M.C. Beaton
The blood of an Englishman
I love Agatha Raisin. The character is just so funny, and this book carries on the humour alongside the crime solving.
This is the 26th book featuring Agatha that I have read, and I have to say that I’m still as interested in her ongoing journey, as I was when reading the first one.
The basic plot is that Agatha is persuaded by Mrs Bloxby to attend a Panto, but one of the stars (a baker) is killed on stage. They find out that the world of amateur dramatics is full of more feuds and extreme emotions than they had realised.
Agatha’s search for romance carries on in this book, but she has become a little more mature about it, seeing as she has the opportunity to get married to a farmer named Paul in this one, but refuses him even before his son has the opportunity to try to scare her away.
Charles, James and Roy all make a appearance in this one. Charles is engaged again, but the relationship like previous ones that he has, ends because of his connection to Agatha. His fiancee Caroline ends up falling in love with Agatha’s former fiance Paul. He doesn’t seem to be that bothered by the fact that she only posted the ring through the letterbox, without any explanation. His thoughts turning immediately to Agatha when he received it.
The epilogue introduces a character called Jill, who will be important in the next book, and it seems as though that it’s going to be another well written and humorous book.
It also includes a short Christmas story called Christmas Crumble, in which Agatha attempts to make a supposedly easy Christmas pudding recipe, with Roy’s help, but makes a complete mess of it. I like that she’s not totally together, and that she’s incapable of cooking well for herself.
Musings of a thirtysomething woman 