Death of a Policeman (A Hamish Macbeth Mystery)

Is this the END for HAMISH ? The problem with these novels, when they end, not only is the story over but you have to leave all your friends in Lochdub, too, when they're over; that always makes me melancholy.. Maybe next year Hamish will be lucky in love... I'm ready for Priscilla & Elspeth to fade away ...to give us all some hope! :) Sorry, but I believe I've grown sweet on Hamish.

The Hamish Macbeth series is always worth a read. In the great expanse of the Scotland Highlands, Macbeth works his way through deaths and robberies and all sorts of other crimes. he battles with his superiors and has a successful close rate.

I did not look carefully enough at the description of this writing. I did not expect a short story. Thus, I was disappointed when the story ended so quickly. I shall be more careful in the future. I love the Hamish MacBeth stories in their usual form.

My wife and I have enjoyed twenty-nine Hamish Macbeth stories over the last three years. We have delighted in his impish approach to the limits of the law, his bright, happy life in Lochdubh, the idiosyncrasies of the personalities of his village and his wit and cleverness in dealing with his superiors.

We have immersed ourselves to the point that when my wife and I read these stories to each other, we even give voices to the varied characters and indulge in the charms of places and personalities along with the tensions and the mysteries, even to the extent of considering the most suitable inflection of voice for key passages. So you will understand I feel like I can and should address this story with some authority.

Something has gone wrong.

Hamish Macbeth now approaches breaking and entering and warrantless searches with less scruples or principle. He has committed malicious vandalism by anonymously hurling a rock through the window of a business under dark of night. He even has stooped to blatant blackmail of the kind he rails against in the first part of the story when he finds his archbane, Blair doing exactly the same. There is the hint of a heretofore unknown, hidden and alien malevolence in Macbeth that one feels compelled to deny but obliged to admit.

Then there are the bodies. (Spoiler alert.) Constable Cyril Sessions -- shotgun blast. Prostitute Jessie McTavish -- stabbed or shot (I would check, but I have returned the book). Maitre d' Paolo Gonzalez -- bludgeoned. Sleazy businessman Murdo Bentley and his mol, Anna Eskdale -- bound, abandoned and dehydrated. Book agent (name forgotten) -- shot. Book editor (name forgotten) -- gut shot. Reclusive author (name forgotten) -- prison suicide by hanging. Exprostitute but charmingly endearing friend of constable Dick -- suicide by insulin overdose. Shadowy "businesswoman" Beryl Shuttleworth -- immolated. Sweet but busybody mother of Diarmuid, a young man who should have moved out of his mother's home long ago -- shotgun blast.

Many of these deaths did nothing to advance a plot or subplot. The characters could as easily been arrested, taken a different turn in life or simply faded away. But the author chose to go beyond using murders for driving the plot. She (or the one working for her) has chosen to change Hamish Macbeth stories from "cozies" to something like dark "highland noir". It is gratuitous, demeaning to a much loved character and an imposition on the long established expectations of a readership.

And... the dark side of Hamish Macbeth is now what we remember -- and reject.

We will be hesitantly willing to start the next Hamish Macbeth story. We will not, (repeat) not commit to finishing it. That may be the last one we pick up.

Ll.

I always enjoy M C Beaton - both Hamish and Agatha. This was a bittersweet book what with the station threatened once again. Ii I have any complaint - the story was too short! Here's hoping Hamish finds true love someday.

We’re almost through the entire 30-book (now) list of Beaton’s “Death of” series, which might account for our distaste for “Policeman”, her latest story about Hamish Macbeth, now a Sergeant in the Scottish village of Lochdubh. Unlike most of these tales, with predictable recurring characters and locales, and a light murder mystery to sustain the plot and show off Macbeth’s folksy policing skills, this one meanders all over the place, over several months, with several deaths contributing to the mayhem. Hamish himself seems out of character, even to the extent of blackmailing his Superintendent superior – a development hard to swallow. His current police station sidekick Dick Fraser got heavier play than usual, mostly as he visits two library women, one of whom (the younger) he pines over as the older one makes a serious play for him (or apparently just about any other man that stumbles along!).

