I was fortunate enough to receive this book as an ARC from NetGalley!

Agatha Raisin: Killing Time finds Agatha involved in the not so glamorous side of auction houses.
I was so excited to be able to read Killing Time early, and it did not disappoint.
Agatha & her loyal detectives encounter murder, mystery, death threats, as well as a…ghost.
The world of auctions leads Agatha to a spiral of crimes that only she can solve in her unique, one of a kind way.
I highly recommend Agatha Raisin: Killing Time to those who love mystery with a dash of humor.

Killing Time
by M.C. Beaton , R.W. Green
Pub Date: October 8, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Can Agatha track down whoever it is that wants her dead, nail the murderer, and keep her romance alive too? It's a race against the clock as the Cotswolds' favorite PI rushes to put the pieces together before the seconds run out.
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.
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.

I continue to enjoy the Agatha Raisin series with its new author, R.W. Green. He seems to have taken the spirit of Beaton's work and run with it, making some subtle changes I actually enjoy. Agatha doesn't seem quite as belligerent and prickly as before, but she's still thin-skinned and tough as nails. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and am curious how Charles' rekindled interest in Aggie continues to develop in the next book!

M.C. Beaton would be so proud of the latest Agatha Raisin mystery, Killing Time. R.W. Green killed it when creating the latest cozy mystery in which we find Agatha Raisin solving mysteries all over the place.

First, she gets approached to take a case that puts her in opposition to DCI Wilkes again…surprise! But instead of telling him where to shove his threats, she just sets out to solve her own cases, which seems to upset him even more.

Sir Charles is also doing his best to wrangle her back into his life, even though he has squandered too many opportunities with “his Aggie” in the past. This time, he not only has a juicy historical mystery, but also a fundraiser and launching party for his new wines for her to manage.

And then, the dancing detective, AKA John Glass has made plans with Agatha, meant to be a romantic getaway. But before she can pack, a murder happens practically at her doorstep. During the investigation, Agatha is further irritated by anonymous riddles being delivered to her.

Is someone out to really get her? Or is this just to distract from one of her cases or a past case?

Will Agatha ever find her romantic happily ever after?

Will people stop dying right in front of her? Would she really want that anyway?

Thank you so much for this amazing ARC, NetGalley and Minotaur Books!!!

While MC Beaton is gone, rehearsal, she left behind a fabulous series that the new author has only improved upon.

This country, Agatha raisin is more mature than ever before. Perhaps it could be because she herself is in mortal danger. or perhaps she’s just involved and matured. Either way, yet another solid mystery for fans of the series.

PS you don’t need to have read the first 34 books in the series. It book stands fine alone. I will warn you, you are going to want to read the first 34 after reading this one.

Agatha is up to her neck in solving cases and organizing a gala. But, who wants to harm her? She escapes a kidnapping attempt along with her a co-worker. She attends an auction and outbids everyone for a clock that may be a key to her problems, but is it? Agatha needs to solve two murders in this entry, rescue her romantic relationship and remain her true self. Her wit, her no-nonsense approach, and her ability to tackle anything, make a wonderful contemporary heroine in this cozy series. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

I was a little intimidated after seeing this was book number 35 in the series. Rest assured, you don't need to be caught up at all in order to read this book. As someone who hasn't read any other books in the series, I thought it was a decent read. It hits all the right and usual notes with what you expect from a cozy and there is nothing wrong with that. I wish the historical sub-plot had more impact and meaning to the story as whole.

A long time Agatha Raisin fan, these books continue to be delightful. Agatha is as endearing as ever, and visiting Carsley is like sinking into a warm bath. Lovely.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was my first read from the series but it reads great as a standalone. Agatha raisen is a great FMC but I found a few of the males to be lacking. This is book 35, yes 35! In the series. I look forward to following Agatha on her adventures and reading some from her past as well!

Agatha Raisin is presented with several puzzles and crimes at once. This installment brings us a much calmer Agatha who is not quite as self-centered and man-crazy as previously. With her usual group of friends, ex-lovers, and co-workers she manages to solve them all..

This was another entertaining read in this cozy series.

Agatha Raisin is back for her 35th adventure. Agatha is recruited by her old friend Charles to look into a cold case. His actual motive is to have her assist with handling public relations for an upcoming auction. I have been a long time fan of this book series. It always offers up a consistently good mystery. I don't particularly enjoy John so I am never happy when he shows up. I would have enjoyed this book more without the interjection of that part of the story. It was an additional trip that felt unnecessary in a fairly cluttered plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.