I know I knock Agatha for being so outrageously rude sometimes, but I honestly envy her for how much she's able to take on the chin.

No shame, no problems.

Wow! Is it my imagination or is this Agatha Raisin a particularly good one? I love reading these mysteries because they are so comforting and make me laugh. But this one had a little more depth than they usually do.

Agatha and the Doped Preserves
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (November 2015) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (September 2008)

A Spoonful of Poison has Agatha chasing down a poisoner after the preserves at a village fête are doped with LSD, causing a death. The detective agency is on the case and Agatha begins to be jealous of her protégé Toni Gilmour to the point of suggesting that the latter form her own separate detective agency. Agatha continues to moan about her arthritic hip and the banning of smoking in restaurants (one wonders if these personal asides were based on M.C. Beaton's real life experiences). The case also brings a new attractive man George Selby, into Agatha's sights.

I'm continuing to enjoy the fun of these cozies which are somewhat different from the TV-series which I saw first. Agatha is definitely more cranky in the books, but it is her human faults that make us accept her. Young detective Toni Gilmour continues here in this book #19 (in the TV series she was brought in at the beginning of Season 3, but as the niece of the housekeeper Simpson). Sir Charles is much more of a recurring character and occasional love interest than he is in the screen adaptation and his cheap and chintzy manners are played up quite a bit.

The narration of this book #19 and the previous #18 is not by series regular Penelope Keith but by Wanda MacCaddon. MacCaddon is fine in the role but gives a much more restrained performance than Keith does in the other voices e.g. the exaggerated vocal mannerisms of Roy and Sir Charles.

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 No Link
A Spoonful of Poison has been adapted for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). It is currently scheduled to be broadcast as Episode 3 in the upcoming Series 4 later in 2021/early in 2022. There is no trailer yet available.

Perhaps coming into this series quite a number of books in was a mistake--I just could not like the main character. Belatedly, I've read that one should start at the beginning of the series, so that may be good advice to pass along. I listened to the audiobook quite quickly, but I don't think I'll be picking up other books in the line.

Ugh! I know it’s often a mistake to jump randomly into a series without proper introductions but I kind of hated Agatha Raisin. Her attitudes toward almost every other woman, her insecurities and her pettiness did not endear her to me.