I was so excited to see a new Agatha Raisin book, but I was sorely disappointed. These are not the same characters as before. This posthumous tale missed that mark. The narrator, however, was absolutely lovely and did a wonderful job.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Blackstone Publishing for my copy of this audiobook.

Agatha Raisin is back again! Killing Time promises excitement with a present-day mystery, death threats, a 400-year-old murder mystery, Charles Fraith's Barfield Extravaganza, and a romantic trip to Mallorca with John Glass.

While Killing Time promised excitement, and somewhat delivered on that promises, I was still let down. It just didn't tie together like they usually do. There was too much going on. It wanted to be too exciting and should have just focused on actually coming together as a cohesive novel.

On the plus side - the narration was superb, as it always is when Penelope Keith is behind the microphone. If she hadn't been narrating, I'm not sure I'd have wanted to finish it. Charlie, who is usually my favorite, was insufferable. The whole drama with John Glass was unnecessary and annoying. (It's been 35 books of Agatha being a train wreck in love. We don't need romantic jump scares this late in the game.) The ancient mystery was cool. The present-day mystery was lackluster and I feel like I've literally read the same plot in another Agatha Raisin book... Overall, I was not pleased, but I'm giving it 3.5 stars because I love Agatha, Penelope Keith, and the ancient mystery plot was interesting.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with an early audio version of the most recent book in the Agatha Raisin series.

Agatha Raisin is a character I have always found compelling; she is intelligent, resourceful, and assertive. Her interactions with her partners, feline companions, Mrs. Bloxby, and her romantic interests enrich the narrative. However, I have some concerns regarding the transition to the new author, R.W. Green. Unfortunately, he has not fully captured the complexity of Agatha or the supporting characters, resulting in portrayals that feel somewhat one-dimensional.

While the central cases in the plot are interesting, the introduction of a historical case appeared to be an unnecessary addition that detracted from the other storylines. Moreover, the witty exchanges that have historically characterized this series were noticeably absent, making the characters seem less vibrant.

I sincerely hope that future installments will return to the engaging storytelling and nuanced character development that have defined this series. Thank you for considering my feedback.

First time visiting with Agatha Raisin but it won’t be the last. Good story. I did not have any problem not knowing the series history and got to know the recurring characters as the tale advanced. Good narrator.

I love an Agatha raisin you know exactly what you are getting and they are just easy to listen to.

In this one Agatha and her team are investigating some burglaries in the neighborhood when she starts getting threats in the mail. She chooses to ignore them and take on planning a huge event for Charles Fraith (who she is still on the kind of outs with) so many plots and one of them ends with a body and Agatha gets on the case of all the things.

Thanks to netgalley and Blackstone publishing for an alc

Killing Time is another great addition to a brilliant series, how could you not love Agatha.
Another great storyline with wonderful, quirky, entertaining characters in the most stunning location.
The narrator just rounds off this fab addition really bringing the characters and story to life.

Another Agatha mystery! Well, 3 mysteries to solve. Agatha goes to an auction and finds a beautiful clock that truly intrigues her. Upon winning, she receives death threats in the form of riddles. There is also a series of robberies that the town council wants her to investigate. She is in the middle of organizing a winery party to launch Sir Charles new business with Roy. She is so busy but finds time to be with her new beau and dance partner too. Charles relates a story of mayhem and murder that happened hundreds of years ago and Agatha wants to solve this too!

A wonderful new addition to the series! This book was fast and enjoyable! The characters and settings are as great as ever! The narrator brings a delightful aspect to the book. A must listen for all!

‘All this and dark intrigue as well.’

Agatha’s got her hands full with not one but three cases in her latest outing not to mention her relationship is on the rocks and Charles is upping his game hoping to finally ensnare her. When her neighbor is murdered, then her and Toni are almost abducted, she has to determine if the cases both revolve around an antique clock she purchased at an auction or if it was just a strange coincidence. Mix in a live dead guy and an almost four hundred year old case and you’ve got a humdinger of a book from start to finish. Amazing as always!

