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Hamish Macbeth #11
La paix des ménages
Vous l'aurez remarqué, les ennuis n'arrivent jamais seuls...
Hamish Macbeth, dont l'idylle avec Priscilla vient de tourner au vinaigre et qui a vu s'effondrer ses rêves de promotion, prend l'air sur la côte avec son fidèle chien Towser. Mais sa pension est sinistre, on y mange très mal et les clients sont infects : une vieille fille, deux pimbêches, un militaire à la retraite, une famille pas très causante, et Bob Harris, qui passe son temps à harceler sa femme. De quoi s'attirer la haine de tous les pensionnaires ! Alors, quand on retrouve Bob assassiné sur la plage, les suspects sont légion. Et Hamish, qui reprend du service, se demande quelle prochaine tuile va lui tomber sur la tête.
Hamish Macbeth, dont l'idylle avec Priscilla vient de tourner au vinaigre et qui a vu s'effondrer ses rêves de promotion, prend l'air sur la côte avec son fidèle chien Towser. Mais sa pension est sinistre, on y mange très mal et les clients sont infects : une vieille fille, deux pimbêches, un militaire à la retraite, une famille pas très causante, et Bob Harris, qui passe son temps à harceler sa femme. De quoi s'attirer la haine de tous les pensionnaires ! Alors, quand on retrouve Bob assassiné sur la plage, les suspects sont légion. Et Hamish, qui reprend du service, se demande quelle prochaine tuile va lui tomber sur la tête.
306 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
385 people are currently reading
1459 people want to read
About the author
M.C. Beaton
342 books6,019 followersLike her on Facebook!
Learn more on her website!
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
Learn more on her website!
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 410 reviews
February 27, 2020
Spoilers ahead! You've been warned!
Dang it M.C. Beaton! Was that REALLY necessary?! After stomping over my heart in the last book, she found it necessary to kill off Hamish's dog. I am a dog lover and I intentionally avoid books where this happens because it causes me to cry like a baby. Honestly, once that happened I didn't particularly care for the rest of the story I was just bitter until I finished it up. After two very depressing books in a row, I really hope the Beaton lightens up a bit in the next one.
Dang it M.C. Beaton! Was that REALLY necessary?! After stomping over my heart in the last book, she found it necessary to kill off Hamish's dog. I am a dog lover and I intentionally avoid books where this happens because it causes me to cry like a baby. Honestly, once that happened I didn't particularly care for the rest of the story I was just bitter until I finished it up. After two very depressing books in a row, I really hope the Beaton lightens up a bit in the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2022
Well, Hamish experiences the backlash of his beloved Lochdubh community, after he 'cruelly jilted' Priscilla, and got demoted as well, because of the 'wrong body' in the previous book Death of a Charming Man (Hamish Macbeth, #10)
MY REVIEW OF #10
. If you haven't read that one, and don't plan to, then continue reading the next paragraph.
I knew Hamish recognized the 'wrong body' on purposes, so that he could catch the killer of the previous murder. It's just the way he used the body to catch a killer, that was a bit....well...outrageous. This novel opens with Hamish in the dog-box with everybody. Through self-analysis he explains to his dog Towser what really happened.
Hamish: He had solved a murder mystery by producing what he firmly believed was the body of the murdered man to elicit a shock confession from the guilty party. The ruse had worked, but he had had the wrong body. It had turned out to be a fine example of Pictish man and the police were accused of being clod-hopping morons for having so roughly handled and used such a prime exhibit. Someone had to be punished, and naturally that someone was Hamish Macbeth.
Poor Priscilla, apparently, has a broken heart, and was driven out of the village, to stay with friends for an extended period, in Gloucester. Such a foreign part. All because of Hamish.
Angela Brodie is the only person still happily talking to him. During a visit to her he sees a holiday promotion for a cheap destination in Skag advertised in a magazine. He requests three weeks leave to get away from Lochdubh. He feels the displeasure of the village people too keenly.
