Customer Reviews

Death of a Nag (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 11) (Hamish MacBeth Mystery)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Okay, I only picked up Death of a Glutton because I was caught out of the house without a book and had some wait time on my hands. I owned everything else that interested me and Hamish Macbeth kept catching my eye. I read it in less than a day and was hooked. I now have the entire series and just finished Death of a Nag last week.

I suppose this qualifies as an "English cozy" even though it is in Scotland, but since I live in Kansas I guess I'm not supposed to know there's much of a difference. Scotland has technically been a part of "England" since the 1600's and of course they share the same island, but still there is the hope that someday Scotland will be free? Yes, and the south will rise again, but back to the book.

Hamish is a complex man of great simplicity. Yes, he's a mooch, a bit of a poacher, but quite a good sleuth. I love his contacts with the rest of the world and how he puts "the touch" on his relatives to help get the info he needs to solve his cases.

The latest entry I've read, number 11, I believe, has Hamish off on a well needed break from his beloved Lochdubh and the irritation of of the villagers for his perceived misbehavior.

I must admit the funeral scene and what lead up to it was a bit dismaying. I hope he finds a new "friend" with whom to share his life, and perhaps he has, but has I said, I'm only up to #11 and the rest of the books are sitting there waiting to be read so maybe he has done so already.

I recommend you get the first one in the series, Death of a Gossip and go from there. There is a lot of background and build up of characters as the series progresses. I almost had to skip one of the books because it was reportedly out of print, but I was able to find it on line and was glad I did. It helps to have access to all of the books when you start a series. It helps to cut down on the wait time.

Read and enjoy

Hamish MacBeth escapes the gossip of Lochdubh for a bit of a seaside vacation in Skay at the "Friendly House" - which is anything but. No one is terribly surprised or even upset when the "Nag" is found floating in the sea, and everyone seems to have a motive. Truly an "cozy" - the endearing MacBeth takes us all under his wing for summertime in Scotland, complete with bad food, lots of luscious gossip, seaside strolls and devotion to his dog. The tale twists and turns but never confuses, works its way to an exciting climax, and even has a nice ironic twist. From the roses at the police station, to the sometimes vile Highlands weather, to Hamish's dogged persistence, lack of ambition and willingness to give credit to someone else, this series is absolutely charming. Davina Porter does an admirable job on the voices and accents, she just takes some getting used to. My second Hamish MacBeth, and not only am I hooked, I think I have a crush on this man! Apparently Hamish MacBeth is a TV series on BBCAmerica. Mamalinda will have to seek this out as well as the other books in this series. Highly recommended.

Such a delightful cozy mystery! Does that sound right? Well, it was fun and I guessed 'whodunnit' even though MC Beaton tried to fool me.

Hamish leaves his village for a much needed holiday at a bed and breakfast where murder ensues. There are a variety of characters staying at the B&B with him and when the 'nag' is killed, the suspects become everyone.

I have loved Agatha Raisin series by MC Beaton and thrilled to read her other series. Give it a try. If you like cozy mysteries, then you will surely enjoy this one.

This is the eleventh in a series of mysteries featuring the detective work of small town, Highland Scottish detective Hamish Macbeth, P.C. In this story, Hamish sets out for a quiet (and cheap) vacation at the North Sea resort town of Skag. However, when he discovers the body of one of his fellow vacationers (a loud-mouthed nag of a husband), Hamish suddenly finds himself the prime suspect in a murder investigation. And so, with his faithful dog Towser in tow, Macbeth sets out to find out who caused the death of a nag.

My wife has been a big Hamish Macbeth fan for years, and she has now brought me into the fold. This was not my favorite Hamish Macbeth novel, in particular I found the ending sadly cynical, but I did enjoy reading it. I liked the setting and the characters, and think that M.C. Beaton is an excellent. So, if you are interested in a story set in modern Scotland, or just a good mystery, then I highly recommend this book to you.

If you're looking for a "cozy" in the Agatha Christie tradition, MC Beaton's Hamish series ought to fit the bill. A main difference is the severity and sublimity of the Scottish landscape (so different from Miss Marple's St. Mary Meade !) As a frequent reader of this series I was glad for a break from the Hamish-Priscilla romance as I find her to be extremely boring. In this mystery we find Hamish at a dumpy B & B, surrounded by a variety of guests each of whom might have murdered the most obnoxious one--the nag of the title. Hamish's relationship with one of the guests, a spinster retired schoolteacher is quite moving. . She and the other characters show various sides of themselves. If Beaton does not exactly probe her characters (I would look to PD James for that kind of thing), they at least have a certain substantiality due to the bits of personal history we learn of each. I thought the plot meandered a bit. Hamish's travelling back and forth between Skaw and Lochdubh proved tiresome; we witness too many mental checklists of the various suspects' motives and opportunities. Even so, it is a generally enjoyable book and the ending does indeed have a bite to it.