Having read absolutely every book in this series, Agatha and I have a relationship that dates back 32 years. As such, I anticipate every Agatha Raisin book like I do the change of seasons, happily awaiting each with the comfort and familiarity with which they offer, delighting in what feels like catching up with old friends. The latest (35th) in this successful series, Killing Time, from the mind of M.C. Beaton, brought to life by R.W Green, did not disappoint. Green, it would seem, has settled quite nicely into his role of picking up where the late Beaton left off, allowing us to revisit characters that we have grown to love.

Simultaneously dealing with break-ins, personal death threats, solving an antiques dealer’s murder, mysterious letters in block print, unraveling the mystery surrounding a purchase at auction, and helping the dishy Sir Charles Fraith with a Barfield House bash, our heroine has barely the time to heat up a ready meal.

Our Agatha is a busy girl in this latest installment, one of the best I’ve read in a while. There is action from beginning to end, with all of the beloved characters present and accounted for, each playing a rather significant role, which is exactly the way I like it. I’ve always had a little bit of a crush on Sir Charles Fraith, so when in the story opened on his patch with him proposing Agatha help organize a blockbuster event, I knew he would have a nice presence in this book. Naturally Roy had to come down from London to lend a hand, and a kinder, gentler James has turned into a wonderful friend to Agatha, even providing her with a dinner of delicious cottage pie. Amidst all these mysteries, Aggie jets off to visit her latest love and dance partner, John Glass aboard the Ocean Palace Splendour heading for Puerto Pollensa. Just describing this book leaves me breathless. With the Raisin Detective Agency working like a well-oiled machine, every puzzled was solved in typical Agatha fashion.

I must say that this stands out as one of the best books in recent Raisin history. R.W. Green has well adapted to his role as successor to M.C. Beaton. I look forward to many more books to come.

As for the narration, well, I know Penelope Keith is quite beloved by Agatha Raisin fans, but she doesn’t quite cut it for me. Her voice is too posh, and in my opinion, she’s no replacement for Donada Peters.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and R.W. Green for providing me with an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley for a review. I listened to the audio book, and enjoyed the narrator and the story. But, I felt like there were too many different unrelated moving parts in the book. You had a 1600's mystery, murder mystery, robbery mystery, gala plan, and dating drama, and it was all a bit too much, as they weren't related. I wish there had a bit more cohesiveness.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers.

This was my first Agatha Raisin experience, although it is the 35th book in the series. Agatha Raisin is a brilliantly witty character. I enjoyed the audiobook, but I’m unsure of Agatha’s age; while listening to the book, I envisioned her as an elderly lady, yet some situations made me think otherwise.

The storyline moved quickly and included mystery, murder, death threats and some romance, keeping my mind engaged. I loved all the characters and am considering going back to the beginning of the series to learn more about them, as I likely missed some details by not having read the previous books. However, this did not interfere with my enjoyment of the story.

All in all, I had a great time and look forward to more Agatha Raisin adventures.

I love Agatha Raisin so much which is why I'm beyond disappointed to give this 2/5 🌟. This book had so much happening, even for Agatha, and none of the solutions to the multiple mysteries were exciting or satisfying. This just didn't feel like an Agatha Raisin mystery, and perhaps the new author is why. I fear we may never get the sassy but classy hero we love back.

I have to wonder at the choice to have a male writer take over for Beaton after her death rather than employ another woman who might better relate to Agatha and share her voice. The difference is stark, and it's not good. It very much turned into a book that seemed to be more from Charles perspective which I very much disliked.

First off thank you to NetGalley for this early audio of the latest in the Agatha Raisin series..
I like the character of Agatha, a smart as a whip, take no nonsense, owner of a private detective agency.
I like her partners, her cats, her good friend Mrs Bioxby, and her boyfriends, plural.
As always, Agatha is embroiled in a case, with another case thrust upon her and a gala fund-raiser she needs to put on.
What I am Sad about is the new author, R.W. Green, who took over her series after MC Beaton died, He can’t quite get her ( or the supporting characters) personalities down. He is missing critical parts of their personalities, and in doing so makes the book so much less interesting.
My suggestion is for him to reread, from the beginning, all the books and see how Agatha ( and everyone else )have evolved.. Sadly he is creating a one dimensional characters vs the complex woman she is.
The cases were interesting, except with the adding in the historical case. It was just one too many as it felt more like a space filler, allowing Green not to have to flush other the other two storylines.
We also lost the quick witted repartee between the characters in this go.
None of the characters in this series are as simple as he has portrayed them. They are quirky, a bit self absorbed, but they are also smart and quick and decisive. In this installment he instead has them as insipid, dull and overall boring.
Hoping for better on his next try.

