By: M. C. Beaton
Published: 1985
My rating: Delightful
After getting started with this Hamish MacBeth series with Death of a Village and Death of a Traveling Man, I wanted to get the very first one. I couldn't get it on CD so knowing that my wife would like the series as well, I got it and read it to her. She did not disappoint me! (Not that she ever does!)
Hamish is the new Bobby on the beat in Lochdubh and has not been over zealous in his duties. Instead of catching poachers for example, he engages in a little poaching himself. He knows how to get a free sandwich or cup of coffee and has an eye for the one woman in town he should know better than to chase. However, when it comes to instinct, he's got a good supply. When the much hated Lady Jane turns up dead, everyone is a suspect. Even Hamish didn't mind being rid of her. But when CI Blair comes on the scene and mucks about trying to solve the mystery, Hamish knows he has to do something. Having been ordered by Blair to stay out of the investigation, he quietly talks to the suspects and makes long distance phone calls on someone else's bill. Of course he solves the case but did he really know who had committed the murder?
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the other Hamish books I've listened to but it was still a lot of fun. I think part of the problem is the fact that Hamish doesn't factor much into the beginning of the book. Part of the attraction of this series is Hamish and his comical ways of conducting himself, and his bumbling attempts at romance. The laid back style of the book is wonderful and I love the picture of life in the Scottish Highlands. I just wish I could do a better Scottish accent!
Overall, this is a must read for those of you who are interested in the series because it introduces Hamish and makes him a little more real. It is a fun mystery and very easy to read. It's a great beginning to a wonderful series that I am sure is going to be a delight for me for a long time to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment