Killing Time: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M. C. Beaton; R.W. Green is a great murder/mystery that is the 35th book in the long-standing,and personal favorite of mine, series.

As always, we get to follow along with Agatha who is enveloped into a multi-layered murder mystery. However, this time it is both professional and personal in nature. There are several twists (a few I saw coming) that makes for an engaging narrative.

I really like how Agatha has grown and changed throughout the course of this series. Yes, she still has a fiery temper, and sometimes speaks before thinking, but there is most definitely a softer side of her that has developed that we can see when she interacts with those she cares about. That doesn’t mean that she doesn’t hold them accountable nor save her barbs or scathing comments for another time, but it is balanced out with gratitude and the occasional thanks.

I have said this before, and I will say it again, my favorite characters are Toni, Bill, and Charles…especially Charleston. (Team Charles all the way.) I also get to see a few tender moments and thoughts accidentally fall out of his mouth…which just endears him towards me even more. What the future will hold? I will definitely be reading to find out.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/8/24.

I really enjoyed this book in the Agatha Raisin series. Agatha takes on an interesting case, and all of the regular characters are back. A particularly poignant moment with the endearing Mrs. Bloxsby moved me to tears. Overall, it was just really nice to be back on the case with Agatha again.

I did feel like there was a lot going on in this story besides the mystery. There is a romance subplot, a cold case/historical mystery subplot, and a public relations subplot. It would have been nice to lose one of those subplots so there could have been more focus on the central mystery investigation. For example, Agatha jets off to an exotic location at one point. This break in the story was well-written but jarring, and the story would have been better without it. I would have rather seen this subplot as a central plot in another book.

I miss the writing of the lovely M.C. Beaton. However, I think R.W. Green does a fantastic job with Agatha, and I am grateful he has taken this series on. I will keep reading the Agatha Raisin books as long as he keeps writing them. It remains my favorite cozy mystery series.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Killing Time An Agatha Raisin Mystery Book 35 by MC Beaton and RW Green

256 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Release Date: October 8, 2024

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, British, Antique Clock, Party Planning

Sir Charles Fraith has asked Agatha Raisin for her expertise in planning a social gathering. His new wine business needs a launch party, and he believes Agatha is the person to plan it. He also piques her interest in a historic murder mystery to solve that took place in August 1660.

Agatha is a private detective with a small office above Mr. Tinkler’s antique shop. She asks him if he can educate her on how an auction works since she is planning one for Sir Charles’ gathering. He does better than that by taking her to Randall Auctions. She sees an elaborate clock with dancers on the top and immediately falls in love. She gets in a bidding war with a man and a woman, bidding way above the value of the clock but is successful in the end.

There have been a series of break-ins at the local shops. The most recent is Designs by Aurelia. Unfortunately, Aurelia was still in the shop when the two thugs came in. The next break-in happens at Mr. TInkler’s store and her clock goes missing. Now Agatha must add solving crime to her to-do list.

The book has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. I must say I love the books much more than the television series. The characters in the book are more realistic than the shows. If you like British cozy mysteries, you will enjoy this series.

To me the book met the minimum requirements to be worth reading. The main story was interesting, but the secondary historical story was a dead end and I felt that it did not belong in the book. The characters were bland, with no really likable ones, but none that were objectionable. There was some humour but nothing laugh-out-loud funny. I would not describe the settings as vivid. Overall the book functions adequately as a lighter-hearted mystery. Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the advance reader copy.

I’m happy NetGalley allowed me to preview this book. I’ve been a Agatha fan from the beginning and I’m overjoyed that it will continue in such great hands. I’m sure M.C. Is smiling. I’ll let Agatha describe what we’ve got “we got the murder, the kidnap attempt, the burglaries, the extravaganza and the stupid notes”. But that’s not all we got, we got a solution to the Campden Wonder, a 17th century mystery. We got a mystery clock with a dancing couple on top that dance to a Strauss waltz, Weinar Carneval. We got a delicious dinner of pasta alla norcina (which I plan to try). Along with a short travelogue to Mallorca, the setting of a short story by Agatha Christie, Problem at Pollensa Bay. I can’t remember a book packed with so many gots. Can’t wait for the next book, I’ve got to get it.

How wonderful to be able to count on one more Agatha Raisin book per year for the last few years since the sad passing of our beloved author M. C. Beaton. This is due to the masterful writing of R. W. Green, who was a collaborator with Ms. Beaton, and he writes brilliantly in her style.

