I want Agatha and Charles to get married. What would the young people call this ship? Chagatha? Anyway, I'm shipping them hard.

The usual, comfortable Agatha Raisin fare. I enjoy the diversion of these little books because I don't expect anything dramatic. The main characters are the same: no growth, no change. Agatha annoys but also amuses. I've read every book in the series and if there's another book, I expect I'll read that one too. Eventually. These are not "jump to the head of the to be read stack" type of books.

I really enjoy listening to this series. I'm always glad though that I didn't take the time to read the paper versions. In my opinion they are great to listen to while doing chores or running errands.

I enjoyed this book, but like many long-running series, it's nothing surprising.

Ugh. Y'all know how I like my comfy, predicable mysteries--and, particularly, Beaton's Hamish Macbeth--but hoo boy, this one is a stinker. This is the first and last Agatha Raisin book I'll ever pick up on purpose.

Poor Simon. Even his parents rising from the grave couldn't help him.

Agatha and the Gardener
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (September 2012) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (September 2012)

“I haven’t the resources of the police, so I just blunder about until something breaks.” – Agatha Raisin in Hiss & Hers

Hiss and Hers has Agatha crushing on yet another handsome man in the person of local gardener George Marston. She finds herself in competition with all the women of Carsely however and Marston is then found murdered. Agatha is on the case with no shortage of suspects.

I'm still enjoying the fun of these cozies which are always somewhat different from the TV-series which I saw first. Agatha is definitely more cranky in the books, but her human faults and foibles make us accept her nevertheless. There are some continuity errors in this one that suggest that writer Beaton wasn't being too diligent. Simon Black suddenly has parents again although he had been introduced as an orphan several books ago. The formula is pretty much set in stone now for the series. Agatha finds a new man, is jealous of ex-husband James Lacey and occasional lover/friend Charles Fraith, is jealous and meddling with Toni Gilmour's love life, helps Roy Silver out despite his publicity transgressions, gets sympathy from Mrs. Bloxby, etc.

The narration of this book #23 introduces a new narrator to the series in Davina Porter who is ok in all voices, but is definitely too restrained in comparison to series regular Penelope Keith.

Most (28 of 32) of the Agatha Raisin audiobooks are free on Audible Plus. A continuation series Book 32 [b:Down the Hatch|56268978|Down the Hatch (Agatha Raisin #32)|M.C. Beaton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627893353l/56268978._SY75_.jpg|87659550] is yet to be released, and is expected to be published in October 2021. Down the Hatch is apparently entirely written by continuation writer [a:R.W. Green|20458757|R.W. Green|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] whereas #31 Hot to Trot was a collaboration with M.C. Beaton.

Trivia and Links
Hiss and Hers has not yet been adapted for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-).

At the end of Hiss & Hers, Agatha and Charles go to Stratford to see Macbeth and a friend of Charles mentions seeing a version of The Merchant of Venice set in Las Vegas which must have been this 2011 staging.

Agatha and Charles must have seen the 2011 Michael Boyd production of Macbeth, with children in the roles of the witches, which has a trailer on YouTube here.

Agatha Raisin in her 23rd mystery is in love with another complete jerk, again. Of course along with being world class rake, he was the village’s handsome and charming gardener with an abundance of women clients that soon become suspects. Agatha finds him murdered in a particularly brutal way. His sister hires Agatha to find his killer. She bumbles and bullies her way through the case along with the usual wonderful odd cast of characters. This book is for fans of humorous British cozies. For Readers that enjoy Rita Mae Brown, Charlaine Harris, and Alexander McCall Smith.