Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell

By: M. C. Beaton

Narrated by: Penelope Keith

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

Recently married to James Lacey, Agatha quickly finds out that it’s not all "happy ever after" - before long the newlyweds are living in separate cottages and accusing each other of infidelity. After a fight down the local pub James vanishes completely, leaving a bloodstain as the only clue to his fate. Naturally, Agatha is Prime Suspect. Determined to clear her name and find her husband, Agatha begins her investigation - and promptly finds a murdered mistress....

©2001, 2006 M. C. Beaton (P)2012 AudioGO, Ltd.

Brain Cancer doesn't disappear by becoming a monk

Having lost a brother to primary brain cancer and a cousin to non cancerous brain tumor the Forest Gump approach to curing malignant illness wasn't entertaining. Chemo is not the first treatment of choice either. Author obviously hasn't seen this cancer close up.
Should have been a more fun book.

I never tire I of agatha.i smoke and drink coffee

liked it Charles especially, does he love Agatha, let James go. he's not for you.

Love Penelope Keith and series, but not this one

I enjoy the Agatha Raisin franchise and think the choice of Penelope Keith as narrator is inspired, but this one is a disappointment. Is MC Beaton really a male who doesn't like his female characters, or females in general? And the deux ex machina of getting James out of his predicament was quite loathsome.
I hope the next one won't disappoint on either account.

The personal life part really drags now

I have enjoyed the cozy mystery series. It is my version of binge and escapism. It is not Agatha Christie, but I like the “cozy” aspects: English village, nosy neighbors, people who got killed are always horrible...Raisin is a bull in a china shop, but l like her for it too. Alas she has the emotional maturity of a teenager. Her relationship with James has to be one of the most toxic I know either in life or on paper. At first it might have been amusing. After all, unhappy people are more interesting subjects. Agatha making bad choices in such a bad way was supposed to humanize her, I guess? Though not very convincingly. Maybe more because of lazy writing. Then this abusive relationship has become a black hole that just suck the energy out of the book. I cannot help notice that the few books without James (therefore without the pair hurling insults at each other) are much tighter. Charles is amoral, vapid and cheap, but he is way more interesting a character. Not sure whether I will finish this book even it comes free with membership. Maybe time to take a break.

a wonderful series

This is a great series which I have spoken about before. The series continues to grow in its story introducing new characters to bulk out the back story and add layers and texture to future stories.

Good Listen

i have jumped around in the series. So was a bit confused sometimes- not the writer’s problem. I throughly enjoyed all the characters. And Ms.Keith makes a terrific Agatha. To the readers that find the protagonist Agatha as abrasive or hard, I come down on the side of Mrs. Bloxby. Love the series

Another excellent book

The characters come alive. The many books I’ve read by Marion Chesney/ MC Beaton all have that in common: Believable characters.

Narcissists........move over. You have competition

Spoiler alert! ! This was the first book in this series that annoyed me. I always knew Agatha was a fair selfish and self-centered person, but to carry on with this attitude when her Husband is dying of cancer is inexcusable. Sometimes she was so annoying I couldn't take it anymore. I hope we get back on track with the next book.

Agatha is unpleasant

While the mystery part of this story was ok, if rather mundane, Agatha is an unpleasant character who is hard to like.