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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Just when I’m sure I’ve paid my last visit to the charming albeit sometimes sinister Scottish village of Lochdubh, I find another of these little gems to take me there. There are lots of things that concern the lovable but lazy inspector Hamish Macbeth. He’s been promoted to sergeant as a result of his success in a previous case, and he’s not entirely sure he likes the promotion, since it carries added responsibility. One of those responsibilities is a new employee, Willy Lamont, who cleans and tidies up far better than he engages in actual police work. Hamish is given to a more comfortable existence with less emphasis on having things super clean.
Ah, and then there is the lovely and far-too-distant Priscilla. Is this possibly the book where that distance finally narrows? She’s actually helpful in the solution of the murder.
As to the murder, the dead guy is Sean Gourlay, a traveller. Macbeth knows he’s a con artist, but many of the women in town don’t figure that out in time. As a result, money goes missing, the marriage of the town doctor is increasingly troubled, drugs are missing from the doctor’s cabinet, and what’s up with the local minister?
This was a fun and somewhat hard to believe book in spots, but worthy of the short amount of time you’ll spend with it.
Ah, and then there is the lovely and far-too-distant Priscilla. Is this possibly the book where that distance finally narrows? She’s actually helpful in the solution of the murder.
As to the murder, the dead guy is Sean Gourlay, a traveller. Macbeth knows he’s a con artist, but many of the women in town don’t figure that out in time. As a result, money goes missing, the marriage of the town doctor is increasingly troubled, drugs are missing from the doctor’s cabinet, and what’s up with the local minister?
This was a fun and somewhat hard to believe book in spots, but worthy of the short amount of time you’ll spend with it.
fast-paced
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
There's really no way to read a mystery series that starts in the 80's and 90's without at least one of them including trans people. We're just lucky when they are more of a joke or a fear instead of the murderer. Sigh. This one really was very mild compared to others at the same time, but it is still very annoying.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Once more Beaton blunders by making her villain not horrible enough. But obviously many fans of the series are satisfied with the writing.
I would have been happy with less padding of the story. There were entire Chapters dedicated to so called investigation.
I'm beginning to think that Hamish spoils the mechanism of any of his stories. He should appear sparingly. But notice how better the book gets when he is not the first person narrator.
I would have been happy with less padding of the story. There were entire Chapters dedicated to so called investigation.
I'm beginning to think that Hamish spoils the mechanism of any of his stories. He should appear sparingly. But notice how better the book gets when he is not the first person narrator.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hamish is once again forced to do some work. Sean, a traveler and his girl friend have parked van in the middle of the village. There are lots of petty crimes in the village and when Sean is found dead it is up to Hamish to solve the crimes. I like the setting and the characters. The mystery was good with lots of suspects. A quick fun read.