He and Towser land up in The Friendly House, where all the guests, as well as the owners are not quite so normal as they try to be. A sinister lot, to be honest. And what do you know, the drunk bully who abused his wife, and basically everyone around him, is no more, with Hamish becoming suspect no one. However, there'a lot more intrigue... and red herrings... than the police can handle...
Angus Macdonald, the Lochdubh seer, warned Amish not to go, but that was kind of revenge-curse for when Hamish ratted him out for telling Jessie Currie that she was going to marry a divorced fisherman, which Hamish thought was cruel. It was already evident that Jessie's new enthusiasm for life promises to sink a few fisherman boats (metaphorically) with Archie Maclean the no.1 target. Mrs. Maclean is on the issue right away, waiting for her turn to get Hamish back, who she thinks, started her ire. Poor innocent Archie has a battle ahead with no one on his side.
Now Hamish is in the middle of another drama in Skag he does not welcome on his much-needed holiday. He has his work cut out for him to stay out of trouble and to keep his job. But not for long, of course. He is not a man to be underestimated.
Lochdubh's villagers accuses him of being a heartless find, yet in Skag, he entertains the Brett family's children; takes the guests to the movies and the carnival; takes them all on a fishing trip; takes care of a young girls' dreams; spends time with the lonely guests, like early-retired Ms. Gunnery, the schoolteacher; solves a criminal case quickly for the police department; and catches the killer of now two people. Everybody likes him. Ms Gunnery and Police Constable Maggie Donald develop some deep feelings for Hamish, which is quite unwelcome on his side of the fence. His fellow guests, although suspects in the murders, become his friends in a very short time, even feels like family. They treat him as their brother and confidante: pleasant Andrew Biggar, vulnerable Doris, dependable Miss Gunnery, and the Brett family. Still, one of them is the killer of Bob Harris, and Jamie MacPherson, the skipper ...
But then Towser passes away, and heartbroken Hamish travels back to Lochdubh to bury his beloved dog—his soulmate and life partner. The village come to support their copper and holds a wake. Even the minister is present with a short ceremony. Hamish is embraced and loved again. His heart is clearly in the right place. A man mourning his dog like that, had heartwarming red blood in his veins.
Hamish forces Angus Macdonald to lift the curse on poor Jessie - well, the Hamish Macbeth way. We cannot totally rule out bullying here, folks. But bullying, in the relationship between Hamish and Angus, is kind of an expression of camaraderie and kinship, so nothing to see here, folks. Tit for tat on steroids and totally okay ...
Mrs. Maclean of Lochdubh, gets Hamish back, for 1) Priscilla, and 2) the Jessie fiasco, when she volunteers to wash Constable Maggie Donald's clothes—boiling, and thus shrinking her clothes into oblivion. Maggie does not like Lochdubh, neither the weird, crazy residence, and that was BEFORE the woman-scorned gets hold of her clothes. She clearly needs to get back to Skag as fast as possible. But not without a message for her future as 'seed' by Angus Macdonald...
COMMENTS
The tone of this book was a bit different, but still entertaining, intriguing and riveting, from beginning to end. I must admit, that I enjoyed the respite from the Priscilla-Hamish mating game, even being happy that he moved on. I don't dislike Priscilla, I just think that Hamish does not have to suffer from other people's snobbishness. He should leave them happily alone. Priscilla must do the same. Leave the man alone.
His next vacation, he promised himself, will be in Lochdubh, fishing ... the world outside is a wicked place... Uhuh, I kind of agree, for now. I really missed the villagers and their delightful idiosyncrasies. 182 pages. Can you beat that?
I knew Hamish recognized the 'wrong body' on purposes, so that he could catch the killer of the previous murder. It's just the way he used the body to catch a killer, that was a bit....well...outrageous. This novel opens with Hamish in the dog-box with everybody. Through self-analysis he explains to his dog Towser what really happened.
Hamish: He had solved a murder mystery by producing what he firmly believed was the body of the murdered man to elicit a shock confession from the guilty party. The ruse had worked, but he had had the wrong body. It had turned out to be a fine example of Pictish man and the police were accused of being clod-hopping morons for having so roughly handled and used such a prime exhibit. Someone had to be punished, and naturally that someone was Hamish Macbeth.
Poor Priscilla, apparently, has a broken heart, and was driven out of the village, to stay with friends for an extended period, in Gloucester. Such a foreign part. All because of Hamish.
Angela Brodie is the only person still happily talking to him. During a visit to her he sees a holiday promotion for a cheap destination in Skag advertised in a magazine. He requests three weeks leave to get away from Lochdubh. He feels the displeasure of the village people too keenly.
He and Towser land up in The Friendly House, where all the guests, as well as the owners are not quite so normal as they try to be. A sinister lot, to be honest. And what do you know, the drunk bully who abused his wife, and basically everyone around him, is no more, with Hamish becoming suspect no one. However, there'a lot more intrigue... and red herrings... than the police can handle...
Angus Macdonald, the Lochdubh seer, warned Amish not to go, but that was kind of revenge-curse for when Hamish ratted him out for telling Jessie Currie that she was going to marry a divorced fisherman, which Hamish thought was cruel. It was already evident that Jessie's new enthusiasm for life promises to sink a few fisherman boats (metaphorically) with Archie Maclean the no.1 target. Mrs. Maclean is on the issue right away, waiting for her turn to get Hamish back, who she thinks, started her ire. Poor innocent Archie has a battle ahead with no one on his side.
Now Hamish is in the middle of another drama in Skag he does not welcome on his much-needed holiday. He has his work cut out for him to stay out of trouble and to keep his job. But not for long, of course. He is not a man to be underestimated.
Lochdubh's villagers accuses him of being a heartless find, yet in Skag, he entertains the Brett family's children; takes the guests to the movies and the carnival; takes them all on a fishing trip; takes care of a young girls' dreams; spends time with the lonely guests, like early-retired Ms. Gunnery, the schoolteacher; solves a criminal case quickly for the police department; and catches the killer of now two people. Everybody likes him. Ms Gunnery and Police Constable Maggie Donald develop some deep feelings for Hamish, which is quite unwelcome on his side of the fence. His fellow guests, although suspects in the murders, become his friends in a very short time, even feels like family. They treat him as their brother and confidante: pleasant Andrew Biggar, vulnerable Doris, dependable Miss Gunnery, and the Brett family. Still, one of them is the killer of Bob Harris, and Jamie MacPherson, the skipper ...
But then Towser passes away, and heartbroken Hamish travels back to Lochdubh to bury his beloved dog—his soulmate and life partner. The village come to support their copper and holds a wake. Even the minister is present with a short ceremony. Hamish is embraced and loved again. His heart is clearly in the right place. A man mourning his dog like that, had heartwarming red blood in his veins.
Hamish forces Angus Macdonald to lift the curse on poor Jessie - well, the Hamish Macbeth way. We cannot totally rule out bullying here, folks. But bullying, in the relationship between Hamish and Angus, is kind of an expression of camaraderie and kinship, so nothing to see here, folks. Tit for tat on steroids and totally okay ...
Mrs. Maclean of Lochdubh, gets Hamish back, for 1) Priscilla, and 2) the Jessie fiasco, when she volunteers to wash Constable Maggie Donald's clothes—boiling, and thus shrinking her clothes into oblivion. Maggie does not like Lochdubh, neither the weird, crazy residence, and that was BEFORE the woman-scorned gets hold of her clothes. She clearly needs to get back to Skag as fast as possible. But not without a message for her future as 'seed' by Angus Macdonald...
COMMENTS
The tone of this book was a bit different, but still entertaining, intriguing and riveting, from beginning to end. I must admit, that I enjoyed the respite from the Priscilla-Hamish mating game, even being happy that he moved on. I don't dislike Priscilla, I just think that Hamish does not have to suffer from other people's snobbishness. He should leave them happily alone. Priscilla must do the same. Leave the man alone.
His next vacation, he promised himself, will be in Lochdubh, fishing ... the world outside is a wicked place... Uhuh, I kind of agree, for now. I really missed the villagers and their delightful idiosyncrasies. 182 pages. Can you beat that?
September 12, 2014
After his engagement is broken, Constable Hamish Macbeth is looking forward to rest and relaxation in the coastal town of Skay. But when he arrives at the somewhat dismal bed and breakfast, his fellow guests include the annoying spinster, Miss Gunnery, a single man, a London family, two young "tarts", and Bob Harris, who so nags his wife that everyone wants to kill him.And then someone does. The couple who run the boarding house are not above suspicion either.
I listened to this story with great enjoyment.
The narrator has a pleasant voice and is good at accents and different characters.
The story itself is a lovely "cosy" mystery, with no sex and very little violence.
I enjoyed the plot, and there were no shortage of red herrings.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cosy murder mystery.
I listened to this story with great enjoyment.
The narrator has a pleasant voice and is good at accents and different characters.
The story itself is a lovely "cosy" mystery, with no sex and very little violence.
I enjoyed the plot, and there were no shortage of red herrings.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cosy murder mystery.
April 22, 2013
I've only read a few in this series, in fact not even in order which is not how I usually read series but not all are available at our library. This is my favorite so far and in my opinion the supporting characters are very well written.
Hamish has broken up with Priscilla and is feeling depressed so he decides to take a vacation. The B & B that he stays at has terrible food and isn't nice at all although he grows attached to some of the other vacationers staying there. But all is not as it seems and soon there is a murder to be investigated.
Hamish seems much more vulnerable in this story and I'm growing quite fond of him. Plus there were some twists and turns in the plot that I didn't anticipate which always makes for a more fun read. I like that the author doesn't shy away from social issues and the emotional problems that most people deal with in their relationships.
Hamish has broken up with Priscilla and is feeling depressed so he decides to take a vacation. The B & B that he stays at has terrible food and isn't nice at all although he grows attached to some of the other vacationers staying there. But all is not as it seems and soon there is a murder to be investigated.
Hamish seems much more vulnerable in this story and I'm growing quite fond of him. Plus there were some twists and turns in the plot that I didn't anticipate which always makes for a more fun read. I like that the author doesn't shy away from social issues and the emotional problems that most people deal with in their relationships.
February 27, 2022
I actually read this sometime last year but somehow missed writing a review. Oops!
Hamish needs a vacay and ends up booking into a little inn. There is an eclectic group of boarders. One is a husband who is always nagging his wife until he drives everybody crazy. Eventually, as you can imagine from the title, he ends up dead. Hamish's vacation becomes a search for another murderer.
Hamish needs a vacay and ends up booking into a little inn. There is an eclectic group of boarders. One is a husband who is always nagging his wife until he drives everybody crazy. Eventually, as you can imagine from the title, he ends up dead. Hamish's vacation becomes a search for another murderer.
May 17, 2019
I'm mad about Towser. Back later.
August 5, 2013
Constable Hamish Macbeth may take a holiday, but, of course, murder never does.
While taking a cheap holiday from Lochdubh, Hamish stays at a boarding house from hell in a town even farther north in Scotland called Skag. A perfectly dreadful Englishman, Bob Harris, unites the other holiday-makers against him as he berates his poor wife and makes himself unpleasant to all and sundry in his drunken binges. When Harris turns up murdered, there's no end of suspects.
After the disappointing Death of a Charming Man, M.C. Beaton has written a much more plausible and less-contrived mystery in Death of a Nag, and the denouement is both touching and a clever twist. All in all, it's a breezy read for idle weekend.
While taking a cheap holiday from Lochdubh, Hamish stays at a boarding house from hell in a town even farther north in Scotland called Skag. A perfectly dreadful Englishman, Bob Harris, unites the other holiday-makers against him as he berates his poor wife and makes himself unpleasant to all and sundry in his drunken binges. When Harris turns up murdered, there's no end of suspects.
