Customer Reviews

Death of a Perfect Wife (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 4)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When the Domestic Goddess moves to town, she not only weasels people out of their family heirlooms, she attempts to abolish slovenliness, high cholesterol and smoking - offering help where it is not wanted. She and her not-so-perfectly plump hubby open a low-end bed and breakfast, and Trixie continues to stir the plot of discontent. Constable Hamish MacBeth doesn't seem surprised when her body is inconveniently discovered. Once again the under-ambitious MacBeth annoys headquarters and the lovely Priscilla, as the red herrings mount in number and the clues point in different directions. The Hamish MacBeth books are light fare -with extremely clever writing, characterization that can only be inspired, and a sense of place set out so well the reader feels transported. I highly recommend all the books in this series.

"Death of a Perfect Wife" is the fourth installment of the Hamish Macbeth mysteries set in the northern Scotland town of Lochdubh. Paul and Trixie Thomas, an English couple, move to Lochdubh and set up a Bed and Breakfast. Trixie starts an anti-smoking league, a bird watching society, and is trying to get everyone to eat a vegetarian diet. With that, she has formed some enemies. When she is found dead of arsenic poisoning, Macbeth investigates. Who killed her? Was it Paul, her husband, whom she made eat only salads? Was it someone who was upset by the actions of her anti-smoking policies? Was it the wife of a man seen holding hands with Trixie? It is quite a bit of fun to see Hamish upstage the Chief Inspector Blair and solve the case. Some time is also given to Macbeth's relationship with Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. A fun read!

Just when Hamish McBeth feels Lochdubh is settling down so he can enjoy his life of lazy leisure, the town's newest arrival sets his peace loving life on it's ear. Trixie Thomas is the biggest pain in the rear the poor constable could imagine, bound to cause nothing but trouble by organizing all the other wives into her vision of perfection.

At first, all seems well, until gradually the husbands become less and less happy over the changes being made, and the wives seem more and more frustrated that they can't achieve the level of perfection Trixie demands. It's only natural then, that someone solves everyones' problems by doing away with Trixie, which of course, creates all manner of problems for poor Hamish. Not the least is the arrival of his worst nemesis, Dectective Chief Inspector Blair, who proceeds in his usual ham-handed manner to muck things up for Hamish.

As always, M.C. Beaton delivers with her Highland policeman in his murderously inclined village of Lochdubh. Hamish is a terrific creation, a man who is genuinely content to be where he is, except for his lack of success in the romance department. The books are always an enjoyable read and MacBeth is a warm, endearing character, especially for those of us who appreciate his lack of ambition and his desire to be allowed to go his own way.

This is a fine , short , to the point mystery with great Summertime Scottish scenes, eccentrics, cozy old fashioned couples who get hysterical over seeing theiri mate hug a friend of the opposite gender. An English couple move into this quaint Scottish village, start a bed and breakfast, and the wife converts many of the ladies into bat-saving environmentalists, non smokers, and vegetarians ! Some frustrated romance, upper crust lords, rough and tumble kiddies, and arsenic enter into the brew, and our detective-hero saves the day.And the very end is a real winner. my only complaint is many of the locals almost think the victim deserved her fate,including the detective..Still, a fine, Scottish mystery!

What is there to say about finishing a Hamish Macbeth mystery? You've had a delightful read, and the good news is another one sure to follow.

This is a story of a woman who moves Lochdubh. She is a perfectionist in every way. She is very obsessive over housework and keeping things orderly. She becomes friendly with the doctor's wife who is alittle lazy and not very clean and turns her into a clean freak.

She shows up dead and of course our favorite sleuth, Hamish MacBeth tried to solve the mystery.

As a wife, who is not too obsessive about cleaning, it just goes to show you, too much of a good thing will kill you!