It almost seemed odd to read this novel just a month from its publication when the majority of the books date back ten-to-twenty years or more, which seemed to only highlight “Policeman’s” lack of entertaining charm and charisma. If perhaps the author tires of our hero after thirty outings, maybe they should both retire!

This is book 30 of 33 Hamish Macbeth mysteries, and I have binge-read the entire series up to this point. I do not like where this series has gone, and this book has so far been the worst of the lot. I am sincerely hoping the remaining three are in the same style as the first fifteen, or so. The plot- that a policeman who is stalking Hamish is killed- is a fine plot, but the body count and the cruel and disturbing ways in which a great many people in this book die (needlessly), takes this from a cozy mystery to a much darker place. Also, after 30 books, I am right tired of Hamish's superiors. All I have "learned" about Scotland from this book series is that not one single couple is in a loving and health relationship (the number of couples portrayed in this series who are sleeping around or beating their spouses is incredible), the woman are all dowdy and obese, and the police force is incredibly corrupt. I would sincerely hope that someone like Blair, who has placed THREE hits out on Hamish, has ruined several of his stakeouts and police raids, has been a mole in the Scotland police force, and has at least 30 harassment charges (averaging one a book) against him would not be on any actual police force. For several books, I gave Daviot the benefit of the doubt, thinking he was incompetent and nothing more- but this books puts everyone in an incredibly dark light, including Hamish, who has moved from solving his problems cleverly to using brute force and blackmail to get his way. Lastly, I am glad after 30 books Hamish has not married, because it would ruin the story- but I am right sick of Elspeth and Priscilla. I am going to start Death of a Liar because the first 20 books in this series get you hooked and caring about Hamish and his life, but whoever is writing these books needs to find their happy place quickly, because they are not what they used to be, and a great character is being ruined.

This is the 30th volume of this long running series of mysteries featuring Hamish Macbeth.

In an effort in reduce costs and streamline operations police operations all over Scotland were being consolidated. Smaller police stations were being closed, redundant positions were being eliminated and police officers were all nervous about their futures. The exception was Chief Inspector Blair who looked up this as a meaning for finally eliminating the Lochdubh station, and its troublesome constable, located. The troublesome constable, Hamish Macbeth was determined not to go down without a fight and so was ready to deal with this latest attack on his happy home. When he was alerted to the presence of yet another spy sent by Blair Hamish, and the citizens of Lochdubh were ready to spring into action. They were all surprised though when someone took steps far more drastic than any of them had ever contemplated. Once again Hamish had to solve a murder in order to protect his home.

This series has undergone some changes from the earlier novels, whether this is an indication that a ghost writer has taken over the series or that the author has changed her focus is not clear. Whatever the reason the charming young Hamish of the earliest novels has gradually changed into an older, more cynical person. He is still charming, and still manages to sort everything out in a spectacular manner but now Hamish has a more jaded point of view, one that allows him to break the law to gather evidence and to fight a bit dirtier than in the past. Even more disturbing than these changes, which could be argued to be consistent with a maturing character, is the writing style of the author. Some of the statements made are a bit cruder than the earlier novels, the murders a bit more graphic and shocking. To apply movie ratings it is as if the earlier novels were PG and this one a PG13 or R.

Those new to the series will probably want to begin as early in the series as possible and proceed in order due to the large cast of secondary characters and references to past events.

I love the character Hamish Macbeth, have since I discovered him. But you won't find him in this book. Instead you'll find a modernized version, or an attempt to modernize him, to 'get with the times' so to speak. So much so that I actually stopped reading at one point and went to check if I was actually reading M.C.Beaton and not had not accidentally started reading something else on the Kindle.

A large plot hole that I kept looking for the answer to, thinking I had missed it, gratuitous sex and violence, the usual girlfriends drug through the bedroom and fantasies, maybe they'll love him this time? I wanted to love this book as I have all the others, I really did, but I could not. Corpses that number more than necessary and feel like they are only filler for page count were unnecessary.

It misses its mark in so many ways, the people you want to be there aren't, and the ones you're dreadfully tired of you get more than your fill of. Inspector Blair is a bumbling idiot, in a real agency I have to think that he would not be allowed to harass Hamish the way he does and dragging him out each book to continue his haranguing has been done to death.