When reading the Agatha Raisin books after Ms. Beaton’s death, I cannot tell they were written by someone else, and that is a huge accomplishment for R. W. Green!

I like to read the prologues that come with the latest books, and this one, which is # 35 in the Agatha Raisin mystery series gives us a lot of information regarding one of the two mysteries happening in this book. One of the mysteries is historical, as it happened centuries ago, and it was never solved…I must say that it did not hold much interest to me, and I felt that the conversations at the end of the book about this mystery were added “filler”, yet entertaining nevertheless.

I can’t express enough praise for Killing Time! The characters are all described perfectly, and their opinions and shenanigans are the usual ones. I really enjoy laughing as I read about their antics, especially Agatha Raisin’s peculiar way of being. I liked the fact that Agatha got to travel out of England again, and the descriptions of Spain are reminiscent of my travels to Mallorca, Spain.

This was a delightful read, and it went by too fast. Again, as much as I have tried to solve the whodunit puzzles in these mysteries, I am left surprised at the end, which is a satisfying feeling. All loose ends are tied neatly, and we are left wanting for more Agatha adventures to come.

Thank you to Net Galley and to Minotaur books for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for a personal review.

This is still one of my favourite series, I am glad to see it continue.
Great characters and always a well written story.
Read the books, and avoid the tv show!

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Killing Time is the latest in the Agatha Raison series. R.W. Green continues improving at finding Agatha’s voice. Green has softened her. By not making her so caustic, Green has made Agatha more like the old MC Beaton character, who was brusque without being mean.
The plot contained a subplot about an ancient mystery that had taken place in the area. I still do t understand why this was included. It didn’t add anything to the story. The side chapter, which took place in another country, was also unnecessary to the development of the plot line.
There was still a need for some editing out of the occasional “telling” but it has improved. For example, I don’t need to know that she swallowed some wine. You just told us she topped off her glass.
Because all the beloved characters were present along with the familiar setting, I enjoyed the book and will give it 4 stars.
I received a prepub of Killing Time from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This latest in MC Beaton and RW Green's Agatha Raisin series has Agatha and her team tackling many mysteries at once: did an ancient murder really happen? Who's behind a spate of local burglaries? It all turns quite serious when one shop owner is attacked during a burglary and another is murdered. And, finally, what does an antique clock have to do with it all? Add in Agatha's usually tumultuous love life, keeping up with her friends and neighbors, a fancy fund raiser -- and a side jaunt to Mallorca -- and it's a busy read.

But it's a very enjoyable read, as Agatha and her team of richly drawn supporting characters solve each mystery in turn. "Killing Time" is a wacky, fun, slightly implausible quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of "Killing Time" - the latest instalment of the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton and R.W. Green.

Agatha is on fine form once again. Between juggling an investigation into break-ins at local businesses, organising the fundraising gala to end of fundraising gala's for Sir Charles Fraith, and solving a 400 year old Costwold murder, Agatha still finds time for romance and heartbreak.

R. W. Green is doing a fine job of continuing Agatha's story. These fun and lighthearted mysteries are perfect for a lazy afternoon.

This book was kind of odd for an Agatha Raisin book. It started out with Charles telling Agatha about a mystery from the 1660. I thought maybe the reason for his was that it would somehow tie in with current mystery. A murder happens in an Antique Shop close to Agatha’s detective office. The story has Agatha being annoying and not really using her common sense. Threatening notes arrive and she gets angry at her staff for wanting to investigate them. Her car is torched and she is mainly concerned about losing her makeup bag. It seems as if she acts not as her normal self. The plot seemed weak. And at the end I still couldn’t figure out what the 1660 mystery has to do with anything.

I think sometime a year or 2 ago, I found the Agatha raisin TV show on either britbox or acorn so I was very excited to have the chance to read this arc. Being able to read about Agatha raisin and her adventures really gave me a better sense of the character and general background of that world. Loved it

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I love it every time a new Agatha Raisin book comes out. They aren’t quite the same with the new writer but I still enjoy them.
This was another good one that had a couple of different plot lines to follow.
Enjoyable to read as always.

I enjoy M. C. Beaton's mysteries series--especially the Agatha Raisin. As an older woman (and someone who once worked in public relations) I have some identification with Agatha but more to the point, I enjoy her acerbic wit, her cynical appraisal of people, places, and situations as well as her vanity and honesty about herself. The books also have a sense of humor that I enjoy.

