Death of a Ghost (A Hamish Macbeth Mystery)

I love Hamish and look forward to his future adventures. Although getting a little predictable, it is still a good clean read and I enjoy him. Books get passed around so many of us read M. C. Beaton.

Hamish Macbeth is a longtime police officer in Lochdubh Scotland. This cozy mystery has him investigating a complaint of a “ghostly howling ” in an old castle. Soon his investigation leads to a string of murders that his superiors seem eager to consider the killer identified and the case solved. Hamish believes otherwise and continues to dig his way into the web of deceit! I am a loyal reader and fan of M.C. Beaton, having read all her Hamish Macbeth series. This book struck me as being a bit darker than earlier stories. Instead of fun, caring characters, I felt like they all took a twist into becoming brooding, malicious ones. Even Hamish is not himself, being extra morose and pathetic. I really missed the humor of the regular Lochdubh characters and the comradery of Hamish and Jimmy Anderson. I always enjoyed jimmy before this book and now he is an unlovable lush. Officer Blair has gone from an irritating superior to a possible killer. Too much darkness in the lovable life of Hamish! I still love the series and definitely recommend this book and the Hamish MacBeth series to lovers of mystery.

Death of a Ghost (Hamish Macbeth, #32) is now available from Grand Central Publishing. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I read many of the early Hamish Macbeth books and I loved them. This one, though? I hated it. Hamish has turned into a condescending pig that I do not like. I finally just skipped to the end and it made say, "WTF??"

The entire epilogue (which was way too long) storyline with Fox and Blair was just so far out there. Is Beaton even writing these books herself anymore or has she just gone barmy?

Absolutely abysmal book and I highly doubt I will ever read an MC Beaton book again.

In case I was not clear enough, I DO NOT RECOMMEND this book.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.* (By the way, this is the first NetGalley book I've not finished. Sad day.)

The Hamish Macbeth books may be somewhat formulaic, but they are great fun, and this book is no exception. There is a certain pleasure in knowing what you will get, and “Death of a Ghost” lives up to that expectation.

Hamish is his usual charming and beguiling self, and the cast of characters around him, while always changing slightly, adds to the mix. I love Hamish’s pets, although, like him, I miss Sonsie the wild cat. In “Death of a Ghost” Hamish’s constable, Charlie Carter, helps him carry the load, and Hamish has, of course, woman problems.

I don’t like spoilers, so I will not give any, but suffice it to say that less of the action takes place in Lochdubh, and more in other parts of Scotland. There are several mysteries to solve, and a somewhat unusual extended epilogue.

You will enjoy “Death of a Ghost,” and it is worth every minute of your time. A happy five stars.

I was given an ARC of this book by the publisher and NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I’ve read the entire Hamish Macbeth series and this one is my second least favorite. I’ll give it 4-stars, but would say it is more like 3.5. I say that because I am just getting tired of some things in the series – like Hamish and his love life. He never learns from his past. He’s in his thirties and has a really smart, intuitive brain, but has no sense when it comes to women. I was really glad that Priscilla Halburton-Smythe was hardly featured at all in this book AND maybe there is some movement in the relationship with Elspeth. I guess we’ll have to wait for the next book to see where/if that goes!

I’m also tired of Blair and Daviot. I know that police (and any other) organization can become rife with corruption, but sooner or later it gets known and corrected. Blair is a totally inept bully, but manages to keep his job because he sucks up to Daviot. I’m not sure how Daviot keeps his job since he is such a bad judge of character. So, I’m hoping to see some changes with those two – and with the epilogue, it seems to hint that something is about to change (probably for the worse) with Blair at least.

Another pair I am tired of are the twin sisters. Hamish has saved them, done things for them, yet they never learn and constantly try to stir up trouble for him. I’d be happy if they learned their lesson and either moved away or changed.

I love the rest of the villagers (well – the preachers wife not so much) and was sad that they weren’t featured very much in this book. I don’t think the ‘seer’ was in there at all, but if he was, it was really brief. This book took place almost entirely in other locations.
I really like the relationship between Hamish and Charlie and hope to see that continue. I’d kind of like to see them resolve the issue of the police station by maybe making the station permanent and giving Hamish an even wider territory with maybe another constable of two. That could open up a whole new territory for stories in the future.

The story in this book is typical of all of the other books, but with less interference from Daviot and Blair. Someone within Hamish’s territory contacts him about ghostly noises and says there is something going on in his village. Hamish, of course, goes to investigate. I won’t tell you the story, because that will spoil it, but there are multiple murders, suicides, and accidental deaths before you reach the solution. You will probably even be surprised at who the guilty party is. The solution is rather abrupt and definitely not at the hands of anybody’s good investigative skills (that could have been better).

You have murder, smuggling, drugs, adultery, romantic trysts – you name it and it is all in there. The mystery, as always, is more complex than it seems on the surface. All in all, it was a good read.

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

New disclaimer due to new the store rules: I was gifted a free electronic copy of this book, via Netgalley, by the publisher. I am not obligated, nor being forced, to post a review – I’m doing it of my own free will as I enjoy reviewing.

On advice from the store, and based on their emailed reply I can say – “My review is given voluntarily and the Author/publisher does not require a review in exchange for the book, or attempt to influence my review.”

For the record I have been a huge fan of Marion Chesney (AKA M.C. Beaton) for at least a decade now… and not just of her Hamish Macbeth series… which is far, far better than the silly TV series.

And so I was thrilled to be given an opportunity to read the latest Hamish tale… even though I think I am now about 8 books behind in the series… Boy I’ve been slack! There, that is me being open and honest so please realise I am not a terrible person when it comes to the following constructive criticism… Uh oh.

So! As I’ve said, I am not as up to date with the series as I would have loved and so am not going to make comment on it referring to stuff I didn’t know as the only person I have to blame there is myself. But I have to say there was just something lacking in ‘Death of a Ghost’ that made it not seem that polished and finished as the other books I’ve read in the series. Though, this is the first time I’ve read an ARC of the series and so the less than polished to perfection feel could simply be due to that.

All the same I just found the story a little sketchy at times. You would have the major scene… followed by a few one liners that filled in the next few hours (sometimes days) until the next big major scene. It almost came across as notes and I expected to see the editors scribe on in the margin saying “to beef out later” or something. I really got despondent in the quality of the writing after a while as it really came across as if half the story (the boring filler bits) was just missing and the sketchy one liners therefore diminished the quality of the overall work.

I mean, all the usual “Hamishness” was there and it all seemed to fit the usual pattern of a Hamish Macbeth tale… but it simply felt half-finished to me. Perhaps I am just being a perfectionist and asking too much? I don’t know. But I will have to admit the sketchy quality of the writing has put me off being as eager to read other new works by Ms Beaton just in case this is common to her writing style these days.

Would I recommend this book to other?

Saying all of that, I would. But, of course, being the 35th book I would recommend those who have not read the series before start back at book one. And for those who have read the series… I wouldn’t mention my sketchiness concerns until after they’d read and to see if they saw it too or if I really was just being a bit of a book diva again.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Despite the flaws I perceived in it… Yes I would. I mean, I have bought most of the other books in the series and what sort of fan would I be if I didn’t ensure I had copies of all the books in the series?

In summary: Even after all this time, Hamish can still solve some of the cleverest crimes by jumping to conclusions and guessing. ;-)

Hamish MacBeth is back in true Hamish fashion. This is a series that I find people either love it or not. Hamish is a very distinct personality. He loves living in Lochdubh and has no interest in moving up the ladder in the police force. His sidekick, Charlie, is a large, clumsy lovable man who also does not want to leave the area. The problem is, these two inevitably solve cases and have to give the credit to others. This story sees Hamish and Charlie investigating a number of crimes in the Highland area they are responsible for. Between murders, smugglers, drugs, abused wives and children, they are kept hopping. Despite the fact that their superiors think they have solved the murders, Hamish is not so sure and keeps investigating. There are so many suspects as usual, that it takes a lot of deduction, perseverance and investigating to get to the bottom of these situations, all of which Hamish does well.

The main characters in the Hamish MacBeth series are quite complex and have human foibles galore. Hamish is a man who would like to find the right woman, but always finds fault with the one he is with. The women in the village are trying to get him to settle down as he seems to have difficulty finding someone on his own, that does not work out as planned. He is quite blunt and often ends up inadvertently hurting a person's feelings. Charlie continues to become smitten with women that do not work out. He lives in the castle due to the station being too small to accomodate a man of his size. He is kind, calm and friendly. The many secondary characters in the villages are very typical Highlanders. The Colonel makes several appearances in this book helping both Charlie and Hamish in their quests to remain in Lochdubh. Of course this time around Chief Detective Blair is present but not a thorn in Hamish's side as much as in previous books. He still does not like Hamish but is outwitted everytime he tries to cause problems for him. This was an enjoyable read with many more details and situations than in previous books. Once again, Hamish figures out what has happened, and is successful in giving the credit to others. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

M.C. Beaton writes quirky characters with misogynist views. She writes short clipped sentences with intelligence and humor. Her mysteries are not great literature; most are not even great mysteries - but they are entertaining, especially for those who love the characters. In recent years, her books have become more formulaic, but now and then there is a twist or turn that will make her fans smile. I have read all of the Hamish Macbeth books, and I would put this one somewhere in the middle of the road - or slightly lower than the middle. (There seems to be a lot of the store reviewers that will give just about anything 5 stars -"Don't be daft!", but I am more discerning and selective.) If you like Hamish, you will enjoy it - the part about Sonsie is particularly poignant. If this book is your first introduction, I doubt if you will honestly be bowled over. One of the stars I have given is for sheer sentimentality.

This is the 33rd in the Hamish Macbeth Mystery series and I've read them all. Some have been better than others and most have followed a predictable format with basically the same familiar characters. Macbeth is a police sergeant in the Scottish Highlands in the village of Lochdubh who has no ambitions other than his current status. Here Hamish and his partner Charlie are asked to investigate a ghost in a haunted castle near Drim. They spend the night there only to discover a dead body propped against the wall in the cellar the next morning. The descriptions of the picturesque villages, the people, and the ever-changing weather add to the stories. These books are great for fans of British cozies and also wonderful to curl up on a cold or rainy night. In my case I read them in a few hours sorry that the book has ended so soon and that I have to wait another year for the next one.

32nd in a series? I am flabbergasted by that number. Too, this is the author who writes my beloved Agatha Raisin series, of which there are 27 so far. M.C. Beaton has sold more than 20 million books worldwide.

So, I suppose it's okay that Hamish didn't do it for me. He's no Agatha Raisin, which I know is too great a burden to impose on him. I found this novel hard to follow --- which, no doubt, would have been easier had it not been my first dip into the Hamish Macbeth world.

And what do I know? I haven't sold 20 million books nor written 60 plus books; hell, I've only written one and can't sell it to anyone, and as for 20 million readers? This little blog will never achieve that, or even, it seems, a million --- so hats off to M.C. Beaton, and here's hoping she writes another 60 before she's finished.

Thie is the 34th volume of the Hamish

This is the 34th volume of the Hamish Macbeth series and it is time it is put to bed as continuity is lost with the disappearsnce of minor characters and familiar places .
In this case the detective investigates ghotst like noises from the village of Lochdubh only to find a body that disappears.With patient investigation Macbeth finds all the answers.
A most unsatisfactory book.

m

I have only read one book previous in this series and to be honest was I not so impressed with it. However, I thought I would give the series on more chance. The story seemed interesting and I love reading books set in Scotland.

Death of a Ghost starts off with a haunted castle, but then it quickly turns into a murder mystery when Hamish and Charlie find a body in the castle. Who killed the man and why? This is only the beginning as more the killer goes after more people. And, it's up to Hamish to put a stop to it all.

I have some problems with this book, and one major problem is the way the book is written. It's pretty much just dialog and not much description. And, the dialog feels very terse and lacks fluency. This could be just me, but I find it very hard to get into the story because of that. The characters never come to life and for instance, Hamish problem with women, is that suppose to be funny? I actually don't know because it never is funny. It's just annoying. And Charlie being clumsy is another thing that is just not working for me. Not to mention when Charlie fell for Olivia, the books female fatal. That was just cringeworthy. The only things that kept me going were that I wanted to know who the murderer was.

Death of a Ghost is my last attempt reading this series. I just can't see what's so awesome with the books. The storyline, especially towards the end of the book was just so baffling. I mean everything concerning Chief Detective Inspector Blair felt like a parody. Without being funny.

I chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased!

M.C. Beaton always writes well. However, I didn't like this one as much as I've liked other Hamish or Agatha stories. I'm not sure why I didn't. It just seemed -- what? -- snarkier, maybe. Also, I just can't stand it that Hamish doesn't get Sonsie back. I thought for a while that it might happen in this book, but no... I know there's a real-life problem with the native Scottish Wildcat disappearing, hence the sanctuary, but Hamish had had her so long, she really was a pet.

Cancelling my plans to visit the Scottish Highlands - too many murders. Ha ha. Another fun read of M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series. I do love the characters in the stories. That Hamish, a canny policeman in a very small Scottish village way up in the cold, rainy part, but also beautiful. If he could just settle on a love of his life. All in all enjoyed this one in the series as before. Of course, I'll read more.

Death of a Ghost was my first introduction to Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth and the quirky village of Lochdubh, based in the Scottish Highlands. Much like M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series (that I happen to absolutely love), Hamish Macbeth is full of eclectic characters. While only a few are featured in Death of a Ghost, like the minister’s wife who tries to set poor Hamish up with her niece, I can’t wait to read the earlier books to meet more!

When Death of a Ghost begins, we are momentarily introduced to Hamish’s controlling girlfriend, who happens to become a mere few pages in, an ex-girlfriend. After ending the relationship, it’s obvious that Hamish isn’t heartbroken, just in need of a case to occupy his mind and time. Soon we are introduced to such a care through retired police Chief Constable Hanover "Handy" Ebrington. He happens to be the new owner of the apparently haunted Castle Drim. Fellow Police Officer Charlie Carson accompanies Hamish on an overnight at the castle to attempt to figure out the source of the “haunting”. Instead of finding a ghost, