This is the 31st book in this wonderful beloved cozy series by M.C. Beaton. Thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for this free advance copy i. I am grateful to receive this as the last book in the series.

As I read this book its with great sadness as its the last Agatha Rasin with the passing of the author right after this was finished with assistance from the co author in her last days. What does one say to articulate how much Agatha Rasin has meant to us over the decades. Agatha is one of my favorite long time cozy charcters with a quick wit. much bravado and fabulous sleuthing abilities. Her mishaps are good fun as she navigates life always one step ahead of her suspects. This last in series brings all the wonderful qualities we love in Agatha to the reader in fine form. As she causes mayhem at her best friend's wedding, investigates a murder and runs her detective agency while trying to spruce herself up and find love, its madcap fun from page one. This is classic Agatha. I loved this last in series and bid goodbye to our beloved M.C. Beaton and thank you for all the wonderful reading hours over the years. I highly recommend this last in series for your reading enjoyment.

Hot to Trot by MC Beaton is the 31th book in the Agatha Raisin series. I had no idea Ms. Beaton passed away, I was sadden by the news. I love this series, and will miss not getting new books. I have read all the books in this cozy mystery series. I love that Agatha is a strong woman, but can be whiny and has a low self esteem. She is outspoken and can be dominating, but she seems to be mellowing, at least a little, with age. As with all Agatha Raisin books, it has more twists and turns, that kept me reading page after page. It feels like I dropped in for a visit at the Pub, and catching up on all the gossip. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. If you love cozy mysteries than I highly recommend this book. To get the most out of this series, I would start book one and read them all in order.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

R. W. Green took M. C. Beaton's vision to build this installment of the Agatha Raisin series.  He did a great job and I would not have known it was not written solely by M. C. Beaton.  In Hot to Trot, Agatha is up to her usual antics - solving murders, crashing weddings and dreaming of James Lacey. She is determined to stop the marriage of Charles Fraith and ends up investigating the death of his new bride. The ending was perfect .... whether this marks the end of the series or the beginning of a new era with R. W. Green at the helm.

I am a huge Agatha fan. And even though M.C. Beaton had help with the writing of this one, to me it has the same sparkle as her other books. Very happy that Agatha gets to live on. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

I'm glad this delightful series continued. Having been a fan of Agatha since the first book, I was not ready to let go and say goodbye. In this, the 31st of the series, Agatha is just as feisty as ever. Her love life has taken some hits over the years and now her friend and former lover is getting married. Not only is Agatha not thrilled by this, she dislikes the bride to be. Being a private investigator has its perks and she does her own snooping into the future Lady Mary. Is this going to be a marriage for love or for the money she will be able to pour into the groom's estate? Sir Charles Fraith is short on money.Well Agatha has a plan - she not only crashes the nuptials, she also crashes the fancy dress ball and gets tossed out of both by the bride. No love lost between those two. When Lady Mary is found dead, two suspects get top billing on the police list of prime suspects: Agatha and Charles. In order to remove himself from the list, he hires Agatha to track down the killer.As she, too, has a lot at stake, it's a no brainer and off she goes, into the horse set and the dark past of the dead bride. Turns out there is a long list of possible suspects.
Along with taking on the case with Charles, there are other cases going at Raisin Investigations. Checking into an employee's background, uncovering a possible poltergeist who rearranges items in the clients kitchen cupboards and the strange case of the phantom pooper in a lady's back garden.
Agatha even takes a trip to France to investigate the horse crowd.
I enjoyed the mystery and it's twists and turns. The writing style had a smooth flow and when I was finished, I decided that I will happily leave Agatha Raisin on my list of favorite mystery characters. This was a delightful read.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ - Top Pick

There is no shortage of novel mysteries circulating Raisin Investigations.

Agatha (Aggie) Raisin cannot believe that her friend and not so long-ago lover, Sir Charles Fraith, is about to get married and worse, she was not invited. Convinced that she may be able to help, she sets forth to Barfield House, Sir Charles’ estate, to talk some sense into him. Only when she arrives, he’s not home and is then warned by his butler, Gustav, that something is not right, and she should get involved and investigate. Worried for her friend, Agatha begins her investigation and crashes the wedding. Enraged and suspicious of the new Mrs. Fraith, Agatha has no choice but to pursue this vexing investigation, especially when the new Mrs. Fraith turns up dead and her and Charles are the main suspects!

Snakes and bastards!

