Book Review: Death of a Dreamer

Reviewed By: Catherine Thompson - RAM

Death of a Dreamer     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
M. C. Beaton
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Cozy   Police Procedural
Series: Hamish MacBeth # 22
Mysterious Press, $32.95 hardcover, 247 pages

Newcomers don’t usually stay long in remote Lochdubh; if the nosy neighbours don’t drive them out, the long dark winter does. So lanky police constable Hamish Macbeth is surprised when he drives up to artist Effie Garrard’s cottage and discovers that the woman has stayed, albeit having spent the winter in Brighton with her sister. But still, all is not well on Macbeth’s patch. His old flame, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, has returned from London to help run her parents’ hotel. There’s an artist up from Glasgow who’s charming all the ladies in town, including the elderly Currie twins, Nessie and Jessie. And Hamish finds himself drawn to the artist’s lovely agent, Betty Barnard, in what might be an unwise fashion.

Then Effie turns up dead. His superiors close the case, calling her death a suicide, but Macbeth, naturally, isn’t so sure. She certainly didn’t cut off her own ring finger and stuff it in her pocket. So with Lugs the dog and Sonsie the wild cat in tow, Macbeth opens his own investigation, aided by Priscilla and reporter Elspeth Grant. When a second murder occurs, he’s sure he’s on the right track, but he’s got too many suspects and not enough evidence.

M. C. Beaton is not the most skilled writer on the planet. In fact, her books are pretty poorly written, from a technical standpoint, populated by caricatures rather than characters. But some days, you just want a bit of fluff, something to take you away from all that is the real world, and the Hamish Macbeth mysteries suffice beautifully. So curl up with a box of chocolates in a nice easy chair, and let yourself be transported to Lochdubh.

Catherine Thompson - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Catherine Thompson - RAM