Hot to Trot is the 31st (!!!) Agatha Raisin mystery featuring the iconic characters created by M.C. Beaton who sadly passed away in late 2019. Released 17th Nov 2020 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 256 pages (print edition) and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

As this is (I believe) the first book in the series written entirely by R. W. Green, I truly tried to read it as objectively as I could. I suspect it's partially a failure on my part since I deeply regret the loss of one of the perennial gems of my reading list to which I always looked forward eagerly, and partly the fact that no two authors (however well meaning) can ever truly seamlessly take over for one another. I could feel the differences throughout the book. Real Agatha constantly battles against her own compassion and sympathy for people and sense of justice (which she tries to bury under a snarky prickly exterior). This Agatha just seems that little bit more exasperated, snarky, and unsympathetic. Her employees and the ensemble cast feel different in this installment and there were some small (but annoying) continuity problems which probably won't bother most readers - but yanked obsessives like me out of the storyline.

That being said, this *is* a funny and exuberant and ever-so-slightly mad cozy mystery and the plotting and denouement work perfectly well as a standalone. It's good, but it didn't feel like a real Agatha Raisin story. There are, admittedly, several scenes which made me grin or chuckle out loud.

Three and a half stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

MC Beaton has written a shorter Agatha Raison novel in Hot to Trot; Agatha has to rescue her friend and sometimes lover Sir Charles Fraith from the consequences of the murder of his late bride.  Lots of suspects and dodgy characters.  Interesting read.  Agatha triumphs in solving the murder, but her love life is still screwed up. Enjoy.

I have always loved this series of books but this one I could not finish.  It did not have quite the edge of our main character and didn't seem true to the series.  Thank you to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 31st book in the Agatha Raisin series and as we all know M.C. Beacon passed away last year. Newton chose Rod Greene to take over and in my opinion he does a fantastic job. The story flows well in this book and it's as charming and humorous as usual. There may be a few differences in Agatha, she does seem a little softer in this book. But, at the end of the day Agatha is still snarky, witty and self absorbed. I hope the series continues and if so I'll be waiting for book 32.

If you read me, you know I love M.C Beaton and her characters of cranky, intelligent Agatha Raisin (also found on Acorn TV!) and the independent and sometimes sullen Hamish MacBeth (also seen on the BBC). I was so sad when she passed away recently and I assumed her stories would die with her. I was delighted to see a new Agatha Raisin story appear and to get a chance to read it, thanks to St. Martin’s Press (one of my favorite publishers for cozies!). Working through a collaborator, R. W. Green, Ms. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin lives on!

Now I will admit that I was skeptical. How many of us have read the sequel to Gone with the Wind and was disappointed? Time and again, who finds the writing of those megastars who collaborate to be not quite as good as their original novels which they did on their own? (I am raising my hand over here). So – it was with great pleasure that I read this Agatha Raisin story and found it to be “true Agatha” and a joy at that. I’m so thrilled to think that more stories of this less-than-perfect protagonist will be forthcoming.

Summary:
Agatha Raisin is the founder of Raisin Investigations, a successful private investigator business, and she has plenty of cases to keep her and her staff busy. 
One of those cases is the Chadwick divorce case. Mrs. Sheraton Chadwick is suspected of cheating on her husband, but the man meeting her is careful to keep his identity secret. Another case is Philpot Electronics; the company chairman has doubts about his new managing director, Harold Cheeseman. The request of a Mr. Gutteridge, owner of a biscuit and cake factory, to install listening devices in order for him to monitor his workers’ gossip, is turned down. A Mrs. Jessop thinks a poltergeist is re-arranging her kitchen and digging in her garden, while a Mrs. Fletcher wants the agency to find out who is using the bottom of her garden as a latrine. But the biggest case, and one causing Agatha the biggest turmoil, is why her long-time friend Sir Charles Fraith is marrying Mary Darlinda Brown-Field, thirty years his junior. 
	According to the headline in the Mircester Telegraph local newspaper, the impending nuptials is the “Society Wedding of the Year.” The ceremony is to take place at Sir Charles’ ancestral home at Barfield House. The photo doesn’t bode well for a happy union; Sir Charles’ expression is vague and haunted, while Mary’s grasp on Charles’ arm is anything but tender and loving. Agatha knows it is a marriage of convenience; Mary’s family is very wealthy, and Sir Charles is not. A rushed, hushed conversation with Gustav, a man of many talents very much needed on the estate and a man who loathes Agatha, painted a far more dire picture of life at Barfield House. After the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, Mary’s body is found in the stables after fighting with Agatha at Mary’s birthday bash/costume party. Agatha is determined to find Mary’s killer, but someone else is just as determined to stop her. 
Recommendation I’ve not read all the Agatha Raisin novels, yet, but I’ve really enjoyed the ones I’ve read. I love the characters and their relationships to each other, the glimpses into English village life, and the plot twists that keep me guessing (and second guessing) until the end.

"Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin - now the star of a hit T.V. show - is back on the case again in Hot to Trot.

When Private Detective Agatha Raisin learns that her friend and one-time lover Charles Fraith is to be married to a mysterious socialite, Miss Mary Brown-Field, she sees it as her duty to find out what she can about the woman. Coming up empty, Agatha - out of selfless concern for Charles, of course - does the only sensible thing she can think of: she crashes their wedding, which ends in a public altercation. Nursing a hangover the next morning, she gets a phone call from Charles, with even more disturbing news: Mary has been murdered.

Agatha takes on the case, and quickly becomes entrenched in the competitive equestrian world, in which Mary had been enmeshed - as well as the victim’s surprisingly violent past. Agatha finds no shortage of motives among a wide range of characters, from Mary's old riding competitors, to enemies from her schoolgirl days, to her surly father, who threatens Agatha to mind her own business. Meanwhile, the police department has its money on another suspect: Agatha. Will she track down the criminal in time, or end up behind bars herself?"

It seems fitting that my mother is no longer around now that M.C. Beaton is no longer around. At least her characters will live on.

Hot to Trot follows Beating About the Bush as the thirty-first in M.C. Beaton's popular series starring formidable PI Agatha Raisin (now the star of a hit TV show), who lives in the Cotswold village of Carsely. The last few episodes have seen Agatha feeling her age, with a steady stream of lightning infatuations, despite her continuing closeness to her ex-husband (and neighbor) James and to Sir Charles Fraith.

When Charles gets married again, without telling Agatha, she feels betrayed. Agatha gatecrashes the wedding, and does the same for a costume party after the honeymoon, where she ends up in a brawl with the bride. When Lady Mary is murdered that same evening, both Agatha and Charles come under suspicion.

The book opens with a Foreword by R.W. Green (who helped complete this book) and with an Introduction to the Agatha Raisin series by the author, who very sadly died in December 2019.

Hot to Trot earns 5/5 Powdered Wigs...Entertaining “Let Them Eat Cake” Fun!

Agatha Raisin is still uncompromising with many complicated personal and professional relationships spicing it up in a fashionable image. Raisin Investigations, her thriving business, continues as an avenue to put into practice, for a hefty fee, her investigative skill. However, despite her display of outward confidence and independence, she is consumed with her long-time friend with the occasional benefits, Sir Charles Fraith, decision to marry a much younger wealthy socialite. Is her money in exchange for his more respected peerage? The bride’s often threatening manner, behind-the-scenes plans for the estate, “stay away or else” threat issued to Agatha, and a tantrum of Agatha’s attendance at an elaborate Versailles-themed party are very problematic. Then Lady-zilla ends up dead, and Agatha accused. 

