Member Reviews

Devil’s Delight is a true delight—a smooth continuation to a beloved character by another author.

Agatha Raisin is back investigating a now-you-see-them-now-you-don’t murder at a nudist camp. And there is much more going on at the enclave other than just murders and jingly bits.

It would be hard to find a more original heroine than Agatha. Sarcastic? Check. Humorous? Check. Loose with her morals? I’ll let you be the judge. But it is always fun to watch how she (and the author, of course) take an Agatha Christie setting and cozy mystery plot and turn it into something almost modern. Fans of humorous mystery books rejoice! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars for the delightful Devil’s Delight!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

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The lengths she'll go to for a case: a fun & still feisty Agatha😊

4.5🌟 stars
I've been reading Agatha Raisin mysteries for years and love Agatha's feisty spirit, her vanity and her brazen behavior, especially when it comes seeking the attentions of a new man or running rings around the local constabulary. Author M.C. Beaton may have departed us but Green has kept her intrepid 50 something P.I. alive and, except when she puts herself in mortal danger(!), alive and well in Devil's Delight.

Agatha is such a fun character, riddled with insecurities and flaws. I love it! She's so dedicated to getting the job done, she even finds ways to infiltrate the local Naturist society (read nudists) for a sticky murder case. And, hard to believe, but she is still waffling about how to handle her undying interest in her ex. It doesn't help that he's her next door neighbor!

I'm stuck on this series and so happy that it's still going strong. It's just a very enjoyable, easy, cozy read with Agatha constantly on the move and the villains unable to escape her eagle eye. Her presence of mind when in perilous situations saves her more than once! If, like me, you are an Agatha fan, you'll find familiar Carsely village stalwarts like Mrs. Bloxby and her ever complaining vicar husband, Agatha's staff, perpetual bachelor Charles Fraith, etc., all present and involved in the action.

I had a lovely time with Agatha and all her Cotswold crew.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

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I am not sure how I have missed M.C. Beaton's series. This is the first in the series i have read. I will go back and read more. Agatha Raisin is an interesting character. I understand this book is a collaboration, so I can't directly compare it to her early works. Overall, this is the typical cozy mystery - except for a young man running down the lane wearing nothing. Granted, it actually fit with the naturist group idea, but it was an interesting twist. Also the fact that it involved an ice cream business made it a bit more original than some. Overall, it wasn't overwhelmingly original, but it wasn't bad either.

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I like mysteries. Agatha is a very quirky character. She is entertaining and interesting. There were a lot of characters in the story and I had trouble keeping track of who they all were. The mystery was resolved satisfactorily. Maybe I struggled with this book because I felt like I didn't know who all the characters were and their backstories. I think if you are a fan of this author, you will enjoy this book. It wasn't my cup of tea. I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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This is an enjoyable novel for when you want light reading. I am not as endeared to Agatha Raisin as I am to Hamish MacBeth however, and I did not feel that the change of author was as seamless as with the MacBeth novels. I received this as an advanced reader copy from the author via NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

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I didn't realize this was a series and this was my first of the Agatha Raisin series. I appreciate the advanced digital copy. Overall, I was a little bored with this story. None of the characters were super likeable and I was left feeling just kinda meh.

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Green has done it again. Taking over the Agatha Raisin series where Beaton left off, Green has very carefully tried to maintain Beaton's spirit, and in DEVIL'S DELIGHT truly took the crew at Raisin Investigation to a place where Beaton would have approved of, though she may never have done it herself. The book starts with the much awaited Wong wedding, but we see almost nothing of Bill in this book, which was very sad to me. There murders in the book all revolve around a nudist collective, but it's so tastefully done that I think Beaton approves. I think I highlighted half the book to come back to. And the fact that Green has Agatha growing up to, at least in small doses, realize she's fine without a man is truly beautiful.

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One of my favourite characters (the book not the tv series).
It is always a delight to read another Agatha Raisin story.
The series has been left in good hands.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

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First, thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

This is the first book in this series have ever read. It's a cozy type mystery, with nudity, and unlikeable characters. There didn't seem to be a lot of character development, and while the story unfolded with all questions answered, I found it boring at times.

Aside from not liking the characters, the mystery is non-existent. The writer tells you who the killer is from the beginning. That kind of kills the “mystery”.

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I'm new to the Agatha Raisin Mysteries series. The current book explores a series of mysteries: a murder at a naturist (nudist) club, a drug operation at a local school, some other mysterious murders, all mixed in with Agatha's relationships. But to me what makes the book truly interesting is the colorful cast of characters. Each of the people portrayed in the book has such unique characteristics as to leave an indelible imprint on the reader's memory. Mix in ice cream, upscale dinners, church choirs, seduction - and you won't be able to put this one down..

I really enjoyed Devil's Delight and look forward to the next book in the series!

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Toni and Agatha can't even go to a wedding without finding themselves in a pickle and investigating a murder! This latest in the very long running series sees this pair working through a case that involves naturists, witchcraft and hijinks, always with a sense of humor. In some ways, this felt like Greene was trying too hard to keep up the humor but I kept reading so make of that what you will. Agatha continues to have fraught relationships with both men and law enforcement but a terrific pal in Toni. No spoilers from me (it's too complicated to explain anyway!). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Probably best enjoyed by fans.

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I had a lot of fun reading the adventures Agatha Raisin had in this book. It is hard to believe that this is number 33 in the series and I had never heard of this particular series until stumbling across this one. I wil be looking to read some of the other books in this series when I get a chance.

