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Agatha Raisin #22
As the Pig Turns
Winter Parva, a traditional Cotswolds village, has decided to throw a celebratory hog roast to mark the beginning of the winter holiday festivities and Agatha Raisin has arrived with friend and rival in the sleuthing business, Toni, to enjoy the merriment. But as the spit pig is carried towards the bed of fiery charcoal Agatha--and the rest of the village--realize that things aren't as they seem.
Audiobook
First published October 11, 2011
About the author
M.C. Beaton
325 books5,746 followersLike her on Facebook!
Learn more on her website!
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
Learn more on her website!
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 764 reviews
April 13, 2015
I enjoy this mindless series, but this one had a glaring mistake that kept bugging me the whole book. Last book introduced Simon, a character i enjoyed whose parents were recently killed in a car accident. In this one he comes back, but his parents are alive and are wealthy and spoil him. I'm generally willing to suspend all disbelief, but continuity is important.
July 20, 2024
2.5 stars
In this 22nd book in the 'Agatha Raisin' series, the private detective makes a startling discovery at a pig roast. The book can be read as a standalone, but knowing the characters is a bonus.
*****
Private detective Agatha Raisin - a stout fiftyish Englishwoman with small bear-like eyes and shiny brown hair - lives alone in Carsley, a pretty village in the Cotswolds. Business is slow and Agatha is bored - so she takes some friends and employees to nearby Winter Parva for a festive pig roast. As the pig is being basted, Agatha notices that the porker has a tattoo that spells out 'Amy.' Stop the roast! Turns out a pig's head has been attached to a human torso!
The victim is Gary Beech, a local policeman known for giving everyone traffic tickets for minor infractions. In fact Beech has recently given Agatha two tickets: for wiping her nose in the car and for driving 2 miles over the speed limit. Agatha has even loudly wished Beech dead. The murdered cop was an unpopular guy - but would village residents perpetrate such a bizarre crime?
Beech's ex-wife, Amy, hires Agatha to find the murderer - and the detective and her team get on the job. However, someone wants the inquiry stopped, and Agatha and her cohorts are threatened and harassed.....and one is even kidnapped. To top it off, Amy is soon found dead. Agatha is frightened off, but (of course) gets drawn back into the case.
Many familiar characters make an appearance in the story, including Agatha's ex-husband James - who assists with the investigation; public relations rep Roy - who loves to get his face on TV; aristocrat Charles - who always tries to get someone else to pay the check; agency employee Toni - who's tired of Agatha interfering in her life; Bill Wong - a policeman and friend; and Simon, a former employee who has reason to resent Agatha. Various thugs and miscreants round out the cast.
The premise of the book is interesting but the plot doesn't pan out. The detectives question people, gather evidence, and identify suspects - but it's all rather dull and and strays down too many mundane paths. By the end I didn't much care who committed the crime or why.
The personal lives of the regular characters are a little more engaging, but not much. Toni has a new beau; Simon is engaged; Roy has a new punk look; etc. Towards the end of the story Agatha falls into an old habit - developing a crush on a handsome man. I cringed for poor Agatha who's acting silly and getting ready to make a fool of herself (again).....probably in the next book.
This isn't one of the best Agatha Raisin books but if you're a big fan of the series you might enjoy it.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
June 13, 2023
What a terrible shame.What once was a brilliantly executed set of funny , believable and well written stories has finally come to an end.I say this because the last few novels in the series have just been utter rubbish .Sorry to those that still think they are brilliant but in my honest opinion they have lost all what made them good .
Ive read every single one of MC Beatons Agatha Raisin series and they have got progressively worse and this one is no exception.
A thrown together plot that lost its way very early on which is what another reviewer said previously and i wholeheartedly agree.When reading the earlier Agatha Raisins i found i couldnt put them down but this one i became bored very early on.
The plot was ridiculously unbelivable , the characters some of which have been there since the begginging seem to have just been added in just to fill space and added nothing to the story and the repeating of certain words over and over was incredibly irritating.
It was such a forgetable book that even writing this review i am struggling to remember exactly what it was about and i only finished it yesterday .Loose ends galore silly situations that were just stupidily co incidental and just a book of nothing .
I am slowly losing the will to live with these stories but because im an optimist i live in hope that MC Beaton pulls her finger out and goes for quality more than quantity.Id rather have a better written story with a superb plot once a year than a couple of rubbish ones churned out just because you have to .
Ill read the next one but only because i like Agatha Raisin and the rest of the characters and also because of my love of the Cotswolds but i won't hold my breath for a decent story because quite frankly there hasn't been a decent one for several books.
Such a shame when over half of them have been brilliant ...this one didnt even raise a chuckle whereas previous ones have had me tears of laughter ...
2 Stars just because i couldnt say i HATED it but i really didnt like it
Ive read every single one of MC Beatons Agatha Raisin series and they have got progressively worse and this one is no exception.
A thrown together plot that lost its way very early on which is what another reviewer said previously and i wholeheartedly agree.When reading the earlier Agatha Raisins i found i couldnt put them down but this one i became bored very early on.
The plot was ridiculously unbelivable , the characters some of which have been there since the begginging seem to have just been added in just to fill space and added nothing to the story and the repeating of certain words over and over was incredibly irritating.
It was such a forgetable book that even writing this review i am struggling to remember exactly what it was about and i only finished it yesterday .Loose ends galore silly situations that were just stupidily co incidental and just a book of nothing .
I am slowly losing the will to live with these stories but because im an optimist i live in hope that MC Beaton pulls her finger out and goes for quality more than quantity.Id rather have a better written story with a superb plot once a year than a couple of rubbish ones churned out just because you have to .
Ill read the next one but only because i like Agatha Raisin and the rest of the characters and also because of my love of the Cotswolds but i won't hold my breath for a decent story because quite frankly there hasn't been a decent one for several books.
Such a shame when over half of them have been brilliant ...this one didnt even raise a chuckle whereas previous ones have had me tears of laughter ...
2 Stars just because i couldnt say i HATED it but i really didnt like it
July 7, 2013
Quite enjoyable. However I'm wondering. Wasn't Simon an orphan in one of the previous installments? Well, in As The Pig Turns both his parents were suddenly alive again. Sloppy plotting?
June 4, 2020
Another fine discovery.
The mystery was fun and simple but what really sold me on this book were the cast of characters. They were so human and funny. I love Agatha Raisin. She is middle-aged, overweight, smokes, drinks and is brassy as all get out. She shoots her mouth off, sticks her foot in it, yet really cares about her friends and workers.
I was also pleasantly surprised at the fairly respectful attitude she took towards the church. I get really tired of church people being parodied like we're all a bunch of hypocritical morons.
I doubt Beaton was very religious because some of the language is a bit salty, but not that bad and never the really offensive words.
Summary: A really obnoxious cop is discovered murdered in a horrible way. As the way of all murders, Agatha and her likeable, but humanly flawed team must discover why and who.
Beaton uses witty dialogue and a great deal of warmth and humor. A good, fun story.
The mystery was fun and simple but what really sold me on this book were the cast of characters. They were so human and funny. I love Agatha Raisin. She is middle-aged, overweight, smokes, drinks and is brassy as all get out. She shoots her mouth off, sticks her foot in it, yet really cares about her friends and workers.
I was also pleasantly surprised at the fairly respectful attitude she took towards the church. I get really tired of church people being parodied like we're all a bunch of hypocritical morons.
I doubt Beaton was very religious because some of the language is a bit salty, but not that bad and never the really offensive words.
Summary: A really obnoxious cop is discovered murdered in a horrible way. As the way of all murders, Agatha and her likeable, but humanly flawed team must discover why and who.
Beaton uses witty dialogue and a great deal of warmth and humor. A good, fun story.
Read
January 17, 2020I really enjoy how none of the detectives find it noteworthy that Simon's parents, who were dead by car crash in the previous book, turn up at his wedding.
June 26, 2024
This starts out being awful but ends up being fabulous. Agatha is so funny with her obsessions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2012
After reading the blurb on the back of the book, I thought I was going to just love this character: "Agatha (Raisin) is like Miss Marple with a drinking problem, a pack-a-day habit, and major man lust." The protagonist, Agatha Raisin, is a 50-something detective working in an English village. It turns out she's not as spunky as I was expecting and she's not really a terribly clever detective. One thing really grossed me out and stuck with me for the rest of the book. Right at the beginning, while at a pig roast, Agatha notices that the pig has a tattoo. On closer inspection, she realizes that a pig's head has been attached to the torso of a man and he's being roasted. Ok, that's pretty disgusting. But what I couldn't get out of my mind was how anyone could even for a moment think a man was a pig. What about his not-so-private parts which were exposed in all their glory? What about the missing legs and hooves? I didn't like it, not one bit. Apparently, there are 21 of these mysteries and the author splits her time between England and Paris (sigh) so I may just be missing something here.
