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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Best in the Series: A Splendid Story with Lots of Humor and Surprises, February 21, 2009
Even in a wonderful series like M.C. Beaton's books about Hamish Macbeth, there will be ups and downs. Fortunately for devoted readers, Death of a Witch is an unexpected up that keeps surprising, satisfying, and amusing to the last page. Unlike the weaker books in the series, Death of a Witch is filled with mysteries that are not easy to solve, complex and unexpected interactions among the characters, and every variety of reasonably clean humor you can have about sexual relations. Be careful what reviews you read. It would be easy to stumble onto spoilers that could greatly reduce your joy in this marvelous story. As the book opens, Hamish is returning from a trip to Spain that didn't turn out as he expected. Immediately, he learns that there's a newcomer to the village, Ms. Catriona Beldame, who wants to buy his car. As soon as Hamish cleans up a little mystery about who has been tipping off robbers as the location of stakeouts, Hamish has to see the woman for himself. The local women don't have anything good to say about her, and the men are strangely quiet even though they are reported to be visiting her. Dr. Brodie provides an unexpected clue as does a strange occurrence during Hamish's first visit. Before long, there are unsolved crimes that lead Hamish into a possible romance. Blair is so concerned that Hamish will solve the cases that he banishes Hamish. With Jimmy Anderson's help, Hamish is able to stay in the middle of the case. The overriding theme of the book is the battle of the sexes, as portrayed through the theme of men wanting to have more frequent intimate relations than their wives and girl friends do. The consequences are very funny and keep providing new twists on a well-known theme. If you've ever enjoyed Hamish's problems with the opposite sex, you'll be especially pleased with this book which puts Hamish into many new pickles. Have a ball!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
sexless in scotland, April 5, 2009
Hamish Macbeth, the simple but efficient constable of Lochdubh, returns from a Spanish vacation to his beloved village to find a surprise. There is a newcomer there, a pretty woman, being visited by a stream of men at all hours. What's going on in the quiet highlands town? Before that can be determined, she is murdered and her house set on fire. Subsequently, three more murders lead Hamish to believe they were all related. Originally he believed the men were visiting the woman for sex. In a strange way they were, but not in the way he had thought. Meanwhile, Hamish's sex life becomes more complicated with his two time-honored girlfriends as well as a new forensics specialist who has her eyes on him. The series, in which this is the 24th entry [or the 25th, depending on which publisher information is correct], still amuses and enchants. Written with the full flavor of the Scottish language and the vistas of the highlands, the novels continue to grow and entice readers. Hamish may seem to be a silly character, but he gets the job done, and is ultimately a serious and successful investigator. Recommended.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another very good Hamish Macbeth book, April 6, 2010
This is the twenty-fifth in a series of wonderful mysteries featuring the detective work of small town, Highland Scottish detective Hamish Macbeth, P.C. In this book, trouble arrives in Lockdubh in the form of a tall dark woman who everyone believes is a witch. She's selling strange herbal remedies to the men to improve their virility, and it's causing a stir. But, when she suddenly turns up murdered, Hamish swings into action. There's a very deep mystery here, and Hamish hopes that he can trace the blame to a stranger, but there's more things going on in Lockdubh than he every imagined! This is another very good Hamish Macbeth book, and another feather in the cap of M.C. Beaton (pseudonym of Marion Chesney). The characters are interesting, and the mystery quite...well, mysterious. No new ground was broken here, it's Hamish solving another murder, while taking care of his pets, and alternately seeking and avoiding romantic connections. But, that said, it is a very good book, and if you are a Hamish Macbeth fan then you will really like this book, as I certainly did.
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