There are several simultaneous plots spun In Killing Time, Agatha's old friend Charles comes to her with a very cold case: back in 1660, a man named William Harrison went missing. Was he abducted? If so, by whom? Agatha is at first angered--enticed with the promise of a "new" case she is presented with some historical event. Over time, throughout the book, however, she becomes increasingly intrigued and when not distracted by murders, assaults, death threats (to her) and an attempted abduction (also of her), she ponders this ancient event.

There is some interesting historical information here, especially as regards to English law in the 17th century.

However, it appears Charles' actual motive in coming to Agatha is to enlist her help as a public relations' powerhouse to organize a major event to celebrate, make known, and (last but far from least) raise money for his new venture, a winery. Agatha, after much wooing on the part of James (including much flattery about her talents as a publicist, event organizer, and generally fabulous and glamorous woman) agrees.

One of the events will be an auction. To learn about auctions, Agatha attends one. A beautiful antique clock is on offer, and Agatha bids high--mostly in a spirit of competition with two other bidders who seem desperate to own the clock. That's how Agatha runs!

Soon follow the murders, death threats and attempted abduction I wrote of above.

Question: are these related to this clock? Or to another mystery Agatha has been brought in to solve: a series of burglaries in the small village, in the course of which one woman was brutally assaulted.

And, in the middle of the story (for no particular reason), Agatha takes off to Pollensa in Mallorca to meet up with her lover, John (former police officer).. I'm not sure how necessary this trip is to the book, but I enjoyed it immensely. Beaton brings to life the beauty of the place--I felt like I also had a brief vacation which was a lot of fun!

In the course of the book, we reconnect with many of Agatha's old friends, employees, and adversaries.

Killing Time is the most recent in the Agatha Raisin series (#35) and was co-written wit Ron Green. I found this a little confusing since Marion Chesney (M. C. Beaton's real name) died in December 2019 (aged 83). From what I understood, she and Green had discussed future books and he based the books on these discusions.

It is certainly best to read the series in order for maximum enjoyment, There are many recurring characters and their relationships with Agatha are usually complicated. However, I think it is possible to read this as a stand-alone.

My only complaints are that after a strong opening, the story slowed down for a bit. It picked up again for me a little less than the half-way mark and remained consistently strong after that. My other issue is that I found the plot/s very complicated and I had difficulty keeping them all straight. At the end, I had to go back through the book in order to understand the various solutions.

On the whole, however, a very satisfying read.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Agatha book, but it definitely won’t be my last. I’ve never heard of these before, but I’ll definitely be checking my library for others.

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.

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

A spate of shop burglaries, an antique clock, and a centuries-old mystery have Agatha Raisin back on the case.

A series of burglaries targeting the village's shops turns personal when Agatha Raisin's friend, an antiques shop owner, is murdered and Agatha's newly-purchased antique clock is stolen. While solving these interconnected crimes, Agatha puzzles over the seventeenth-century disappearance of a local man that led to the unjust convictions and deaths of three others. Agatha's theory on this historical mystery was very plausible, and I enjoyed the subplot. Agatha's love life is, of course, lovably in flux, and I'll let readers explore these latest events on their own. It does, however, involve a fun side trip to Mallorca. Oh, and did I mention there is a glamorous party at Barfield House?

As a longtime fan who has read every book in this series, I was happy to receive an advance reader copy of the latest Agatha Raisin adventure. All of the elements of earlier books are here: a seemingly unlikeable heroine who gets under your skin until you adore her; a rotating cast of colorful supporting characters who add dimension and humor to the plot (Roy, James, Mrs. Bloxby, Bill, and Sir Charles are all back, and we even get to spend some time with two of my personal favorites, Mrs. Tassy and Gustav!); and a mystery that sends the unflappable Agatha from one clue and entertaining mishap to another until she solves the case.

Thank you to NetGalley, author R.W. Green, and Minotaur Books for an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I appreciate that R.W. Green is continuing these mysteries after M.C. Beaton's death because they are fun and fast to read. This book had more than one mystery to it, and the historical mystery was an interesting side story. I miss some of the village drama that was central to the earlier mysteries in this series, and I must say that I like Agatha less and less with each passing book.
I would recommend this to readers of cozy mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I’ve remained an avid reader of Agatha Raisin mysteries ever since her first in the series about the “quiche of death”. How wonderful that she met the excellent ghostwriter R. W. Green and had him pick up future novels after her passing. He’s doing a good job of incorporating all the elements of M.C. Beaton’s cozy mysteries. Every visit with Agatha and the Cotswolds is a treasure to this reader.

Author stayed true to the style of MCBeaton. An easy fun and engaging read. Would definitely recommend to bookclubs and patrons.