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A review by nicrtay
Death of a Dreamer by M.C. Beaton
4.0
"Bloody women, thought Hamish as he collected fresh eggs from the hen house. I'm surrounded by them."
Well, if the regulation boot fits.
Another one of those endearing enigmatic foreigner comes to Lochdobh and clashes with the villagers plots. Despite their repetitiveness, I really do like these story premises. They tend to really characterise the villagers by the way of contrasting them with the new arrival. We didn't get too much village-involvement in this case - there were a lot of strangers in this one - but the culture clashes do come out and they're as entertaining as usual.
The foreshadowing and symbolism in this one was really heavy. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is… sort of relative. If you want the murderer reveal to blow you away, you probably want as subtle foreshadowing as possible. Me, I don't mind knowing the murderer in advance if it means I can deduce it myself. So the double-coat of see-here is a plus for me. I don't mind an obvious conclusion.
Stepping aside from the actual mystery… oh boy. I mean, the scene where Betty, Elspeth, and Priscilla all walk into the station wanting the same thing… Okay. I think we understand. That's great. Enter Giacomo Casanova. All clear. I'm not sure this much heavy-handedness is necessary. I'm sure this has little to do with Beaton herself seeing as her series didn't start this way. I'm assuming Beaton's editor understands the marketability of the series and wants to lay on the sub-text really thick. That's fine. Just don't expect me not to roll my eyes.
Without spoiling anything, Elspeth's… professional dilemma at the end of novel was really hard to read. And not because the conflict was written poorly. The white anger and action-without-consideration that sometimes comes part and parcel with unsuccessful relationships can be relatable and I don't think Beaton overdramatised the immaturity that envy can inspire. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of Elspeth, and I really hope we haven't.
Lastly, probably my favourite line in the novel: "If there was something Lochdobh liked more than a wedding, it was a funeral, especially when it was a funeral of someone they had not cared about one bit."
These people are golden.
Reread 2021: I love how Hamish constantly mentions that the teenagers in the Highlands always look so pale and unhealthy from their lack of a healthy diet. Meanwhile Hamish's diet almost consists entirely of fried meat.
Those kids...
Well, if the regulation boot fits.
Another one of those endearing enigmatic foreigner comes to Lochdobh and clashes with the villagers plots. Despite their repetitiveness, I really do like these story premises. They tend to really characterise the villagers by the way of contrasting them with the new arrival. We didn't get too much village-involvement in this case - there were a lot of strangers in this one - but the culture clashes do come out and they're as entertaining as usual.
The foreshadowing and symbolism in this one was really heavy. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is… sort of relative. If you want the murderer reveal to blow you away, you probably want as subtle foreshadowing as possible. Me, I don't mind knowing the murderer in advance if it means I can deduce it myself. So the double-coat of see-here is a plus for me. I don't mind an obvious conclusion.
Stepping aside from the actual mystery… oh boy. I mean, the scene where Betty, Elspeth, and Priscilla all walk into the station wanting the same thing… Okay. I think we understand. That's great. Enter Giacomo Casanova. All clear. I'm not sure this much heavy-handedness is necessary. I'm sure this has little to do with Beaton herself seeing as her series didn't start this way. I'm assuming Beaton's editor understands the marketability of the series and wants to lay on the sub-text really thick. That's fine. Just don't expect me not to roll my eyes.
Without spoiling anything, Elspeth's… professional dilemma at the end of novel was really hard to read. And not because the conflict was written poorly. The white anger and action-without-consideration that sometimes comes part and parcel with unsuccessful relationships can be relatable and I don't think Beaton overdramatised the immaturity that envy can inspire. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of Elspeth, and I really hope we haven't.
Lastly, probably my favourite line in the novel: "If there was something Lochdobh liked more than a wedding, it was a funeral, especially when it was a funeral of someone they had not cared about one bit."
These people are golden.
Reread 2021: I love how Hamish constantly mentions that the teenagers in the Highlands always look so pale and unhealthy from their lack of a healthy diet. Meanwhile Hamish's diet almost consists entirely of fried meat.
Those kids...