I have read other novels in the Hamish Macbeth series and been less than impressed, but "Death of a Perfect Wife" felt a bit more substantial, with more descriptive detail and more fully-rounded characters. The theme of menopause was amusing, though it seems odd that a doctor of modern times should not have diagnosed the symptoms in his wife! And I do find Hamish rather boorish... Still, an engaging read with an array of quirky Scottish characters and a fascinating piece of work in Trixie, the newcomer, who throws the sleepy village of Lochdubh on its head! For another cozy mystery series involving a Scottish sleuth, try Christmas is Murder: A Rex Graves Mystery (Rex Graves Mysteries) by C.S. Challinor, which received a starred review from Booklist (American Library Association). If you like M.C. Beaton-type mysteries, you might also enjoy Jill Churchill's Grime and Punishment (Jane Jeffrey Mysteries, No. 1).

Death of a Perfect Wife is my introduction to the Hamish Macbeth mysteries. Having enjoyed the book, I look forward to reading more in the series.

Unambitious, but happy, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth is the one-man police force in the village of Lockdubh in the Scottish Highlands. He has his dog, his sheep, friends and all the time in the world to enjoy life. The hardworking citizens there usually think of their relaxed Bobby as a bit of a goof-off. All that changes when an actual crime occurs that threatens the domestic happiness of many of the village's households.

When Hamish is not out poaching salmon or game, he's given to dreamily considering the delights of Priscilla, daughter of the snooty, hyphenated castle-owning family. He's obsessed with her . . . or his imagination of her . . . and finds it disturbing when Priscilla is seen being friendly with a new man.

Into this idyll comes Trixie Thomas, the new wife of reformed overeater, Paul Thomas. Trixie is the White Tornado of cleanliness. She also advocates healthy living, saving the environment and many other good purposes. Soon, all the husbands in Lockdubh are having salads and fiber instead of steak and potatoes, giving up smoking and being hectored to give up other bad habits at Trixie's instigation to their wives.

Trixie also makes no bones about needing money and is constantly scrounging up old furniture to furnish a bed and breakfast establishment. The uproar becomes even stronger when Trixie leads a group to stop a local farmer from knocking over a building with bats in it.

Then, the uproar takes a new turn when Trixie turns up dead. Blair, Hamish's sarcastic superior, takes over . . . but Hamish plods away on his own. The investigation is complicated when Blair's new superior decides that Hamish is the route to Priscilla's hospitality for his wife.

The mystery isn't very mysterious, but the novel does a fine job of exploring the ways that we mis-mate ourselves by the expectations we bring to relationships and marriage. Those misperceptions can cause a lot of harm.

I listened to the Recorded Books version of the book as portrayed by Davina Porter and found my enjoyment greatly enhanced by her imaginative use of Highland accents and verbal pacing. I recommend you do the same.

If you are looking for high action, high tech mysteries built around crime scene investigations, this isn't your book. If you like a good, light-hearted story, you'll have a ball!

The more that I read Hamish, the more that I like him. He is a totally understated, shy and smart village policeman. He has many endearing qualities, not the least of which is his naivety. In this book an English couple moves into Locdubh and opens up a bed and breakfast. Their arrival throws the whole village into an uproar because the wife, Trixie Thomas, is a do-gooder as well as a "tree-hugger". All the wives join with her and start dramatically changing their home lives, much to the dismay of their husbands. It doesn't surprise Hamish when Trixie turns up dead and he certainly has no dearth of suspects. Trixie antagonized a lot of people. It's up to Hamish to determine who was the one that got mad enough to kill. Along the way we meet more of our Lochdubh friends and Hamish triumphs again. Ms. Beaton's characters just seem to live and breathe off the page.

This is the first Hamish McBride mystery I have read, and I really loved it! Hamish is a wonderfully understated (and underestimated) character, and the supporting characters here are really nicely developed and recognizable as small town types all over the world, not just in Scotland! There is, however, a really nice sense of "place" here, which I, as a fan of all things Scottish, enjoyed! The story is also simple and fun--this is a very fast read and well worth it!