Customer Reviews

Death Of A Dentist: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery

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Another good one by M C Beaton. I have read 10 of the Hamish Macbeth series, all have been good but I think this one might be one of the best. As usual Hamish is caught in the middle of a murder and then guess what---a second murder-----guess who finds both bodies? Beaton has provided plenty of good characters to go with Hamish and it make for a good light read. It won't scare you to death or cause you do loose sleep from fright but it is good. Hamish has to fight the bad Inspector Blair as always. I liked the part of the Smiley Bros. Could they make moonshine and be killers too???? How about Kylie, pretty but has bad, bad boy friends. A surprise in the end, many twist and turns. Priscilla finally shows up again, will they get back together???? Beaton leaves enough to let you know they will be more forth coming.

The M.C. Beaton Hamish Macbeth series is not exactly the type of police procedural one can sink his/her teeth in to, but, nonetheless, it is a fun one to read. Beaton apparently isn't concerned about being compared to Ruth Rendell, P.D. James, or Martha Grimes, as she has culitvated her own following! In "Death of a Dentist," Macbeth, the lovable, affable, and dedicated local constable in the Scottish Highlands village of Lochdubh, has a toothache (literally!). He is quite reluctant to have it attended to, as he does not particularly care for the dentist, Dr. Gilchrist, who, among other things, has a reputation for being a womanizer with "traveling hands"! And, of course, the good doctor winds up dead--with any number of possible suspects, mainly from disgruntled husbands rather than complaining patients! It is up to Macbeth to solve, once again, a local crime. In driving to the expected conclusion and solution, Macbeth uncovers a surprising (and shocking) "dental

history," as it were. Predictable as it is, "Death of a Dentist" is still a pleasant read. There are some 13 books in this series and all are bonuses! (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Once again M.C. Beaton kills off the least liked person for miles around, then turns the ever unambitious Constable Hamish out to solve the crimes, despite the roadblocks of the nasty Chief Inspector Blair -- the boss we all love to hate. The Honorable Hamish meets up with a beautiful hacker and into the police computer they travel. Solving a myriad of other crimes in pursuit of the Dentist killer, Hamish MacBeth, the charming and ambitionless Highlands police constable, plods through snow, sleet and perverse characters, getting himself battered and bruised both physically and emotionally. Hamish, Seeker of Peace and Quiet, finds himself dashing about the Highlands in the capricious pre-Christmas cold of the Highlands, disregarding instructions from headquarters, solving robberies, tracking bootleggers, investigating two murders, encumbered by a surfeit of beautiful women together with a few compromising positions. Davina Porter does a much better job on these tapes, evening out the highs and lows of her voice.

This latest installment of M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series our hero suffers, perseveres and triumphs in his usual hysterical fashion. Set against the backdrop of the Scottish Lochdub, Hamish's perils begin with a woeful toothache and a lonesome heart. Beaton has brought back our hero, the hated Blair, the lazy Anderson and all the quirks of a quiet Scottish village. This time Hamish has a myriad of surprises to contend with. But he does it in rare fashion and without his beloved Priscilla! Always delightful, intriguing and easy to read, with Death of a Dentist Beaton has managed to combine humor, love and angst, thrills, spills and chills!

This is a really strong entry in the Hamish Macbeth series. In it we see a dentist from the neighbouring village of Braikie get murdered. He was apparently not a very good dentist, and was rather fond of "drawing the tooth" rather than repairing it, but Hamish has an incredible toothache, and needs it taken care of right away. He goes to this dentist and finds him dead in his chair. As he delves into the life of Dr. Gilchrist, he finds angry husbands and jilted lovers galore in his past. The problem is not who has the motive, but which one. Hamish sets out to find the murderer in his unpreposessing, but charming way. I really like this series. The people from the sleepy little village of Lochdubh and it's neighbouring villages are eccentric and delightful. It's always fun to see what they're up to next. My personal favourite is the fisherman with the nagging wife - Archie Macleod.

The Pre-Christmas season certainly isn't cheery in Lochdubh! Hamish MacBeth deals with the usual assortment of eccentric characters here, as he tries to solve a burglary in a dreary motel and the grisly murder of a dentist. The secondary characters are all rather sinister and unpleasant, and Hamish is lonely. The loneliness is exacerbated by the arrival of Sarah, a friend of Priscilla's, who initially appears to be opening the door to romantic hope, but who ultimately is just as disappointing as most of the other characters. Hamish is just as delightful as ever here, but he and the reader know that he needs something to change in his life!

MC Beaton has created a successful formula for writing detective stories. The main character, Hamish is lovable, the local life (rural Scotland) is interesting, and the murder, itself, is revealed in an interesting manner known as the police procedural. All the stories of this series are worth reading but they are a little too short, require a small dose of incredulity, and could use a little more development. MC Beaton writes to a formula for her MacBeth and Raison stories. The real mystery is who is MC Beaton--she has over 7 pseudonyms by my count.

Beaton has outdone herself in this latest of a marvelous series of Hamish Macbeth mysteries. Her characters leap off the page, the atmosphere is vivid, and her prose has reached new heights. I re-read the sentence about "Duty" about forty times. It belongs in Bartlett's. Irrespective of the plot, which is a good one, this is just a plain old-fashioned darn good read from end to end. Bravo

As someone who eagerly awaits each new "Hamish", I wasn't disappointed in this one. Another murder - this one a little more complicated; a love interest for our hero; and a little glimpse of the upper echelon of Strathbane. Just perhaps Hamish isn't as under-appreciated as he thinks !

When an agonizing toothache drives Constable Hamish Macbeth to the office of the local tooth extractor, Dr. Fredrick Gilchrist, who also has a roving eye for the local ladies, Hamish thinks he has prepared himself for the worst. Little does he know that his expectations will be exceeded when he arrives at the Dr, Gilchrist's office. While Hamish had prepared himself to have a tooth pulled, he was not prepared to find the very dead body of Dr. Gilchrist.

As Hamish investigates the murder, it appears that suspects abound, as Dr. Gilchrist was certainly no angel. While investigating the murder, Hamish comes up against a number of other crimes, keeping his hands full. As always, his hands are somewhat tied by the boss we all love to hate, Detective Chief Inspector Blair. Still, Hamish prevails, finding his way through the myriad of twists and turns his investigations takes.

This is the thirteenth book in a series of cozy mysteries featuring lovable Highlander, Hamish Macbeth, the constable for the sleepy village of Lochdubh in northern Scotland. In this book, the quirky village characters beguile the reader, giving the book its cozy feel. The book is laced with sly humor throughout that is engaging, keeping the mood of the book light and highly enjoyable. One does not read these books for their literary value. One reads them purely for the fun of it.

As with all cozy mysteries, it is not so much the mystery that is of import but the characters that revolve around the mystery. While the mysteries are intriguing, they are the framework around which the characters evolve. In the endearing character of Hamish Macbeth, the author has created a sure fire winner, who has won over the many fans of the cozy mystery genre.