Death of a Nurse (A Hamish Macbeth Mystery)

Grand story. Suspenseful. Hamish was shining, and Charlie was gentle as a lamb. They worked well together. Sad Charlie had to go to London, which was totally unfair. Fiona should have taken herself out of the picture instead of Charlie.

Once again, Hamish was his usual outstanding self! Superb policing! Superb MC Beaton!

3 1/2 stars! I have been disappointed lately with the Hamish Macbeth series. The earlier books in the series are little treasures, and I used to look forward to the next book coming out. In the recent past (the last 3 or 4 years) the books weren't as enjoyable as they were rushed and very disjointed. This book is better, although time certainly flies within the 265 pages. For those not in the know, Hamish Macbeth is a police sergeant located in the picturesque little town of Lochdubh in the Scottish highlands. He loves his quiet life in the little village, even though his beat has grown considerably since he took up residence there. For such a little place, there is a lot of murder and crime and Hamish uses his considerable intelligence, along with his thorough knowledge of the area to solve very difficult and tricky mysteries. I love the characters in sleepy little Lochdubh - Archie the seer, the hilarious Currie sisters, the minister's very loud and obnoxious wife and of course Hamish himself . This book has all of this, and another tricky little mystery which Hamish manages to crack. I enjoyed this book and am glad that I stuck with the series.

Almost all of the characters are lacking in ethical and professional conduct or respect for one another so it is difficult to care about the story. Sadly the senior police officers are as guilty of inappropriate action and behavior as many of the local populace. The story lurches back and forth confusing the reader. Murders occur but are never connected. The only interesting part of the book is the description of the Scottish Northwest Highlands, an area I have visited many times. Lots of one dimensional characters. The dialog is abysmal. I have read all of the mysteries in this series. I am disappointed, especially in the author's portrayal of Hamish MacBeth.

Too much Charlie and not enough Hamish. Hamish comes off as something of a wimp, following Charlie's orders, and that's not good. I do hope that Beaton isn't going to dilute Hamish and change his character like she did with Agatha Raisin, by introducing an annoying and obnoxious 'assistant' (not to mention downright rude) like Toni. Continuity is jerky, and aggravated by 2 or 3 characters all referred to as 'he' in the same paragraph. Of all the characters, only Priscilla seems to have remained the same (but will Hamish never see that the woman is just flat frigid?)
Why is it that as authors age, or are bored with their characters, they feel it necessary to destroy them characters by changing them utterly or killing them off? Spoiler: getting rid of Sonsie was unforgiveable. No doubt in a future book, Charlie will manage to persuade Hamish to get rid of Lugs as well. No, I'm done with Beaton. Not buying another of her books.

I've always enjoyed the Hamish Macbeth mysteries. Hamish is an unassuming village policeman, more concerned with taking care of his village than collaring criminals. He prefers to give residents the chance to do the right thing, even if it takes a few surreptitious nudges. Softhearted and easygoing, he is often accompanied by his pets. While he is quite clever in unraveling mysteries, he is quite lacking in understanding of the opposite sex, paying too much attention to appearances.

With her flirty nursing outfit and gorgeous looks, Gloria Dainty attracts a great deal of attention in Lochdubh. Hamish easily falls for her charm, asking her out to dinner. When she misses the dinner, he thinks little of it. Several days later, her body washes ashore.

Dealing with police politics is as difficult as finding leads, and his new constable lacks experience.

The Hamish Macbeth mysteries are plainly written, but possess a unique charm. The quirky residents of Lochdubh give life to the books, and Hamish is an endearing lead - clever but fallible. Death of a Nurse is a nice addition to the long running series.

This cozy series is perfect for mystery lovers of all ages. The Hamish Macbeth mysteries can be enjoyed in any order.

4/5

Death of a Nurse is available for preorder and will be released February 23, 2016.

I received a copy of Death of a Nurse from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

I have read numerous of MC Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series and they never fail to delight. They are an easy, comfortable read about a Scottish policeman based in the village of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands.

His immediate superior, Blair, is always trying to think up ways to move Hamish on and close down the police station to save money. Hamish loves his life in Lochdubh where he is at peace with life and able to amble about revelling in his lack of ambition. Hamish avoids promotion, to the point of deliberately scuppering attempts to give him recognition for his accomplishments, for while he may be reputed to be lazy, he has a good grasp of human nature and during the investigation of crimes (most notably murderous ones) he unearths motives no one else would give credence to. Hamish has a great deal of affection (though often well hidden by his brusque manner) for his locals and spends a great deal of time just doing the rounds checking that they are all alright.