I was extremely happy to receive an ARC of this through Net Gallery in exchange for my honest review. I am sad that my review is not what I had hoped it would be prior to reading the book. That probably explains why I put off my review so long.

Title: Death of a Policeman - Hamish Macbeth Mystery 29
Author: M. C. Beaton
Published: 2-25-15
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 273
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: British Detective; Cozy Mystery; Traditional Detectives
ISBN: 9781455504732
ASIN: B00CRMATDM
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
My Rating: 4 Stars

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When Cyril Sessions, an ambitious young officer, is sent to Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands to more or less spy on Sergeant Hamish Macbeth, Macbeth is not fooled. He knows Detective Chief Inspector Blair has wanted to get rid of him for some time and is using the proposed closing of some of the police stations as an excuse to finally remove Macbeth from his position. Macbeth is ready for sessions arrival and determined he will find no reason to submit a bad report on him. Yet when Sessions is found murdered Hamish Macbeth becomes the prime suspect and he begins digging into the people he has served for years to find who really killed Cyril Sessions.

M. C. Beaton has written a wonderful mystery to enjoy, but I miss the more prankster Hamish than the last few books have offered. I am still on the fence if I care for the darker, moodier Hamish. He has lost his joy and seems angry. I wish I could figure out if it is because of his job or his personal life. If is because of his job, maybe he should retire and investigate as a private investigator or as a hobby to keep his hand in police work or to help his friends and neighbors. All that aside the book itself is well written with a developed plot. There are twist and turn sand clues dropped here and there. It will not be boring where you figure out whodunit by the sixth chapter, Beaton will keep you guessing till the end. I gave it a 4 star rating because I wish Macbeth was happier with his life and expressed it more. Death of a Policeman is more darker than Ms. Beaton's Macbeth Books. Death of A Policeman may be part of a series but can be read as a standalone. If you have not read this series before you have quite a few hours of reading pleasure to look forward to.

This is my first Hamish MacBeth book and probably my last; however I have read a number of comments here stating that this story, in fact many of the latter volumes, are poor as compared to the early tales. So... maybe just maybe I'll give one of the first stories a try. I'm reluctant because the writing in this book is extremely poor. It is amateurish to a major degree. It seems as if it was penned by a high schooler. The main axiom in writing is to "show don't tell.' This author tells. She rushes through events to get to her main objectives w/ little detail, imagination, style, or dialogue. Frankly I'm amazed that someone who writes like this could get signed to a book deal. I know this is a "cozy" and not high literature but it is poor writing nonetheless.

Detective Chief Inspector Blair is jealous of the success of Sergeant Hamish Macbeth of Scotland's Lochdubh police and is constantly trying to get the Lochdubh police station closed. Thus Blair dispatches handsome Officer Cyril Sessions to 'go undercover' and get evidence that Hamish and his partner Dick Fraser lollygag around and waste time. Cyril gets photos of Dick sleeping on duty and romances librarian Hetty Dunstable - who's happy to badmouth Hamish because he rebuffed her advances. Hamish soon catches on to Cyril's game and decides to play cat and mouse with the the officer. Soon afterwards Cyril is killed and Hamish becomes a suspect.

As Hamish searches for the real killer he uncovers other local crimes, and these investigations constitute the mystery part of the book. As always with this series, though, much of the story concerns the entertaining personal lives of the folks in the Scottish Highlands, many of them recurring characters.

Dick Fraser crushes on a pretty assistant librarian much younger than himself. Angela Brodie (the doctor's wife) writes a mystery book and - to the chagrin of her husband - buys a 2,000 pound dress for (what turns out to be) a disappointing awards ceremony. Hamish hobnobs with his ex-fiances and his pets - wild cat Sonsie and dog Lugs; in an amusing scene scientists want to study the rare wild cat and Hamish decides to dye her black to disguise her identity. Superintendent Daviot has a secret that hampers Hamish's investigations, and so on. My favorite 'comic' parts were recurring scenes of tipsy librarian Hetty Dunstable trying to seduce one man after another - mistakenly deciding each one has a passion for her.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries, especially those familiar with the series and the characters.