Customer Reviews

Death of a Scriptwriter

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In "Death of a Scriptwriter," M.C. Beaton brings us the fourteenth installment of the Hamish Macbeth series--and she is in her element!

Set in the Scottish Highlands, in the village of Lochdubh, this series is a nice read--nothing too complicated, full of local Scottish color (with both its characters and its setting), lots of delightful red herrings, and logical solutions.

This series, the titles of which always begin with "Death of a...," is quite a successful one and one which takes little time to read. Macbeth, the local constable, is proud of the fact that he is not an ambitious soul. Despite the fact that he has solved thirteen previous murders, he is still a constable. He refuses to be promoted as he claims he is too happy in Lochdubh to want to advance to a larger city. He is filled with lots of common sense and while often the villagers give him a hard time ("He's too lazy," they claim.), they highly respet him and have come to his rescue more than once.

He's not so lucky with his own love life, however, and seems to fall in love with any woman who shows interest. The real love, Priscilla Smythe-Halliburton, has moved to London, after he had broken off the engagement, and appears intermittently in all the books of the series.

In "Death of a Scriptwriter," a television crew appears in Macbeth's bailiwick to film a novel written by an English spinster who has moved to Lochdubh. Her books were never much of a success, but this one was picked up by the BBC. She is delighted that at long last, fame is coming her way. She is so overjoyed that she fails to retain the complete rights to her book; a screen writer is hired to "modernize" the plot and characters (in other words, to add lots of sex and violence to the rather staid Victorian tale). Disagreements among the TV crew members erupt and, viola, the screenwriter (an impossible sort, unliked and unloved by anybody, and quite impossible to work with) is found dead; shortly thereafter, the star of the film (who is to appear nude in some scenes) is killed when she "falls" off a boulder; her alcoholic husband has also been found dead! (Bodies seem more plentiful than the last act of "Hamlet"!) Everyone seems to be a suspect! Macbeth, in his plodding, but thorough way, of course, leads us to the conclusion, wherein all deaths are solved, and the reader then is set up to await the next installment.

This book is a fun-read. Ms Beaton is in her element--she's writing about what she seems to know a lot about herself--authors, screenwriters, and television crews (this series is being filmed in England and we can only hope that A&E or PBS will bring it to us over here!). Beaton devotees will love this one!

I like a relaxing read now and then, and these Hamish Macbeth mysteries by M.C. Beaton fill that need perfectly. I must admit to being a big fan of Hamish, a constable in a small village in the Highlands of Scotland, having read most of this series over the years. This story, and the others in the series can be classified as cozy village mysteries. Beaton's ability to describe the people, villages and land make these books quite remarkable. Now, as others have pointed out, the actual "mysteries" are not all that mysterious. The stories are quite laid back, and yes, they are somewhat predictable. This is good though, from my point of view and my needs.

In this particular book, a retired, and not aging mystery novelist, who has retired to Hamish's area, is given a second chance when a T.V. crew moves into a nearby village to film one of her long out of print books. The cast and crew arrive, the village is set on end, and the story begins. Beaton has filled her story with, as usual, two murders, both of people you do not particularly like, and then thrown in plenty of likely suspects. Beaton gives us plenty of leads (yes, you can figure out who done it if you read closely), but does not throw in surprises right at the end to allow her hero to solve the case, while you, the reader, could not simply because you did not have access to all the facts.

This small novel does contain many twists and curves, but none of them are all that sharp and the story is easy to follow and easy to read. The usual village characters are present complicating things for our hero, who, I am glad to say, does not step out of his long established character. He is still quite laid back and simply wants to live a simple life "doing his thing." Per usual, Hamish's love life is a mess, but not even that seems to bother him all that much. Tending a few sheep, feeding his chickens, and solving a murder now and then are quite fulfilling.

You can read this work in one or two settings, depending on how fast you want to read, and I highly recommend them for clearing the mind, escaping, and for just simple reading enjoyment. Hope the author keep them coming.

In "Death of a Scriptwriter," M.C. Beaton brings us the fourteenth installment of the Hamish Macbeth series--and she is in her element!

Set in the Scottish Highlands, in the village of Lochdubh, this series is a nice read--nothing too complicated, full of local Scottish color (with both its characters and its setting), lots of delightful red herrings, and logical solutions. This series, the titles of which always begin with "Death of a...," is quite a successful one and one which takes little time to read. Macbeth, the local constable, is proud of the fact that he is not an ambitious soul. Despite the fact that he has solved thirteen previous murders, he is still a constable. He refuses to be promoted as he claims he is too happy in Lochdubh to want to advance to a larger city. He is filled with lots of common sense and while often the villagers give him a hard time ("He's too lazy," they claim.), they highly respet him and have come to his rescue more than once.

