Customer Reviews

Death of a Prankster

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3 star:		(11)
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"Death of a Prankster" is the seventh Hamish Macbeth mystery by M. C. Beaton. Andrew Trent, a rich old man, who is a terrible practical joker has called his family to his home telling everyone he is dying. It is a practical joke, but comes to pass as he is murdered. When Hamish Macbeth is told that Mr. Trent has been murdered at his home, he hesitates thinking it is just another practical joke. But Andrew Trent has been murdered. Hamish Macbeth investigates finding several people in his family that wanted him dead. Was he killed for hate, or was he killed for money? This novel is good, but some of the local Scottish flavor that is in the other books is absent in this one, but if you are reading through the series, as I am, it is worth your time.

This was my first M.C.Beaton book, and so far I have read many more. My mother bought it for me becasue she enjoyed his writing for a long time. This was a funny mystery because the prankster would play pranks even after he was gone... The best M.C Beaton book i have read.
The humor and incidents leading to the crime are exciting and fast moving. I couldn't figure out who did it, and it takes a skill to make the reader wonder and not feel the need ot give up at the same time, without giving the answer away.

This book has a good plot, but the plot is over shadowed by the amount of descriptive detail that hovers around a hippie with pink hair.A good book, but not the greatest. I recommend Death of A Gossip or Death of A Snob.

In Death of a Prankster, a mean-spirited millionaire claims he's at death's door. Assorted family members and hangers-on rush over to stay at his mansion, hoping to be rewarded in his will. Our millionaire is, of course, a prankster, and universally loathed. He wasn't dying when his guests arrive, but within days he is murdered.

Suspects include the millionaire's daughters, his biological son, his biological son's wife and her son, his adopted son, a gameskeeper, and the sons' girlfriends.

This book is neither wonderful nor terrible. It held my attention and is very thin, so it would make a good quick read when you need to quickly pick a book for a fairly short airplane ride or something of the sort.

I guessed most of the surprises, but the story was reasonably well-told, and a couple of the characters were especially well-drawn. But Death of a Prankster is certainly nothing special, and has no particularly original or distinctive elements. Lots of books use a "house party" plot. Of those, I'd rate contributions by Ngaio Marsh, Agatha Christie, Carolyn Hart, and James Anderson better than Death of a Prankster, and Walter Satterthwait's Escapade considerably worse.

When a rich and elderly practical joker, Andrew Trent, summons his nearest and dearest to his remote Scottish manor in the dead of winter to play a series of unpleasant pranks on them, no one ends up laughing, least of all Andrew Trent. After all, when his body is the one that is deader than a doornail, one could say that the last laugh is on him.

Police Constable Hamish Macbeth is called and notified of Trent's murder. At first, Hamish is doubtful of the story, having been himself a victim of Andrew Trent's pranks, but Trent's own daughter convinces him otherwise, and Hamish is on his way to discover just who among Trent's nearest and dearest is a murderer.

This is the seventh book in a series of cozy mysteries featuring lovable Highlander, Hamish Macbeth. As always, the book is laced with sly humor, and the dialogue creates a feeling of authenticity of place, but it lacks some of the charm that has been the trademark of this series of cozy mysteries. Still, though not the best book in this series, those who are fans of the oddly endearing Hamish Macbeth will derive some enjoyment from this book.

The entire clan has assembled at the highland manor house of an extremely wealthy old man who is thought to be on his last legs. There is, of course, the prospective heirs' hope of inheriting a fortune. In truth, the old man is an obnoxious practical joker who likes to embarrass people, and he isn't sick at all. Exactly why he called the family together is a bit vague. But then he catches a fatal dose of knife in the heart.

As is the case in such books, everyone present has a good motive for killing the old man. And as is also usual, there is a storm that closes the roads and no one can go back home. Then another person is murdered.

Constable Hamish MacBeth, lanky and redheaded, arrives to investigate, eventually aided by his sometimes girlfriend and followed by his lazy mongrel. Hamish is soon in conflict with a "professional" detective, one he has had problems with in previous books.

Needless to say the killer is revealed and MacBeth manages to keep from being promoted ahd having to leave his Lochdubh home. This is not quite as good as some of the other novels in the series, but it is still a pleasant diversion.

In this book we see Hamish called to Arrat House on the demise of the master of the house, Mr. Arthur Trent. Hamish has had a previous run-in with this man because of one of Trent's endless practical jokes, so Hamish is not sure if it's a real murder when he's called or just a prank. It turns out to be real, so Hamish sets out to find a killer. We see the odious Inspector Blair and more of Priscilla in this book. I found the plot a little thin, and it's missing a lot of the unique highland flare that shows up in Ms. Beaton's other books, but well worth a read if you're reading the series as I am.

Hamish McBeth is called to a strange murder scene. Inveterate practical Joker Andrew Trent has been murdered by a guest in his home. The live in couple already have him laid out with candles on his billiard table. Apparently, the deceased got all of his relatives to visit him by saying that he was dying. After tormenting them with various cruel practical jokes, he is found stabbed to death in one of the guest's rooms. They all hated him enough to kill him, but which one actually did?

This wasn't the best of the series. The characters are not very sympathetic and are pretty two dimensional. Hamish and Priscilla's relationship has no real place in the story, and the ending really doesn't resolve much. A quick read, but not up to her usual standards.

Death of a Prankster is that rarity in this series, a pretty ordinary mystery and story that borders on not quite being up to the average level. Unlike many of the other stories in the series, you could skip this one and not miss anything. But I think you'll enjoy Death of a Prankster well enough, as long as you don't expect it to begin to match up to Death of a Hussy.

Think of this novel as the case that got Hamish central heating for the Lochdubh police station where he resides.

Andrew Trent is a monster of a man, playing cruel, crude jokes on one and all: It's his purpose in life. His family avoids him like the plague, but because Andrew is rich, they flock together when he tells one and all that he's on death's door. Trent may not have meant that to be true, but it turns out to be the case when someone murders the old scoundrel. But bumping off Trent doesn't end the murderous mayhem. Until late in the book, it's clear that almost everyone hated Trent . . . but the motive and method of his murder are unclear. A chance investigative foray reveals all, and the ending simply explores the harm that greed does to the soul. In typical Hamish Macbeth fashion, there's a confrontation with all of the suspects that leads to a confession (Perry Mason style) based on a pretty far-fetched scenario.

Trent doesn't ring true as a character. That's a major flaw in the book. In addition, most of the other characters don't ring true either. Some, while ringing a little bit true, aren't anyone you want to know more about. So you're left with the story to keep you entertained. It's not a very entertaining story. So you'll find yourself simply cherishing the moments when it's all Hamish and Priscilla in their intimate-at-arm's-length relationship.

The book is ultimately almost totally forgettable. I don't even remember having a good laugh or smile while reading the material.

Hamish McBeth is called to a strange murder scene. Inveterate practical Joker Andrew Trent has been murdered by a guest in his home. The live in couple already have him laid out with candles on his billiard table. Apparently, the deceased got all of his relatives to visit him by saying that he was dying. After tormenting them with various cruel practical jokes, he is found stabbed to death in one of the guest's rooms. They all hated him enough to kill him, but which one actually did.

This wasn't the best of the series. The characters are not very sympathetic and are pretty two dimensional. Hamish and Priscilla's relationship has no real place in the story, and the ending really doesn't resolve much. A quick read, but not up to her usual standards.