Monday, September 15, 2014

The Blood of an Englishman - Review

The Blood of an Englishman by M.C. Beaton

Rating: 3.5
Source: NetGalley

Description:  When the village baker, Bert Simple, is murdered during an amateur theatrical production Private Detective Agatha Raisin is called in to help solve the mystery.  With plenty of suspects but a general lack of motive could this be the mystery that even Agatha Raisin cannot solve?

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read other Agatha Raisin's in the past and enjoyed them.  I also enjoyed the last Hamish MacBeth

My Impression:
Pros:  While I have read other Agatha Raisins I definitely haven't read them in any kind of order.  I really don't feel that that affected my enjoyment of this mystery.  While it's obvious that there were earlier mysteries no part of the plot or real character development hangs on knowing what happened in earlier books.  Agatha is an interesting character.  For the most part she's not terribly likable - she's arrogant, petty and at times close minded.  However, in an odd way I found myself liking her.  I wouldn't want to have coffee with her but I found her funny and entertaining as well as believably intelligent.   The mystery itself was well done and you see how she works out the solutions to the different problems.  Her staff was also interesting without side stories that took over the main plot but allowed for more information than just Agatha herself could have come up with.

Cons:  While I actually kind of like that Agatha isn't the most likable of main characters the "man mad" aspect of her personality does get a little annoying. While at times it does help the plot there are several rants and one particular incident that just seemed to waste time.   I also didn't like that Bert was killed in such a complicated way.  There were 2 paragraphs of explanation and it was still hard to understand.  That definitely could have been simplified but it's a minor point.

Overall: It has been awhile since my last Agatha Raisin but if my memory is correct this was a stronger mystery and more enjoyable which leads me to believe the series is getting stronger.  It's a fun cozy with some darker aspects handled fairly lightly.  Agatha isn't everyone's cup of tea but I did find she grew on me.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes, I will definitely be on the lookout for new books in the series and if I have time I may pick up some of the earlier books.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes, I think most cozy mystery readers would enjoy this one once they get path Agatha's quirks.

16 comments:

  1. I've only read one Agatha Raisin, but liked it enough to want to read more. Haven't met Hamish MacBeth yet. This sounds like a good one!

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    1. I actually think I like Agatha more than Hamish. If I had to pick one character to have lunch with it'd be Hamish hands down but I think Agatha is a bit more fun to read about.

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  2. Love Agatha Raisin and her antics. I'd like this new one for sure. She does get exasperating sometimes though.

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    1. I really enjoyed this one - more than I expected. While I wouldn't call Agatha's antics endearing they definitely made her interesting. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

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  3. ah, another author I definitely need to look at!

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  4. I am glad you liked this one, Katherine. I really need to give this author another try.

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    1. If you've tried her before and haven't loved her books you may want to try this one. I found I really enjoyed it more than the previous ones I have read.

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  5. I haven't heard of this author before but I am looking for a good mystery. I'll have to check this out. Great review!

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    1. This definitely leans toward cozy but I enjoyed it. Hope you find a great mystery!

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  6. Agatha Raisin is a wonderful character name and I love quirky characters. Will have to take a look at this series.

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    1. It's definitely a memorable name! I found this one more enjoyable than some of the early books in the series.

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  7. I love a good cozy mystery especially in the fall, so I'm going to have to start this series soon. I've never read the author before but have heard good things.

    -Kimberly @ Turning the Pages

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    1. I enjoyed this one. I've read a few of the really early books and found this one better done. Fall does seem to scream cozy mysteries doesn't it!

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  8. Do you think Beaton is starting to struggle to come up with new ways to kill people off?!

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  9. I have read this entire series, and love them, I agree Aggie is a little rough around the edges but I do enjoy her meddling.

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