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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Beaton's charming Constable Hamish Macbeth returns in the sequel to Death of a Gossip, a mirthful mystery set in the Scottish Highlands. Hamish's time is taken up with investigating a death at the Halburton-Smythe castle, and with subtly wooing the daughter of the house, Priscilla, who has brought her fiance Henry Withering to meet her parents and houseguests. Among them is Peter Bartlett, loathed by almost everyone present and found dead in the morning. The constable's inept superiors declare the death an accident, but Hamish produces evidence of murder, after which he eliminates all the suspects except the guilty one. In the course of these events, Priscilla's feelings for Henry weaken and, in contrast, flourish for Hamish, which gives hints of the next entry in the delightful series.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"* 'It's always a special treat to return to Lochdubh' - New York Times * 'Superb entertainment, as rich and warming as a fine malt whisky, and every bit as addictive' - Houston Chronicle * 'An enchanting series....M.C. Beaton has a foolproof plot for the village mystery.' - New York Times Book Review * 'Beaton, a Scot herself, excels at giving readers a taste of Highland life and creating a believable character in the lonely, brilliant, continually frustrated-in-love Macbeth.' - Booklist"
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE CHARM OF THE HIGHLANDER...,,
By
This review is from: Death of a Cad (Mass Market Paperback)
This is the second book in a series of cozy mysteries featuring red-haired Highlander, Hamish Macbeth, the constable for the sleepy village of Lochdubh in northern Scotland. Hamish, who is smitten with the blonde and cold beauty of Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, daughter of the local laird, has just discovered that she has recently become engaged to snooty London playwright, Henry Withering.When Priscilla brings Henry to Lochdubh to meet her family, they throw a party in his honor. Unfortunately, one of the house guests, the highly unpleasant Captain Peter Bartlett, meets an untimely end while on a grouse hunt. Although Detective Chief Inspector Bair quickly declares the death to be a suicide, Hamish begs to differ, persuading Blair, much to his chagrin, that it was, indeed, murder. During his investigation, Priscilla's enthusiasm for her fiancé begins to wane, while Hamish just keeps looking better and better in her eyes, until the seeds of a budding romance are firmly sown. Moreover, the book is laces with sly humor that is engaging, keeping the mood of the book light and highly enjoyable. As with all cozy mysteries, it is not so much the mystery that is of import but the characters that revolve around the mystery. While the mysteries are intriguing, they are the framework around which the characters evolve. In the endearing character of Hamish Macbeth, the author has created a sure fire winner, who is bound to win many fans of the cozy mystery genre.
4.0 out of 5 stars
P.G. Wodehouse Meets Sherlock Holmes,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: Death of a Cad (Mass Market Paperback)
Death of a Cad is the second book in the Hamish Macbeth mystery series. M.C. Beaton has her tongue stuck firmly in her cheek as she creates a quasi-Wodehouse country-castle romp mixed up with a murder mystery. To make matters more fun, one of the leading characters, Henry Withering, is an acclaimed playwright based on his latest upper class drawing-room work.Here's the set-up. Priscilla Hallburton-Smythe has taken up a job in London to be able to find eligible men. Henry Withering spots her and decides his publicity shots will look much better with her at his side. He quickly proposes and Priscilla accepts based on her desire to please Mommy and Daddy. On the way home to introduce him to family and friends, Priscilla begins to have her doubts about the wisdom of the match. Matters quickly degrade when an unpleasant dinner is followed the next morning by a death, an apparent accident. But Police Constable Hamish Macbeth, the pride of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands, is skeptical. Soon, his doubts turn into evidence of foul play. (And that's a pretty good pun for a hunting accident involving a grouse shoot -- even if the high and mighty have been complaining about the shortage of grouse . . . you could even say they've been grousing.) There are three stories intertwined in the book: 1. The engagement 2. The murder mystery 3. Conflict between Hamish and his superiors In typical country novel fashion, the engagement story is really the best. The humor is improved by being warm, broad and nonstop. The intellectual content of the book is raised by the subtle ways that Macbeth tracks down the murderer while fending off his superiors. The least interesting part of the book is the actual murder mystery. But don't mind that, you'll have a lot of fun with this one. If you like to listen to audio books, I suggest you also enjoy Davina Porter's deft reading of the tale. Ms. Porter's sense of timing is perfect . . . even if her accents struggle from time to time.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews) 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The further adventures of Hamish Macbeth,
By Jeanne Tassotto - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Death of a Cad (Mass Market Paperback)
This is the second book of the Hamish Macbeth series, picking up a few months after THE DEATH OF A GOSSIP.The story opens as Priscilla Halburton-Smithe is driving her new fiance home to Lochdubh for a weekend houseparty at her parents' house. Tensions soon develop at the party, including the inclusion (or intrusion depending on your point of view) of local constable Macbeth into the group. Naturally there is soon a death to investigate, one that of course confuses all but our hero. This is very much in the long tradition of cozy series mystery. The murder victim richly deserves his fate, the characters of those involved is more important than the action, and there is a large cast of recurring characters. Our hero manages to solve the crime while overcoming the incompetance of his superiors. There is even an ongoing romance. If 'cozies' are your cup of tea you will definitely enjoy this series and will want to read them all. 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Death of a cad,
By S. N. Hall - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Death of a CAD (Hardcover)
The Hamish Macbeth books are wonderful. I only came to discover the Hamish books after reading the thoroughly enjoyable Agatha Raisin series written also by M.C. Beaton. In Hamish's village of Lochdubh, curious characters abound and this helps keep the true killer's identity hidden to the very end. I have now read all of the Hamish books and I highly recommend "Death of a Cad" and "Death of a prankster" as two of the best. There is a television series loosely based on the books. It is very amusing but completely different (not mysteries at all); more an "All creatures great and small" without the livestock. I encourage everyone to give Hamish a try. The books are light yet clever. I can't wait for the next one!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another enjoyable mystery from M.C. Beaton,
By William - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Death of a Cad (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm new to the Hamish Macbeth series. I read Death of a Poison Pen (set later than this novel) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Poison Pen had a lot of charm and funny characters, something this series is known for.Death of a Cad is not quite as good as that one. It starts out as more of a typical mystery with the usual rich, English suspects sitting around in a big house. But once Hamish gets into the act, it gets a lot better. If this is the first book in the series you read, you'll still enjoy it, but if your impression is lukewarm, don't stop with this book. Read Death of a Poison Pen and other books in the series. I think you'll be charmed by the humor and characterizations. I plan to read more of this series. |
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