3.5* Enjoyable as always ( )

Agatha Meddles While Investigating a Meddler Murder
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (October 2010) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (October 2010)

The Busy Body finds Agatha investigating the murder of a local Health and Safety Board officer who had earned the enmity of the entire village of Carsley by banning various festive activities such as a Christmas light display and a Christmas tree on the Vicarage roof as hazardous. Meanwhile, Agatha has a new detective named Simon Black on probation and Simon shows an apparent romantic interest in Agatha's young protégée detective Toni Gilmour. Agatha starts scheming behind the scenes to discourage the budding romance.

I'm continuing to enjoy the fun of these cozies which are somewhat different from the TV-series which I saw first. Agatha is definitely more cranky in the books, but it is her human faults that make us accept her. Young detective Toni Gilmour continues here in this book #21 (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 #21 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
The Busy Body has not been adapted for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). It is possible that it would be in a future Season 5 in 2022/23? as the TV series is mostly following the order of the books. ( )

Beaton continues to bang on about smoking and even takes a swipe at "global warming" but depite these blights this was an enjoyable Agatha Raisin with all the usual lovable characters. ( )

I've enjoyed many of the Agatha Raisin series. However, I'm beginning to think maybe Mrs. Beaton has over done the series. Sometimes, when an author seems to be pushing out one copy right after another, the plots and characters begin to falter. I'm afraid that is the situation we have here. How many times must we hear Agatha's handbag call "capacious"? Why bother bringing back James Lacey for 1 paragraph of the story? It almost seems as if the plots are identical (person who is hated by everyone gets bumped off and the culprit is the person who hires Agatha because they want to steer detection away from themselves) and past characters are being dropped in for a scene just to show readers they are still there, though lurking off in the shadows. I really did enjoy the series until the recent few books. I do hope they begin to improve or I may have to get my cozy fix elsewhere. ( )

In this book Agatha investigates when the Health and Safety inspector is murdered. He had upset many people who who was his killer?

A quick read for those who like this kind of book but I just can't like the main character who is rude and obnoxious to everyone around her. ( )