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Death of a Dreamer
Hamish Macbeth - Book XXII

by M C Beaton

     

There are always new people coming to live in Lochdubh, but usually if the boredom doesn’t finish them off, the winter does.  Hamish is surprised that artist Effie Garrand is still living there after a very hard winter, convinced against all evidence to the contrary that fellow artist Jock Fleming is in love with her.  When Effie is found dead, most people think that it must be suicide, but Hamish is sure that it must be murder.  He is about to uncover a rather surprising case.

I knew that M C Beaton worked for the police in the past, but this is perhaps the first book where it was obvious.  Although as full of fun as ever, this book also contains some first-rate profiles of the sort of people who get involved in murder cases.  This makes it a more thought-provoking read, which lifts it above the common run of detective novels.  I guessed whodunit fairly early on and so might you, but for once that is not the main appeal of this book (not that it ever was).  As usual, this is a delightful mixture of humor and local color married with a lively plot and some impressive profiling.  One of the stronger entries in this series.

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] [uk 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 [audio] [book]

Death of an Honest Man #33 [audio] [book]

 

The Book

Robinson (Constable and Robinson)
April 2010
Paperback
1849010870 / 9781849010870
Mystery
More at Amazon.com US || UK
Excerpt
NOTE: US edition is different

The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2010
NOTE:
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