June 7, 2022
2.8 stars, rounded up. One of the slightly better books in this series, but still no development of the regular characters who are stuck in a rut, doing and saying the same old things.
And I’m sorry the stories no longer have any cosy quality. The fact we are based in the Cotswolds is pretty irrelevant. We might as well be in the suburbs of some big city most of the time. The Agatha Raisin series started out with people getting murdered by poisoned quiche at a village baking competition. Now we have criminal gangs threatening to burn our detectives faces off with a blow torch and frequent mentions of domestic violence. Then there are regular political comments throughout the books - immigration from Eastern Europe, the smoking ban, the recession - which feel out of place in what should be a cosy, insulated, fictional world. I also think Agatha’s obsession with the eighteen-year-old Toni is a bit weird.
But, at least the story stayed reasonably on track this time and didn’t wander off into the unrelated mini-stories the author likes to use as filler. Also, the initial murder was interestingly gruesome - just a shame more wasn’t made of that scene, it was over too quickly.
And I’m sorry the stories no longer have any cosy quality. The fact we are based in the Cotswolds is pretty irrelevant. We might as well be in the suburbs of some big city most of the time. The Agatha Raisin series started out with people getting murdered by poisoned quiche at a village baking competition. Now we have criminal gangs threatening to burn our detectives faces off with a blow torch and frequent mentions of domestic violence. Then there are regular political comments throughout the books - immigration from Eastern Europe, the smoking ban, the recession - which feel out of place in what should be a cosy, insulated, fictional world. I also think Agatha’s obsession with the eighteen-year-old Toni is a bit weird.
But, at least the story stayed reasonably on track this time and didn’t wander off into the unrelated mini-stories the author likes to use as filler. Also, the initial murder was interestingly gruesome - just a shame more wasn’t made of that scene, it was over too quickly.
September 19, 2017
Picking up a book in this series and spending time with Agatha and her friends ...is definite comfort reading for me....
I do realize the plot in this book was a little OK a lot unbelievable, but I don't care.... it is the characters, I love seeing what Agatha gets up to next....Charles alwaysmakes me smile ... Love the addition of Tony to the detective agency in the last few books and also found it amusing Agatha pining after the gardener .... I appreciated the fact that James is getting concerned that Agatha isn't as interested in him as she was before....and yes the mystery, Agatha found this dead body in quite a unique way
I do realize the plot in this book was a little OK a lot unbelievable, but I don't care.... it is the characters, I love seeing what Agatha gets up to next....Charles alwaysmakes me smile ... Love the addition of Tony to the detective agency in the last few books and also found it amusing Agatha pining after the gardener .... I appreciated the fact that James is getting concerned that Agatha isn't as interested in him as she was before....and yes the mystery, Agatha found this dead body in quite a unique way
September 1, 2013
I am convinced that MC Beaton does not use a plotting outline when she sits down to writer her books in the Agatha Raisin series. Any book that begins with Mrs. Bloxby convinced that her husband is having an affair, an idea that is never revisited, and ends with the Bulgarian mafia, leaves the reader wondering if there is any pre-thought or just the ramblings of a bored writer.
The Agatha Raisin series is one that I revisit often since there is no deep thought needed to get through them. The same characters are in every book; the plotline, though convoluted, is easy to follow and the reader does not have to invest too deeply to get to the end.
Slightly bored with her detective agency, Agatha gathers a group of her friends to visit Winter Parva a local Cotswold village. The group gathers around a pig roasting only to hear Agatha exclaim, “Pigs don’t have tattoos”. Thus begins Agatha latest adventure when it is discovered that the pig roasting is a much disliked police officer.
Add in an ex-wife, cosmetic surgery, leather goods, errant boyfriends back from the army, a cancelled wedding, Charles having more feelings that he likes for Agatha, James not liking the idea that Agatha might actually be over him. In addition, Toni trying to find a new job, Bill Wong not sure that he should date someone within the police force, stolen farm equipment, and a new gardener.
Really, the stuff that was thrown into this less than 300 page book is mindboggling.
You have to take Agatha Raisin with a grain of salt (I just love some of those old idioms) and realize that they are not literature, but a way to spend a few hours away from your own realities.