It is on one of these such jaunts, when he goes to welcome a newcomer to the area, that he meets the rude elderly Mr Harrison and his beautiful young nurse, Gloria Dainty. Hamish make arrangements to meet Gloria for dinner but waits in vain for her to turn up. Four days later Gloria's body is washed up on the beach near Braikie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the gift of an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Formulaic writing for the third or fourth Hamish Macbeth mystery in a row. Loch Dubh and its citizens has lost its charm and you can predict, with a great deal of surety, the arrival of certain characters, right on cue. It's as though Beaton has a little outline to follow...gotta have Priscella here, Elspeth here, the old sisters here, whether or not they are even modestly important to the story etc. It's still a bit of fun but it's predictable in a way most of Beaton's Hamish books haven't been. This one's better than the last two or three books in the series but not by much. There's nothing new here and the old characters have little to do except appear, for a brief time, on cue. If you're new to this series, go back to the beginning and read those mysteries first.
You'll see the difference.

Why can't Hamish Macbeth find someone to settle down with? He's still single, but a gorgeous Nurse attracts his attention. That is until she turns up dead. Hamish's new constable shows himself to be a true asset, until a Delilah becomes determined to seduce the younger man.

This is an interesting and entertaining 32nd addition to the MacBeth series. The village of Lochdubh still has not changed. Quaint with colorful residents and weather not for the faint at heart. Hamish continues to spoil his mongrel dog and wildcat, that he insists is just a large domesticated cat.

A new character, Inspector Fiona takes on MacBeth's heavy drinking, always calculating arch nemesis Blair with as much venom as he tries to go after her. She is fearless. One tough broad, but does she have nefarious plans of her own?

As usual the author takes the reader on a realistic tour of the picturesque though deadly Highlands. Hamish is preoccupied with finding both a killer and a sweetheart. Will he find both or just one? What was a pretty young Nurse doing living up in the Highlands?

Hamish Macbeth is having a rough time. Not only was the gorgeous woman whom he fancied and asked out found dead at the bottom of a cliff, his constable, Charlie, seems to be catnip to every woman around.
In order to solve the crime, Hamish must deal with higher ups who would like to torpedo his career while he tries to protect the virtue of his constable from a predatory superior. His own former fiancée needs some protecting too as does his wild cat, Sonsie. He wins some; he loses some.
All in all, it's an entertaining story that transports the reader to the Highlands of Scotland. Hamish may be the least ambitious fellow in the world but he is where he wants to be. In the interests of justice, that is a very good thing.
This is my first Hamish Macbeth book. It will not be my last.

When a beautiful private nurse named Gloria Dainty is murdered, it's up to police officer Hamish Macbeth to solve the crime. People assume Hamish is lazy and stupid, but he's really a clever detective who allow others to take credit for his work. He wants to make sure he won't be promoted so he can stay in his beloved village of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands and the life he loves.

I started out reading M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series and ad first wasn't sure if I would like this series. I'm glad I gave it a try, because I like the clever plots and seeing how Hamish solves each case. He is a character that becomes more and more likable and "Death of a Nurse" is a charming installment in this. series. I was kept guessing about the identity of the murderer and enjoyed seeing how the investigation unfolded and how Hamish would catch the murderer and still keep a low profile. The book is great for a nice, light read with subtle humor and interesting characters.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Grand Central Publishing. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is Book #31 in the Hamish Macbeth series. Hamish has a new policeman partner-Charlie Carter. Hamish meets a private nurse named Gloria Dainty outside the grocery store and asks her to dinner. She is a nurse for Mr. Harrison, a gentleman new to town living in the old hunting lodge. When she doesn't show up for their dinner date Hamish becomes suspicious something happened to her. It turns out she has been murdered and her body dumped over the cliffs. Hamish and Charlie will not be alone in their investigating. They will have to deal with Police Inspector Fiona Herring, who has taken a liking to Charlie. There will be more murders and they need a little bit of luck to uncover the clues and discover who the committed the murders.

