Review of "Killing Time: An Agatha Raisin Mystery" by M.C. Beaton and R.W. Green

 

This review was first posted on Mystery & Suspense Magazine. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/ki...

In this 35th book in the 'Agatha Raisin' cozy mystery series, the private detective investigates burglary, murder, and death threats. The book works fine as a standalone.



*****

Stylish fiftysomething Agatha Raisin was a public relations guru in London before she moved to the scenic Cotswolds. Now Agatha lives in the village of Carsley, where she runs a busy private detective agency.



As the book opens, Sir Charles Fraith - Agatha's friend and onetime suitor - invites Agatha to lunch to relate an intriguing story.



In 1660, William Harrison, the steward of a wealthy Cotswold estate, went off to collect rents one day and never returned. Harrison's body wasn't found, but Harrison's servant John Perry - and Perry's mother and brother - were convicted of robbing and killing the steward and all three were hanged. Then in 1662 Harrison returned to the Cotswolds, with a story about being abducted, sold into slavery in Turkey, and escaping back to England. People have speculated about what really happened for centuries.



Agatha is captivated by the tale, but suspects Sir Charles has an ulterior motive for taking her out, and she's right.



Sir Charles needs Agatha's help, not as a private detective but as a public relations expert. Sir Charles is producing a wine called Château Barfield, and wants to launch it with a spectacular and glamorous event.



Agatha agrees to arrange the extravaganza, and brings in her flashy former employee Roy Silver to help.



Meanwhile, Agatha has cases to solve. Several local businesses have been burgled, and in the latest break-in, jewelry designer Aurelia Barclay was brutally assaulted.



The police seem unable to stop the crime wave, and the Chamber of Commerce hires Agatha to catch the perpetrators. This puts Agatha at odds with her old enemy, Detective Chief Inspector Wilkes, and it's entertaining to see Agatha clash with the obtuse loudmouth cop once again.



As part of her work Agatha attends an auction and - after a fierce bidding war - acquires a vintage ormolu clock with a dancing couple.



This leads to the murder of an antiques dealer; the attempted kidnapping of Agatha and her assistant Toni; and death threats written in cipher. Thus, more incidents for Agatha and her team to investigate.

To take a break from her job, Agatha visits her beau - cruise ship dance instructor John Glass - in Mallorca. The visit doesn't go as planned, and Agatha spends a few days alone in the Hotel Illa d'Or in Pollensa, where she enjoys a luxurious vacation, learns the history of the region, and runs her private detective agency by phone.



When Agatha gets back to the Cotswolds, she executes plans to capture the burglars targeting businesses; identify the men who tried to abduct Toni and herself; and find the person sending cryptic death threats.



Agatha also puts on a razzle-dazzle launch for Sir Charles' wine.



To top it off, Agatha even comes up with a possible explanation for what happened to William Harrison in the mid-1600s, and it's not that he was enslaved in Turkey.
It's fun to watch Agatha solve mysteries while obsessing over her hair, make-up, clothing, and men. Agatha will never change, and that's the way her fans like it.



Thanks to Netgalley, M. C. Beaton and R.W. Green, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the novel.

 Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Home Is Where The Lies Live: A Novel of Suspense" by Kerry Wilkinson

Heidi and Freddie Potter, married nine years, just moved to Huntington Grove for Freddie's new employment opportunity.



Heidi gave up her office manager job to relocate, but hopes to find something new. Having made the sacrifice, Heidi is perplexed by Freddie's behavior.



Freddie insists on keeping one room in the new house locked, which he calls his study - insisting he needs privacy to test out new ideas for his marketing manager job.



On the day they move in, Heidi and Freddie meet the family across the street. These neighbors are Willow - a mature university student;



Willow's husband Gabe - a businessman who likes to drink beer and play video games in his spare time;



and Willow's almost 18-year-old daughter Isabella (from a previous marriage).



Willow and Isabella are at odds over the teenager's future: Isabella wants to demonstrate her crafting projects on TikTok and Willow wants the girl to go to university, for increased opportunities. This difference of opinion leads to constant arguments between mother and daughter, and creates a tense atmosphere in the house.

Soon after Willow meets the Potters, she realizes she went to high school with Freddie two decades ago. Willow and Freddie even kissed during a game of spin the bottle. Willow would love to reminisce about 'the good old days' with Freddie, but Freddie's reluctant, and makes it his business to avoid Willow as much as possible.



Other residents of the street are Dylan and Allison.

Dylan is the single father of 7-year-old Orla. Dylan's wife was murdered three years ago, the killer was never caught, and Dylan is having trouble coping. Despite this, Dylan is a nurturing father, and Orla is a happy child. Unfortunately, Orla is having trouble with a bully, and this turns out to be important to the story.



Allison is gregarious and a natural born manager. Allison is organizing a block party to honor the town's founding 1400 years ago, and she prods and cajoles the neighbors into helping. Thus Isabella is making bunting; Dylan agrees to pick up supplies; and so on.



