M.C. Beaton Kissing Christmas Goodbye

Kissing Christmas Goodbye

M.C. Beaton

St. Martin's, Oct 2007, $23.95

ISBN 9780312349110

With her Cotswold sleuthing business booming, Agatha Raisin needs help so she hires teenager Toni Gilmour to conduct the pet recovery portion of detective work. Toni's enthusiasm makes Agatha feel old and tired as the youngster never needs a break while her employer feels like a middle age prune rather than a raisin.

Wealthy Phyllis Tamworthy sends a letter to Agatha asking for help because she believes at least one member of her family, if not all of them, wants to kill her. Agatha and her friend Sir Charles Fraith travel to Phyllis's manor house on the pretence of attending the matriarch's eightieth birthday celebration. Before they can talk, Phyllis dies from hemlock poisoning used as a dressing in her salad. Ignoring the fact that she no longer has a paying breathing client, Agatha investigates the family and the history of the deceased.

In her latest thriller, Agatha Raisin is at her usual acerbic sarcastic best as she expands her investigative agency to include a teenage employee. Much of the fun in this tale comes from comparing the enthusiastic friendly youngster with the middle age shrew, as Agatha is not aging gracefully. Readers will appreciate the cleverly designed whodunit that as often brings out the worst in the lead character as it does her better qualities. Fans will enjoy Agatha's war with youth, middle age, and men (of course), all wrapped inside a difficult to solve murder mystery due to the myriad of family members with motives and opportunity.

Harriet Klausner