Customer Reviews

Death of a Gentle Lady

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M. C. Beaton delivers again: "Death of Gentle Lady" may be her fourteenth Hamish MacBeth mystery, but the installment was as entertaining as previous books in the series.

To the villagers of Lochduh, Mrs. Margaret Gentle seems like a perfectly nice, gracious lady; only Hamish MacBeth seems immune to the lady's charms, having first hand knowledge of exactly how truly awful the lady really is. And when Mrs. Gentle attempts to get the local police station closed, thus forcing Hamish to leave Lochduh, Hamish decides to strike back: he proposes marriage to Mrs. Gentile's downtrodden maid, Ayesha. But when the wedding day dawns, Ayesha is a no show, and Mrs. Gentle turns up dead. In spite of the collected wisdom of the powers that be, Hamish is certain that the mystery of who killed Mrs. Gentle and why lies in the lady's background, and resolves to get to the bottom of the matter -- that is if he's not too distracted by Priscilla and her sudden chumminess with a visiting author...

Mystery-wise, there are probably more suspenseful reads out there, and there definitely have been more riveting Hamish MacBeth installments. However, what one has come to expect from Beaton and her MacBeth installments is an entertaining and charming read. And on that level, she delivers in spades. True, we do find old ground being revisited again (Priscilla or Elspeth?); and not only did the mystery subplot take a while to unfold, it also could have been tighter. But, on the whole, I found "Death of a Gentle Lady" to be an enjoyable and absorbing read, and really, isn't that the true test of a good read?

In Death of a Gentle Lady, you will find a psychologically worn-out Hamish Macbeth. He's going through the motions. When his police station is threatened by newcomer Mrs. Gentle, Hamish takes the easy way out by proposing a marriage of convenience to Mrs. Gentle's maid, Ayesha. The marriage will keep his police station, and Ayesha can become a legal resident.

Why does Mrs. Gentle have it in for Hamish? He unexpectedly heard some hint of family secrets while making a courtesy call. What could Mrs. Gentle have to hide? That question becomes the source of much of the book's mystery.

In the process of untangling that mystery, Hamish also finds himself dodging attentions from his ex-girl friend, Elspeth Grant; his ex-fiancee, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe; a Russian police inspector, Anna Krokovsky; and Aileen Drummond, a police constable. In the process, the villagers decide that Hamish may have become a health hazard.

If that weren't enough, Detective Inspector Blair is after Hamish again, and the challenge is one of the most serious that Hamish has faced.

I found the story was a little over-packed with subplots. As a result, some of them didn't get as much attention as they needed in order to be fully developed and satisfying, especially the marriage of convenience subplot. Personally, I would have dropped two of the subplots if I were the books editor and I think the story would have worked a lot better. The story also goes over a lot of familiar ground so that there's not enough new. In that sense, adding the Russian inspector was a good breath of fresh air for the series.

But if you are a sincere fan of the series, you'll probably think this is an above-average outing for Hamish. I certainly did. I thought the book was an improvement over Death of a Maid.

If you haven't read any of the books, do go back to the beginning and read them in chronological order. You'll get more out of the character development that way.

Hamish Macbeth is heading for the altar, again, and one would think, according to the old adage, that "the third time's a charm." Marriage is not to be for the venerable policeman, as his fiancée, Ayesha disappears the day of the wedding. Hamish suspects her employer, Mrs. Gentle, of being somehow involved, although, by all accounts, the woman is as delicate and kind as her surname implies.

Further investigation by Scotland's favorite low-tech policeman brings to light Mrs. Gentle's dark side. Her machinations are behind a threat to Macbeth's police department branch in Lochdubh, as she partners with Macbeth's nemesis, Detective Chief Inspector Blair. Before the process can be completed, the Gentle lady is found at the bottom of a cliff beneath her beloved castle-and it is up to Hamish to solve the mystery.

