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Agatha Raisin in Down the Hatch

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Agatha Raisin in Down the Hatch

By: M.C. Beaton
Narrated by: Penelope Keith
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About this listen

 'Every new Agatha Raisin escapade is a total joy' ASHLEY JENSEN

'No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime' MAIL ON SUNDAY

'A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed' DAILY MAIL

'The detective novels of M C Beaton have reached cult status' THE TIMES

Nothing could be more relaxing or sedate than a quiet game of bowls on a pristine bowling green bathed in the sunshine of an English summer's afternoon in the Cotswolds - unless there's a dead body lying on the grass.

Agatha Raisin becomes embroiled in a turmoil of jealousy and lies when the tranquility of her local bowls club explodes into a storm of accusation and intrigue - and murder. Her private life is no less turbulent when a past suitor reappears just as her ex-husband seems intent on rekindling their romance, and her close friend, Bill Wong, is in danger of losing the woman he loves.

Events take an even darker turn when Agatha realises that, in pursuing the bowling green killer, she is putting her own life in danger...

Praise for M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries:

'Irresistible, unputdownable, a joy' Anne Robinson

'Full of perfectly pitched interest, intrigue, and charm' Lee Child

'Agatha is like Miss Marple with a drinking problem, a pack-a-day habit and major man lust. In fact, I think she could be living my dream life' Entertainment Weekly

'M. C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem' Publishers Weekly

'[Agatha] is a glorious cross between Miss Marple, Auntie Mame, and Lucille Ball . . . She's wonderful' St. Petersburg Times

'Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand-new Agatha Raisin mystery' Tampa Tribune-Times

'Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha' Chicago Sun-Times©2021 M.C. Beaton Cosy Detective Mystery Private Investigators Traditional Detectives Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Fiction Suspense
All stars
Most relevant
As this may be the final Agatha mystery I enjoyed the way the she tied up the loose ends that threaded through the series - her and James - Charles- her staff- Bill Wong. Alongside that she threaded an engaging murder mystery.
I’ll miss her.

Vintage Agatha

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Never fails to make me smile. although Agatha a pain in the fundament she is I believe, a little bit in all of us. M C Beaton greatly missed.

Always a joy

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Will be sad when there are no more Agatha Raisin mysteries to listen too but there is only one M.C . Beaton

One of my favourite series

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Penelope Keith narration wonderful as usual. Thankfully Agatha no longer gets jealous of Toni and is maturing. James is more likeable. Just needs to make mention of ‘capacious handbag’ for consistency.

Entertaining with multiple story lines

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Some readers might prefer to keep the characters in this series from evolving, but I was relieved to find that the new author is taking a risk and letting go of some rusted-on elements that for me were getting a bit tired and frustrating. I find R W Green's Agatha much more relatable and modern. I don't agree with all the choices, but overall was pleased to hear less about Agatha's conflicts, insecurities and old-fashioned ideas about men and women. It does feel as though much of this book is devoted to trying to tie up loose ends in the wider series though, so while the mysteries are fun, they do feel very rushed at the end hence my rating of 3 stars. If the series continues, I expect the next book will be better able to focus on new mysteries and dramas now that it has let go of the things that I felt were beginning to weigh the series down.

Interesting changes for series fans

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