Death of a Poison Pen: Amazon.ca: M.C. Beaton: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

British author Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series remains reliable on several fronts: her Scots police officer Hamish will solve the crimes in an appropriately heroic and entertaining way; he will be as clueless as ever in regard to the women who set their caps for him; and he will continue to resist both promotion out of his remote village of Lochdubh and restrictions imposed by his nominal superiors. In this, the 20th entry (after 2003's Death of a Village), a series of poisoned pen letters have the townspeople of the nearby town of Braikie on edge, and rumor and suspicion threaten to lead to violence. Hamish faces danger of another sort, when Jenny Ogilvie, a London friend of Hamish's old flame Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, decides that romancing Hamish would be a delicious way to bother Priscilla. The author adeptly limns her village characters' foibles and frailties, and the poisoned pen letters set them off in high relief. Set pieces abound, from detective Jimmy Anderson's cadging of drinks, to Detective Chief Inspector Blair's ineptness and animosity, to the endless misunderstandings that separate Hamish and reporter Elspeth Grant. While the tunes Beaton's characters dance to may be familiar, they vary just enough to keep fans turning the pages.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Poison pen letters have been appearing all over the Scottish Highlands town of Braikie–and then a spate of murders and suicides ensues. Hamish Macbeth, the local constable of a nearby village, must get to the bottom of things without drawing too much attention to himself. If he sorts out another local mystery, he risks being promoted, and that would take him away from all that he loves in sleepy Lochdubh. As the Highlands' weather veers wildly from one extreme to another, Hamish dodges pesky superior officers and follows his own paths among the people he understands better than any outsider can. The place has no shortage of eccentrics but most of Lochdubh's regulars take a back seat to several 20-somethings who become an integral part of the story as it develops. They include a vacationer from London with dangerously poor judgment; an enterprising local reporter as unconventional as Hamish himself; another reporter, a caddish but "charming Irishman"; a bullied young secretary at the local school; and away in London, but never far from Hamish's mind, his star-crossed soul mate. Readers unfamiliar with the series can easily begin with this volume, but if they do, they are likely to seek out the earlier novels. This fictional world–part cozy, part unsparing–can be highly addictive.–Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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5.0 out of 5 stars THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD..., April 18 2012

By

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Death of a Poison Pen (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the twentieth book in a series of cozy mysteries featuring lovable highlander, Hamish Macbeth. In charge of law and order in the town of Lochdubh and its environs in Northern Scotland, Hamish wishes nothing more than to tend to his little plot of land and make sure everyone lives in peace. Unfortunately, murder sometimes rears its ugly head, and it is up to Hamish to discover just who the miscreant is that is causing all the trouble.

As always, the book is laced with sly humor throughout that is engaging, and the dialogue creates a feeling of authenticity of place, making the book highly enjoyable. One does not read these books for their literary value. One reads them purely for the fun of it.

This time, Hamish is initially confounded when a series of malicious poison pen letters start circulating among his constituency. When a local postmistress is discover dead by hanging, with a poison pen letter left by her swinging body, Hamish believe it to be murder and not a suicide. Just who is sending these letters and murdering the locals is what Hamish seeks to discover. Of course, waiting in the wings to assist him is intrepid local reporter Elspeth Grant, who has her eye on our handsome highlander. Believe me, it is not only a story that she is looking to get.

As with all cozy mysteries, it is not so much the mystery that is of import but the characters that revolve around the mystery, and the characters are certainly quirky and entertaining, adding to the charm of the series. With the oddly endearing Hamish Macbeth, the author has created a character that is a winner. I love this series of cozy mysteries!

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5.0 out of 5 stars All's Fair in Love, Job Seeking, and Murder, Jun 15 2007

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 Poison Pen (Mass Market Paperback)

Death of a Poison Pen represents a new high in the Hamish Macbeth series in terms of integrating a number of different story lines in neat and interesting fashion. Long-time fans of the series will find this book to be one of their favorites.