Money seems to be the motive in all of the evil doings, but perhaps there is more then just an inheritance at stake. In addition, Hamish is dealing with his always hungry and periodically neglected beasts, a village version of the Scottish play complete with witches and the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe as Lady Macbeth and a mysterious woman cyclist with rather large feet.

Hamish Macbeth is a character in the truest sense of the definition, and it is to M.C. Beaton's credit as an author that she allows his idiosyncratic personality to have its way in this cozy.

Armchair Interviews says: Death of a Gentle Lady is a perfect selection for any dark and stormy night this spring!

M.C. Beaton has written more than twenty Hamish Macbeth mysteries, the first published in 1985, and the books inspired a series that aired on the BBC. I haven't seen the program, and Beaton's latest installment, Death of a Gentle Lady, is the first in the series that I've read. Hamish Macbeth is a constable in the village of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands. He lives in the police station with a dog and a near-feral cat. He's unmarried but pines intermittently throughout this book, at least, for two women with whom he apparently has long histories. He is clever enough that he might have moved up and out of Lochdubh based on his job performance, but he aspires only to remain in his beloved village, and he is forever battling to keep its small police station in operation.

In this outing Macbeth becomes acquainted with a certain Mrs. Margaret Gentle, an elderly widow who has recently bought a mock, cliffside castle in Macbeth's jurisdiction. She puts on a sweet-old-lady act that's won the rest of the villagers over, but Macbeth sees through it at once to recognize the bitty within. A double homicide later and Macbeth finds that he's the killer's next target, and the most likely suspect is among the Gentle woman's heirs. Meanwhile, the good folks of Lochdubh are staging an amateur production of Shakespeare's Macbeth; Hamish Macbeth's nemesis on the police force is harboring a grudge; and a Putin-esque Russian policewoman, visiting from Moscow, is hovering around the Gentle investigation--and giving Macbeth the willies.

Death of a Gentle Lady is a readable cozy with a likable sleuth, firmly bound with its Highland setting. The plot is interesting, though its twist occurred to me long before Macbeth caught on. The details of the crime are revealed in a stock let-me-tell-you-how-I-did-it-before-I-kill-you-type information dump, which is perhaps a bit sloppy. But I enjoyed the book and will likely be reading more in the series.

M.C. Beaton/Marion Chesney/Jennie Tremaine is one of my very favorite writers. She writes with great humor, a touch of romance and alway a thought provoking murder or two. I received this book yesterday, started it this morning and finished this afternoon. It did not disappoint. What a wonderful romp in The Highlands with Hamish & Company. As usual the characters came alive and had you guessing who-done-it on a roller coaster ride of intuition, deceptiveness and luck. Hamish sees and feels what no one else is aware of! Enjoy, I certainly did.

It is always a pleasure to return to Lochdubh and the adventures of Hamish Macbeth, although that charming Scottish village does seem to have an inordinate number of murders. There are also any number of castles in the vicinity.

The characters are always interesting, and I do like the tours of the countryside. Ms. Beaton writes extremely well as Beaton or as Marion Chesney. However, the flaw in this book is with the plot. It seems to be a rehash of previous plots. A large and disparate family has gathered at the old manor house or castle to be informed or tested with respect to a will. The wealthy owner of the place is murdered, with all present having a good motive for the crime. I'll even go along with that, but I was disappointed here that Hamish, the local constable, solves the murder by some form of intuition. All his guesses prove correct. If there is a logical process to his thinking, the reader is not let in on it.

Too bad. The atmosphere, characters and writing are let down by the plot. As a result, this novel does not measure up to many of the previous books in the Hamish Macbeth series.