The Agatha Raisin series is one that I revisit often since there is no deep thought needed to get through them. The same characters are in every book; the plotline, though convoluted, is easy to follow and the reader does not have to invest too deeply to get to the end.
Slightly bored with her detective agency, Agatha gathers a group of her friends to visit Winter Parva a local Cotswold village. The group gathers around a pig roasting only to hear Agatha exclaim, “Pigs don’t have tattoos”. Thus begins Agatha latest adventure when it is discovered that the pig roasting is a much disliked police officer.
Add in an ex-wife, cosmetic surgery, leather goods, errant boyfriends back from the army, a cancelled wedding, Charles having more feelings that he likes for Agatha, James not liking the idea that Agatha might actually be over him. In addition, Toni trying to find a new job, Bill Wong not sure that he should date someone within the police force, stolen farm equipment, and a new gardener.
Really, the stuff that was thrown into this less than 300 page book is mindboggling.
You have to take Agatha Raisin with a grain of salt (I just love some of those old idioms) and realize that they are not literature, but a way to spend a few hours away from your own realities.
November 13, 2011
In the previous book a new character was introduced, Simon Black. Hired by Agatha as a junior investigator. We learnt that he was an orphan, that his parents had died in a car crash and he was left with little but debts. But in this instatement Simon's parents are not only alive and well but quite rich and with some influence. This in-continuity was most annoying and distracting and is why I'm giving two and not three out of five stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2018
As the Pig Turns wasn't one of my favourite books in the Agatha Raisin series, but it was still an enjoyable read. It's always fun revisiting some of the regular characters and seeing Agatha get up to her usual shenanigans.
It's definitely a series I recommend if you enjoy easy to read cosy crime mystery solving novels with fun characters.
It's definitely a series I recommend if you enjoy easy to read cosy crime mystery solving novels with fun characters.
June 20, 2024
So I had to restart this one after a break since December 27, 2023. This was not by choice, but because I left my battered Kobo in my sis-in-laws apartment in Stockholm and haven't caught up with her until now. Plenty of charge in the old thing and I'm sure the wife is very grateful for its return (as I have a tendency to read in bed). I don't know what it is with this thing, normally (reasonably) neat, I’ve left the Kobo on a plane, on two buses, on a train, in two hotel rooms, in a car, in a rented cabin and at the office (both in UK and US). I have no idea why and I also haven't got a fun theory (or indeed any theory), so this was a long and pointless detour (like you may find on occasion in Agatha Raisin-books).
Anyway, this was one of the better ones and I enjoyed it for the most part. The oddest thing is that the murder(s) and murderers are quite gory and brutal for a "cosy" mystery.
Anyway, this was one of the better ones and I enjoyed it for the most part. The oddest thing is that the murder(s) and murderers are quite gory and brutal for a "cosy" mystery.
March 28, 2012
Although I am a big fan of British mysteries, I had not read any of the novels featuring Agatha Raisin. Jumping into the series at the 22nd installment colored my opinion of the book. I should note that the reason I am encountering this author/character for the first is that I won a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
It was a good story, but I was distracted by trying to keep up with the characters. In addition to the suspects and those people associated with the killers, I had to sort out Agatha, her team at the detective agency, her romantic interests and the cops as well. I have to admit that, with a name like Agatha, I was expecting a sleuth like Miss Marple. Mrs. Raisin's cigarette smoking, gin & tonic drinking and abrasiveness were disconcerting to my pre-conceptions. It took me over half the novel to warm to the heroine. Even then, I felt frustrated by not knowing the back story of the recurring characters. And since there are quite a few characters that fall into this category, readers might be better served to prepare for this mystery by starting at the beginning of the series.
It was a good story, but I was distracted by trying to keep up with the characters. In addition to the suspects and those people associated with the killers, I had to sort out Agatha, her team at the detective agency, her romantic interests and the cops as well. I have to admit that, with a name like Agatha, I was expecting a sleuth like Miss Marple. Mrs. Raisin's cigarette smoking, gin & tonic drinking and abrasiveness were disconcerting to my pre-conceptions. It took me over half the novel to warm to the heroine. Even then, I felt frustrated by not knowing the back story of the recurring characters. And since there are quite a few characters that fall into this category, readers might be better served to prepare for this mystery by starting at the beginning of the series.
