Review by Booklist Review
Logic suggests that Lochdubh couldn't possi~bly exist. It's just too small, too tranquil, and too damn quaint for all the murders that keep taking place there. And for that matter, the village bobby, lanky, red-haired Hamish MacBeth, couldn't possibly exist either; he's just too charming, with his gangling, tousled demeanor (veritable catnip to the local ladies) and his steel-trap mind lurking beneath the facade of a Highland bumpkin. But who cares if none of it could really exist? It's all there in Beaton's fictional world, and for that we should be grateful. The fourth in the MacBeth series has a new resident recently settled in Lochdubh. She arrives with ample girth and a timid niece in tow. She departs, then returns, considerably trimmer and with four of her former suitors chomping at the bit. (All four are lower forms of life.) The svelte seductress is killed, then one suitor follows suit. The niece, who stands to inherit some money as a result of her aunt's death, looks extremely suspicious, as do the three remaining gentleman callers. The big-city authorities ignore Hamish's hunches as usual, and also as usual, Hamish has the last laugh. Beaton delivers her gruff Scots wit with panache, and the running romance between Hamish and the local gentry's daughter misfires at all the right (or wrong) moments. And best of all, the loyal reader gets to tag along as Hamish mooches coffee, walks Towser the dog, and generally grouses his way through daily life in this delightful enchanted village set deep in the Scottish hills. ~--Peter Robertson
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The Scottish village of Lochdubh has a problem: the beloved police constable, Hamish Macbeth ( Death of a Perfect Wife ), has been transferred to Strathbane because of a dearth of local crime. In a successful bid to get him back, the villagers, led by newcomer Maggie Baird, organize a crime wave. On his return, Hamish is confronted with a possible murder. Maggie, who in younger and slimmer years had amassed a fortune as a well-rewarded kept woman, dies, ostensibly of a heart attack during a car fire. Suspects include her niece and heir, Alison, who had been living with Maggie after recuperating from lung cancer, and four of Maggie's former lovers and present suitors, whom she had invited for a visit: an ad man, a car salesman, a manager of a gambling club and a fading pop singer, all of them in dire need of money. Hamish draws on his knowledge of the local people and of human nature to solve the case. Meanwhile he continues his off-again, on-again romance with a daughter of the local gentry and attempts to stay out of hot water with his superiors, who resent his unpredictable approach to life and policing. Beaton's newest continues one of the finest, and most offbeat, police procedural series around. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
The Scottish village of Lochdubh successfully initiates a crime wave in order to get their one policeman, Hamish MacBeth, transferred back to town. Their harmless crime reports turn into something quite different when a wealthy, retired prostitute decides to write a tell-all biography, invite a few of her old lovers to town, and change her will. Lots of red herrings here, but Hamish finds the culprit and brings his little village back to relative peace, disturbed only by local bickering. It is this underlying grumbling as well as the ugly murders that ruin the beautiful setting and detract from the lightheartedness of Beaton's story. The cast of unpleasant people make it hard to care which one is guilty. Davina Porter offers a fine reading with her musical Scottish accent and flexible voice. Recommended for larger mystery collections. Juleigh Muirhead Clark, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Lib., Colonial Williamsburg Fdn., VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Maggie Baird is a newcomer to the highlands village of Lochdub, but she organizes a successful campaign to get Hamish MacBeth, the town's lone policeman, returned to the community from Strathbane, an ugly town where officialdom had sent him. Abrasive Maggie--twice-married, once a high--priced member of the demimonde--has prospered, retired, and run to fat. In a rare moment of compassion, she's taken into her home wimpy niece Alison Kerr, who's recovering from lung cancer. Another impulse propels her to leave Alison and housekeeper Mrs. Todd for several months of dieting and plastic surgery. Maggie comes back svelte and attractive, determined to marry again. To that end, she gathers four former swains at her house, all of them in need of money, and declares her intention to make a choice after their two-week stay; she also says that she'll change her will, which now favors Alison, to benefit whoever wins her hand. A few days later, she's dead--of a heart attack in her car, which had suddenly burst into flame. Hamish is now burdened in his investigation with a new nemesis from central headquarters, but, needless to say, it's Hamish who wraps this one up--while Alison finds romance, and Hamish's prospects with aristocratic Priscilla seem to be looking up. A heavily contrived plot and too many archly cute situations make this less than Beaton's best, but there's still plenty of lighthearted enjoyment to be had here. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
