Death of a Dreamer (Hamish Macbeth Series #21)

by M. C. Beaton

Overview

Travel to the Scotland Highlands with this classic Hamish Macbeth cozy mystery from the author of the Agatha Raisin series.

Death of a Dreamer: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery

The rugged landscape of Scotland attracts dreamers who move north, wrapped in fantasies of enjoying the simple life. They usually don't last, but it looks as if Effie Garrard has come to stay. When Constable Hamish Macbeth calls on her, he's amazed that she weathered the difficult winter. But Effie is quite delusional, imagining that she's engaged to local artist Jock Fleming. Later, Effie is found in the mountains, poisoned by hemlock.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780446618137
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	01/01/2007
Series:	Hamish Macbeth Series , #21
Edition description:	REPRINT
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	178,309
Product dimensions:	4.25(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

M. C. Beaton has won international acclaim for her New York Times bestselling Hamish Macbeth mysteries. The BBC has aired 24 episodes based on the series. Beaton is also the author of the bestselling Agatha Raisin series, which will air as an eight-episode dramatic series on Sky1, starring Ashley Jensen. She lives in the Cotswolds with her husband. For more information, you can visit MCBeaton.com.

Editorial Reviews

Beaton's flawless 21st installment in her popular Hamish Macbeth series (after 2005's Death of a Bore) boasts amusing local color and singularly savvy sleuthing. Macbeth, constable in the Highlands village of Lochdubh, thinks the apparent suicide of Effie Garrard, an artist who's arrived in town only recently, is suspicious. Following the murder of a nosy American tourist, Macbeth digs a little deeper and learns that Effie couldn't paint to, er, save her life-she was passing off another artist's work as her own. Macbeth's personal life is also consuming: two old flames turn up in Lochdubh within a few days of each other. Of course, Macbeth solves what turns out to be a double murder-but resolution of his romantic contretemps will have to wait for the next novel in this charming series. Beaton, who's also the author of the Agatha Raisin mystery series, will be the British guest of honor at the 2006 Bouchercon. (Feb.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Lanky police constable Hamish Macbeth is surrounded by a number of women in this excellent installment of the series. Hamish begins to dread the arrival of any newcomers, as they always seem to bring crime and murder with them. Charismatic artist Jock Fleming attracts the attention of delusional Effie Garrard, who quickly turns an innocent conversation into an imaginary engagement and pregnancy. Sure enough, a bottle of wine laced with antifreeze leads to the discovery of Effie's body on a cliff overlooking the isolated Highland village of Lochdubh. Of course Hamish is the only one who doesn't think Effie's death is a suicide. Meanwhile, Jock's agent Betty, the ambitious young detective Elspeth, and Effie's sister arrive in the Lochdubh area. All the flavor of the Scottish Highlands can be heard in the narration by actor Graeme Malcolm. As is often the case, the least successful episodes are Malcolm's attempts at an American accent. There are several laugh-out-loud moments and an especially good plot in this latest Hamish Macbeth mystery. Recommended for all public libraries. B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Memorial Lib., Sag Harbor, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

The arrival of two artists in the peaceful Scottish Highland village of Lochdubh leads to a picture-perfect murder. Effie Garrard appears to be a talented painter and potter. But her rich fantasy life could be the motive for her murder. Soon after she invents a romantic scenario involving another newcomer, charismatic painter Jock Fleming, her body is found in the mountains along with a bottle of wine laced with antifreeze and a note that leads everyone but local constable Hamish Macbeth to call her death suicide. A second corpse, that of offensive, prying American Hal Addenfest, found on the beach felled by the ubiquitous blunt instrument, gives clever Hamish the chance to reopen the first case. The suspects include Effie's sister, the talented artist Effie pretended to be; Jock's ex, a lady of the night; his charming agent; and Hal's recently divorced wife, who was extremely lucky that Hal hadn't changed his will. On the domestic front, Hamish, a wannabe husband/uncommitted bachelor, is embroiled with a number of women, including longtime love Priscilla Halburtin-Smythe, reporter Elspeth Grant and attractive Betty Barnard, Jock's agent. Digging until he discovers the truth, he manages once again to pass off the credit so he can remain in his beloved Lochdubh. Fans of Hamish (Death of an Outsider, 2004, etc.) will love this combination of mystery and romantic escapades.

Kirkus Reviews

Graeme Malcolm gives a nuanced portrayal of diverse characters inhabiting or visiting a remote village in northern Scotland. Various characters stride across the canvas, and Malcolm essays them all, including a grumpy American, and Englishmen and women from down south. Malcolm succeeds without going into falsetto or mumbling incoherently; it's all in the pacing and accent and cadence. His vaguely Scottish narrative voice binds the story together. Constable Hamish Macbeth, who has starred in 20 previous mysteries, must cope with a delusional female visitor whose fantasies lead to murder. The voice and the setting are so compatible that one settles back and enjoys the story, scarcely noticing the narrator’s expertise. D.R.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

OCT/NOV 06 - AudioFile