Book Review | Agatha Raisin Mystery Series (Books 1-10) by M.C. Beaton
March 2, 2023
Orange Theory Fitness | 20February2023 & 27February2023 | My 4th and 5th week
March 4, 2023
384 pages
Published: July 2023
St. Martin’s Press
Read:
On the night of the annual Summer block party, the Meadowbrook community Facebook page lights up with posts reporting sirens descending on the desirable and exclusive cul-de-sac neighborhood on Alton Road. Bit by bit, the comments trickle in, some taking pleasure in their neighbors’ misfortune and others showing concern. The truth eventually comes out. It’s not an accident, or a drowning, or a fire, as some had predicted. For the first time in forty years, there’s been a murder in Meadowbrook.
The residents of Alton Road—The Fox family, the core of the neighborhood but each with secrets of their own; the Adair Family, the seemingly perfect all-American family; the Thompson Family, on the brink of an explosive divorce; The Kumars, the mysterious “new neighbors”; Brooke Bailey, the “Black Widow”; and Gus Fisher, the quirky salesman— are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal unbeknownst to the outside world and even each other.
Who was murdered at the block party? Who committed the murder? And why? As the night unfolds, the residents will discover that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems. Propulsive and layered, THE BLOCK PARTY will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Trigger Warnings: miscarriage, drowning/loss of child, infidelity, sexual exploitation of a minor, alcoholism
Main Characters
- Alex Fox – seems to be an alcoholic, mediation attorney
- Nick – Alex’s husband
- Lettie – high school daughter of Alex
- Emily – Real estate agent, Alex’s sister; also lives on the same street as Alex
- Ken – Emily’s husband, had cheated on Emily years ago
- Dylan – Emily and Ken’s son
- Logan – Emily and Ken’s son, star across player
- Mandy Kumar – new neighbor to the block; beautiful; doctor
- Samir Kumar – doctor, Mandy’s husband
- Jay – Mandy and Samir’s son; college drop out
- Willow – Beautiful neighbor, Riley’s mom
- Ethan – Willow’s soon to be ex husband; addict
- Riley – Lettie’s ex best friend from growing up, super popular
- Bailey – the hot neighbor, her husband died
- Asher – Jay’s little brother that died as a toddler
- Bug Man – annoying salesman that is trying to sell bug services to the neighborhood
My Review
This book was fine. It had a similar vibe to Big Little Lies, but not as good. The book seemed to move a little slow and have some tension, but not enough. There were parts when I was really engaged and others were… meh.
The book is a dual timeline story that comes back to the present. It takes place in a posh neighborhood with the present timeline being the Memorial Day block party.
There are quite a few characters – they’re not too hard to keep straight though (probably due to partially being in a teenagers point of view). Bugman made me so mad!
I thought the little excerpts from the broader neighborhood app were fun.
Dislikes
- There was no need to have the child drowning storyline..
Spoilers
Do not expand this section unless you want to see spoilers
Evan kills Ken in the end and then also dies. Mandy had poisoned Ken’s alcohol and Evan chugged the alcohol after killing Ken.
Mandy had pushed Bailey’s husband overboard on the cruise ship many years ago and then wanted to move into the neighborhood to get back at Ken as well. They had bullied her in high school, taken advantage of her and then spread rumors she was a slut.
Evan was stalking Bailey and that basically ends his and Willow’s marriage.
Mandy and Samir’s youngest son died in a pool accident that Jay thought was his fault.
Riley was sleeping with Ken (ick…). Jay sent the photos to Dylan and blackmailed him.