Review of Agnes Hopper Shakes Up Sweetbriar, by Carol Guthrie Heilman

This book came to my attention through the Beach Reads Bonanza 2016 (a Facebook event) and I bought it because it sounded cute. Amazon gave me the option to add the audio version for a couple extra dollars, so I did. 

At times silly and heartbreaking, Agnes' story was also often poignant and heartwarming. Agnes herself is a perfect storm of happenstance and tomfoolery. I was transported to Sweetbriar Manor and listened to her adventures with bemused enjoyment. 

My only quibble with the story is that I wasn't sure how it should be categorized. I'd thought it was a cozy mystery, but I thought Agnes did very little in the way of actual sleuthing. She mostly bumbled into questions and answers, and powered her way into and out of trouble through sheer obstinacy. She was more of the catalyst for others to come forward and see their way to sharing their own pieces of the puzzle, and therefore solving the mystery. I was a little confused by the ending, and whether or not the perpetrators got their just rewards or not.

The characters were all well drawn, and made for a delightful cast of characters with stories that ranged from tragic to delusional. They stayed true to character throughout.

The performance was delightful - although Agnes' voice could get to be a little whiny at times. I did have my own ideas of what the characters should look like based on the voices, and then a bit of narrative would remind me of how wrong I was. That was a little jarring, but hard to help, as everyone comes with their own preconceptions when it comes to a character's voice.

All in all, I'd recommend this to anyone who thinks a clean cozy mystery involving slightly daffy senior citizens would fit the bill for the day. Be prepared with your hanky if you are prone to tears at the misfortunes of others.