After the disappointing Death of a Charming Man, M.C. Beaton has written a much more plausible and less-contrived mystery in Death of a Nag, and the denouement is both touching and a clever twist. All in all, it's a breezy read for idle weekend.
April 9, 2021
Macbeth on Vacation
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (2020) of the Mysterious Press hardcover original (1995)
Death of a Nag finds village constable Hamish Macbeth off his home turf of Lochdubh and vacationing in Skag. The assorted tourists at a ramshackle guest house there include a couple with a nagging husband, who is of course murdered. Hamish must not only solve the murder mystery but also discover why the food at the guesthouse is of poor quality. It is another mission for the sometimes lazy but always persistent Highland detective.
After discovering M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth cozy mystery series due to the Estonia cameo in "Death of Yesterday", I started to seek out the earlier books by finding several at Toronto's Sleuth of Baker Street. I enjoyed those and found them to be an especially delightful diversion during this continuing pandemic. My next plan was to go back and read the series in order. I then discovered the rather terrific bonus that most of the books are available for free on Audible Plus, a service that I had previously been underwhelmed by (some early attempts with longer books had audio difficulties, with book narrations freezing in midstream). Beaton's shorter books (usually 4 to 5 hours on audio) seem to be perfect for this medium.
This edition on Audible Audio has the excellent narration of series regular Shaun Grindell.
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (2020) of the Mysterious Press hardcover original (1995)
Death of a Nag finds village constable Hamish Macbeth off his home turf of Lochdubh and vacationing in Skag. The assorted tourists at a ramshackle guest house there include a couple with a nagging husband, who is of course murdered. Hamish must not only solve the murder mystery but also discover why the food at the guesthouse is of poor quality. It is another mission for the sometimes lazy but always persistent Highland detective.
After discovering M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth cozy mystery series due to the Estonia cameo in "Death of Yesterday", I started to seek out the earlier books by finding several at Toronto's Sleuth of Baker Street. I enjoyed those and found them to be an especially delightful diversion during this continuing pandemic. My next plan was to go back and read the series in order. I then discovered the rather terrific bonus that most of the books are available for free on Audible Plus, a service that I had previously been underwhelmed by (some early attempts with longer books had audio difficulties, with book narrations freezing in midstream). Beaton's shorter books (usually 4 to 5 hours on audio) seem to be perfect for this medium.
This edition on Audible Audio has the excellent narration of series regular Shaun Grindell.
February 14, 2020
While I'm a longtime Beaton fan, this book feels like it was written by a ghostwriter. The caper took place out of town, making the usual familiar characters appearance slim.
The book was an audio version and many characters were read with such a hard accent, I replayed and then quit at the 75% point because I didn't care how it ended.
The book was an audio version and many characters were read with such a hard accent, I replayed and then quit at the 75% point because I didn't care how it ended.
February 16, 2021
I expected ponies and all I got was
July 23, 2024
One of those Hamish books that stop me from leaving this series completely. As much as I like Priscilla, it seems the series is better without her presence and the drama she brings. The mystery is very Christie-like and we actually get a nice cast of characters (but not as intriguing as in the Death of a Prankster). I wasn't entirely sold on the solution, as it was a bit too clean but still better than most of the Hamish books. And, to my great surprise, this book probably had the single best-written, most poignant and sad scenes in the entire HM series. Genuinely touching.
February 22, 2021
After loosing both Priscilla and his promotion, Hamish decides to take a vacation at a Bed and Breakfast called "Friendly House" which is anything but friendly. His fellow guests are not very friendly either, including one man who nags his wife so much that all the other guests want him dead.
This one wasn't as good as previous books in the series, because Hamish is not himself, which is understandable but not as enjoyable. A decent mystery with lots of interesting people.
This one wasn't as good as previous books in the series, because Hamish is not himself, which is understandable but not as enjoyable. A decent mystery with lots of interesting people.
May 4, 2022
4/30-5/3/22 - I like the different perspective this one gives to what it's like to be on the suspect side that this gives to Hamish of a murder, but this one also makes me cry.
