Death Of A Traveling Man - M. C. Beaton

Death Of A Traveling Man
By: M. C. Beaton
Published: 1993
Audiobook Read by: Davina Porter
My rating: Wonderful






I fell in love with the Hamish Macbeth series after listening to Death Of A Village. Hamish is such a great character and it's loads of fun to hear about his adventures around Lochdubh.

In this story, Hamish is faced with a pair of "Travelers" camping out in the field by the manse. He can't put his finger on the reason but he takes an instant dislike to this devilishly handsome fellow and his foul mouthed companion. Hoping they won't stay long he keeps a wary eye on them but as the days stretch into weeks, he knows that trouble is bound to come. His fears are realized when murder shakes up his peaceful little corner of Scotland and the evidence points more and more at people he sorely hates to believe capable of such an act. In the meantime he has been saddled with an assistant who is determined to clean up the police station and not in a crime stopping way! Willie insists on cleaning everything and Hamish finds that even the insoles of his shoes have been polished! Willie spends more time on housework than police work and it drives Hamish to distraction! Of course in the end Hamish gets his man and solves the case but not before some very unexpected circumstances turn his life upside-down!

One of the things I love about these stories is the way they don't focus exclusively on the mystery. I love to hear about the little day to day details of Hamish's life and there is also the added benefit of not knowing what's a clue and what isn't which makes the mystery even more fun to solve. Hamish has such an interesting outlook on life and his romantic interests make for some good laughs along the way. He loves his town though, and would do anything for the people that are under his care.

Willie adds another dimension of fun to this particular story. His constant cleaning and the consternation it causes Hamish is hilarious. He also has his own romantic interest that was quite fulfilling as it proves that love can come in the most unexpected ways and there really is someone for everyone! By the end of the book, Willie and Hamish are perfectly positioned for a long and happy friendship with each being right where they most want to be.

I listened to the audiobook read by Davina Porter. As in the past, I loved her performance as she gave each character a life of their own and has such a great voice to listen to. Her accent is wonderful as well and since I love the Scottish accent so much, it was doubly enjoyable for me! :)

Overall this is a wonderful book from a wonderful series. I am looking forward to next one and sincerely hope Hamish can stay out of trouble until I return to Lochdubh. I'm sure he won't, but I can still hope! :)