Cover Image: Beating About the Bush

Beating About the Bush

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Member Reviews

*A big thank-you to St. Martin's Press, MC Beaton and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I started reading this series years ago, and have followed Agatha Raisin ever since. This 30th instalment is as good as the first books with Aggie: she is bossy, pushy, and she can draw correct conclusions from her observations. I enjoyed this easy weekend read and I am glad good old Aggie is back.

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Well Agatha is back and as unpleasant and snarky as ever! I loved everything about this book. It's a fun afternoon read and the storyline will keep you guessing. I'm ready for book 31!

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How is it possible that there are 30 (!) installments of Agatha Raisin - and she still feels fresh. Don't worry if you haven't read the series (or watched the tv show) this is light entertainment that doesn't require a lot of back story. Agatha and her assistant Toni are investigating industrial espionage when there's a murder and a donkey named Wizz-Wazz is the accused. Huh? Go with it. This is madcap (sometimes silly) stuff but it works. Agatha's also feeling a bit off because Sir Charles Fraith is engaged. There is, however, some comfort in the form of Chris, with whom she has some nice dialogue and the possibility of a new romance. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is potato chip reading- you can enjoy the whole thing in one sitting.

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Agatha Raisin is one of my favorite detectives.Ive read most of her books.
This book is hilarious ...Agatha makes an unexpected friend ,a donkey. Expect the usual snark and rudeness from our favorite detective while she solves another mystery.
Absolutely loved this book.
Thankyou Netgalley for an ARC

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This is book number 30 starring Agatha Raisin! She’s a feisty female private detective who always gets herself into ridiculous escapades that are highly entertaining. This one is no exception, with an ornery donkey, a little romance, and her usual sidekicks. I always enjoy M.C. Beaton’s books.

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Not as good or as witty as the previous books in the series. This Agatha is crude and unappealing, and not humorous. It almost seems as if the writer is fed up with her character and showing her in the worst possible light.

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Another fun Agatha Raisin mystery!! Agatha is in fine form as usual, dressed in her finest and ready for another mystery - as well as another romantic adventure. She gets more than she bargained for in this story but of course she is victorious in the end. The story is fun, the supporting characters are great, but it is Agatha herself who is definitely the star of the show. Although she may have to share billing with a donkey in this one!

Always good for mystery and laughs, the Agatha Raisin books are a pleasure to read.

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Agatha is up to her old tricks. She's as unpleasant and direct as always as she is called in to investigate a manufacturer company's concern about security. She is really ambivalent until she learns the company has a donkey and then she is in love. Who knew what would melt her heart.

The donkey is framed for murder and Agatha does her best to clear the donkey's name. The investigation takes her into an international conspiracy and the discovery has a scary consequence for her. She also meets a new man and gets involved into a money making scheme.

This is a nice addition to the series and Agatha's fans won't be disappointed. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

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The writing is good, the characters are great and there is a real mystery. It is a little ridiculous, though, as it's probably supposed to be.

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Another fun Agatha Raisin book. Honestly the Wizz Wazz storyline here had me in complete stitches. Snakes and bastards!

Agatha Raisin books are always such fun to read. Agatha herself is a great character but the supporting characters aren't to be overlooked as they all provide ample entertainment for the reader.

Agatha and Charles (Charlie?) forever!

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This is another delightful book with Agatha Raisin. She is hired by a company to investigate but from the start they try to make her look foolish. When the secretary Mrs. Dinwiddy is found dead they try to blame it on a donkey but Agatha knows it is murder instead. Her and her assistant Toni try to solve the case but from opposition from the company and the police.
If you have never read an Agatha Raisin book you are missing out on wonderful funny mysteries. You don't have to read them in order you can pick up and just start reading and loving the books.

