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Agatha Raisin and the Christmas Crumble
An Agatha Raisin Short Story
Agatha Raisin Mysteries
M C Beaton

Constable and Robinson Crime
6 December 2012/ ASIN: B008PBYTM6 [Kindle only]
Ebook / Mystery / Contemporary / Gloucestershire, England Holiday: Christmas

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde


AMAZON UK

Agatha Raisin wants to do something different for Christmas, so she hits on the idea of inviting Carsely’s elderly residents who would otherwise be on their own for a Christmas Day lunch. Aided and abetted by Roy Silver she tries her hand at making her own pudding. Add in a lecherous old man and you can be assured that Agatha’s festive party is not exactly going to be boring?

None of the many books written by this prolific author are long, but they are all full-length novels. Not so this one, a short novella (about 33 pages) penned for the Christmas period. As with most seasonal numbers of popular series whether in print or on the screen it is a holiday special, adding nothing in particular to the series but providing fans with a festive read. There are some genuinely funny moments in here as Roy arrives in full punk dress and the pair has a go at a foolproof recipe for a pudding that is anything but in Agatha’s hands. However, Ms. Beaton is more adept at the structure of a novel than shorter fiction and although I can promise a murder, it is the comedy that stays in the mind with this title rather than the detection. The tale seems rather thin as a result, but if you are a fan of the series and want a short read that will at least make you laugh then read on.

Reviews of other titles in this series

The Agatha Raisin Companion   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell    [review 1 ] [review 2]
Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Deadly Dance   [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Perfect Paragon   [review]
Agatha Raisin and Love, Lies and Liquor   [review]
Agatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas Goodbye   [review]
Agatha Raisin and a Spoonful of Poison   [review]
There Goes the Bride     [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Busy Body   [review]
Agatha Raisin: As The Pig Turns
  [book] [audio]
Hiss and Hers #23 [review]
Christmas Crumble (Novella) [review]
Something Borrowed Someone Dead #24 [review]
The Blood of an Englishman #25 [review]
Agatha Raisin and the Witches’ Tree #25 [review]

Reviewed 2014
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