February 6, 2022
Another fine mystery. Agatha’s insecurities cause her to really step in it with Toni. I’m not sure what to think about Simon. I’ll give him a little wiggle room to redeem himself but not much. There was a continuity issue in this book regarding Simon, and it was a bit jarring, but I didn’t let it detract from all the things I love. There’s a new guy in town who’s stolen Agatha’s attention while James and Charles (idiots) are starting to realize the depths of their affection for her. Will it be too late? And Mrs. Bloxby is my fave. Serving up those zingers in her church lady voice. I’ve finally listened to all the episodes that are available in the television series. I might wait until I finish all the audiobooks first.
October 13, 2018
What is intended to be a special January event of a pig roast on the village green at Winter Parva turns out to be the beginning of a murder investigation. And Agatha Raisin is, once again, at the centre of it all.
The pig that is to be roasted turns out to be something else, a dead police officer, and as it is Agatha who alerts the authorities to the possibilities, she is quickly pulled in for questioning by the police. Her friend in the force Bill Wong makes it clear that she should keep away from the action but her reaction to her colleagues is, 'I'll have my hands full with this case.'
She is, indeed, called in by the policeman's divorced widow to discover who killed her ex-husband. And that is when all the trouble begins. And the more Agatha and her young colleague Toni, and close friends Charles Fraith, Roy Strong and James Lacey investigate the more the police want them to keep their noses out of it all. They even tell Agatha 'It's not as though we owe you any favours' to which she relies 'You do. Think of all the times I've helped you out.' And we know this to be the case as seen by the series of books that record all her heroics.
There is a further death in this one, then a rather bizarre episode where Toni and Agatha find themselves in Las Vegas (dare I say for no obvious apparent reason connected with the case - a tenuous link maybe), a gruesome parcel delivery to Agatha and threats on Agatha's life as seen in the message she receives, 'You're next, you nosy bitch, if you keep interfering.'
But interfere she does ... and just as well for it is she who identifies the murderer before embarking, once more, on her quest for love. On this latter point Mrs Bloxby, the vicar's wife, keeps her thoughts to herself but they are 'Oh, Mrs Raisin, the things you do for love. And where is this obsession going to lead?' We will undoubtedly see in Agatha's next case!
Finally, whilst all the regular characters are present and are their usual selves for better or for worse, the tale is not in the first-rank of Agatha Raisin tales and does tend to wander more than most and consequently interest can wane at times; it was, however, a quite enjoyable and undemanding read never the less.
The pig that is to be roasted turns out to be something else, a dead police officer, and as it is Agatha who alerts the authorities to the possibilities, she is quickly pulled in for questioning by the police. Her friend in the force Bill Wong makes it clear that she should keep away from the action but her reaction to her colleagues is, 'I'll have my hands full with this case.'
She is, indeed, called in by the policeman's divorced widow to discover who killed her ex-husband. And that is when all the trouble begins. And the more Agatha and her young colleague Toni, and close friends Charles Fraith, Roy Strong and James Lacey investigate the more the police want them to keep their noses out of it all. They even tell Agatha 'It's not as though we owe you any favours' to which she relies 'You do. Think of all the times I've helped you out.' And we know this to be the case as seen by the series of books that record all her heroics.
There is a further death in this one, then a rather bizarre episode where Toni and Agatha find themselves in Las Vegas (dare I say for no obvious apparent reason connected with the case - a tenuous link maybe), a gruesome parcel delivery to Agatha and threats on Agatha's life as seen in the message she receives, 'You're next, you nosy bitch, if you keep interfering.'
But interfere she does ... and just as well for it is she who identifies the murderer before embarking, once more, on her quest for love. On this latter point Mrs Bloxby, the vicar's wife, keeps her thoughts to herself but they are 'Oh, Mrs Raisin, the things you do for love. And where is this obsession going to lead?' We will undoubtedly see in Agatha's next case!
Finally, whilst all the regular characters are present and are their usual selves for better or for worse, the tale is not in the first-rank of Agatha Raisin tales and does tend to wander more than most and consequently interest can wane at times; it was, however, a quite enjoyable and undemanding read never the less.
November 20, 2017
Oh what to say about this book..well, the word dire keeps springing to mind but that may be a wee harsh! For a bit of background I've read 22 of this series now & to be frank was losing interest about 6 or 7 books back!
So the basis for this story (& it's all on the back cover so it's not a spoiler) is at a hog roast it's found that a body has replaced the traditional pig. Now in any other story this would warrant a bit more detail (& in many cases a lot of blood & gore!) but no, that's about all we get!