Agatha Raisin, just the name is genius; refined, fierce and provocative. She’s a bit unlikable because she is so forward, but I am enamored with her. Her thought process, her wit, her deliverance and her actions. I wish Aggie had a course on how to be her. Do yourself a favor, if you’re not a fan of these, books, read them! Classic true detective work, she upholds to the highest standards (usually), she expects the best from her staff, and they deliver. A true classic, rich, detailed mystery-murder that you’ll love and respect.

But beware, never cross Mrs. Raisin, she sure knows how to put someone in their place. Stark and brutally honest; you’ll be reading along and then (bam!) she’ll say something that will have you laughing out loud. It’s almost like someone switched on the mic on her inner monologue and it’s not entirely suitable for the general audience. This book was top notch fun. Excellent flow, funny creative dialogue and memorable characters.

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking how much I would love to see this character on the big screen and to my surprise, there’s an Agatha Raisin TV series.

This is a new-to-me author and series and I had no trouble reading this book as a stand-alone, but I’m certain that after reading this book, you will want to take up this series from the beginning!

Note: M.C. Beaton (Marion Chesney) passed away on December 30, 2019. She will be remembered by many for her writing and her memorable characters. At the beginning of this book is a Foreword by R. W. Green, a friend of Marion Chesney, who remembers her fondly and respectfully.

~ Patricia

Hot to Trot
By M. C. Beaton; Rod Greene

Thank you to @netgalley for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read an Agatha Raisin mystery before so I went in completely blind and what caught my eye for this book was obviously the equestrian connection.

What worked for me:

✔️ the book was extremely witty and fun. It was a quick read with hilarious one liners.

✔️ It was fun guessing who committed the murders and why?

✔️ I loved the equestrian connection though I would have liked to see more into the equine completion world.

What didn’t work for me:

✖️ I felt there were too many characters and we only got an depth look into Agatha. At times I found it hard to keep them straight, however I am assuming if you are a long time reader of this series it may be easier to keep them straight.

Over all I would recommend this book for a fun light read.

In Hot to Trot, Agatha’s friend and occasional lover, Sir Charles, is marrying a hideous, but rich, woman named Mary. Agatha is trying to figure out why. Raisin Investigations is also working on a scandalous divorce case. Best of all, Agatha is rekindling her romance with her ex-husband, James.

When Mary is found murdered, Agatha and Charles are quickly arrested by the odious Chief Inspector Wilkes. Obviously, Agatha has to find the real killer asap.

It’s sad to think that Hot to Trot will be the last Agatha Raisin mystery written under the auspices of the original author. However, it is a great mystery. And all my favorite quirky characters are here. The conclusion is the best in the series. 5 stars and a champagne toast to both of the authors!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minatour books for my copy of Hot to Trot by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green, narrated by Penelope Keith, it publishes November 17, 2o2o.
First off, I didn't realize that M.C. Beaton had passed away, and what sad news. The introduction explains Beaton and Green's relationship and had me truly laughing audibly! It's going to be a strange world without new Agatha Raisin.
This book is in your typical Agatha Raisin fashion, lots of sassy retorts, wacky situations and mystery! I haven't read through every book yet, but this gave me context for certain characters so I wasn't lost or confused.
There's not much else to say except, if you enjoy Agatha Raisin books, then you obviously need to read this one.

Agatha Raisin is back, taking charge of her detective agency by scoping out cheating partners, taking on corporate spying, and busting ghosts. Agatha Raisin Investigations is doing well, as is Aggie herself.

Until she hears the news.

Her friend, neighbor, and sometimes something more, Sir Charles Fraith is getting married. His bride, Mary Darlinda Brown-Field, is lovely, loaded, and entirely hateful. She makes enemies wherever she goes, but her parents have millions of pounds, and they have made a deal with Sir Charles to grace his estate with more than enough to help keep the lights on in exchange for his name and an entrée to English society.

But when a masquerade ball turns into a murder scene, with Lady Mary playing the victim, it is Agatha and Charles that the local police chief want to arrest for he crime.

Agatha knows that the only way to clear her name is to investigate the crime herself, so she brings every resource she has to find the truth. As Mary had been dressed by her killer in her riding gear, Agatha feels like she needs to start the hunt among Mary’s show-jumping competitors. Tracking them down takes her across the English countryside and all the way to Bordeaux, but Agatha learns about the world of horse shows and Mary’s place in it.