Many years ago I read the first few books in this series. I don't know why I didn't continue it as I really enjoyed this cast of characters. You don't really need to read the other books in the series first as the author did a nice job of giving background information on all the characters. Although Hamish's attitude towards women irritated me at times I grew to like him due to his love of his pets and the great care he had for the people under his watch. There is a soft side to him and I believe he may have actually grew a little bit at the end of the story, but....maybe not! I also liked Charlie and hope he will appear in the next book as well. The story flowed so smoothly and the descriptiveness of the scenery made me feel like I could picture everything. The mystery itself was good and I couldn't guess until the very end when all was revealed. I will look forward to going back and reading the earlier books in the series and continue as new ones are released.

I received a free digital version of this book from the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Hamish Macbeth has his hands full once again in his small highland village – he has a new constable, Charlie, who is so big and tall that he is a walking disaster, breaking chairs, crockery, dropping teacups – yet he seems to attract women – a talent Hamish would dearly love.

For when a gorgeous new nurse, Gloria Dainty, moves to town to take care of wheelchair bound, Mr Harrison, and Hamish asks her out on a date, she stands him up – and for a good reason – someone has killed her.

Join Hamish, Charlie, neighbors and the gentle and not so gentle highland folk and their various visitors, as Hamish and Charlie uncover not just one killer – but two. You will be booking a trip to Scotland for sure, and if you’re fortunate, you will meet Hamish and his village friends and lift a few at their village pub – they’re our kind of people.

A GoodReads GiveAway

Hamish Macbeth is still in Lochdubh, Scotland and there is murder aplenty to keep him occupied, certainly as much as he wants to be occupied.

Hamish is content to muck about investigating mundane burglaries and the like.

Hamish’s “sidekick” is Charlie Carter, a clumsy young policeman so big that he makes Hamish claustrophobic when they are both present in the village’s small police office.

Hamish also has a couple of pets. A dog named Lugs and a Scottish wild cat called Sonsie. Wild cats are an endangered species and Hamish’s efforts to keep his ownership of Sonsie under the radar, so to speak, provides the novel with an entertaining subplot.

Of course, Hamish doesn’t get just to muck about. The nurse he has invited on a dinner date seemingly stands him up. But it turns out that Nurse Dainty has been murdered and her body has been chucked off a cliff near the sea.

Hamish and Charlie become part of the investigating team attempting to identify and apprehend the killer.

Simply and straightforwardly written, this novel reads like a lighter version of a mystery Agatha Christie might have written. This isn’t a bad thing.

There are some amusingly cliché elements in the story. For instance, Hamish and Charlie hide behind heavy draperies while an accomplice attempts to trick a suspect into admitting his [?] crime. Kinda like Polonius behind the arras in “Hamlet” but with less deadly results, eh b’ys?

Death of a Nurse is the only Hamish Macbeth novel I have read. Although it is brief, I have enjoyed it. I would read — I will read — another.

This is the 32nd in the Hamish Macbeth mystery series in which he is a sergeant in a picturesque village in the Scottish Highlands called Lochdubh. Most of the characters have stayed the same over the years but in this installment Hamish has a new partner named Charlie Carter who is so clumsy he breaks the china and crockery and is so large that he takes up a lot of space in the small police station. His former constable Dick Fraser went into the bakery business with his beautiful girlfriend Anka and Hamish misses his good cooking. Hamish meets a lovely private duty nurse and asks her to dinner. She doesn’t show up for dinner and is later found murdered. Hamish and Charlie become part of investigation of this and subsequent murders. There is a sub-plot involving one of his beloved pets. I’ve read of all of the books in the series and even have favorites still in their dust jackets on my bookshelf. This one needed more editing especially at the beginning and in parts sounded as if someone other than M.C. Beaton wrote it.

This is Book #31 in the Hamish Macbeth series. Hamish has a new policeman partner-Charlie Carter. Hamish meets a private nurse named Gloria Dainty outside the grocery store and asks her to dinner. She is a nurse for Mr. Harrison, a gentleman new to town living in the old hunting lodge. When she doesn't show up for their dinner date Hamish becomes suspicious something happened to her. It turns out she has been murdered and her body dumped over the cliffs. Hamish and Charlie will not be alone in their investigating. They will have to deal with Police Inspector Fiona Herring, who has taken a liking to Charlie. There will be more murders and they need a little bit of luck to uncover the clues and discover who the committed the murders.

