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Title: Agatha Raisin and the Novel from Hell
Review: I've followed the Agatha Raisin series since it began. It is accepted that Beaton's mysteries are somewhat short on "mystery" leaving her hopefully endearing characters to carry the interest in the narratives. As a result, it is harder to accept that after eleven installments, Agatha has not grown as a character nor as an amateur sleuth. In this latest novel, "Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell," Agatha has been stripped of whatever comedic touches she initially possessed. In the place of a gentle wryness about herself has mushroomed a seething hair-trigger temper that leads her to awkward outbursts, making her a very unsympathetic heroine. Perhaps the story is meant to illustrate that pursuit of an ill-fated love affair can distort or poison one's nature. I hope in the next installment that Agatha might revert to her former eccentric, more lovable, self. I hope so -- and in a mystery worthy of her.
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