Hot to Trot

What a fun read! I've admittedly never read M.C. Beaton before, so I may be missing nuanced differences in how Beaton would have written the book and Agatha Raisin vs. her assigned friend R.W. Green. However, I found it delightful. Agatha Raisin is a takes-no-guff kind of detective who does enjoy her cocktails. The story is light, and focused around an equestrian club of snooty women. Those who enjoy "cozy mysteries" would likely enjoy this, as well. There were also elements of this book that reminded me of Phryne Fisher of "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries," which I adore.

This is my first Agatha Raisin mystery and now I look forward to reading the 30 that came before. Like Jessica Fletcher, she continually is enmeshed in mysteries. Running a detective agency in the Cotswolds takes a lot of energy. And now she’s struggling with the upcoming marriage of her friend and sometimes lover, Sir Charles. Is he marrying for love or for the money which comes with his bride. Her investigative skills come into play when Sir Charles is murdered. This series was taken over by R.W. Green. With no knowledge of the previous books, I found this a humorous satisfying and cozy book to read. I loved the audio version.

I was a little afraid that this book might not be as entertaining as previous books due to the death of M. C. Beaton. Mr. Green has done an excellent job continuing this series. I hope it is not the last. Agatha is still the same feisty character and her friends have not changed either. This is a great addition to the other Agatha Raisin books and I highly recommend continuing!

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 saddened 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 listening until I was done.. It feels like I dropped in for a visit at the Pub, and catching up on all the gossip. I found this book to have well developed plot and characters. R. W. Green did an excellent job as narrator. 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.

I am a fan of all M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin novel's. This one didn't disappoint. The narrator does a wonderful job on bringing the character's to life. MC Beaton will be missed but hopefully RW Green can keep the Agatha Raisin murder mysteries going for many years to come,

As per usual, Agatha Raisin continues to delight! The perfect cozy mystery for those who are looking to discover Agatha Raisin for the first time, or continue with the series. A witty and fun murder mystery-- highly recommend!

I have listened to all of the past Agatha Raisin novels on audiobook and I believe all of them were with Penelope Keith. Keith once again does not disappoint. I knew going into this one that the wonderful author had passed away. Therefore, when I started this novel I expected both some of the old and something new. There are changes to this novel that some fans will get fussy over. Almost all of the characters have some changes to them but lets me be real here: after 30 books and many years, people DO change. Some will not mind the changes or others may walk away from this novel. Besides the characters, the plot was still a typical Raisin mystery, the pace was still fast, and the excitement was there.

There was a time when I had had enough of the Agatha Raisin stories because her insecurity and pettiness got on my nerves. She is so consumed with worrying about the various men in her life that it becomes repetitive and detracts from the mystery.

This latest Agatha Raisin book is a refreshing departure. Agatha is just as consumed with the men in her life, but somehow it is softened this time around. The mystery is interesting, and the narration is very well done. As usual, everyone behaves outrageously, and Agatha does nothing to endear herself to her potential enemies. While the novel follows Beaton's usual formula, I really enjoyed this one.

“Who around here is a pathetic amateur?”

Hot to Trot is the 31st Agatha Raisin mystery in this very popular series. A few years ago, I read several Agatha Raisin books and abruptly stopped. Watching the amusing TV series caused me to return to the books, so here I am with book 31. Hot to Trot is published posthumously and there’s an intro from author Rod Greene who explains how he stepped in and took over writing the novel when M.C. Beaton was in her final illness. For those who don’t know, this cozy series features Agatha Raisin, a successful London PR woman who retires to the Cotswolds only to discover that the quaint village is a hot bed of gossip, intrigue and murder. After poking her nose into several cases, Agatha forms her own detective agency

Hot to Trot, a light, diverting read opens with Agatha miffed that former lover, series character, Sir Charles is about to marry Mary Darlinda Brown-Field, the bossy, unattractive daughter of indulgent, wealthy parents. While Agatha in no longer romantically involved with Charles, she can’t help being slightly disgruntled that Mary is 30 years her junior. Age and attractiveness (Agatha’s of course) are themes that run throughout this entertaining, amusing novel.



Agatha is aware of Sir Charles’s financial situation and his wondering eye and so guesses, correctly, that the marriage is a business deal rather than a love match. While she understands that Sir Charles’s finances will improve with marriage to Mary, she wonders just what Mary will get from the deal. Agatha, ever dauntless and nosy, gatecrashes the tacky wedding ceremony with former husband (and current neighbour) James in tow. A very public alteration witnessed by several people takes place at Agatha’s home between Agatha, who is forced to defend herself, and the very nasty, aggressive Mary. Soon after this event, Agatha and Toni gatecrash a fancy dress ball that takes place at Sir Charles’s estate. Another fight takes place between Mary and Agatha, and shortly afterwards Mary, dressed in her full riding gear is found strung up in the stables. It’s a clumsy attempt to cover up the murder as suicide.

It seems that Mary had no shortage of enemies, but with a large inheritance at stake and snarky Chief Inspector Wilkes in charge of the investigation, both Agatha and Sir Charles find themselves prime suspects. Agatha decides to investigate and soon she is up to her neck in the competitive world of show jumping–an insular world in which some people will do whatever it takes to win.

As in a great deal of cozy crime novels of this type, there is little to no character development per se: instead much loved, flawed characters appear, drop off the pages, and then reappear. The fun is in the characters being themselves, and in Agatha’s case –we see and love her many flaws. Also on board is Roy Silver, who suddenly finds he’s interested in horse riding, and James, who seems a bit too stuffy for Agatha

This audiobook is superbly read by Penelope Keith, and her rich voice creates an almost perfect narration. There’s one section with Agatha in France and the accents (French people speaking English) are obviously false and this reiterates my argument that authors should think twice before including accented speech in books.

Review copy

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Blackstone Audiobooks 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.
I also must say, Penelope Keith is an excellent narrator and could listen to anything she reads!

an amusing British murder mystery - what could be better!
i appreciated the forward, and how the story came about.
Agatha Raisin is classic - i love her cheekiness, abrasiveness and sense of humour.
an engaging tale of sex, infidelity and murder among the horsey set.
the narrator was very good
i have no complaints about this fun audio book

I loved this book! I am an Agatha Raisin fan and have enjoyed so many of the books, however those more recently published haven't had as much to enjoy. It is so sad that M C Beaton has died, however we are fortunate that R W Green has stepped in and consulted with M C Beaton as to how Agatha's life might proceed. This package gives us the combination of a strong foundation in terms of the books staying true to the essence of Agatha and also a fresh approach in writing to boost the content and believability. This is a welcome addition the Agatha Raisin stable and brilliantly narrated as always.