I’ve read several Agatha Raisin books and watched every “based on” tele-movie, so I have a working knowledge of the style, characters, and personalities Beaton had created. This thirty-first drama, penned by Rod Green, is a tad shorter than other books I’ve read, but not short on the wit, clever banter, and karmic delight fans expect from Agatha! Green’s writing style uses descriptive language painting clear pictures of the setting and characters and dialogue that does well to illustrate tone and personalities. The drama is quite engaging with a wide reaching suspect pool and motives including the competitive equestrian community and the victim’s past foes and dysfunctional family, and of course, accusing Agatha and Charles adding to the drama ending with a “Yeah!” final reveal. Other cases at Raisin’s Investigations involved intriguing and funny clients, but I was sorry some were resolved off the page. From a technical perspective, I felt there were a few issues with transitions between events; the passing of time and changes of setting could be more easily portrayed with an end of one chapter and the beginning of another. It didn’t effect my enjoyment...I couldn’t put it down!

I love Agatha! With Green’s pen she continues to be bold, impulsive, brilliant, and like us women of a “certain age,” she worries about her aging appearance. She has friends and colleagues who admire her, love her, and battle with her strong-willed manner. She contends with a delightful triangle with ex-husband James, ex-lover Charles, and ex-wannabe boyfriend Chris. And along with all the reoccurring characters, Green has done well to keep up the image for fans continued enjoyment. Agatha Raisin is in good hands!

Reliable author comes through again with an incredible read with fun and entertaining mystery,  Fans of the series will not be disappointed.

This is the 31st book in this wonderful beloved cozy series by M.C. Beaton. Thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for this free advance copy i.  I am grateful to receive this as the last book in the series. 

 As I read this book its with great sadness as its the last Agatha Rasin with the passing of the author right after this was finished with assistance from the co author in her last days.  What does one say to articulate how much Agatha Rasin has meant to us over the decades.  Agatha is one of my favorite long time cozy charcters with a quick wit. much bravado and fabulous sleuthing abilities.  Her mishaps are good fun as she navigates life always one step ahead of her suspects.  This last in series brings all the wonderful qualities we love in Agatha to the reader in fine form. As she causes mayhem at her best friend's wedding, investigates a murder and runs her detective agency while trying to spruce herself up and find love, its madcap fun from page one. This is classic Agatha.   I loved this last in series and bid goodbye  to our beloved M.C. Beaton and thank you for all the wonderful reading hours over the years.  I highly recommend this last in series for your reading enjoyment.

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 sadden 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 reading page after page. It feels like I dropped in for a visit at the Pub, and catching up on all the gossip. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters.  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.

R. W. Green took M. C. Beaton's vision to build this installment of the Agatha Raisin series.  He did a great job and I would not have known it was not written solely by M. C. Beaton.  In Hot to Trot, Agatha is up to her usual antics - solving murders, crashing weddings and dreaming of James Lacey. She is determined to stop the marriage of Charles Fraith and ends up investigating the death of his new bride. The ending was perfect .... whether this marks the end of the series or the beginning of a new era with R. W. Green at the helm.

I am a huge Agatha fan. And even though M.C. Beaton had help with the writing of this one, to me it has the same sparkle as her other books. Very happy that Agatha gets to live on. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

I'm glad this delightful series continued. Having been a fan of Agatha since the first book, I was not ready to let go and say goodbye. In this, the 31st of the series, Agatha is just as feisty as ever. Her love life has taken some hits over the years and now her friend and former lover is getting married. Not only is Agatha not thrilled by this, she dislikes the bride to be. Being a private investigator has its perks and she does her own snooping into the future Lady Mary. Is this going to be a marriage for love or for the money she will be able to pour into the groom's estate? Sir Charles Fraith is short on money.Well Agatha has a plan - she not only crashes the nuptials, she also crashes the fancy dress ball and gets tossed out of both by the bride. No love lost between those two. When Lady Mary is found dead, two suspects get top billing on the police list of prime suspects: Agatha and Charles. In order to remove himself from the list, he hires Agatha to track down the killer.As she, too, has a lot at stake, it's a no brainer and off she goes, into the horse set and the dark past of the dead bride. Turns out there is a long list of possible suspects.
Along with taking on the case with Charles, there are other cases going at Raisin Investigations. Checking into an employee's background, uncovering a possible poltergeist who rearranges items in the clients kitchen cupboards and the strange case of the phantom pooper in a lady's back garden.
Agatha even takes a trip to France to investigate the horse crowd.
I enjoyed the mystery and it's twists and turns. The writing style had a smooth flow and when I was finished, I decided that I will happily leave Agatha Raisin on my list of favorite mystery characters. This was a delightful read.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️  - Top Pick 

There is no shortage of novel mysteries circulating Raisin Investigations.

Agatha (Aggie) Raisin cannot believe that her friend and not so long-ago lover, Sir Charles Fraith, is about to get married and worse, she was not invited.   Convinced that she may be able to help, she sets forth to Barfield House, Sir Charles’ estate, to talk some sense into him.  Only when she arrives, he’s not home and is then warned by his butler, Gustav, that something is not right, and she should get involved and investigate.  Worried for her friend, Agatha begins her investigation and crashes the wedding. Enraged and suspicious of the new Mrs. Fraith, Agatha has no choice but to pursue this vexing investigation, especially when the new Mrs. Fraith turns up dead and her and Charles are the main suspects!

Snakes and bastards!

Agatha Raisin, just the name is genius; refined, fierce and provocative. She’s a bit unlikable because she is so forward, but I am enamored with her. Her thought process, her wit, her deliverance and her actions.  I wish Aggie had a course on how to be her. Do yourself a favor, if you’re not a fan of these, books, read them! Classic true detective work, she upholds to the highest standards (usually), she expects the best from her staff, and they deliver.  A true classic, rich, detailed mystery-murder that you’ll love and respect. 

But beware, never cross Mrs. Raisin, she sure knows how to put someone in their place.  Stark and brutally honest; you’ll be reading along and then (bam!) she’ll say something that will have you laughing out loud.  It’s almost like someone switched on the mic on her inner monologue and it’s not entirely suitable for the general audience. This book was top notch fun.  Excellent flow, funny creative dialogue and memorable characters. 

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking how much I would love to see this character on the big screen and to my surprise, there’s an Agatha Raisin TV series.

This is a new-to-me author and series and I had no trouble reading this book as a stand-alone, but I’m certain that after reading this book, you will want to take up this series from the beginning! 

Note:  M.C. Beaton (Marion Chesney) passed away on December 30, 2019. She will be remembered by many for her writing and her memorable characters. At the beginning of this book is a Foreword by R. W. Green, a friend of Marion Chesney, who remembers her fondly and respectfully.

~ Patricia

Hot to Trot 
By M. C. Beaton; Rod Greene

Thank you to @netgalley for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. 

I have never read an Agatha  Raisin mystery before so I went in completely blind and what caught my eye for this book was obviously the equestrian connection. 

What worked for me:

✔️ the book was extremely witty and fun. It was a quick read with hilarious one liners. 

✔️ It was fun guessing who committed the murders and why? 

✔️ I loved the equestrian connection though I would have liked to see more into the equine completion world. 

What didn’t work for me: 

✖️ I felt there were too many characters and we only got an depth look into Agatha. At times I found it hard to keep them straight, however I am assuming if you are a long time reader of this series it may be easier to keep them straight. 

Over all I would recommend this book for a fun light read.

In Hot to Trot, Agatha’s friend and occasional lover, Sir Charles, is marrying a hideous, but rich, woman named Mary. Agatha is trying to figure out why. Raisin Investigations is also working on a scandalous divorce case. Best of all, Agatha is rekindling her romance with her ex-husband, James. 

When Mary is found murdered, Agatha and Charles are quickly arrested by the odious Chief Inspector Wilkes. Obviously, Agatha has to find the real killer asap.

It’s sad to think that Hot to Trot will be the last Agatha Raisin mystery written under the auspices of the original author. However, it is a great mystery. And all my favorite quirky characters are here. The conclusion is the best in the series. 5 stars and a champagne toast to both of the authors!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minatour books 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.