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I love all the Agatha Raisin mysteries and this one is fantastic! When Agatha discovers a severed leg in a hedge, it looks like she is about to become involved in a particularly gruesome murder. Is this severed limb connected with a case she has been newly hired to investigate? In a story where nothing is as it seems the highlight for me was seeing her potential for a real relationship with Sir Charles. Like all the Agatha Raisin books, I was sad to see it end and can't wait for the next one! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

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Agatha is back! I've been a fan of this series since the beginning, but in recent years some of the books have been difficult to get through. The last one in particular was the first time I ever gave up and didn't finish an Agatha Raisin book. I'm happy to report that Beating About the Bush is quintessential Agatha and a joy for her fans. In this one she's working on a case about industrial espionage that becomes more complicated when a woman turns up dead and Wizz-Wass the donkey is blamed. Agatha's young employee Toni, Sir Charles, Mrs. Bloxby, and my favorite, Roy Silver, are all on the case too, with lots of laughs and G&Ts at the pub thrown in for good measure. If you are an Agatha fan, you will likely enjoy this 30th (!!!) installment of the beloved series.

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I don't understand why Agatha Raisin is the sort of character that keeps you waiting anxiously for the next book in the series. She's basically an unpleasant person. She is mellowing of late and was nearly openly vulnerable in this book in the series. It has a mystery plot that keeps you reading and an ending that I didn't figure out before Agatha did. I really enjoyed the book and now I am waiting anxiously for the next book in the series.

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I have been a fan of this series for a long time and number 30 in the series does not disappoint.
As always Agatha gets right in the thick of things with her friends and employees along for the ride.
The whodunit was full of twists and turns and I had no idea who was the culprit.
I thoroughly enjoy the characters and appreciate Agatha’s quirks.
The ongoing characters and friendships are a delight to read.
I recommend reading this series over watching the television adaptation. As always the books are better.
I cannot wait to read the next in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

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There are two types of people in the world: those who love Agatha Raisin and those who don't. Thank heavens the second group is a very small one.

For the majority of us, M.C. Beaton's 30th and latest series entry, Beating About the Bush, is pure Agatha. She is pugnacious, politically incorrect, bull-headed, and, as always, right in the end. She becomes a bit of an animal rights advocate in this one as she investigates potential industrial espionage and a supposed accidental death that she is convinced is actually murder. Toni and Charles (when he's not chasing another moneyed fiance) figure prominently as do Bill Wong and Inspector Wilkes. Sarah Bloxley makes a cameo, but most of the action takes place away from Carsely.

With the popular tv series introducing new episodes this fall and winter, this is the perfect time to enjoy your Raisins.

Full Disclosure--NetGalley and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

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Agatha Raisin is in rare form in this thirtieth entry in the series.

Albert Morrison hires Agatha Raisin to investigate sabotage in his battery business, but Agatha is immediately suspicious. Even more so when the admin is allegedly killed by a donkey. Agatha has an affinity for Wizz Wazz the donkey and doesn’t believe it’s capable of murder. Meanwhile, her occasional lover Charles is engaged to the scion of a feminine hygiene fortune and her assistant Toni is annoyingly clever and beautiful.

Agatha Raisin is charmingly cranky and her friends are endearingly quirky. There’s a reassuring sameness to the books, which some may not like, but to others is like having a long chat with a dear friend.

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Agatha Raisin and I loved every bit of it.

The book is very funny and suspenseful and starts with a fake severed leg and a very angry goat

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This is the best Agatha Raisin's instalment I read in some time. Agatha is at her best, quirky and funny.
It was great to meet again the cast of characters Charles, Tony, Bill Wong and all the others.
I had a lot of fun in reading this novel, it's engrossing and entertaining.
I appreciated the humour, the well crafted cast of characters and their development, and a lovely donkey.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and it kept me guessing till the end.
It was a very pleasant and fun read, I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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Agatha is hired by a company suspecting industrial espionage, but after a death, which Agatha suspects is murder, everything becomes more complicated. The local police chief wants to close the case, but Agatha refuses to believe a donkey called Wizz-Wazz caused the woman's death. How many authors (at 80+) can say that the 30th in their series is the best yet? MC Beaton certainly can. Her newest Agatha Raisin mystery is so much fun to read. Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for this ARC.

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