As said in previous reviews, the writing style which I once found quaint, is starting to grate. It's what I call, for want of a technical term, the "he said, she said" style, a bit too blunt & to the point - pretty much like Agatha herself! Added to which it seems like it should be set in the 1950's or something. Efforts to be "current" for example Toni's speech, mannerisms etc are often cringe-worthy, & the two create a curious mix (& not in a good way) - the author seems to be in some sort of time warp.
Yep, I think it's the final meeting for me & Aggie, it was fun (a dozen books ago) but time to move on........
So the basis for this story (& it's all on the back cover so it's not a spoiler) is at a hog roast it's found that a body has replaced the traditional pig. Now in any other story this would warrant a bit more detail (& in many cases a lot of blood & gore!) but no, that's about all we get!
As said in previous reviews, the writing style which I once found quaint, is starting to grate. It's what I call, for want of a technical term, the "he said, she said" style, a bit too blunt & to the point - pretty much like Agatha herself! Added to which it seems like it should be set in the 1950's or something. Efforts to be "current" for example Toni's speech, mannerisms etc are often cringe-worthy, & the two create a curious mix (& not in a good way) - the author seems to be in some sort of time warp.
Yep, I think it's the final meeting for me & Aggie, it was fun (a dozen books ago) but time to move on........
July 16, 2022
Somehow Simon’s parents came back to life after previously dying in the last book.
November 1, 2022
Das ist einfach mein guilty pleasure - ich amüsiere mich ;-)
March 17, 2020
March 2020
Ah yes the head in box forgot about that lmao also love how like they both just happen to go to the SAME place in LA like? and rob got kidnapped lmao surprised he stops crying about that.
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I love reading this series, it is the definition of "cozy murder" book for me. The main character can be a bit, cranky and close minded but not annoying so. I enjoy that the same characters show up throughout the series. The downfall of this series for me is that things and people tend to be explained in the same way with the same words over and over but i suppose for characters is good to have a consistent description so it's not a big deal! Every time I pick up one f these books I know I'll be reading about characters that are familiar to me and i have a good, cozy read ahead of me!
Ah yes the head in box forgot about that lmao also love how like they both just happen to go to the SAME place in LA like? and rob got kidnapped lmao surprised he stops crying about that.
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I love reading this series, it is the definition of "cozy murder" book for me. The main character can be a bit, cranky and close minded but not annoying so. I enjoy that the same characters show up throughout the series. The downfall of this series for me is that things and people tend to be explained in the same way with the same words over and over but i suppose for characters is good to have a consistent description so it's not a big deal! Every time I pick up one f these books I know I'll be reading about characters that are familiar to me and i have a good, cozy read ahead of me!
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October 17, 2022
Wait, wait, wait. Simon's...parents? He's an ORPHAN! That was the whole reason he was looking for work in the last book! But now he suddenly has a whole family -- and a wealthy and overindulgent one at that -- and none of the other characters comments on this sudden change? That isn't a small continuity error. There was only a single year between this volume and the last!!!
And then in the last volume Agatha fretted over not knowing Roy's sexuality...even though that was discovered by Agatha (to her humiliation) in the first couple volumes of this series. It was a very memorable and amusing scene.
Oh, Beaton... I suspect age was already catching up with you, and your editors just didn't bother helping.
And then in the last volume Agatha fretted over not knowing Roy's sexuality...even though that was discovered by Agatha (to her humiliation) in the first couple volumes of this series. It was a very memorable and amusing scene.
Oh, Beaton... I suspect age was already catching up with you, and your editors just didn't bother helping.
May 29, 2012
Both the Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin series used to be fun, quirky, and full of the charms of the English and Scottish countryside. Now...they seem to be quickly and poorly written. I usually enjoy keeping up with a series when I've read them all, but I think it's time to say good-bye to Agatha and Hamish.
February 21, 2014
How could I have allowed myself to read another of these absurd books: badly written, poor characterization of caricatured stock personnel, lazy repetitive plots, unlikeable heroine. But I know I'll probably read another. Why?
August 20, 2017
Still enjoying the Agatha Raisin binge.
March 30, 2020
This was a lighthearted cozy mystery that was easy to read and had plenty of plot twists and dangerous situations. It rambled and got bogged down in subplots and what I hope were intentional red herrings, rather than plot points that just petered out and were forgotten. Other than the initial conceit of the story , the murder plot more or less made sense. But I might have missed glaring errors because I found it hard to stay engaged. It was interesting enough that I kept reading all the way to the end, but I felt like giving it up several times.
