This may be my favorite Agatha yet. There were two lovely sections that made me bust out laughing. But even better, the pacing, the tension, and the twisty plot was great fun.

And by the way, I hope you are really, really, really over James, dear Agatha. And I hope he is not going to turn up like a bad penny in some future episode.

( )

Ormai sono affezionata alle avventure e relative disavventure di Agatha Raisin, una lettura sempre piacevole e simpatica, perfetta per rilassarsi. ( )

Agatha and the Grifting Vicar
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (January 2013) of the original St. Martin's Press Minotaur hardcover (February 2003)

The Case of the Curious Curate finds Agatha Raisin with the other lady parishioners to be enraptured by a dashing new curate who takes over for Alf Bloxby when the latter is indisposed. She eventually figures out that he is a grifter and then sets out to solve the case when he is murdered, presumably by someone he stole from or extorted in the past. Her main investigating partner is yet another new neighbour, John Armitage, who has taken over the cottage of Agatha's husband James Lacey, who has abandoned her.

I'm continuing to enjoy the fun of these cozies which are somewhat different from the TV-series which I saw first. 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 John Armitage character doesn't appear in the TV-series at all. The narration by regular reader Penelope Keith is always excellent in all voices. Keith is as perfect a voice fit for the audiobooks as Ashley Jensen is to the TV role.

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 Link
The Case of Curious Curate was adapted as Episodes 5 & 6 of Series 2 for the currently ongoing Agatha Raisin TV series (2016-). A trailer can be seen on YouTube here. ( )

As is always the case with these books it's what's going on in the life of Agatha and Carsley that's of more interest and importance than the murder(s). Over all too quickly as so easy to devour in a couple of sittings. ( )

This was a cute book. Liked it much better than the previous one. ( )