Death of a Travelling Man [Mass Market Paperback]

In this excellent, eighth Hamish Macbeth mystery, the slightly lethargic, tousle-haired village copper in the Scottish Highlands has been promoted against his will. As Sergeant, he makes more money, but must suffer more work as well, not to mention the enthusiasm of his new helper, Police Constable Willie Lamont. Hamish rescues a young boy from the river and saves some stranded mountain climbers; he listens to a minister confess wavering faith, is plagued by a superior who resents his promotion and has repeated run-ins with a drifter who parks his van behind the minister's manse. The "devastatingly handsome" drifter charms four women out of their money and harasses Hamish's ladylove, Priscilla. When the bounder's body is found after a fatal bludgeoning, Hamish seeks out the young man's rock-singer girlfriend and unhappily discovers a blackmailing scheme that incriminates some locals. Beaton ( Death of a Glutton ) pens a cast of winning characters, even the pesky, malaprop Willie (whose aunt lives "in a condom in San Francisco"). But the star, as always, is the slow-moving, quick-witted Hamish.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Beaton's eighth mystery featuring Scottish police constable Hamish MacBeth is every bit as charming, humorous, and clever as the first seven. This time MacBeth acquires a new sidekick, P. C. Willie Lamont, who has less talent for police work than for cleaning, polishing, and scrubbing. His insistence on keeping the police station spotless is driving MacBeth mad. But Hamish has other troubles: his lady friend, Priscilla, is being standoffish, and a handsome drifter named Sean has arrived in Lochdubh and seems to be a catalyst for evil. When Sean is brutally murdered, Hamish has the difficult task of finding his killer without upsetting Lochdubh's placid way of life or his police superiors in Strathbane. As usual, Beaton makes Lochdubh and its inhabitants come alive; the characters are wonderfully original; the plot is cleverly crafted and intriguing to the end; there's lots of laugh-aloud humor; and even the darker, bleaker parts of the story (and there are some) only add to its overall appeal. Emily Melton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Sergeant Hamish MacBeth, until now the entire police force in the Scottish village of Lubdoch (Death of a Glutton, etc.), is feeling beleaguered. By way of promotion authorities in Strathbane have sent him Constable Willie Lamont, to share his duties and his cozy quarters, incidentally destroying Hamish's comfort with his obsessive cleaning and polishing. Moreover, the town has become home to handsome drifter Sean Gourlay and his foulmouthed girlfriend Cheryl Higgins, living on land behind the local minister's manse, with his ill-judged permission. Reports of stolen drugs, money missing from church funds, and Cheryl's sudden departure are preliminaries to the discovery of Sean's battered corpse. Hamish finds motives aplenty as he tries to protect the reputations of several village matrons until he traps the killer, and even manages to become engaged to on-again, off-again longtime love Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. Prosaic solution aside, readers will relish a well-paced, warmly sentimental picture of the people--and the character and rich accents--of Lubdoch, as seen through Hamish's loving eyes. Unpretentious fun for all. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

"ENTRANCING . . . A GEM."
--Ocala Star-Banner
Hamish Macbeth's life is going to pot. He's been promoted (horrors!), his boss is a dunce, and--to add insult to injury--a sinister self-proclaimed gypsy and his girlfriend have parked their rusty, eye-sore-of-a-van in the village.
Hamish smells trouble and as usual he's right. The doctor's drugs go missing. Money vanishes. Neighbors grow suddenly unneighborly. And when the unsavory newcomer is murdered, Hamish regrets it only because his bones tell him the killer may be one of his friends.
Nobody wants to volunteer even a scrap of useful information, so canny Hamish single-handedly sets about the delicate work of worming the facts out of his neighbors. Yet in the process he uncovers a story so bizarre that neither he nor the villagers may ever recover from it. . . .
"EXCELLENT.. . . A cast of winning characters."
--Publishers Weekly
"Scottish writer M. C. Beaton develops the locals with humor and verve."
--The Christian Science Monitor

M. C. Beaton worked as a Fleet Street journalist. She is the author of the Agatha Raisin novels, the Hamish Macbeth series and an Edwardian murder-mystery series. She divides her time between Paris and the Cotswolds, where she lives in a village very much like Agatha Raisin's beloved Carsely. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Beaton's quirky, charming Hamish Macbeth is even more appealing as expressed in Davina Porter's good-natured narration. The unique and sometimes eccentric residents of Lochdub, Scotland, take on lives and personalities of their own as Porter bestows idiosyncrasies on each. Of course, the very best is Macbeth; listeners are privy as he labors in his meandering way to solve yet another murder. Regular fans will become adept at frequently used Scottish words and expressions. Beaton's most irresistible talent is creating characters with whom everyone, regardless of age, state, or situation, can identify (and sometimes cringe at). This is the perfect choice for mystery buffs who enjoy humor and for all who love the Scots. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.