April 5, 2018
This time I did not figure out the murderer! A well done mystery and always a pleasure to spend time with Hamish!
May 20, 2025
I missclickled on this book to be finished previously but I did finish it now. It was very amusing to read about Macbeth's bad holiday and trying to resolve two cases - bad food at a guesthouse and murders. It was a bit tedious how Hamish was beating about the bush in searching for the murderer but I guess that's how the real work looks like. However, a good sense of humour made it bearable. It was also a nice diversion from Priscilla's drama but I have a feeling we'll come back to that soon.
July 3, 2022
Another book listened to while catching up with long overdue housework.
This one has a very sad event in it (for those who are reading the series).
I also noticed just how much social commentary (some purposeful some not!) MC Beaton gives on life in 1990's Scotland.
This one has a very sad event in it (for those who are reading the series).
I also noticed just how much social commentary (some purposeful some not!) MC Beaton gives on life in 1990's Scotland.
January 12, 2014
"A new mystery in the Constable Hamish Macbeth mystery series ... is as delicious a treat as Devon cream and scones. This time out the red-haired, irascible Macbeth has left his tiny Scottish village for a holiday with his dog, Towser. True to form, Macbeth doesn't venture far from the Highlands he loves, just a few hours away to Skag, a forgotten North Sea resort town that offers rund-dwon guest houses, a fish-and-chips shop, the hauntingsounds of its 'singing sands' and murder.
"Until his recent demotion from sergeant back to constable and the end of his engagement to the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish Macbeth had been a contented man. Now every face he meets in Lochdeubh is dour with disapproval at the man 'who broke that poor girl's heart.'
"Escaping to Skag is meant to raise Macbeth's sagging spirits. Instead, he finds that 'Friendly House,' described as a carming inn a stone's throw from the sea, is not as advertised. The ambiance is dismal, the food inedible, and his fellow guests an unpromising lot that includes the spinster Miss Gunnery, two tarty girls, a retired military man, a London family, and Bob Harris, who so nags his wife, Doris, that everyone wants to kill him. And then somebody does.
"Unfortunately, Macbeth himself is overheard threatening the man--right before he is seen punching him in the nose. As the leading suspect, Macbeth must now clear his name by finding out who at Friendly House is the real killer. But this vacation taken on the cheap will cost Macbeth dearly. The secrets each of the guests wants to hide will provoke desperate deceptions, and another unexpected death will touch Macbeth's own life with tragedy.
"Before he knows it, our doughty Lochdubh lad is once again ensnared in the entanglements of desire and their inescapable ties to murder."
~~front & back flaps
I've always though a nag was female -- the stereotype of the nagging wife. A bit of a shock to find the term to apply to a man. And a very nasty man at that. Although I would have classified him as a bully and abusive, he is a nag in the sense that he never, ever stops criticizing, humiliating and browbeating his poor wife.
Another English manor house mystery, but very cleverly done so that everyone in sight turns out to have a motive that puts them in the frame. Wouldn't be much fun with only a suspect or two, now would it?
"Until his recent demotion from sergeant back to constable and the end of his engagement to the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish Macbeth had been a contented man. Now every face he meets in Lochdeubh is dour with disapproval at the man 'who broke that poor girl's heart.'
"Escaping to Skag is meant to raise Macbeth's sagging spirits. Instead, he finds that 'Friendly House,' described as a carming inn a stone's throw from the sea, is not as advertised. The ambiance is dismal, the food inedible, and his fellow guests an unpromising lot that includes the spinster Miss Gunnery, two tarty girls, a retired military man, a London family, and Bob Harris, who so nags his wife, Doris, that everyone wants to kill him. And then somebody does.
"Unfortunately, Macbeth himself is overheard threatening the man--right before he is seen punching him in the nose. As the leading suspect, Macbeth must now clear his name by finding out who at Friendly House is the real killer. But this vacation taken on the cheap will cost Macbeth dearly. The secrets each of the guests wants to hide will provoke desperate deceptions, and another unexpected death will touch Macbeth's own life with tragedy.