Agatha and Toni are on the way to a wedding when they are stopped by a naked man who says he's just found a dead body. Why is the man naked? Weird, but he's part of a nudist colony. The people in this group have normal lives, but they get together as nudist on this particular area of land and they have some strange rituals. When the police arrive, the body has mysteriously disappeared. Agatha is a PI and she wants to get to the root of this disappearing body. Also, she's curious about the nudist colony and wants to find out more about it.

Agatha is quite a character and I definitely want to read more about her. Her personality is distinctively different from post of the private investigators I've read about. So much fun!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on December 13, 2022.

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This is the 33rd book in the Agatha Raisin series - and the books still feel fresh and interesting. I have read every one and was excited to read this one. I was devasted when M.C. Beaton died but am very pleased with the way R.W. Green has picked up the series and continued with the characters. The books still 'feel' like M.C. Beaton has written them.

By now, we know the main characters well, and in this episode they are all present. Agatha is her usual self - always interested in how she looks, how good her makeup and hair are, and eyes open for interesting men.
As usual, she comes across a body and gets involved in investigating a potential murder, much to the annoyance of Chief Inspector Wilkes.

One 'wrinkle' (pun intended) in this case, is that the murder appears to be connected to the Mircester Naturist club. The young man who found the body appears in the roadway completely naked, much to Agatha's shock. When Toni and Agatha discuss going undercover to try and interview suspects, they may not be under much cover at all...

Agatha's business is investigating two other matters as well as this murder, so there is a lot happening and many characters involved. It is a credit to the writing that it was very easy to keep them all straight.

This was a funny and entertaining story, with Agatha behaving completely true to form throughout. She is cranky, witty and very clever, all while dealing with her on-again-off-again beau's James and Charles, and new interests Giovanni, John and Edward.

It was a delight.

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Agatha Raisin is back when a nudist finds a dead body that soon disappears before the police arrive. After the body reappears, she can truly investigate. Another good Agatha book. Even written after Beaton’s death in 2019, this still has the same feel.

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No offense to R.W Green but I think I’m done with this series. The writing itself is not the issue here. The plots are too outlandish now and too many new characters are showing up. Nothing is working anymore, including Agatha herself. It’s a shame as this used to be a firm favorite of mine.

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I have enjoyed reading all the Agatha Raisin mysteries. The new author has kept pretty closely to M. C. Beaton's writing style with humor and affectionate ribbing of the characters. I give the mystery plot 3 stars, but the humor and character descriptions deserve 5 stars.

In this case, a dead body is discovered to have links to a naturist club. Private investigator Agatha Raisin and her assistant Toni become immersed in the nudist group to find the murderer. The investigation also pursues nefarious persons selling ice cream. All the regular characters, with the exception of Roy Silver, appear and entertain the reader while the bad guys are caught. Well done, R. W. Green.

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The latest entry in the Agatha Raisin series has Agatha and her assistant, Toni, driving down a country lane when a naked man runs toward the car, claiming to have found a dead body. Only problem is when they go to where the body should be, there's nothing. Agatha thus becomes involved in a nudist colony, located on her friend Sir Charles's property. At the same time, her private investigation firm is involved in drug deals at a private girls' school and Agatha is entranced by a gorgeous Italian.

R. W. Green has made some subtle improvements to Agatha: she no longer smokes and has lost her air of desperation. She still seeks male companionship, but is the pursued rather than the pursuer. This is a relatively quick read. Very enjoyable while it lasts, but I immediately forgot some finer points of the plot. Agatha is always good fun, and thank goodness she's getting fed up with James and Charles. #DevilsDelight #NetGalley

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Agatha Raisin is at it again! I have loved M.C Beaton’s characters from this series and R.W. Green does a great job keeping the series fun and clever.

I loved the twists and turns in this one, particularly how there are several storylines that become somewhat intertwined.

Agatha, as always, brings the humor and sass and can’t seem to avoid getting herself into scrapes.

Looking forward to the next installment. Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress and #MinotaurBooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Every year, with much anticipation I await the newest Agatha Raisin mystery. When I found out that beloved author M. C. Beaton had passed away, I felt like I was also going to find myself mourning Agatha Raisin’s passing, since there would not be more books.
Much to my surprise, almost right away it was announced that R. W. Green would be continuing to write the series, since he had been working closely with Mrs. Beaton.

Devil’s Delight is the third Agatha Raisin mystery that has been written by Mr. Green, and I am delighted that he writes in Mrs. Beaton’s style so accurately well. This book is the funniest of the 3 he has written, and I have laughed out loud from sentence #1 on…I highly recommend this new Agatha Raisin mystery as it is hilarious, and the plot is a roller coaster of surprises and intriguing twists and turns.

The murderer is somewhat predicted towards the end, but it increased the suspense, and made me anxious to find out the how and why’s…and I was not disappointed, since the ending is thrilling and not predictable at all. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and look forward to another Agatha Raisin mystery next year.

I thank St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for making an advance copy available for me to read and review.

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R.W. Green has had some mighty large Beaton shoes to fill -- his first book, Hot to Trot was a disaster, Down the Hatch was closer to M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin, and now Devil’s Delight seems to be closing in on the books I enjoy.

The paragraph structure is not my favorite, with an extra sentence here and there that doesn’t belong and reads more along the lines of talking down to his audience or a lackluster form of humor; we get it R.W.; we can read between the lines.

I am unsure if Agatha is finally coming into her own since she has always been a force of nature, but there is a change in her. Will this change continue? The reader certainly hopes so, but time will tell if she will fall back into her usual of chasing the wrong men -- at least the newest isn’t named James, Jim, or Jimmy. Then again, how will Agatha handle a relationship with a mature man and not the usual man-child she seems to be attracted to?

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