Death of a Poison Pen (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 20) [Mass Market Paperback]

M. C. Beaton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

When the residents of Lochdubh begin receiving poison pen letters, no one takes them seriously. But Constable Hamish Macbeth fears them, and his instincts prove correct when the postmistress is found hanging from a rope with a vicious poison pen letter at her feet.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

British author Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series remains reliable on several fronts: her Scots police officer Hamish will solve the crimes in an appropriately heroic and entertaining way; he will be as clueless as ever in regard to the women who set their caps for him; and he will continue to resist both promotion out of his remote village of Lochdubh and restrictions imposed by his nominal superiors. In this, the 20th entry (after 2003's Death of a Village), a series of poisoned pen letters have the townspeople of the nearby town of Braikie on edge, and rumor and suspicion threaten to lead to violence. Hamish faces danger of another sort, when Jenny Ogilvie, a London friend of Hamish's old flame Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, decides that romancing Hamish would be a delicious way to bother Priscilla. The author adeptly limns her village characters' foibles and frailties, and the poisoned pen letters set them off in high relief. Set pieces abound, from detective Jimmy Anderson's cadging of drinks, to Detective Chief Inspector Blair's ineptness and animosity, to the endless misunderstandings that separate Hamish and reporter Elspeth Grant. While the tunes Beaton's characters dance to may be familiar, they vary just enough to keep fans turning the pages.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Poison pen letters have been appearing all over the Scottish Highlands town of Braikie–and then a spate of murders and suicides ensues. Hamish Macbeth, the local constable of a nearby village, must get to the bottom of things without drawing too much attention to himself. If he sorts out another local mystery, he risks being promoted, and that would take him away from all that he loves in sleepy Lochdubh. As the Highlands' weather veers wildly from one extreme to another, Hamish dodges pesky superior officers and follows his own paths among the people he understands better than any outsider can. The place has no shortage of eccentrics but most of Lochdubh's regulars take a back seat to several 20-somethings who become an integral part of the story as it develops. They include a vacationer from London with dangerously poor judgment; an enterprising local reporter as unconventional as Hamish himself; another reporter, a caddish but "charming Irishman"; a bullied young secretary at the local school; and away in London, but never far from Hamish's mind, his star-crossed soul mate. Readers unfamiliar with the series can easily begin with this volume, but if they do, they are likely to seek out the earlier novels. This fictional world–part cozy, part unsparing–can be highly addictive.–Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446614890
• ISBN-13: 978-0446614894
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #348,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

M.C. BEATON has won international acclaim for her bestselling Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin mysteries. She is also the author of over 100 romance titles and a series of romantic suspense, The Edwardian Mystery Series. M. C. Beaton lives in a Cotswold cottage with her husband.

Marion is active on Facebook using her most popular pen name, M.C. Beaton. You can find complete book lists, information on events, and sign up for news updates at her website, www.MCBeaton.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Scottish Highland adventure, February 29, 2004

By 

A. Christie "bibliofiend508" (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death of a Poison Pen (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 20) (Hardcover)

DEATH OF A POISON PEN is set in a small village in the Scottish Highlands. It is populated with quirky characters and a lovable, bumbling, tall, red-haired constable named Hamish McBeth. Hamish is somewhat lazy and likes his little village to run smoothly, but it never does. This time around some villagers are receiving poison pen letters. A postmistress is found hanged in her room and a vacationer comes to Lochdubh with the sole purpose of seducing him. He does have his hands full these days.

I consider the Hamish McBeth series the better of the two series that M.C. Beaton writes. The characters really make the stories endearing and fun. That Hamish ever solves any case always seems like sheer fluke, but you are always rooting for him. The plots are always rather straightforward and not too complicated and it makes for a quick read. This is a perfect book for a rainy afternoon.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER RELAXING READ IN A GREAT SERIES, July 17, 2007

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death of a Poison Pen (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 20) (Mass Market Paperback)

I must admit to being rather addicted to the "cozy mystery" genre. They are a source of relaxation for me. These, the Hamish Macbeth series by M.C. Beaton, are some of my favorites. As other reviewers have pointed out, each of the twenty or more books are much the same. Same plot, same characters, same locations, etc. etc. That is okay though. I find this rather comforting. The various characters in Beaton's stories sort of become friends as you keep reading her books and this is always nice.

In this offering, quite a number of the resident's of Hamish's village are recipients of poison pen letters, some which are wild accusations, some with a grain of truth and some, hitting quite close to home. Suddenly Officer Macbeth has two murders on his hands and an endless list of suspects to sort through. The plot though, is actually sort of secondary to this particular series. For me it is the characters, the description of the Scottish Country Side, the almost dark humor and the interaction between the many characters that make the book.

M.C. Beaton is certainly a story teller and is able to articulate her stories through her writing quite well. The humor is dry, and as I said, can be a bit dark at times, but can be hilarious at the same time. Hamish Macbeth, the rather bright and likable police officer is, throughout this work, as with the others, absolutely mystified with the females in his life, and his somewhat quaint love life. As one reviewer put it, he does not have a clue! I love the author's description of the towns, food, country side, people and of course, Hamish's relationship with his dog.

The author tells a simple story which is easy to read (no great thought is required, which is very nice) and the stories are quite fast moving. I find the author's syntax to the quite smooth and a pleasure to read. This is one series I will no doubt stick with and look forward to more. Highly recommend this one if this is your sort of cup of tea.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh That Wonderful Hamish!, May 21, 2004

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death of a Poison Pen (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 20) (Hardcover)

Hamish Macbeth is a wonderful character. He always seems to bumble his way to a solution in the many murders that seem to occur in his area, but underneath that shambling exterior is a mind that is as sharp as a whip. The Hamish Macbeth series is one of my very favourite series, and even though Ms. Beaton has about 20 entries in the series it just never seems to get stale. The characters that we meet with every book (the wonderful, eccentric citizens of Lochdubh), plus the new ones that she introduces each time are what make this series so special. I am sad that I've now caught up to Ms. Beaton, and now I am relegated to waiting (very impatiently I might add) for the next book. I have enjoyed every minute that I've spent with Hamish in wonderful Lochdubh. In this book, Hamish has been bothered with a vicious poison pen writer in the neighbouring village of Braike. He is worried because he fears that this letter campaign is going to lead to murder, and sure enough that's what happens. He and his wonderful "lady friend" Elspeth work together to try to trap the writer and to find the murderer. It turns out that they're not one and the same. Hamish also gains the help of another young lady that is visiting Lochdubh. She said it was for a holiday, but actually her intent was to try to ensare Hamish as a form of "getting back" at her uppity friend Priscilla, who even though she is engaged to be married, still seems to carry a torch for Hamish. This series is superb entertainment, and I can give no higher accolade than that.