. With her quick thinking and sharp instincts, will Agatha be able to find the murderer in time, or will she end up behind bars herself? Hot to Trot by M.C. Beaton and R.W. Green is a thrilling mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, with a spunky and lovable protagonist who won't let anything get in her way.

The authors give us a mystery that is pretty easy to solve since there are just a few suspects that make sense, red herrings that really don't make you follow the wrong path, clues that give away who the killer is before you get to the conclusion of the mystery. The characters seem to be lacking a lot of their development that has happened in the previous 30 books, they seem to be very basic and way low key.

I only found one thing that I liked in this book and was Agatha and Toni her young, beautiful co-worker seem to be getting along a lot better, and are working well together instead of letting their jealousy and resentment of private matters get in the way of their friendship and professional teamwork. I didn't like how the relationship between Agatha and her neighbor and ex-husband James has changed from being better off as friends to romantic interests. I also didn't like how in the previous book it seemed like Charles and Agatha were finally going to get together and then, surprise Charles is getting married to someone other than Agatha. It almost felt like the authors were recycling story plots by having Agatha he;p get Charles out of a relationship mess involving a wedding. I thought that there was way too much plot exposition for such a simplistic plot, and way too much flowery dialogue. I also missed the normal friendship of Agatha and Mrs. Bloxby. I'll give book #32 Down the Hatch a try to see if R.W. Green is able to bring back the characters we have come to know of if he'll just use the undeveloped characters that we were introduced to in this book. It could be that my time with Agatha and the others has come to an end.

I received an ARC of this book from Minotaur books by way of NetGalley for my honest review.

Agatha is back for more! I never get tired of reading about her adventures. She is a prickly character but has a good heart. I enjoyed the fact that she realizes at the end that James and Charles are no good for her. She has really grown as a character.

Though it was noticeable to me, and probably many others, that certain aspects of the characters have changed with the passing of the author., I still found this a very enjoyable book. I enjoyed reconnecting with beloved characters and the story flowed well. Plenty of twists and turns and chances for Agatha to put her foot in it. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

At the tail end of 2019 longtime mystery and romance author M.C. Beaton passed away. The outpouring from fans was immense, and the realization that her two most famous detectives, Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth, had nabbed their last murderers hit me particularly hard—I was actually holding one of her books when I heard the news. However, Beaton apparently had one more trick up her sleeve, and her publisher soon revealed she had been working with a ghostwriter, R.W. Green, right up until her death.

For at least one more time, Agatha Raisin was back on the case.

Before I continued with her, I had one major concern: could Green make this book as fun as the rest of the series? Even the most chameleon of writers cannot imitate an author perfectly, and I knew it was vital for Green to make his own mark on the series. No doubt, Hot to Trot feels different different.

However, for all of his minor touches, Green has infused new life into this series. Agatha seems a little mellower, with her temper simmering in the background. She’s as cantankerous as ever, but her motivations feel clearer. Similarly, while she still tackles the mystery—in this case, the murder of her sometimes companion Charles Fraith’s new wife—with gusto, she takes fewer pub breaks. That’s not to suggest she doesn’t have a little fun now and again, but she seems much more interested in actually investigating the equestrian-themed murder. Green tosses in a few fieldtrips ranging from a private wedding to a show jumping event, allowing Agatha to show off her penchant for getting stuck in wicked situations while tracking suspects.

Green also didn’t shy away from making this a complete Beaton experience. The rest of her usual stable is on full display, with everyone from her detective agency employees to James Lacey to Bill Wong and, of course, Mrs. Bloxby and the other Cotswolds crew all making appearances. Everyone’s had slight adjustments, with former colleague and current pal Roy Silver feeling particularly refreshed—he’s far less whiny than he has been in many books.

Overall, for all the changes made, everything feels basically the same. There’s still a murderer on the loose, which remains a shockingly common occurrence in this tiny community. Agatha still gets flustered while nuking frozen meals in the microwave. And love—glorious, complicated love—abounds. Ultimately, this 31st book is a welcome addition to the series.

I was sad to reach the end of this book as I know the author has passed away. I will miss the adventures of Agatha and her group of employees. I enjoyed this series from beginning to end. This book did not disappoint at all.

This is the 31st in the popular Agatha Raisin series by the late M. C. Beaton, written with R. W. Green. This is the weakest of the series, perhaps because of the co-author. While Agatha is still crazy, wonderful Agatha the plot is strained but still worth reading.

I was so surprised to see a new Agatha Raisin story after the author's passing. I appreciated that the writer, R.W. Green who helped finish the story, wrote an introduction explaining his relationship and blessing from M.C. Beaton.

