Dead Before Tea Time is another spot on addition to the Agatha Raisin series. Come for the mysteries but stay for the characters that feel as real as your, somewhat flawed, friends and relatives.
This time Agatha is on a mission to save her beloved local pub, the Red Lion. It seems the owner of the building, Lord Ancomb, has decided to redevelop the land beneath it into luxury flats. When the Lord is discovered very dead at a historic reenactment, Agatha and her team jump into the investigation.
As usual, the gang is all here, helping with the investigation and occasionally confusing Agatha’s love life. I like the mysteries in this series. But I love the characters. Even minor recurring characters are fully fleshed out now in book 37. Agatha herself has gradually become more self aware as the series progresses. Aging comes for us all—even the vain Agatha.
If you want to read a cozy mystery set in a small English village with an intriguing mystery or two and genuine characters, don’t miss Dead Before Tea Time. It’s another great entry in this long running series. 5 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.