In true Aggie fashion, she helps rescue a stables that Mary had tried to destroy, solves the crime, saves the day, and finds herself the object of affection of three different men and two cats. It’s just another day in Agatha’s world, but for us, it’s another delightful trip to the Cotswolds for a little murder, a little romance, a lot of wine, and lot of fun with Agatha Raisin and her adventures.

Hot to Trot is the 31st book in the Agatha Raisin series, and although we lost our beloved M.C. Beaton last year, the series goes on through the words of Marion’s hand-chosen writer for Agatha, R.W. Green. (In his forward, he talks about the magic of working with Ms. Beaton. Even if you’re not one to read the extra material in a book, be sure not to miss this to see what she saw in her friend Rod Green and how much it meant to him to be chosen to continue this series). Fans of the Agatha Raisin books and of the television series will continue to fall in love with the amateur Miss Marple as she solves crimes in the English countryside and leaves broken hearts behind her wherever she goes.

I was really honored to get to read this in advance, and I loved every moment I got to spend with Agatha again. She feels like an old friend now, and getting a chance to follow along on her latest investigation is always such a treat. I loved Hot to Trot. I love the peaceful English setting, the wonderfully drawn characters, and especially the way Agatha has of pulling the rug out from under people when they least expect it. She is my hero, and I am so grateful to M.C. Beaton for making sure that her story will continue! We are all the better for having more Agatha Raisin books to read.

Egalleys for Hot to Trot were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Hot to Trot by MC Beaton is an Agatha Raisin. Before the end of the first page I was back in Carsley with Agatha, Charles, James, and all the others. It was a different day, however with Charles about to marry. She was a ghastly young woman. The only recommending feature she had, in Aggie's opinion, was how rich she was. Charles needed an infusion of cash to keep his home, well, estate. When she went to visit, his man, Gustav, with whom Aggie had a rocky relationship, was welcoming. That, in itself, put Aggie on her guard. It turned out he liked the bride as little as Aggie so they decided to work together to manage Charles and this wedding. Sadly, the wedding took place, as planned, pretty much, but Gustav helped Aggie and Toni sneak into the costume ball shortly after and Charles and Aggie were in the middle of a walk and talk when they heard a scream. Upon investigation, they came upon the young couple that had discovered the bride's body, hanging from the rafters in the barn. Of course, they both immediately became suspects.

Agatha pulled out all the stops to prove Charles' innocence. Along the way she discovered a myriad of suspects, as Mary Darlinda Brown Field Fraith had not been liked . . . by anyone. It took multiple visits to many witnesses and possible suspects to ferret out the truth. Cases intermingled. Attractive men came and went. Aggie continued to be Aggie. In the end Aggie proved Charles innocent . . . of the murder? Agatha Raisin is not the most likable sleuth in the world, or even the most likable woman, but she is an endearing character. This was a well-written book with some surprising plot twists. I recommend you give it a read.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Hot to Trot by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #hottotrot

Regular readers of this series will welcome the return of Agatha Raisin. She is an intrepid protagonist who never fears interfering. She is in typical form in this entry when she crashes the wedding of her former lover. Naturally there is a murder and, of course, Agatha will investigate. As she endeavors to solve the case, Agatha learns more about the victim and the equestrian world.

Readers who have enjoyed the series will note that this one has a second author. That is because M.C. Beaton died last year. He does his best to write a title that the author could be proud of. He certainly achieves that goal.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

The talented M.C. Beaton died just about a year ago, and this Agatha Raisin, presumably the last, was outlined by her with the assistance of Rod Green, who wrote it. Mr. Green does a good job of channeling Ms. Beaton's Agatha and her obsession with her looks and the men in her life. Agatha, as her fans know, is abrasive, short tempered, and spiteful, and Ive always enjoyed that about her because there were other things that were admirable--when she's knocked down, she gets back and tries again. She is persistent, smart, and willing to put herself in danger to solve the case. Agatha's life does change over the course of the series, with a second marriage (and a second divorce), a new career, and the slow embrace of people as friends she can trust and count on. This, like all Agatha Raisin mysteries, is a fast read. This one takes place in the competitive horse showing world, and the reader gets to learn a little about it along with Agatha as she investigates who killed her former boyfriend's new wife. I did figure out the whodunnit very early, but I enjoyed watching Agatha figure it out and wreak revenge on the bad folks. Well done, Ms. Beaton--you had a long and very prolific career, and Hamish MacBeth and Agatha Raisin and their worlds will always be a fun place to visit. R.I.P. Recommended.

