Hot To Trot
"...I hope for many more adventures with ‘Aggie’ and friends!"
Synopsis:
Sir Charles Fraith, one time lover of Agatha Raison, is in deep trouble. He has agreed to marry show-jumping mad Mary Brown-Fields, daughter of a millionaire, to solve his financial difficulties in running his country estate. The only problem is, Mary has her own plans for the estate, which were to increase the tenants' rents and turn the estate into some sort of money-making theme park.
Agatha gatecrashes the wedding party, gets into a fight with Mary, and sprays her with mustard and ketchup. Sir Charles, belatedly, and only hours after the ceremony, has seen through Mary and her schemes. Then tragedy strikes. Mary is found in an estate outbuilding, hanging from a wooden beam, obviously dead. Inspector Wilkes appears on the scene, and is convinced that Agatha and Sir Charles were the murderers.
In trying to prove their innocence, Agatha finds herself in Bordeaux, where the smart show-jumping set have congregated, and Agatha starts snooping. Was it snooty show jumper Sheridan Chadwick? Sister and brother Deborah and Jacob Lexington? Or even Claudette, who appears so innocent? And finally, why is Inspector Wilkes so convinced that Agatha and Sir Charles did it, against all the evidence?
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Review:
M.C. Beaton, aka Marion Chesney, didn't write this novel. She died on December 30 2019, but before she did she invited her friend Rod Green to write it, with her providing the plot. It was, therefore a joint effort. Don't expect the usual cursing, bed-hopping and over-dressed Agatha Raison in this book. Thanks to Mr Green, she has matured and become more thoughtful, even though the old Agatha sometimes peeps through. So the writing style differs somewhat from Beaton's style. It is more considered, though it still moves along briskly, with lots of confrontations and action. The plot, of course, is typical Beaton. Lots of ins and outs, red herrings and being taken up blind alleys, which are always enjoyable. And the solution to the mystery of who murdered her has a sting in its tale that I doubt anyone will see coming. It appears there is at least one more 'Beaton/Green' book in the offing and if Green continues in the same vein as Beaton, then I hope for many more adventures with 'Aggie' and friends!