Beaton never fails to please. In this her latest adventure for Constable Hamish Macbeth, overseer of the lazy Highlands village that seems to attract more murders than St. Mary Mead, Beaton again sets a charming scene and fills it with intrigue. The characters who pass through the village--newcomers who seem to bring the bulk of the murder business--always bring their special idiosyncrasies and often an entourage of others to add to the challenge before Macbeth. The gentle lady in this book fits the bill. Hamish's heart is always involved and on the line. Two old loves are surprised to hear of Hamish's engagement to a lovely newcomer. Will Hamish at last find true love? Thank you, Ms. Beaton for another exciting visit to the village of Lochdubh. Make a pot of tea (or pour a dram) and sit yourself down to a delightful read.

In M. C. Beaton's 14th Hamish Macbeth mystery, the Scottish constable is getting married, much to the chagrin of two of his previous loves. Don't get too excited, though. Rather than finding the girl of his dreams, Hamish has become entangled with Mrs. Gentle's servant, Ayesha Tahir, a Turkish beauty who is not at all what she seems.

When Hamish proposed a marriage in name only to the gorgeous foreign maid, he had no idea that she was really Russian, not Turkish, as well as a hooker, a lesbian and a sneaky blackmailer. His only thought was to allow the tearful woman to stay in the country and save his police station from being closed. However, as they often say, no good deed goes unpunished. Hamish is living proof of that.

When Ayesha (or whoever she is) fails to show up at the wedding, the villagers are aghast at poor Hamish's public humiliation. Hamish, however, is filled with nothing but relief, as are two of his previous paramours, Patricia Halburton-Smythe and Elspeth Grant. Since Ayesha left her passport and $10,000 in cash, it's anybody's guess as to where she has disappeared to.

The lovely Mrs. Gentle --- an elderly woman whom everyone, except those closest to her, believes lives up to her name --- is throwing the wedding reception. But Hamish is not fooled by her appearance of sweetness. He knows that she is a vile, vindictive troublemaker, but getting anyone else to see that is nigh-on impossible.

One person obviously knew it though because Mrs. Gentle turns up dead. As her family is gathered in the ugly faux castle she called home, the truth comes to light that Mrs. Gentle was everything Hamish saw in her and more. She managed to make the lives of her son, daughter, grandchildren and nephew miserable.

Shortly after Mrs. Gentle is murdered, Ayesha is found in the castle, also a victim of murder. While Ayesha would have been the prime suspect in Mrs. Gentle's death, it's obvious that she was killed first. Who would have wanted these two women dead? Is Hamish dealing with just one assailant, or possibly two?

The Highlands are thrown into turmoil as Hamish races against time to find the culprit or culprits, even starting a rumor to draw out the murderer that places his own life in danger. With his cat and dog the only ones he can trust, Hamish is between a rock and a hard place. Can he solve the murders quickly and keep others, including himself, from dying?

As if all of this turmoil wasn't enough, there is a production of Macbeth in the works, a Russian inspector to deal with, Hamish's superiors and still the challenge of keeping his police station open.

DEATH OF A GENTLE LADY is a pleasant cozy mystery with plenty of twists and turns and a cast of interesting characters that make one long for a holiday in Lochdubh.

--- Reviewed by Amie Taylor

Perhaps the best part of Beaton's Hamish Macbeth's series is its ability to weave contemporary British concerns (CCTV, Turkey's EU membership) with the the traditional English manor house mystery where the detective sums it all up in the second last chapter, pacing in front of the fire place to the entire family.

This book brings the best of Macbeth: Daviot, Blair, Jimmy Anderson, the Currie sisters as well as the eternal love triangle with Priscilla and Elspeth.

My only hesitation was that the plot could have been a little tighter in places. In particular, it peeved me that a charachter refered to Hamish by his real name when Hamish is supposed to be undercover with an assumed identity.

But thats a small quibble. This is as good as a cozy gets. Two thumbs up.

I love most everyone of M.C. Beaton's books. I enjoy both Agatha
Raisin and Hamish MacBeth equally but this one with Hamish I did not
enjoy as much. It starts out very interesting with a lady that is
actually not very gentle at all. But there are numerous side bars
happening that it was hard to keep up at times. For me, it just wasnt
as cohesive as her other books.