Agatha's always more appealing when she's down to business rather than pining after a man.

The titles on these books have gone down hill. There was only about 2 chapters that had anything to do with Christmas in it. BUT the actual story was quite good. It had a lot of Charles in and Agatha actually doesn’t love James anymore at all. I liked Toni and it was nice to see her benign out Agatha’s more material side.

Quick, fun read! Perfect for a holiday book club option.

"Unlike quite a number of people, Agatha had not given up on Christmas. To have the perfect Christmas had been a childhood dream whilst surviving a rough upbringing in a Birmingham slum. Holly berries glistened, snow fell gently outside, and inside, all was Dickensian jollity. And in her dreams, James Lacey kissed her under the mistletoe, and, like a middle-aged sleeping beauty, she would awake to passion once more....Agatha Raisin is bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but she'll scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog. Only two things seem to offer potential excitement: the upcoming Christmas festivities and her ex, James Lacey. This year she is sure that if she invites James to a really splendid, old-fashioned Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log.
When a wealthy widow hires Agatha because she's convinced a member of her family is trying to kill her, Agatha is intrigued---especially when the widow drops dead after high tea at the manor house. Who in this rather sterile house, complete with fake family portraits, could have hated the old lady enough to poison her?
Agatha sets out to find the murderer, all the while managing a pretty, teenage trainee who makes her feel old and planning for a picture-perfect Christmas, with James, all the trimmings, and perhaps even snow."

In this book, Toni is introduced as a young woman who comes from a poor, dysfunctional family, but with good instincts and good luck in detective work.

Agatha is hired by an elderly woman who suspects one of her children is going to murder her before she changes her will and sells everything. She is killed at her her birthday tea, poisoned by hemlock.

Allison, a daughter in law, wants Agatha to uncover the truth, but unfortunately that leads her into the victim’s own past, and she herself was a murderer.

Eventually, Agatha remembers the killer threw her off track, and when she confronts them, they sneak away and try to poison her as well. A son of the dead old woman kills himself, a victim of his cruel mother, who really messed up her children’s’ lives.

Meanwhile, Agatha plans a perfect Dickensian Christmas, and it’s all lovely, with snow from a machine Roy and Charles provide. But, the machine produces a blizzard and ruins everyones’ clothes, leaving her in despair until everyone reminds her how wonderful she’s made the day.

Very good story.

GPL audiobook

I'm almost shook. Did we just see some actual character development on Agathas part? Really enjoyable read.

Tempted to give it a 4 solely based on how many times Agatha uttered my favorite exclamation, “Snakes and bastards!”

Well, it looks like our Agatha has a soft center under that no-nonsense exterior. Most of this book takes place in the fall and is not Christmas related. But the idea of hosting a traditional Christmas dinner is on Agatha's mind for most of the book. Probably more so than solving the murder!

I've read a few other Agatha Raisin books and she can be tough to like. This book gives her a little more depth. She kind of grows more comfortable with herself in this book too.

I absolutely adore Agatha.....
In this book Agatha has decided she is going to serve the perfect Christmas dinner, perhaps she has forgotten her attempt to do this before? Or the fact that she does not cook? Of course before this happens Agatha ends up in the middle of a murder... Agatha has also taken a new young detective under her wing, somewhat becoming the surrogate mother to Tony.... always nice to see Agatha has a big heart underneath her gruff exterior.... I enjoyed this book, I like the addition of Tony, and the Christmas dinner made me laugh, especially the snowmachine.....

An easy read. One feature I liked was the book mentioned the Christmas season, but the plot was driven by the murder mystery not Christmas.