In "Death of a Nag," M.C. Beaton returns with her eleventh Hamish Macbeth mystery, and he is continuing to keep Lochdubh safe and sound. And the Scottish Highlands couldn't be in better hands! Aside from his on-again, off-again romance with Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Macbeth takes his responsibilities quite seriously (there are those in the village who think of him as lazy, no-good, and quite irresponsible for "letting" Priscilla go!). In this episode, Macbeth has taken off a few days

to "recharge his batteries," but, alas, the charming seaside resort (Friendly House) is teeming with the usual Beaton characters. Macbeth finds the company tiresome, the food inedible, and, sure enough, a body: that of one of the guests, a terrific nag. And who better is the suspect that the victim's wife, whom he publically ridiculed (and nagged!). Beaton makes sure that all of the characters are suspects (a "regular" ingredient of Beaton's works!), but only Macbeth is able to sort

out the culprit. Charming, easy-to-read, and worthwhile. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

As with all of this series, it was a good, entertaining read. Because of something that happens within the story that wouldn't be fair to share to those who haven't read the book, I just didn't enjoy this MacBeth story as much as I've enjoyed others. To be honest, the actual mystery is better than some of the other stories. It's the dreadful thing that happens to Hamish on a personal level that bothers me.

I'm reading this in sequence and understand that Hamish is going through some changes...so was perfectly fine with the things happening to him prior to this book. Just don't understand why the author chose to make this particular situation happen...

I have enjoyed all of the Hamish MacBeth novels, but this one is my favorite. First, Hamish has to deal with the ending of his long relationship with Priscilla and then he has to deal with the loss of another long time friend. Hamish ends up on a vacation that is anything but a vacation. Beaton does an excellent job of creating great suspects and weaves together a great mystery. Recommended reading for anyone that loves mystery novels.

This book is a Scottish take on the English Country Manor Murder Mystery, and Beaton does it masterfully. This is one of the best Hamish Macbeth books in this lengthy series. In this book Hamish is on vacation and, wouldn't you know that murder does folloow him there. He meets some new friends, and finds it difficult to accept that one of them is the killer. Yes, the man that was killed was an odious drunkard, and no one liked him, but Macbeth feels that no murder is acceptable, and feels he has to bring the guilty one to court. During the book, he suffers an aching personal loss, and that and the way he deals with it make him more likeable and endearing than ever. This is a totally wonderful series, and this is one of the best entries in it.

Poor Hamish, after years of pining after Priscilla he had finally won her but sadly their (unofficial) engagement was not to be, and Hamish had reluctantly called it off in the previous book, DEATH OF A CHARMING MAN. Even though he had been the one to end their relationship Hamish was still suffering and, to add insult to injury, the people of Lochdubh have decided that Hamish is the villain who has broken 'poor Priscilla's' heart and caused her to flee to 'foreign parts' (England). When Hamish can bear his neighbors' scorn no longer he decides that it is time for him to flee as well but instead of going to some exotic location he decided to take his vacation in a nearby town where he has found a boarding house that will accept Towser as well.

Once Hamish and Towser arrive they discover that their seaside retreat is not so near the shore, the food is terrible and the service is worse and that one of the guests is a totally obnoxious man who takes great delight in belittling his wife and anyone else who crosses his path. Hamish and the rest of the guests soon band together against their hosts, and amusing themselves with planning the demise of their tormentor but the game falls flat when the nagging husband is found death just hours after Hamish had gotten into a fist fight with the man. The local police quickly decide that Hamish is their prime suspect putting Hamish in the all too familiar position of finding the culprit himself.

The trail of the murder leads Hamish out of the Highlands as he unravels the dark secrets of his fellow lodgers in his efforts to solve the crime. Sadly, it takes a tragedy to bring Hamish and his neighbors close together again before his return to his once again beloved Lochdubh.

This is the 11th in the cozy mystery series about the amiable Hamish and the village of Lochdubh. As always with this series the mystery aspect takes second place to Hamish's life. The overall story arc in this series is quite pronounced and so, while it would be possible to read this one on it's own it would be much more enjoyable to begin with DEATH OF A GOSSIP and proceed through the series in as close to order as possible.