A big part of the problem was that I didn't like Agatha much, so it was hard to root for her or care what happened. Her personality was all over the board, but mostly in negative territory: losing her temper and snapping with little cause, being rude and critical to people whose help she could have used and ungenerous to people who needed her, whining about discomforts while on stakeouts that were her own idea, then randomly bursting into tears. She struck me as singularly unsuited for detective life in a small village, as I was surprised anyone there was still talking to her. In theory I support the idea of a 50-something female character who's actively dating and seen as attractive. But both Agatha and her friends kept belittling her interest in men as her latest "obsession," and she bounced around almost randomly between her various exes and gentlemen friends like a middle-aged version of a tired YA love triangle.
The subplots that bogged the story down made it feel more like a soap opera than a mystery. They concerned Agatha's friendships and coworker relationships, who those friends and coworkers are dating, and a random bit with other ladies of the village and a woman of the year competition. None of this turned out to be relevant to the main plot, and it felt tacked on to take up space.
Much of what I disliked about this book might have been better if I hadn't started at book #22 (that's the only audiobook my library carried). Longtime readers probably have more context to sympathize with Agatha's character, and are more interested in what's going on with all these secondary characters and their endless subplots. Or maybe the author lost steam and the books just aren't as good by this point in the series. Either way, I wouldn't recommend starting with this book, although I'm open to the idea that earlier books in the series might be worth a look.
A big part of the problem was that I didn't like Agatha much, so it was hard to root for her or care what happened. Her personality was all over the board, but mostly in negative territory: losing her temper and snapping with little cause, being rude and critical to people whose help she could have used and ungenerous to people who needed her, whining about discomforts while on stakeouts that were her own idea, then randomly bursting into tears. She struck me as singularly unsuited for detective life in a small village, as I was surprised anyone there was still talking to her. In theory I support the idea of a 50-something female character who's actively dating and seen as attractive. But both Agatha and her friends kept belittling her interest in men as her latest "obsession," and she bounced around almost randomly between her various exes and gentlemen friends like a middle-aged version of a tired YA love triangle.
The subplots that bogged the story down made it feel more like a soap opera than a mystery. They concerned Agatha's friendships and coworker relationships, who those friends and coworkers are dating, and a random bit with other ladies of the village and a woman of the year competition. None of this turned out to be relevant to the main plot, and it felt tacked on to take up space.
Much of what I disliked about this book might have been better if I hadn't started at book #22 (that's the only audiobook my library carried). Longtime readers probably have more context to sympathize with Agatha's character, and are more interested in what's going on with all these secondary characters and their endless subplots. Or maybe the author lost steam and the books just aren't as good by this point in the series. Either way, I wouldn't recommend starting with this book, although I'm open to the idea that earlier books in the series might be worth a look.
October 6, 2021
Agatha at the Pig Roast
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (October 2011) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (October 2011)
As the Pig Turns finds Agatha and the gang attending a winter festival in the Cotswold village of Winter Parva where Agatha spots something amiss in the celebratory hog roast. They are soon on the hunt for the identity of a headless murdered man. Aside from the rather grotesque murder method and aftermath this a typical cozy in the series, with Agatha continuing to meddle in the private life of her protegee Toni Gilmour.
I'm continuing to enjoy 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. Young detective Toni Gilmour continues here in this book #22 (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 #22 continues the return of the series regular reader Penelope Keith after Wanda MacCaddon narrated books #18 & #19. MacCaddon was fine in the role but gave 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 Down the Hatch is yet to be released, and is expected to be published in October 2021. Down the Hatch is apparently entirely written by continuation writer R.W. Green whereas #31 Hot to Trot was a collaboration with M.C. Beaton.
Trivia and No Link
As the Pig Turns was adapted for Series 3 Episodes 7 & 8 of the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). There does not appear to be a trailer for it.
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (October 2011) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (October 2011)
As the Pig Turns finds Agatha and the gang attending a winter festival in the Cotswold village of Winter Parva where Agatha spots something amiss in the celebratory hog roast. They are soon on the hunt for the identity of a headless murdered man. Aside from the rather grotesque murder method and aftermath this a typical cozy in the series, with Agatha continuing to meddle in the private life of her protegee Toni Gilmour.