Allison is married, but her husband Kenneth, who works in Hong Kong, is almost never around. So Allison (purportedly) lives alone, but sounds of arguing often emanate from her house.

*****

Chapters about the lives of the Huntingdon Grove residents alternate with sections set 'in the future', when police detectives interview one person after another. It's clear a serious incident occurred in the neighborhood, which is revealed little by little.



As the story unfolds, we learn that several characters have deep dark secrets. Some of this skullduggery isn't quite credible, but that doesn't spoil the novel.

The book's domestic dramas, along with the aura of mystery, will appeal to many fans of suspense novels.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Matthew Spencer, Rebecca Lee, and Julia Barrie, who do a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kerry Wilkinson, and Bookouture Audio for a copy of the book.

 Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Close to Death: A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery" by Anthony Horowitz

 

 

 

The previous books in this series are structured like 'Sherlock Holmes' stories in which Dr. Watson accompanies Sherlock Holmes on an investigation, then chronicles the case. In these novels, 'Watson' is writer Anthony Horowitz.....



.....and 'Holmes' is private investigator Daniel Hawthorne. who was once a police detective. Horowitz accompanies the PI as he investigates a murder, then writes a book about it.



Horowitz has a multi-book deal with his publisher, who's pressuring Anthony for the next volume. Since Hawthorne has no ongoing homicide investigation at the moment, the PI agrees to let Anthony write up a five-year-old case. Hawthorne gives Horowitz the files, witness statements, and audio recordings, and Anthony sets out to pen the manuscript.



The five-year-old homicide occurred in London's Riverview Close, an upscale community of six homes circling a flower-filled roundabout. The houses have names, harking from the time the property was converted from a royal estate into a residential neighborhood.



The homes and residents of Riverview Close are:

Riverview Lodge: This is the largest property in the Close - home to Giles and Lynda Kenworthy and their two sons. The Kenworthys are unpopular because they seem to have little regard for their neighbors. The Kenworthys have several vehicles, which they park all over; they throw loud parties; and they let their sons play cricket and ride skateboards in the Close, which results in broken windows and damaged property. In addition, Giles Kenworthy blasts his car radio late at night and tends to be rude and dismissive.







Woodlands: This is the home of Roderick and Felicity Browne. Roderick is a 'Dentist to the Stars' and Felicity was an accountant until she contracted myalgic encephalomyelitis. Felicity is now confined to her bed, where her pleasures consist of music, audiobooks, and watching the birds in a nearby magnolia tree. The magnolia tree is endangered by the Kenworthys' plans to build a swimming pool in their yard.





The Gables: This is the residence of May Winslow and Phyllis Moore, septuagenarian former nuns who own a cozy mystery bookstore/café. May and Phyllis have a French bulldog named Ellery, who tends to poop on the Kenworthys' lawn.





Lynda Kenworthy confronts the elderly women and says Ellery has to stop despoiling their grass or her husband will deal with the problem. Soon afterwards, Ellery has a terrible accident.

Well House: Andrew Pennington, a retired lawyer and grieving widower, lives here. Andrew is the only Black resident of the Close, and he believes Giles Kenworthy is disrespectful to him for that reason.



The Stables: This is the residence of chess grandmaster Adam Strauss and his Hong Kong Chinese wife Teri. Adam has high self-regard because of his chess prowess, and Teri coddles and supports him. Adam resents Giles Kenworthy's loud music, which disturbs his online chess games.





Gardener's Cottage: Physician Tom Beresford.....



.....and his wealthy jewelry-designer wife Gemma live here.



Tom is annoyed by Giles Kenworthy's habit of blocking their shared driveway, which sometimes makes Tom late for work. In fact, Tom blames Giles for the death of a patient, who perished when Tom was delayed getting to the hospital.

The residents of Riverview Close arrange a meeting where the 'complainants' plan to confront the Kenworthys with their grievances. However, Giles and Lynda Kenworthy bow out at the last minute, leaving the others annoyed and frustrated. Six weeks later, Giles Kenworthy is killed with a crossbow.



Detective Superintendant Tariq Khan, who hopes to become Police Commissioner some day, gets the case. Khan questions all the residents of Riverview Close, who seem to be uncooperative and obstructive. Persuaded to get outside help, Khan engages PI Daniel Hawthorne and his colleague John Dudley. The case is soon closed, and Khan looks forward to a promotion on the back of the quick resolution.



Five years later, as Horowitz is writing about the Giles Kenworthy homicide case, he discerns a problem with the solution. Anthony decides to investigate further himself, despite strong discouragement from all quarters. As usual, Anthony reads all the clues wrong, but he's correct that mistakes were made. Eventually, Horowitz learns the whole truth, and it's a corker!



I would challenge even the best armchair sleuths to winkle out 'whodunit', but they'd have fun trying.

For me this book is over-complicated. I can imagine Horowitz (the real life writer) with flow charts and diagrams composing this plot. Still the book is entertaining and I look forward to future collaborations between Horowitz and Hawthorne.

 Rating: 3.5 stars