Hot to Trot is the 31st book in the Agatha Raisin detective series. In this story, Agatha has to clear Charles' name in the death of his new bride. Told in the world of the competitive equestrian world, we come to find that Agatha is not the only person to have a motive for killing Charles' wife. With the usual cast of characters and exciting new ones, Hot to Trot was a quick and compulsive read that I couldn't put down. R.W. Green wrote a great Agatha Raisin novel. He cleaned up the usual story a little (not as much dithering, more action) but it still sounded true to the characters. One note, it was a much more violent story than usual. I really don't feel like Agatha would be the type to get into so many physical fights.

Overall, this was a great addition to the much loved Agatha Raisin series.

Hot to Trot is the 31st (!!!) Agatha Raisin mystery featuring the iconic characters created by M.C. Beaton who sadly passed away in late 2019. Released 17th Nov 2020 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 256 pages (print edition) and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

As this is (I believe) the first book in the series written entirely by R. W. Green, I truly tried to read it as objectively as I could. I suspect it's partially a failure on my part since I deeply regret the loss of one of the perennial gems of my reading list to which I always looked forward eagerly, and partly the fact that no two authors (however well meaning) can ever truly seamlessly take over for one another. I could feel the differences throughout the book. Real Agatha constantly battles against her own compassion and sympathy for people and sense of justice (which she tries to bury under a snarky prickly exterior). This Agatha just seems that little bit more exasperated, snarky, and unsympathetic. Her employees and the ensemble cast feel different in this installment and there were some small (but annoying) continuity problems which probably won't bother most readers - but yanked obsessives like me out of the storyline.

That being said, this *is* a funny and exuberant and ever-so-slightly mad cozy mystery and the plotting and denouement work perfectly well as a standalone. It's good, but it didn't feel like a real Agatha Raisin story. There are, admittedly, several scenes which made me grin or chuckle out loud.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

MC Beaton has written a shorter Agatha Raison novel in Hot to Trot; Agatha has to rescue her friend and sometimes lover Sir Charles Fraith from the consequences of the murder of his late bride. Lots of suspects and dodgy characters. Interesting read. Agatha triumphs in solving the murder, but her love life is still screwed up. Enjoy.

I have always loved this series of books but this one I could not finish. It did not have quite the edge of our main character and didn't seem true to the series. Thank you to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 31st book in the Agatha Raisin series and as we all know M.C. Beacon passed away last year. Newton chose Rod Greene to take over and in my opinion he does a fantastic job. The story flows well in this book and it's as charming and humorous as usual. There may be a few differences in Agatha, she does seem a little softer in this book. But, at the end of the day Agatha is still snarky, witty and self absorbed. I hope the series continues and if so I'll be waiting for book 32.

If you read me, you know I love M.C Beaton and her characters of cranky, intelligent Agatha Raisin (also found on Acorn TV!) and the independent and sometimes sullen Hamish MacBeth (also seen on the BBC). I was so sad when she passed away recently and I assumed her stories would die with her. I was delighted to see a new Agatha Raisin story appear and to get a chance to read it, thanks to St. Martin’s Press (one of my favorite publishers for cozies!). Working through a collaborator, R. W. Green, Ms. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin lives on!

Now I will admit that I was skeptical. How many of us have read the sequel to Gone with the Wind and was disappointed? Time and again, who finds the writing of those megastars who collaborate to be not quite as good as their original novels which they did on their own? (I am raising my hand over here). So – it was with great pleasure that I read this Agatha Raisin story and found it to be “true Agatha” and a joy at that. I’m so thrilled to think that more stories of this less-than-perfect protagonist will be forthcoming.

Summary:
Agatha Raisin is the founder of Raisin Investigations, a successful private investigator business, and she has plenty of cases to keep her and her staff busy.
One of those cases is the Chadwick divorce case. Mrs. Sheraton Chadwick is suspected of cheating on her husband, but the man meeting her is careful to keep his identity secret. Another case is Philpot Electronics; the company chairman has doubts about his new managing director, Harold Cheeseman. The request of a Mr. Gutteridge, owner of a biscuit and cake factory, to install listening devices in order for him to monitor his workers’ gossip, is turned down. A Mrs. Jessop thinks a poltergeist is re-arranging her kitchen and digging in her garden, while a Mrs. Fletcher wants the agency to find out who is using the bottom of her garden as a latrine. But the biggest case, and one causing Agatha the biggest turmoil, is why her long-time friend Sir Charles Fraith is marrying Mary Darlinda Brown-Field, thirty years his junior.
According to the headline in the Mircester Telegraph local newspaper, the impending nuptials is the “Society Wedding of the Year.” The ceremony is to take place at Sir Charles’ ancestral home at Barfield House. The photo doesn’t bode well for a happy union; Sir Charles’ expression is vague and haunted, while Mary’s grasp on Charles’ arm is anything but tender and loving. Agatha knows it is a marriage of convenience; Mary’s family is very wealthy, and Sir Charles is not. A rushed, hushed conversation with Gustav, a man of many talents very much needed on the estate and a man who loathes Agatha, painted a far more dire picture of life at Barfield House. After the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, Mary’s body is found in the stables after fighting with Agatha at Mary’s birthday bash/costume party. Agatha is determined to find Mary’s killer, but someone else is just as determined to stop her.
Recommendation I’ve not read all the Agatha Raisin novels, yet, but I’ve really enjoyed the ones I’ve read. I love the characters and their relationships to each other, the glimpses into English village life, and the plot twists that keep me guessing (and second guessing) until the end.

"Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin - now the star of a hit T.V. show - is back on the case again in Hot to Trot.

When Private Detective Agatha Raisin learns that her friend and one-time lover Charles Fraith is to be married to a mysterious socialite, Miss Mary Brown-Field, she sees it as her duty to find out what she can about the woman. Coming up empty, Agatha - out of selfless concern for Charles, of course - does the only sensible thing she can think of: she crashes their wedding, which ends in a public altercation. Nursing a hangover the next morning, she gets a phone call from Charles, with even more disturbing news: Mary has been murdered.

Agatha takes on the case, and quickly becomes entrenched in the competitive equestrian world, in which Mary had been enmeshed - as well as the victim’s surprisingly violent past. Agatha finds no shortage of motives among a wide range of characters, from Mary's old riding competitors, to enemies from her schoolgirl days, to her surly father, who threatens Agatha to mind her own business. Meanwhile, the police department has its money on another suspect: Agatha. Will she track down the criminal in time, or end up behind bars herself?"

It seems fitting that my mother is no longer around now that M.C. Beaton is no longer around. At least her characters will live on.

Hot to Trot follows Beating About the Bush as the thirty-first in M.C. Beaton's popular series starring formidable PI Agatha Raisin (now the star of a hit TV show), who lives in the Cotswold village of Carsely. The last few episodes have seen Agatha feeling her age, with a steady stream of lightning infatuations, despite her continuing closeness to her ex-husband (and neighbor) James and to Sir Charles Fraith.

When Charles gets married again, without telling Agatha, she feels betrayed. Agatha gatecrashes the wedding, and does the same for a costume party after the honeymoon, where she ends up in a brawl with the bride. When Lady Mary is murdered that same evening, both Agatha and Charles come under suspicion.

The book opens with a Foreword by R.W. Green (who helped complete this book) and with an Introduction to the Agatha Raisin series by the author, who very sadly died in December 2019.

Hot to Trot earns 5/5 Powdered Wigs...Entertaining “Let Them Eat Cake” Fun!

Agatha Raisin is still uncompromising with many complicated personal and professional relationships spicing it up in a fashionable image. Raisin Investigations, her thriving business, continues as an avenue to put into practice, for a hefty fee, her investigative skill. However, despite her display of outward confidence and independence, she is consumed with her long-time friend with the occasional benefits, Sir Charles Fraith, decision to marry a much younger wealthy socialite. Is her money in exchange for his more respected peerage? The bride’s often threatening manner, behind-the-scenes plans for the estate, “stay away or else” threat issued to Agatha, and a tantrum of Agatha’s attendance at an elaborate Versailles-themed party are very problematic. Then Lady-zilla ends up dead, and Agatha accused.

I’ve read several Agatha Raisin books and watched every “based on” tele-movie, so I have a working knowledge of the style, characters, and personalities Beaton had created. This thirty-first drama, penned by Rod Green, is a tad shorter than other books I’ve read, but not short on the wit, clever banter, and karmic delight fans expect from Agatha! Green’s writing style uses descriptive language painting clear pictures of the setting and characters and dialogue that does well to illustrate tone and personalities. The drama is quite engaging with a wide reaching suspect pool and motives including the competitive equestrian community and the victim’s past foes and dysfunctional family, and of course, accusing Agatha and Charles adding to the drama ending with a “Yeah!” final reveal. Other cases at Raisin’s Investigations involved intriguing and funny clients, but I was sorry some were resolved off the page. From a technical perspective, I felt there were a few issues with transitions between events; the passing of time and changes of setting could be more easily portrayed with an end of one chapter and the beginning of another. It didn’t effect my enjoyment...I couldn’t put it down!

I love Agatha! With Green’s pen she continues to be bold, impulsive, brilliant, and like us women of a “certain age,” she worries about her aging appearance. She has friends and colleagues who admire her, love her, and battle with her strong-willed manner. She contends with a delightful triangle with ex-husband James, ex-lover Charles, and ex-wannabe boyfriend Chris. And along with all the reoccurring characters, Green has done well to keep up the image for fans continued enjoyment. Agatha Raisin is in good hands!

Reliable author comes through again with an incredible read with fun and entertaining mystery, Fans of the series will not be disappointed.