Published: 2nd October 2007 (print)/02 Dec 2011 (audio) 
Publisher: Minotaur Books /Audible
Pages: 234/6 hrs and 30 mins
Narrator: Penelope Keith
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Cosy Mystery
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars
Agatha Raisin is bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but she’ll scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog. Only two things seem to offer potential excitement: the upcoming Christmas festivities and her ex, James Lacey. This year she is sure that if she invites James to a really splendid, old-fashioned Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log.
When a wealthy widow hires Agatha because she’s convinced a member of her family is trying to kill her, Agatha is intrigued—especially when the widow drops dead after high tea at the manor house. Who in this rather sterile house, complete with fake family portraits, could have hated the old lady enough to poison her?
Agatha sets out to find the murderer, all the while managing a pretty, teenage trainee who makes her feel old and planning for a picture-perfect Christmas, with James, all the trimmings, and perhaps even snow.
It’s taken eighteen books before we get a proper backstory on Agatha and the story so far. Up until now there’s been little information on Agatha’s past and any recap on previous events has been minor.
The basic summary of this book is that Agatha is once again a horrible person in pretty much every situation she finds herself. She is racist, ageist, judgemental, and insulting in basically every description.
Agatha’s own issues about her age come through once more with Toni joining the team as she is considerably younger and why wouldn’t have the perpetual early 50s Agatha compare herself to a teenager in looks? Christmas doesn’t really come into play for much of the novel so it’s hardly a Christmas murder, but there is a festive mood if you count a Christmas dinner and Agatha pining once more for James.
Despite the bit of backstory provided there wasn’t much going on to capture any interest. The introduction of Toni provided some fresh characters and a new plotline to follow, though stereotypical at times seeing Agatha try and help the poor girl has its moments as the brash and horrible Agatha tries to show compassion and support to someone other than herself. The writing and descriptions are a bit turn off, and Agatha’s complaints are repetitive and now quite ludicrous as she bemoans the silliest things.
It has a murder in it that kept you thinking about so that’s something at least and the usual side characters bring some familiarity and relief even if they aren’t always the most in-depth people.
You can purchase Agatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas Goodbye via the following
QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository
Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson
Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible
Cotswold detective Agatha Raisin lies to herself, hoping skimpy lingerie will suit her ex’s surprise holiday. He lies to himself, remembering childhood heyday of Snoth-on-Sea as sunny, now a wreck in a cold windy storm. Aggie threatens obnoxious guest Geraldine, later found strangled in Aggie’s lost scarf. Aggie can try drink, but needs all her friends when bodies pile up.
Agatha Raisin, recent divorcée, hates adultery cases and pompous Robert Smedley, but needs work. Unfortunately Mabel appears the perfect young wife, a pretty church volunteer. Agatha stumbles across dead missing teen Jessica, and investigates free for publicity. When Smedley dies from poison, Mabel hires Agatha, who brings in old friends, new hires, and finds the killers.
Infuriated that her holiday was ruined by a mugging, Agatha Raisin decides to open up her own detective agency. The romance-minded sleuth is thrilled by visions of handsome fellow gumshoes and headline-making crimes—but soon finds the only cases she can get are a non-glamorous lot of lost cats and an errant teenager. But when a wealthy divorcée hires the agency to investigate a death threat against her daughter Cassandra, Agatha thwarts a vicious attack on the heiress bride. Now Agatha is in hot pursuit of the culprit. But when the groom’s father turns up dead, Agatha must untangle a growing list of suspects, from Carsely’s quiet village lanes to Paris’ most fashionable streets. Soon the wilfully undaunted Agatha is in trouble with French and British police; on the outs (again) with old friends—and dead in the sights of a murderer.
When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course.