I'm continuing to enjoy 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. Young detective Toni Gilmour continues here in this book #22 (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 #22 continues the return of the series regular reader Penelope Keith after Wanda MacCaddon narrated books #18 & #19. MacCaddon was fine in the role but gave 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 Down the Hatch is yet to be released, and is expected to be published in October 2021. Down the Hatch is apparently entirely written by continuation writer R.W. Green whereas #31 Hot to Trot was a collaboration with M.C. Beaton.
Trivia and No Link
As the Pig Turns was adapted for Series 3 Episodes 7 & 8 of the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). There does not appear to be a trailer for it.
May 15, 2023
Simon is back and is not as nice as he was in the first book + he’s no longer an orphan but has wealthy parents who spoil hem 😒😒🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️ the performance of a few characters are great but overall the book was ehhh Agatha continues to be petty, mean, rude, envious, man hungry, jealous, selfish, and everything that I guess makes her Agatha.
October 30, 2020
OK read, not really engaging. Some of the Agatha magic missing this far on in the series, perhaps
June 8, 2013
1.5 Daggers
What started out as a fun cozy mystery quickly turned into a book with, what seemed to me little talent and a much slower plot than I usually expect from a cozy. Now I have read other Agatha Raisin mysteries and quite enjoyed them but "As The Pig Turns" had none of the excitement, or fun qualities of some of Ms. Beaton's previous books.
Agatha Raisin seemed to become more of a bitter old lady, by expressing rude conclusions and just pushing other characters around. Which is sort of part of her character but for some reason her harsh qualities really came out in this book and made me dislike her as a character. This could have been enough to make me not like her, but her constant bursts of tears were a little much, especially considering how much of a sour puss she is to begin with. Though don't get me wrong I do like seeing strong emotions with characters but the fact that Agatha's crying fits were just ignored or jumped over by the other characters and Ms. Beaton just made those instances seem that much more unlikely.
You would think this is all that could possibly be wrong with "As The Pig Turns" but alas it was not. I felt as if the murderer could have been revealed/found a lot quicker. Parts of the mystery just seemed to drag on. Some of this may be because Agatha Raisin is threatened to drop the case, and she just stops working on it. I mean this is a cozy mystery, the readers are reading the book to have the amateur detective be working out all of the dirty little details of the case. Seeing Agatha give up so easily just really put me off even more. Which is exactly why I gave it such a low rating.
The only good thing I have to say about this book was that I had no clue of who the murder was. But other than that I found "As The Pig Turns" to be a poorly written and drawn out mystery. This book doesn't give me much hope for other books in the series but I do plan to read at least one more Agatha Raisin mystery. I would not recommend this book to anyone, but I have had good experiences with this series previously so I would recommend previous books to my friends and family.
What started out as a fun cozy mystery quickly turned into a book with, what seemed to me little talent and a much slower plot than I usually expect from a cozy. Now I have read other Agatha Raisin mysteries and quite enjoyed them but "As The Pig Turns" had none of the excitement, or fun qualities of some of Ms. Beaton's previous books.
Agatha Raisin seemed to become more of a bitter old lady, by expressing rude conclusions and just pushing other characters around. Which is sort of part of her character but for some reason her harsh qualities really came out in this book and made me dislike her as a character. This could have been enough to make me not like her, but her constant bursts of tears were a little much, especially considering how much of a sour puss she is to begin with. Though don't get me wrong I do like seeing strong emotions with characters but the fact that Agatha's crying fits were just ignored or jumped over by the other characters and Ms. Beaton just made those instances seem that much more unlikely.
You would think this is all that could possibly be wrong with "As The Pig Turns" but alas it was not. I felt as if the murderer could have been revealed/found a lot quicker. Parts of the mystery just seemed to drag on. Some of this may be because Agatha Raisin is threatened to drop the case, and she just stops working on it. I mean this is a cozy mystery, the readers are reading the book to have the amateur detective be working out all of the dirty little details of the case. Seeing Agatha give up so easily just really put me off even more. Which is exactly why I gave it such a low rating.
The only good thing I have to say about this book was that I had no clue of who the murder was. But other than that I found "As The Pig Turns" to be a poorly written and drawn out mystery. This book doesn't give me much hope for other books in the series but I do plan to read at least one more Agatha Raisin mystery. I would not recommend this book to anyone, but I have had good experiences with this series previously so I would recommend previous books to my friends and family.
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