Many years ago I read the first few books in this series. I don't know why I didn't continue it as I really enjoyed this cast of characters. You don't really need to read the other books in the series first as the author did a nice job of giving background information on all the characters. Although Hamish's attitude towards women irritated me at times I grew to like him due to his love of his pets and the great care he had for the people under his watch. There is a soft side to him and I believe he may have actually grew a little bit at the end of the story, but....maybe not! I also liked Charlie and hope he will appear in the next book as well. The story flowed so smoothly and the descriptiveness of the scenery made me feel like I could picture everything. The mystery itself was good and I couldn't guess until the very end when all was revealed. I will look forward to going back and reading the earlier books in the series and continue as new ones are released.

I received a free digital version of this book from the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Hamish Macbeth has his hands full once again in his small highland village – he has a new constable, Charlie, who is so big and tall that he is a walking disaster, breaking chairs, crockery, dropping teacups – yet he seems to attract women – a talent Hamish would dearly love.

For when a gorgeous new nurse, Gloria Dainty, moves to town to take care of wheelchair bound, Mr Harrison, and Hamish asks her out on a date, she stands him up – and for a good reason – someone has killed her.

Join Hamish, Charlie, neighbors and the gentle and not so gentle highland folk and their various visitors, as Hamish and Charlie uncover not just one killer – but two. You will be booking a trip to Scotland for sure, and if you’re fortunate, you will meet Hamish and his village friends and lift a few at their village pub – they’re our kind of people.

A GoodReads GiveAway

Hamish Macbeth is still in Lochdubh, Scotland and there is murder aplenty to keep him occupied, certainly as much as he wants to be occupied.

Hamish is content to muck about investigating mundane burglaries and the like.

Hamish’s “sidekick” is Charlie Carter, a clumsy young policeman so big that he makes Hamish claustrophobic when they are both present in the village’s small police office.

Hamish also has a couple of pets. A dog named Lugs and a Scottish wild cat called Sonsie. Wild cats are an endangered species and Hamish’s efforts to keep his ownership of Sonsie under the radar, so to speak, provides the novel with an entertaining subplot.

Of course, Hamish doesn’t get just to muck about. The nurse he has invited on a dinner date seemingly stands him up. But it turns out that Nurse Dainty has been murdered and her body has been chucked off a cliff near the sea.

Hamish and Charlie become part of the investigating team attempting to identify and apprehend the killer.

Simply and straightforwardly written, this novel reads like a lighter version of a mystery Agatha Christie might have written. This isn’t a bad thing.

There are some amusingly cliché elements in the story. For instance, Hamish and Charlie hide behind heavy draperies while an accomplice attempts to trick a suspect into admitting his [?] crime. Kinda like Polonius behind the arras in “Hamlet” but with less deadly results, eh b’ys?

Death of a Nurse is the only Hamish Macbeth novel I have read. Although it is brief, I have enjoyed it. I would read — I will read — another.

This is the 32nd in the Hamish Macbeth mystery series in which he is a sergeant in a picturesque village in the Scottish Highlands called Lochdubh. Most of the characters have stayed the same over the years but in this installment Hamish has a new partner named Charlie Carter who is so clumsy he breaks the china and crockery and is so large that he takes up a lot of space in the small police station. His former constable Dick Fraser went into the bakery business with his beautiful girlfriend Anka and Hamish misses his good cooking. Hamish meets a lovely private duty nurse and asks her to dinner. She doesn’t show up for dinner and is later found murdered. Hamish and Charlie become part of investigation of this and subsequent murders. There is a sub-plot involving one of his beloved pets. I’ve read of all of the books in the series and even have favorites still in their dust jackets on my bookshelf. This one needed more editing especially at the beginning and in parts sounded as if someone other than M.C. Beaton wrote it.

I used to love Hamish Macbeth mysteries. Now I don't. I think the author must have gotten a new editor. I have noticed the last three books have been heavy handed on political correctness, some of the characters who used to be respectable are now being vilified to some extent, but there is a LOT more sexual content , especially in this book. Not one female character was described without noting her bust-high, low ,big or small, also other crude references etc. very disappointing. I liked Hamish Macbeth books for the puzzle and for the clean content , this may not be as bad as some books, but it is not as innocent and cozy as before. A corner has been turned. Is it to bring in younger readers, male readers, because her editor likes to read about sex, crude sexual references and has a certain political agenda, or has the author decided this is how she really wants to write. I don't know, I do know Hamsh no longer gets four stars.

