I requested this book mainly because of the cover. Catchy, is it not?

Likes:

✨Cozy murder mystery.

✨Raisin's investigations reminded me of Agatha Christie's 'Tommy and Tuppence'. I absolutely adored them.

✨I absolutely loved the narrator.

Dislikes:

✨Short book, long chapters. Now, if that doesn't bother you then, by all means, ignore this, especially in audiobooks.

✨✨✨✨✨✨

Overall, a pretty decent murder mystery. It's #32 in the series, but I believe it can be read as a standalone.
Personally, I think I would've enjoyed reading it more rather than listening to it.

Thank you @netgalley & @blackstonepublishing for this Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review💕

Not having listened to many audiobooks l found the pace a bit slower than reading. The great advantage was being able to do other things like have breakfast or do housework while listening. I felt Penelope Keith as narrator brought the characters to life especially Agatha and James. You got a different sense of the characters especially when compared to the tv series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Agatha Raisin returns for another installment of murder and mystery. This follows Agatha as she looks into a sudden death by poisoning. The story features all the usual things you would expect from an Agatha Raisin book: red herrings, suspicious characters and hints galore. Always a fun read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my audiobook copy of Down the Hatch by M. C. Beaton; R. W. Green, narrated by Penelope Keith in exchange for an honest review. It published October 26, 2021.
I was so excited for this one, and rightly so. I just love seeing what Agatha gets up to! I also have to note that the notes ahead of time were both very sweet, and laugh-out-loud.
This book fits right in with the rest of the series, and is totally worth the read!
Also, the narration was perfectly done, as usual!

Agatha Raisin has still got it in this second posthumous M. C. Beaton novel. R. W. Green and Penelope Keith continue to do the author proud in their portrayal of the characters who inhabit Carlsley. Once again, R. W. Green writes this latest Agatha adventure as if he has been writing all of her adventures. Well done!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I have read and/or listened to several books in the Agatha Raisin series, and this is one of the better ones I have personally read.
The mystery was engrossing. It was complicated enough to keep the reader guessing without being confusing or overwhelming. It is still a fun read. I did not figure out whodunnit in advance. There are plenty of great plot twists to keep the story interesting.
I like the Agatha Raisin character. I enjoy reading about middle-aged women who are not obsessed with their children and grandchildren. Agatha is a curmudgeonly old gal who actually looks her age, does not eat like a bird or wear a size 2. She is funny and likeable.
This book stands alone, though it will probably entice readers into exploring more of this fun series.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I've been aware of the Agatha Raisin character for many years, but I hadn't ever really been immersed in the series. Down the Hatch feels fresh yet familiar. The whole time I was reading, I pictured Angela Lansbury (Murder She Wrote) as Agatha. This is a fun adventure. Full of goofy situations and peppered with clever humor. What I love about this style of private detective mysteries, is that not only do you solve the crime in the final moments, but many other little mysteries as well. Good fun all around. Long live Agatha Raisin!

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where have I been?! I cannot believe that this is the first time I have met Ms. Agatha Raisin!

As I learned during the intro into this book, M. C. Beaton passed away, R. W. Green has kept Agatha Raisin alive for her fans. I have read that she is less snarky and fierce. I found her very professional and still a bit tough. I do think that I would love to go back and read one of the books from the original author so that I can gauge the difference.

I found this book extremely entertaining and I adored the narrator!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance audio book in exchange for an honest review.

I was not a fan of this book to be honest. Not a fan of the narrator – there was no differentiation of characters. I have not previously read any Agatha Raisin books, which may have been my first mistake. This book is the ninth in the series. Clearly a good amount of people DO like this character, Agatha Raisin, or there wouldn’t have been eight books before!

Nothing about this book grabbed me. Nothing made me want to continue reading. This book and the characters felt old and stodgy to me. I could smell old people smell in the air when I listened.

I would recommend this audio book if you don’t actually want to listen, you just want background noise. Or if you enjoy old people and their antics. Maybe other people will enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I did not.

Just couldn’t seem to get into this. I tried so hard. Listened to about 3/4 of it but it drug on and on. This is the first book I’ve read/ listened to in the series. I’ve watched a lot of the show with my hubby because he loves it so much. The books don’t seem anything like it. I figured it wouldn’t be but I thought it would be more interesting. So sorry to say. The characters fell flat for me but mostly the story. I may try some of the earlier books. As for the narrator, she was perfect! I loved her. And being in the south in USA, the accent was a breath of fresh air for me. I could listen to her all day.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher/author for this opportunity.

