Hamish Macbeth Murder Mysteries - Book
XXVII
M C Beaton
Constable (Constable and
Robinson)
15 March 2012 / ISBN: 9781849010221
Mystery / Contemporary / Scottish Highlands
Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
Nobody had
paid much attention to local beauty spot Buchan's Wood before, but
in a recession it is necessary to use any means to drum up money
and employment. Thus the wood has been renamed The Fairy Glen by
the council's new director of tourism, pretty Mary Leinster. It
actually belongs to a rich and unpleasant old woman called Mrs Colchester,
but she has been persuaded to open it to the tourists. When a kingfisher
is found hanged from a branch, the incident sets in motion a very
strange case indeed that is going to keep Hamish - and all the other
local police - busy for quite a while.
A new Hamish Macbeth novel is a yearly event to be looked forward
to. He is on top form here, saddled with a lazy (albeit rather canny)
constable, and scratching his red hair over who wants Mrs Colchester
dead. Expect a trawler fleet of red herrings, misplaced romance,
much well-placed and often black humor, and a rattling good plot.
Ms Beaton's forte is, perhaps, her pacing, and her ability to sum
up a situation in a few words. This makes for a fast read that,
when the final page has been turned, remains in the memory as being
a much longer book thanks to being nicely crammed. It's far-fetched
and unlikely but a lot of fun, with topical themes, lively characters
and more to add to what is now a long serial indeed. This series
shows no signs of running out of steam yet.
Reviews of other titles in this series
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