Jenny Ogilvie is jealous of her London colleague, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. Priscilla is engaged to be married while Jenny has just lost her boy friend when she mentions marriage. Yet Priscilla seems obsessed with her old friend (and former unofficial fiancé) from Lochdubh, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth, and the cases they've worked on solving together. Jenny decides she would like to disturb Priscilla's cool exterior by attracting Hamish's attention. Feigning illness, she heads for Lochdubh.

Once there, Jenny is disappointed to see that Hamish doesn't fit her idea of a handsome Highlander . . . and is engaged in speaking with Elspeth Grant, a local reporter and astrologer. A lot of funny scenes follow as Jenny chases Hamish and ends up being paired instead with new reporter, Pat Mallone, who had fancied Elspeth until Jenny arrived.

But Jenny remains obsessed with the idea of solving a crime . . . even if Hamish ignores her. In the background, Jenny's London-based ideas of how to live keep getting her into trouble with the Highlanders.

Elspeth, in the meantime, finds her interest in Hamish to be dwindling as he continues to avoid becoming involved. But she recognizes Jenny as a rival and finds he competitive juices stoked.

There are also some goofy poison pen letters being received in Lochdubh and Braikie. Mrs. Wellington, the minister's wife, got one accusing her of having an affair with Hamish. Well, hardly! Hamish holds a meeting in Braikie to get copies of the notes and signatures on a petition so he can get the police in Strathbane to spend the money for a handwriting expert.

In the middle of this comedy of errors, the atmosphere turns dark when Miss Beattie, who ran the post office in Braikie, is found dead with a poison pen letter under her body. As usual, Hamish is soon disputing with Detective Chief Inspector Blair whether Miss Beattie's death is suicide . . . or murder. Before the book is over, the bodies start to pile up.

Hamish finds himself in the middle of trying to solve mysteries without earning promotion, fending off women who want him, and keeping naive people from getting into trouble. You'll enjoy the mysteries and the twists in the book.

At her best, M. C. Beaton has a fine talent to exploring irony. She draws deeply on that talent in this fine book. Enjoy!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Oh That Wonderful Hamish!, May 21 2004

By

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Death of a Poison Pen (Hardcover)

Hamish Macbeth is a wonderful character. He always seems to bumble his way to a solution in the many murders that seem to occur in his area, but underneath that shambling exterior is a mind that is as sharp as a whip. The Hamish Macbeth series is one of my very favourite series, and even though Ms. Beaton has about 20 entries in the series it just never seems to get stale. The characters that we meet with every book (the wonderful, eccentric citizens of Lochdubh), plus the new ones that she introduces each time are what make this series so special. I am sad that I've now caught up to Ms. Beaton, and now I am relegated to waiting (very impatiently I might add) for the next book. I have enjoyed every minute that I've spent with Hamish in wonderful Lochdubh. In this book, Hamish has been bothered with a vicious poison pen writer in the neighbouring village of Braike. He is worried because he fears that this letter campaign is going to lead to murder, and sure enough that's what happens. He and his wonderful "lady friend" Elspeth work together to try to trap the writer and to find the murderer. It turns out that they're not one and the same. Hamish also gains the help of another young lady that is visiting Lochdubh. She said it was for a holiday, but actually her intent was to try to ensare Hamish as a form of "getting back" at her uppity friend Priscilla, who even though she is engaged to be married, still seems to carry a torch for Hamish. This series is superb entertainment, and I can give no higher accolade than that.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Scottish Highland adventure
DEATH OF A POISON PEN is set in a small village in the Scottish Highlands. It is populated with quirky characters and a lovable, bumbling, tall, red-haired constable named Hamish... Read more

Published on Feb 29 2004 by A. Christie

5.0 out of 5 stars Hamish at his best!
This installment of the Hamish McBeth series was one of the best. I enjoyed my visit to Lochdubh immensely and catching up with old friends. Read more

Published on Feb 20 2004 by Sharon