M.C. Beaton is a tried and true favorite in the cozy (yet not so cozy mystery) genre. I am sorry that she is no longer with us, to regale us with more tales of murder and mayhem. I appreciate the collaboration, yet Agatha has lost her spark, and her lovable straight forward brashness. It seems to me that the author knew that she would not be continuing with Agatha Raisin, and decided that she would wrap up Agatha's issues rather than keep her acerbic, some may even say ferocious attitude. The heart-thumping, sitting at the edge of your seat moments were not a part of this book. Agatha was nicer, people seemed to respect her and some even liked her. She and James seem to be a couple, and all the other men in her life have been put in their place. It was a pleasant, slow read - yet so very disappointing. I would read another book by the new author but would probably put it on the bottom of my TBR list.

My first Agatha Raisin book and I would have to say that it was just ok. It held my attention but just barely

The previous couple of books in this series were rough, but I think the new author is finding their stride. However, I have read some feedback from readers that they don't like how Agatha has been softened so much from her strident, blunt origins. I don't really mind, and I can even suspend disbelief that she's been in her mid-50s for a couple of decades! The softer side of Aggie was counterbalanced by other characters and the victim himself, alternately adored and hated by those around him. It was a shame not to get much Bill Wong again, but Agatha brefriending his fiance was a nice touch. I enjoy how she is connecting more with the younger women around her, including Toni. As usual, the mystery wasn't too challenging to unravel, but I enjoyed the journey. Penelope Keith as narrator was as good as always--these books are more fun as audio, in my opinion.

This is my first Agatha Raisin book. I hate to say it but I was underwhelmed. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the character but at times found her to hard around the edges. The mystery seemed to be on the backburner where her personality was the star of the book.

One of the best Agatha Raisin stories in a long time! This book has several mysteries going on at the same time. It was challenging to remember clues yet delightful to revisit old friendly characters and their relationships. I am looking forward to more stories about Agatha and James!

Of course, Agatha Raisin is back at it solving mysteries in the English Cotswold’s. This time she’s searching for the murderer of The Admiral, a local bowling club member. The police have decided its an accidental poisoning, but Agatha knows its murder and there are many people who would like to see the end of the autocratic Admiral. And if you know Agatha, there’s several other problems she must solve as well. Penelope Keith’s narration is spot on.

I enjoyed this story very much. It is the 32nd (!) adventure of Agatha Raisin, a classic cozy mystery series set in the Cotswolds in England. It kept my interest until the end. The narrator was fantastic!

Down the Hatch is the 32nd installment of the Agatha Raisin series, This is a series of cozy mysteries set in England, and Agatha is an interesting protagonist. Agatha is on scene when a body is found. The police believe it is alcohol that killed the man, but Agatha suspects he was poisoned. Since she runs a private investigation agency, she is hired to investigate the murder further than the police are willing. Through twists and turns, she is tenacious in finding out the truth.

This is my very first book in the cozy mystery genre. I'm new to this genre, so I wasn't fully expecting some of the (I'm assuming) classic "silliness" of the genre. It is more of a light hearted mystery, but still involving murder and mayhem. It just doesn't seem as "serious" in some way. For example, Agatha came across the scene of the crime because she had recently taken up power walking.

I don't have any background with the character of Agatha, as this is the first book in the series that I have read. I just felt like I lacked some connection with her. Maybe its because I jumped in on the 32nd book, or maybe it is because the original author is deceased and someone else is writing the series now. I just didn't love Agatha's character, and felt like even though this is a standalone story, I missed a lot of the background of the character and her life to make her likeable.

The narrator was great, and I enjoyed listening to the voices. I just didn't love the story.

Thank you to the author(s), publisher, narrators and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the opening introduction about the late M.C. Beaton and how she worked towards creating the character Agatha Raisin. I could tell in some aspects that the new author of the series is not the original creator, but definitely one who worked closed in all previous writings with M. C. Beaton. Without giving too much away, the reader will finally get a more subdued but still fierce Agatha Raisin with this new author. The story itself was still a fun one and followed where M. C. Beaton left off. There is growth in Agatha Raisin this time around with her softer edges that some readers may have always hoped for. The ending of this one had me laughing and I can't wait to read more of one of my favorite series.

Down that Hatch is such a fun whodunit! Agatha Raisin is a truly intelligent and highly effective, not to mention entertaining, private detective. The story seems to start with various stories and happenings, and it was delightful to see them all together for completion at the end. Words were not wasted, and the story was genuinely well developed. The supporting characters added depth and not just embellishment. This is the first Agatha Raisin book I have read, and I now have all the others on my radar. I love everything from the mystery to the humor to the slight romance. I received a complimentary audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given. The narrator did a great job of capturing various persona, both male and female, and truly helped the story to come to life.