This was a fun read with likeable, eccentric characters and a few bad apples thrown in. Hamish Macbeth would like to get to know the flirty private duty nurse of a supposedly disabled wealthy landowner, but she is murdered the night they were to meet for dinner. Inspector Fiona Henning is put in charge of the case and takes Hamish's policeman Charlie Carter as her sidekick, leaving Hamish with other duties. Of course, Hamish can't leave it alone and ends up solving the case. If you like quaint British mysteries, you will enjoy this book. Then you might want to go back and read the first thirty-one books in the series.

It's always good to return to Lochdubh, Scotland, the fictional village along a remote coast in the Highlands. Of course it would be no fun without redheaded Hamish, the unambitious constable who has no desire to go further afield, yet always seems to find plenty of murders to solve in this wild and beautiful place. This time a young gold-digging nurse meets an untimely end while working for a grumpy curmudgeon with lots of money. It isn't long before other people connected with the old gentleman beginning dying off. Hamish and his big gentle giant of a partner Charlie have their hands full with all the characters they have to deal with, including familiar ones from the village. Don't look for DuMaurier or Rendell here, just sit back and enjoy a quick page-turning escape to the Highlands.

Same old Hamish - trotting after any woman he thinks is pretty while unable to figure out why he can't find "the one". He has a bad habit of putting down all of his "friends" and compatriots while solving cases that no other police are able to. He never gets the credit though and this time is no different. What is different is that he turns his cat free and mourns the loss and I think he's finally starting to grasp the fact that he needs to look deeper than pure looks when trying to find a woman. I have higher hopes for the next Hamish Macbeth book and I hope they prove true.

This is a Hamish Macbeth mystery which really says it all. I really enjoy all of Beaton's books, but the Macbeth mysteries have a wonderful atmosphere to them - I love the scenery, the characters and the frailties of the hero, I love the way he deals with his superior, his love life and the people under his care. The stories are well written, logically put and not try to be too clever. This book is a little bit more fun then some of his others, and do hope his offsider Charlie will return in further mysteries. The mystery was good and a page turner in as much as I read and finished it well into the night.
This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review

I happened upon this book while perusing the new book section of the library. Always on the lookout for a good mystery, I decided to pick this one up and give it a read. I noticed that there'd been 30+ previous books in the series, so I was hoping I'd like it. Well, I did enjoy reading it. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the plot. It was a fun and short read. When I return this book to the library, I will be looking at the M.C. Beaton section to see how many more I can gather up and bring home so I can sit back, put my feet up, settle one or two dogs around my legs, and dig in!

I received this ebook thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I enjoyed it and give it a solid 4 stars out of 5. Hamish MacBeth solves more murders, but due to his unorthodox methods, does not get any credit. That means he does not get promoted, which is what he wants, i.e., staying in the small village of Lochdubh, rather going to the city of Strathbane.

Hamish asks a local woman out on a date and she doesn't show up. It turns out that she has been murdered. Hamish is good at solving murders, but not so good in the romance department.

I really enjoyed my visit to Scotland with Hamish. This book finds Hamish and Charlie solving another murder. The characters and the setting are fun as always. The mystery and the solution were good in this book. They were complicated and there were enough suspects to keep it interesting. This series does not need to be read in order. Enjoy your visit

I continue to read this series because I love the Scottish setting and the main character, Hamish Macbeth. This wily policeman is a bit lazy and he loves his small village. He has no ambitions and wants only to stay exactly where he is. He is very smart and manages to solve any crime that comes his way. This is a very cozy series and a very fast read.

I've been very disappointed with the last three Hamish books and this Death Of A nurse has made me wonder where the character can go from here. He never ages - which is weird - he is still thirty three in this book when we were told he was mid thirties in the first ever story (30 or so books back!) The plot is weak. Sonsi the wild cat gets put back into the wild and Hamish gets a fluffy white poodle in her place. Pricilla ends up handcuffed to a bed but we never get to hear the end of that episode...all in all very disjointed and leads absolutely nowhere. The story end with Hamish shuffling back into his police station home hoping for the love of his life to turn up soon. And she'd better turn up soon, whether we are told or not told through the story, Hamish is a very old man now and well past retirement age. The only thing that ages in these stories are the animals so there must be some sort of concept of time up in Lochdubh.