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Death of a Perfect Wife
 
 
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Death of a Perfect Wife [Large Print] (Paperback)

by M. C. Beaton (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Constable Hamish Macbeth of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands returns to beguile readers in Beaton's fourth whodunit. With the arrival of Trixie and Paul Thomas from England, life in the tranquil village becomes chaotic, as brash Trixie establishes the Thomas house as headquarters for militant feminism. A "perfect wife," Trixie subjugates her husband Paul and teaches the local women to follow her example. Obeying Trixie's dicta, the wives begin serving their spouses health food instead of "harmful" hearty meals, and campaign vigorously against smoking. It is no wonder that someone eventually murders Trixie; Hamish's problem is whittling down the number of suspects. As the pace of the merry tale quickens, gentle Hamish draws nearer to exposing the surprising killer whose motive is far different from what he expects. He is also gratified to find the male residents of Lochdubh admitting that they feel better--although not smoking and eating nutritiously--now that they are relieved of Trixie's domineering presence.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Trixie Thomas, "the perfect wife," moves to the highland village of Lochdubh and immediately gives Police Constable Hamish MacBeth the uncomfortable feeling that peace will be disrupted. He watches as she organizes other wives to reform the inhabitants and makes more enemies than friends. His uneasiness proves correct when she is poisoned. Prepare to be entertained as much by the fourth MacBeth mystery as by Davina Porter's charming Scottish lilt. Her unhurried reading sets the mood of the quiet town in which MacBeth makes his lazy but productive rounds. Recommended for all mystery collections.AJuleigh Muirhead Clark, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Lib., Williamsburg, VA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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4.0 out of 5 stars A Satisfied Man Looks for the Murderer of the Perfect Wife, Oct 6 2006
This review is from: Death of a Perfect Wife (Mass Market Paperback)

Death of a Perfect Wife is my introduction to the Hamish Macbeth mysteries. Having enjoyed the book, I look forward to reading more in the series.

Unambitious, but happy, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth is the one-man police force in the village of Lockdubh in the Scottish Highlands. He has his dog, his sheep, friends and all the time in the world to enjoy life. The hardworking citizens there usually think of their relaxed Bobby as a bit of a goof-off. All that changes when an actual crime occurs that threatens the domestic happiness of many of the village's households.

When Hamish is not out poaching salmon or game, he's given to dreamily considering the delights of Priscilla, daughter of the snooty, hyphenated castle-owning family. He's obsessed with her . . . or his imagination of her . . . and finds it disturbing when Priscilla is seen being friendly with a new man.

Into this idyll comes Trixie Thomas, the new wife of reformed overeater, Paul Thomas. Trixie is the White Tornado of cleanliness. She also advocates healthy living, saving the environment and many other good purposes. Soon, all the husbands in Lockdubh are having salads and fiber instead of steak and potatoes, giving up smoking and being hectored to give up other bad habits at Trixie's instigation to their wives.

Trixie also makes no bones about needing money and is constantly scrounging up old furniture to furnish a bed and breakfast establishment. The uproar becomes even stronger when Trixie leads a group to stop a local farmer from knocking over a building with bats in it.

Then, the uproar takes a new turn when Trixie turns up dead. Blair, Hamish's sarcastic superior, takes over . . . but Hamish plods away on his own. The investigation is complicated when Blair's new superior decides that Hamish is the route to Priscilla's hospitality for his wife.

The mystery isn't very mysterious, but the novel does a fine job of exploring the ways that we mis-mate ourselves by the expectations we bring to relationships and marriage. Those misperceptions can cause a lot of harm.

I listened to the Recorded Books version of the book as portrayed by Davina Porter and found my enjoyment greatly enhanced by her imaginative use of Highland accents and verbal pacing. I recommend you do the same.

If you are looking for high action, high tech mysteries built around crime scene investigations, this isn't your book. If you like a good, light-hearted story, you'll have a ball!
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4.0 out of 5 stars Amusing, Unique, with Nice Scottish Background....g, April 1 2004
By S. Henkels (Devon, Pa United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Death of a Perfect Wife (Paperback)
This is a fine , short , to the point mystery with great Summertime Scottish scenes, eccentrics, cozy old fashioned couples who get hysterical over seeing theiri mate hug a friend of the opposite gender. An English couple move into this quaint Scottish village, start a bed and breakfast, and the wife converts many of the ladies into bat-saving environmentalists, non smokers, and vegetarians ! Some frustrated romance, upper crust lords, rough and tumble kiddies, and arsenic enter into the brew, and our detective-hero saves the day.And the very end is a real winner. my only complaint is many of the locals almost think the victim deserved her fate,including the detective..Still, a fine, Scottish mystery!
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4.0 out of 5 stars Well established characters...., Sep 5 2001
By Martha E. Nelson (Watertown, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Death of a Perfect Wife (Mass Market Paperback)
This is the first Hamish McBride mystery I have read, and I really loved it! Hamish is a wonderfully understated (and underestimated) character, and the supporting characters here are really nicely developed and recognizable as small town types all over the world, not just in Scotland! There is, however, a really nice sense of "place" here, which I, as a fan of all things Scottish, enjoyed! The story is also simple and fun--this is a very fast read and well worth it!
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4.0 out of 5 stars Death of a Perfect Wife
"Death of a Perfect Wife" is the fourth installment of the Hamish Macbeth mysteries set in the northern Scotland town of Lochdubh. Read more
Published on April 16 2001 by Ricky C. Nelson

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