He's not so lucky with his own love life, however, and seems to fall in love with any woman who shows interest. The real love, Priscilla Smythe-Halliburton, has moved to London, after he had broken off the engagement, and appears intermittently in all the books of the series.

In "Death of a Scriptwriter," a television crew appears in Macbeth's bailiwick to film a novel written by an English spinster who has moved to Lochdubh. Her books were never much of a success, but this one was picked up by the BBC. She is delighted that at long last, fame is coming her way. She is so overjoyed that she fails to retain the complete rights to her book; a screen writer is hired to "modernize" the plot and characters (in other words, to add lots of sex and violence to the rather staid Victorian tale). Disagreements among the TV crew members erupt and, viola, the screenwriter (an impossible sort, unliked and unloved by anybody, and quite impossible to work with) is found dead; shortly thereafter, the star of the film (who is to appear nude in some scenes) is killed when she "falls" off a boulder; her alcoholic husband has also been found dead! (Bodies seem more plentiful than the last act of "Hamlet"!) Everyone seems to be a suspect! Macbeth, in his plodding, but thorough way, of course, leads us to the conclusion, wherein all deaths are solved, and the reader then is set up to await the next installment.

This book is a fun-read. Ms Beaton is in her element--she's writing about what she seems to know a lot about herself--authors, screenwriters, and television crews (this series is being filmed in England and we can only hope that A&E or PBS will bring it to us over here!). Beaton devotees will love this one!

Billyjhobbs@tyler.net

In this book, M.C. Beaton manages to inject new life into the series, though some of the language and images may surprise (even shock) her old readers. In spite of some updating, the novel still has a dated feel, but Ms. Beaton conveys life in the Highland villages with seeming authenticity and wit. I enjoyed the subplot regarding the minister's wife, Eileen. A flaw in the main storyline occurs when Hamish omits to review some evidence he collected early on, which would have led (possibly inconveniently) to a prompter solution of the mystery. Agatha Christie this is not. However, I would still recommend DEATH OF A SCRIPTWRITER for an entertaining read, as long as you don't expect a sophisticated mystery or lyrical prose.

Other reviewers have already summarized the plot, so I won't recount that information.

I just have to say that this was an engaging, fun little book filled with quirky characters in a quirky little village. Poor Hamish Macbeth - the guy is about as nice as you can get, but keeps getting his heart broken, is constantly underestimated and insulted by his out of town law enforcement superiors, and has the thankless job of questioning the bizarre and sometimes crazy inhabitants of the local village whenever a murder occurs. But he takes all of it in stride, and never abandons his work or his cheerful nature. He's a great character.

The mystery itself is fine, but it's the nutty characters that really make this book work. You'll find yourself shaking your head at their antics but cheering for Hamish to solve the mystery and put everyone in their place.

In this book we see Hamish at his best. He's charming and endearing. This book portrays the life of an aging mystery writer in the way only M.C. Beaton can. A television company is going to serialize some of Patricia Murtyn-Broyd's old, out-of-print books, which puts Ms. Priscilla over the top. But then people begin mysteriously dying. Is this potential revial to her books going to go up in smoke? Hamish is on the case (minus his Priscilla this time), and you can bet he solves it, but not before uncovering more twists and turns and potential murderers than he knows what to do with. Again Hamish steals the book. He is the most endearing sleuth out there right now.

Another good book in the Hamish Macbeth series. I enjoy these much better than the Agatha Raisin books. A group from a TV production company come to Drim to film a TV show. The scriptwriter is killed. Who could have done it? Several has said they would kill him. Was it Fiona, Patricia, Angus or Josh? Inspector Blair believes it was __________. Hamish is not so sure, then someone else is killed. Who killed the second person? Was it Gervase, Fiona or Shella? Hamish keeps digging until he comes up with an answer. As usual Beaton writes so you can feel like you are there. I can see the mountains and the mist in my mind. The characters are great and seems so real. Will be glad to read the next book. If you have not, please read one of the Hamish Macbeth books, I think you will like it.

From the moment that a group of filmmakers arrive in a town near the village Lochdubh in northern Scotland, Constable Hamish Macbeth has his hands full. The filmmakers are there to film a television series based upon some genteel cozy mysteries. The author's work, however, has undergone a complete revamp at the hands of a completely odious scriptwriter, who has changed the author's work into an unrecognizable sexual romp.