"Before he knows it, our doughty Lochdubh lad is once again ensnared in the entanglements of desire and their inescapable ties to murder."
~~front & back flaps
I've always though a nag was female -- the stereotype of the nagging wife. A bit of a shock to find the term to apply to a man. And a very nasty man at that. Although I would have classified him as a bully and abusive, he is a nag in the sense that he never, ever stops criticizing, humiliating and browbeating his poor wife.
Another English manor house mystery, but very cleverly done so that everyone in sight turns out to have a motive that puts them in the frame. Wouldn't be much fun with only a suspect or two, now would it?
September 1, 2017
After the events of Death of a Charming Man, Hamish Macbeth is back to being a regular police constable and is nursing a broken heart after his relationship with the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe fell apart. Generally blamed in the sleepy Highland village of Lochdubh for breaking Priscilla’s heart (since he was the one who ended their engagement), Hamish decides to get away for a bit and picks the not too distant, charming coastal village of Skag. Shortly after arriving at the bed and breakfast however, he finds that the holiday is doomed from the start. The penny pinching owners of the B&B serve food that is all but inedible and his fellow vacationers vary from boring to obnoxious. When one of them, a man named Bob Harris who constantly bullied his timid wife, turns up dead, no one is entirely surprised but everyone (including Hamish) is a suspect. It’s up to Hamish and the local police to track down the murderer before they strike again.
This was another rough one in this series. Kind of more 2 and a half stars for me. I enjoy the atmosphere and dark humor enough to keep reading but Beaton’s attitude towards women is starting to get a bit obnoxious. It’s particularly obvious in this story as there’s always some female figure for her to get edgy comments in about how slutty or stupid they are. I still enjoy Hamish’s laidback, observant approach to solving the crimes but this one just wasn’t as good as some of the earlier ones. The mystery was mildly interesting but a bit more predictable than I’d prefer and there wasn’t a whole lot that made it compelling outside of Hamish himself.
As a side note, the audiobook of this with Shaun Grindell as narrator is remarkably bad. I get that he’s English, but I would’ve thought he’d be able to tell the difference between a Scottish and an Irish accent. I’m American born and bred and it still makes me cringe.
This was another rough one in this series. Kind of more 2 and a half stars for me. I enjoy the atmosphere and dark humor enough to keep reading but Beaton’s attitude towards women is starting to get a bit obnoxious. It’s particularly obvious in this story as there’s always some female figure for her to get edgy comments in about how slutty or stupid they are. I still enjoy Hamish’s laidback, observant approach to solving the crimes but this one just wasn’t as good as some of the earlier ones. The mystery was mildly interesting but a bit more predictable than I’d prefer and there wasn’t a whole lot that made it compelling outside of Hamish himself.
As a side note, the audiobook of this with Shaun Grindell as narrator is remarkably bad. I get that he’s English, but I would’ve thought he’d be able to tell the difference between a Scottish and an Irish accent. I’m American born and bred and it still makes me cringe.
March 9, 2014
If you've read any of my reviews of the adventures and mishaps of police constable Hamish Macbeth, you know I'm hooked on this series.
"Death of a Nag" is #11 and I highly recommend reading them in order. While the victim and circumstance will be familiar, the subplot of characters in the small northern Scottish town of Lochdubh will pull you in a desire for chronology.
Yes, there is a horrid man who is verbally abusive to his wife. Yes, everyone is annoyed and insulted by him. And yes, you already know from the title that he will die. But how and by whom remains a mystery and just as you are certain, M.C. Beaton does a good twist.
Priscilla Halburton-Smith, HamishhMacbeth's former fiance, is in the background but sees just enough to know that tension still exists.
Hamish is demoted, rejected by everyone in Lochdubh for calling off the engagement and goes off for a holiday. And that's where we find the nag. Read on for another good gallop into the Scottish countryside.
"Death of a Nag" is #11 and I highly recommend reading them in order. While the victim and circumstance will be familiar, the subplot of characters in the small northern Scottish town of Lochdubh will pull you in a desire for chronology.
Yes, there is a horrid man who is verbally abusive to his wife. Yes, everyone is annoyed and insulted by him. And yes, you already know from the title that he will die. But how and by whom remains a mystery and just as you are certain, M.C. Beaton does a good twist.
Priscilla Halburton-Smith, HamishhMacbeth's former fiance, is in the background but sees just enough to know that tension still exists.
Hamish is demoted, rejected by everyone in Lochdubh for calling off the engagement and goes off for a holiday. And that's where we find the nag. Read on for another good gallop into the Scottish countryside.
September 16, 2013
First time I have read Hamish Macbeth have enjoyed MC Beaton before but the gentle Agatha Raisin books. Hamish takes a holiday to the Scottish town of Skag in a truly awful B and B during his stay there is a murder that he is able to use his detective skills to investigate loved the characters perfect book to read with a pot of tea and scone
July 20, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a Scotswoman I loved the use of the local Dialect. I could tell I was going to be hooked from chapter one. A short book so was finished in 2 days. Will look put for the others in the series.
January 29, 2017
Another episode of Hamish Macbeth, still find it difficult to not see Robert Carlyle in the main part. This time Hamish takes a holiday, though once again he gets embroiled in a murder except this time he looks like suspect number one.
November 2, 2017
Hamish, having fallen out of favour with the folks of his village, takes a cheap holiday at a nearby seaside town. The cast of characters and and unravelling stories gives a satisfying, cozy mystery read. Appreciate that there's no sex or graphic violence.
November 5, 2016
A delightful surprise, I will defiantly be picking up more of this series. This one very much reminds me of a study in scarlet.
June 16, 2018
Oh my achy-brakey heart! Poor Hamish, will he ever find love, or respect? Is Agatha Raisin too old for Hamish. Maybe Hamish would not like her cats? And old tosser? What a heart break!
December 7, 2017
Beaton takes us into Dame Christie's world and updates a "Weekend-Country-House-Murder" by taking us to a rundown North Sea resort in Scotland. All in all, this is a rather sad tale and ends with Hamish pouring himself a glass of whiskey while sitting at his policeman's desk. (I've seen the BBC series, and things eventually get even sadder, then happier.) If you're looking for a pleasant escape with Hamish, don't start with this one: "The world outside was a wicked place," thinks Hamish. Fin.
November 10, 2018
This book is similar to another Hamish book that I am too lazy to look up the title of, in which he goes on holiday and someone gets murdered. In this book, there are a lot of red herrings, and Hamish spends a lot of time running around in circles trying to figure out the identity of the murderer. There are a lot of unpleasant characters in this story. I didn’t feel a lot of empathy for any of them. I was as happy as Hamish to return to Lochdubh.
February 13, 2020
Disappointing. I tried to listen to the audiobook but at some points the reader put such a heavy accent in, I could not understand without going back. This became such a nuisance, I didn't care who the culprit was, since the plot was not one of Beaton's better ones, and stopped at 75% of the book.
September 24, 2022
Hamish and Towser go off on holiday only to find that death has a way of finding them wherever they are.
MC Beaton had a wonderful skill in taking characters who are not altogether likeable and making you root for them. Like Agatha Raisin, Hamish Macbeth has lots of faults but from the sibilance of his accent when moved to his laziness, thrift and interesting take on morality, we are always firmly Team Hamish.
MC Beaton had a wonderful skill in taking characters who are not altogether likeable and making you root for them. Like Agatha Raisin, Hamish Macbeth has lots of faults but from the sibilance of his accent when moved to his laziness, thrift and interesting take on morality, we are always firmly Team Hamish.
October 4, 2020
Macbeth's vacation is disrupted by a murder. Having spent some time with the suspects, he steps in to help the local police discover which of the group committed the crime. Of course, being among the group of vacationers, Hamish finds that he also must convince the police that he, himself, is not the murderer.
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