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Sunday, May 19, 2024

"Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime" by Leonie Swann

 












Sunset Hall's doyenne motley crew is back! "Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime" by Leonie Swann is the second book in the 'Agnes Sharp Mysteries' and is just as good as the first. I loved the first book and was thrilled to get my hands on the second one.

Agnes Sharp shares her English country house, Sunset Hall, with a group of other seniors, including the athletic Edwina, who used to work for the Secret Service; the blind Bernadette, whose clothes are as colorful as her past; the strategist Marshal; the wheelchair-bound Winston; the chic Charlie; the turtle Hettie; Lillith, a dead housemate; and the wolfhound Brexit. Agnes now has a hearing aid, so she hears more than she wants to.

When Edwina wins a holiday to a high-end luxury eco-conscious hotel, our gang decides to join her. With the boiler out of order, the heating not working, and murders afoot, this is as good a time as any to take a break from it all. Alas, murders and mayhem seem to follow our gang, and pretty soon the vacation goes awry. The plot thickens when the hotel is cut off from the outside world, and it becomes clear that a murderer is on the loose. And this time we even have a white boa and a bit of romance!

I enjoyed the book very much. I liked the different setting (vacations gone wrong is one of my favorite tropes), the humor, and the dynamic between the gang. The book is written in the third person, alternating between the seniors and the snake, but the focus is still on Agnes. I loved reading the perspective of Oberon the snake. I also loved the Agatha Christie references ("Murder in the Library") and the side stories.

Quirky characters, some funny situations, and shenanigans aplenty made this a great read! The author paints the Eden Hotel with vivid strokes, and I loved the references to Adam, Eve, and the snake. There was indeed a snake in Eden, and not just the boa one. This is a light mystery, but there are a few moments of genuine tension.

The pace was just right and kept my interest from start to finish. The book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend also reading the previous one to gain a better understanding of the dynamics. The book will appeal to both fans of the mystery/suspense genre and those who are simply looking for a good, light read. It has drama, tense scenes, and a lot of humor. Highly recommended, of course! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

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Thank you Edelweiss and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime" by Leonie Swann

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