It appears that the aging author, in her initial delight at having her cozy mysteries being singled to be televised, did not read the fine print of her contract. Needless to say, the author is outraged at this travesty and is without recourse, having to grin and bear it. After all, she did sign a binding contract giving the filmmakers the right to make any changes in her work they see fit. Moreover, to add fuel to the fire, it appears that the local yokels have become star struck and are acting somewhat foolishly.

As dead bodies start to pile up, the author, villagers, cast, and crew get a thorough going over by Hamish. There are many twists and turns in this book, as any number of the characters in the book have had some sort of axe to grind with the dead. As always, the journey to discover just who the murderer is is great fun. The book is peppered with sly humor, some dotty villagers, and enjoyable characters. Those characters who are bumped off are usually quite unlikable, leaving the reader with no regrets about their departure. In this fourteenth book of the Hamish Macbeth series of cozy mysteries, the author does not disappoint.

As with all cozy mysteries, it is not so much the mystery that is of import but the characters that revolve around the mystery. While the mysteries are intriguing, they are the framework around which the characters evolve. In the endearing character of Hamish Macbeth, the author has created a sure fire winner, who has won over the many fans of the cozy mystery genre. One does not read these books for their literary value. One reads them purely for the fun of it.

One additional point of interest is that I noted that this book was published after the television series based upon Hamish Macbeth was scripted and televised. The televised version bore little resemblance to the Hamish Macbeth of this series of cozy mysteries. So, I wonder if, perhaps, this little book serves as a commentary by the author upon her experience with the dramatization of her beloved character. Clearly, the author has had the last word.

Death of a Scriptwriter proved a very nice surprise even for a Hamish Macbeth fan such as myself. I've come to relish time spent in the Highlands with the villagers of Lochdubh as much as my wife's Teryaki Chicken and Asian Noodles. I am a late comer to this fun mystery series, and have read them in haphazardly fashion, completely out of order. I am delighted to say it has not discouraged this reader's enjoyment of the series whatsoever, but rather given me an appreciation for how charming it truly is.

This older Hamish mystery has poignancy and depth augmenting the well-plotted mystery. The trademark Scottish humor fans have come to enjoy ever so much is rife throughout, of course. Yet this one has that special something which makes it stand out as one of the finest in the long-running series from M.C. Beaton. I would even say the character of Patricia Martyn-Broyd, a mystery writer whose better days are behind her, is actually quite memorable.

No need to worry, however, as everything we love about our favorite constable and those quirky Lochdubh villagers he mooches scones and tea from while solving the mystery is here in abundance as usual. When a television crew wants to film a local mystery writer's book, everyone wants to be a star. But Lady Harriet Vere has been changed in ways which doesn't please everyone. There are so many despicable souls running around the Highlands, in fact, the reader isn't sure who will be murdered, much less who will do it.

Hamish has the always nasty Blair to contend with, and when the Chief who hates Macbeth gets in hot water, his replacement is even worse! There will also be some lonely moments for Hamish as he attempts to get over Priscilla by catching the fancy of one of the many suspects. There will be more violence before this case is solved, and quite a bit of fun for the reader. Dark comedy and a good village mystery, supplemented by characters who've grown on us, make this a beguiling entry in a series.

The fun Highland atmosphere masks the deceptively complex and poignant mystery between the covers of Death of a Scriptwriter. While this series is always entertaining, often grandly so, this one has some bite to it. I highly recommend picking this one up if you missed it. Sonsie and Lugs are not around yet, but you'll have so much fun I doubt you'll notice. A terrific read.

I had bought a copy of Death of A Hussy a long time ago and never read it - keeping it in the back of my bookshelf. I tried to read her Agatha series but didn't like it so it kept me from reading her Hamish MacBeth series. I started getting books on tapes for the long drive to/from work and one of them was Death of A Charming Man, read by Davina Porter. I was hooked. Since then I have read all of the books after Charming Man and after I read Death of an Addict, I will go back and read all of the beginning books. Death of a Scriptwriter was very good and with each book, I have not been disappointed yet, with the mystery, with the descriptions of the Scottish Highlands and its people, of Hamish MacBeth. I hope M. C. Beaton forgets about Agatha and writes double time about Hamish! To think, I almost missed these terrific books! I would highly recommend reading the Hamish MacBeth series.