Posted to Goodreads: 11/24/24

This was an entertaining and enjoyable mystery that kept me laughing with all of the colorful characters and Agatha’s spunky attitude. As my first Agatha Raisin mystery, one of my favorite things about this book was that it had lots of activities that the main characters had to figure out and solve, in addition to the main case Agatha and her employees take on. If you haven’t read one of these mysteries before, I definitely think you’ll find this fun. Besides, who can resist a sassy woman who knows what she wants and won’t stop till she finds the truth?

The latest Agatha Raisin book is jam packed with riddles, mysteries to solve and villains galore. Having read every single book in this series, I can honestly say that this is one of the best ones I have read. R. W. Green really captures the personalities of M.C. Beaton's characters and continues their stories beautifully.

This book sees Agatha with a myriad of cases and an event extravaganza to organise. She riddles a mystery from the 1600s, investigates a string of burglaries, ponders a murder, gets sent a few death threats, escapes from a few kidnap attempts and suffers from a broken heart all while researching the antiques market.

We see all the characters we know and love make an appearance from Gustav to Roy, Mrs Bloxby to Inspector Wilkes, Charles, James and of course her version of the Scooby Gang (The Raisinettes?!). Her community rallies around her in support and you can see the amazing characters brought together.

I love Agatha as a character as she is the ultimate golden-hearted grump. I loved hearing her catchphrase (Snakes and Bast-ards) come into play a few times too. This is such a funny book and I found myself laughing out loud in response to the wit and charades that Agatha gets up to.

Listening to Agatha Raisin is such a treat because Penelope Keith voices her so beautifully. I believe that the audio books of this series are even better than the books themselves because of the personality oozing through in every word.

All in all, 5 stars from me and I cannot wait before the next one comes out!
I would love to thank Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing and R. W. Green for keeping the amazing M. C. Beaton's work alive and allowing me to listen to the latest book as an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Audio for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Last year, the Audible Plus catalog had the Agatha Raisin series available to listen to, so I was able to enjoy some of a series that I had often seen and heard good things about. I was curious to see what had become of the Agatha character since I didn’t get through all 34 prior volumes. She’s got a private detective agency now, which makes sense.

Since M.C. Beaton passed away some time ago, R.W. Wood has carried on writing the Agatha Raisin series, and some of the changes are for the better. While still a cozy mystery, there’s a lot more depth to situations. In this volume, Agatha helps solve several mysteries, including a 400-year-old one!

It was nice to visit again with such well-drawn characters and the subtle changes the new author has made. The narrator was very good and made the story move along at an even pace. I enjoyed this cozy very much and will continue to go back to the rest of the series and catch up.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of Killing Time.

This is the 35th book in the Agatha Raisin series.

Agatha Raisin's private detective agency is working on a series of burglaries which take a violent turn when a friend of Agatha's is murdered during a raid on his antiques shop. Although determined to nail the villains, Agatha still makes time to help Sir Charles Fraith prepare for a glamorous event in the grounds of his ancestral home, Barfield House.

I enjoyed Killing Time so much! I am a huge fan of the Agatha Raisin series and narrator Penelope Keith, and this audiobook was no exception.

Killing Time contains everything I love about the series, including the cozy Cotswolds setting, all of Agatha’s usual friends, a murder mystery to solve, Agatha’s PR/event planning background, a short international interlude, and endless witty banter.

Thank you to R.W. Green for continuing this series so that we can enjoy M.C. Beaton’s legacy and the ongoing adventures of Agatha Raisin.

This is one of my favourite book series. They are so easy to read and listen to, with enjoyable stories and quirky characters. Whilst I don't think this is the strongest book in the series, it is still a good story and I enjoy listening to the trouble Agatha inevitably gets in to.

Penelopie Keith is the perfect Agatha Raisin for me and her narration is definitely 5*.

A really great easy listen that entertained my on my long commutes for a few days. I have read lots of the Agatha Raisin books, but this audio book was a first for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did find the narration a bit slow so adjusted the play speed slightly. The story was amusing and held my attention throughout. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to a review copy.