DEAD BEORE TEA TIME by M.C. Beaton & R.W. Green
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, British
4****

BLURB: Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton’s cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin—the star of her own hit T.V. series—is back on the case again. Agatha Raisin’s Cotswolds village is in an uproar when word spreads that their beloved Red Lion pub is set to close. The brewery that owns the building has raised the rent, ousting the pub’s owner so they can redevelop the space into apartments. As the villagers scramble to change the brewery’s mind, Agatha and her team at Raisin Investigations begin looking into more direct ways to save the pub. Meanwhile, Sir Charles Fraith attempts to wheedle his way back into Agatha’s affection, crossing swords with James—Agatha’s other paramour—who is determined to thwart his efforts. As the two attempt to woo Agatha at a local reenactment of a 17th-century battle, Agatha has her sights set on something else. Amidst the chaos of the battle, a body is discovered in a copse of trees just off the battleground. While many brush off the death as an accident, Agatha digs deeper after discovering the dead man had connections to the same brewery putting the Red Lion out of business. After an attempt is made on Agatha’s life during a visit to the brewery, her investigation becomes all the more urgent. Can she find the murderer before becoming their next victim? And perhaps even more importantly for the village, can she find a way to save the Red Lion at the same time?

THOUGHTS: Agatha is a PI who runs her own company, has very exacting habits and standards of conduct of other people. She is also someone who is always on the lookout for a good lay.

In this story, the local pub–the Red Lion–is going to be closed down by a over-rich nasty developer who wants to turn the property into high-class units. Agatha gets people who want to save the bar to go out and get petitions signed. They want to turn it over to the company who owns the property. In the meantime, the arrogant developer holds a local re-enactment of a local Civil War. During the event, he is killed. Agatha goes on the hunt, nearly getting killed herself in the process. I love Agatha! She is so unapologetically real and unique! She also intelligent and driven and sexually active. She takes no gruff from anyone, but she’s also soft and clingy when she feels like it – like when nearly killed in a brewery vat.

This book, the 37th in the series, delves into issues that face everyone today, like big companies taking over neighborhoods and turning them into executive places, and sexism that is never welcome but still happens way too often. I loved Toni’s reaction in that specific scene! And there is a very satisfying ending that makes the read worthwhile.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for providing this ARC.