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Death of a Bore
A Hamish Macbeth Mystery

By M C Beaton

      Highland Police Constable Hamish Macbeth is feeling lonely, but anxious. His recent girlfriend has left the village and a newcomer, a writer, has managed to stir up the villagers' ire. Hamish fears trouble is coming. Hamish's fears prove true when the villagers are captured on videotape tossing various food products at the writer, who later turns up dead. In his efforts to prove that the killer is an outsider, Hamish takes chances that might claim his job and his life.

       As usual, I found Death of a Bore to be both laugh-out-loud funny in a number of instances and so engrossing in others that I read it in one day. Ms. Beaton's style and masterful handling of Hamish continues to delight. After twenty outings with the villagers of Lochdubh, each time I pick of a Macbeth mystery, I'm eager to visit "old friends." Most of the villagers I've become familiar with are present and accounted for, including Hamish's former fiancée, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, who makes a cameo appearance.

      Although Ms. Beaton has yet to disappoint me as a reader, I am growing increasingly disenchanted with the situation between Hamish and Halburton-Smythe. Each time I think Hamish is over her and is ready to move on, Halburton-Smythe makes a cameo that leads nowhere. My one criticism of the series is the way Ms. Beaton uses Halburton-Smythe to keep Hamish romantically stagnant. It's time to either rekindle the romance or permanently end it.

Reviews of other titles in this series

Death of a Gossip #1
Death of a Cad #2
Death of an Outsider #3
Death of a Macho Man #12
Death of a Dentist #13
Death of a Scriptwriter #14
Death of an Addict #15
A Highland Christmas #15.5
Death of a Dustman #16  [review 1] [review 2]
Death of a Celebrity #17  [review 1] [review 2]
Death of a Village #18
Death of a Poison Pen #19
Death of a Bore #20  [review 1] [review 2]
Death of a Dreamer #21 [audio] [book 1 ] [book 2]
Death of a Maid #22  [review 1] [review 2]
Death of a Gentle Lady #23  [review 1] [review 2]
Death of a Witch #24  [review 1] [review 2]
Death of a Valentine #25  [review 1] [review 2]
Death of a Chimney Sweep #26  [review 1] [review 2]
Death of a Kingfisher #27  [review 1] [review 2]
Death of Yesterday #28  [audio] [ book]
Death of a Policeman #29  [audio] [book]
Death of a Liar #30  [audio] [book]
Death of a Nurse #31  [audio] [book]
Death of a Ghost #32

The Book

Mysterious Press / TimeWarner
February 2005
Hardcover
0-89296-75-1
Mystery

The Reviewer

Mary Lynn
Reviewed 2005
© 2005 MyShelf.com