Kissing Christmas Goodbye (Agatha Raisin Mysteries, No. 18) (U)

Be careful what you wish forAgatha Raisin is bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but she ll scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog. Only two things seem to offer potential excitement Christmas, and her ex, James Lacey. This year Agatha s sure that if she invites James to a splendid Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log but that fantasy will have to wait for now. A wealthy widow who sent Agatha a letter before her death saying one of her family intended to kill her has been found dead. Now Agatha must set out to find the murderer, even though, in her heart, she s still dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones she and James used to know . Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha. Chicago Sun-TimesPublishers WeeklyThe indestructible Agatha Raisin, still at the top of her game in her darkly droll 17th whodunit (after Love, Lies and Liquor), is feeling woefully middle-aged after hiring Toni Gilmour, an endearing U.K.-style Nancy Drew full of teen energy and charm. As Toni takes over the pet recovery end of the sleuthing business, Agatha looks into a mysterious letter from Phyllis Tamworthy, the rich matriarch of the Manor House in the idyllic Cotswolds, who suspects family members of plotting to kill her before she can change her will to disinherit them. Agatha and her friend Sir Charles Fraith attend Phyllis's 80th birthday party, only to see the lady keel over, poisoned by hemlock in her salad. Digging into Phyllis's past yields an even darker mystery. Bestseller Beaton's dry wit enhances Agatha's struggles with aging, men and her most challenging case yet. (Oct.)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information