Agatha Raisin is at it again in M.C. Beaton's latest mystery in this series Pushing Up Daisies (#620). Agatha has her nose a bit our of joint when her closest friend, Mrs. Bloxby, appears to have a crush on a new, good-looking man in town, retired Scotland Yard detective Gerald Devere. She's dying her hair, and updating her drab vicar's wife wardrobe with attractive outfits. Agatha has had her eye on Gerald, so she's not pleased with what's going on. That's what prompts her to volunteer to go talk to Lord Bellington to try to persuade him not to plunk a housing development on Carsely's village allotments. Not that Agatha has the least bit of interest in gardening, but she thinks such unselfish civic-mindedness might bring her favorably to the attention of Mr. Devere.
What she discovers instead is a most unpleasant man, surrounded by equally unpleasant family. No one is bothered much when he turns up dead. Village gossip over cocktails leads Agatha to speculate that someone used antifreeze to murder the man, raising a rumpus. When it turns out Agatha is right, one thing leads to another. Agatha is feeling every year of her age as her frequent companion Sir Charles Fraith finally seems ready to settle down with a wealthy young thing, another body shows up, and Agatha has a fling of her own on the way to solving the case.
Always a fun read, it's like Old Home Week to read about the trials and tribulations of so many familiar and favorite characters.
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