Love this series sad that this is the final one.Agatha Raisin is her usual inquisitive self suspicious of Herve boyfriends new bride.The setting the characters just wonderful.#netgalley #st.martins books

I think...it might be time for Agatha to retire and Toni to take over the agency.

This is, I believe, the first book fully written by MC Beaton's ghostwriter, and it shows. Multiple characters calling Agatha "Aggie" when it is established in earlier books that only Sir Charles calls her that. Mrs. Bloxby calling Agatha by her first name...and having a standing order at the Red Lion with the bartender using her given name! WHAT IS THIS MADNESS? James and Agatha are far too comfortable with each other, as well. In the MC Beaton novels we are definitely in the heads of all of the characters, but not so much here, we basically stay just with Agatha. The mystery itself also did not seem much like a case Agatha would take, even taking into account who was murdered.

Honestly, the book felt like watching a favorite TV show where they recast half of the characters over summer break and nothing feels right anymore. No one acted, sounded, or even looked (Bill Wong's description was particularly off) how they should. Some of the characters seemed to behave more like the characters in the TV show instead of the characters in the books.

Now that I've got that out of my system, had it not been an Agatha Raisin novel, it would have been a nice little romp. The writing was good, the mystery was solid and solved well, and the scene with the champagne tower and burger bar had me laughing out loud! Mr. Greene is definitely a good writer, just unfortunately this is not the Agatha we had for 29 or 30 books. And for crying out loud, could you not have found a WOMAN to take over the series written by a woman about a woman?

Fans of this series were no doubt bereft at the news of MC Beaton's death. Her mantle has been picked up by RW Green, who does a fine job here. Agatha is not so happy that her long time special friend Charles is marrying Mary, who rides and has money but isn't quite what she seems. Agatha crashes the wedding, argues with Mary, and then, when Mary is found dead, finds herself not only investigating but also a suspect. So is Charles, btw. Readers of this series and of cozies in general know that there was more to Mary than met the eye- that she had made a number of enemies. What makes this series special are the characters and their relationships, as well as the Cotswolds setting. And, it's also fun to read about the other cases her detective agency is investigating. Some will quibble about the characters and indeed this feels a little different but that's ok. Think of it as freshening up. Thanks to the publisher for ARC. This will be fine as a standalone. Long time readers should give Green a chance.

I really like the Agatha Raisin cozy mystery books but this one wasn’t my favorite. Agatha gets mixed up in a murder as per usual, but it just didn’t have her usual witty banter and light hearted read. This one kind of dragged on in trying to solve the case. Good old Roy Silver comes in to help, but not really, and Agatha and James realize that they might need to revisit their relationship. Worth the read, but I wish it was more typical Agatha-ish

I’ve been reading this series for years, so I was crushed when the author died. I was thrilled to see that Rod Greene had worked with her and written another Agatha Raisin book! I love the foreword that he wrote and also the note from Marion Chesney. it was a bonus to have another Agatha story and I thought it was well done. Hoping there will be more to come in the future!

Agatha Raisin is depressed by the marriage of Sir Charles to the ugly Mary Darlinda Brown-Field. The two women hate each other. But when Mary Darlinda turns up dead there is long list of people who would want to kill Mary.
This is MC Beaton's last book before her death She had been my favorite for cozy mysteries. There is a multitude of these books and believe me you can't go wrong with her Agatha Raisin character.

When I heard M. C. Beaton died, I thought I'd read my last Agatha Raisin book, so I was delighted to see this new release. I'm not sure if Rod Greene finished a book M. C. Beaton started, or more likely, is taking up the series, but HOT TO TROT was every bit as good as any book M. C. Beaton wrote. There are slight differences, which is why I think she may have trained him to continue the series, but the changes are welcome--less reliance on her stock "snakes and bastards!" and toned-down crankiness on Agatha's part (also fewer descriptions of clothing and shoe selections).

Agatha is irritated by the upcoming nuptials of her occasional lover, Sir Charles Fraith. When his new wife, the odious Mary Brown-Field meets her demise, Charles is the number one suspect, but Agatha soon learns there was no shortage of people who wished the young woman ill. Herself a suspect due to her past relationship with Charles, Agatha battles the clock as she searches for the true killer.

An enjoyable continuation of a wonderful series. #HotToTrot #NetGalley