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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My first experience of Hamish Macbeth.
A nice easy read with red herrings dotted about. Enough of a sub plot of Macbeth's private life and fantastic descriptions of the Scottish highlands.
A nice easy read with red herrings dotted about. Enough of a sub plot of Macbeth's private life and fantastic descriptions of the Scottish highlands.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 ⭐️ I prefer Agatha Raisin but I’ll give Hamish another try.
Laid up at home with a bad case of the hives, I needed something light and easy to read to take my mind off the itching. MC Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series had popped up on my feed as a cosy mystery series and so I thought why not? The series turned out to be just the ticket and I ended up making my way through 7 books over 4 days.
Hamish Macbeth is the eldest son of a large crofting family in the Scottish Highlands and it is therefore his duty to help support his family until the next eldest child (who is a fair bit younger then Hamish and who seems bright enough to make it to university) is able to support himself. Hamish finds himself a comfy gig as the local bobby in the village of Lochdubh, where he supplements his salary by selling eggs from his flock of hens, wool from his small flock of sheep, winnings from the odd shooting competition and even the odd poaching. And Lochdubh seems to be a peaceful enough place that only requires Hamish to intervene for the odd case of poaching or drunkenness. But when murder does arrive in Lochdubh, Hamish gets to the bottom of it with his Highlander doggedness and curiosity, and his ability to gather intelligence from a large extended family, much to the frustration of the brash and bullying Detective Inspector Blair.
The series is quite uneven - some of the plots are pretty incredible and the characters in some books are better sketched than others - but if you want a cosy, undemanding read, the Hamish Macbeth series is a pretty good option.
Hamish Macbeth is the eldest son of a large crofting family in the Scottish Highlands and it is therefore his duty to help support his family until the next eldest child (who is a fair bit younger then Hamish and who seems bright enough to make it to university) is able to support himself. Hamish finds himself a comfy gig as the local bobby in the village of Lochdubh, where he supplements his salary by selling eggs from his flock of hens, wool from his small flock of sheep, winnings from the odd shooting competition and even the odd poaching. And Lochdubh seems to be a peaceful enough place that only requires Hamish to intervene for the odd case of poaching or drunkenness. But when murder does arrive in Lochdubh, Hamish gets to the bottom of it with his Highlander doggedness and curiosity, and his ability to gather intelligence from a large extended family, much to the frustration of the brash and bullying Detective Inspector Blair.
The series is quite uneven - some of the plots are pretty incredible and the characters in some books are better sketched than others - but if you want a cosy, undemanding read, the Hamish Macbeth series is a pretty good option.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
Some horribly unpleasant is murdered and Hamish solves the mystery.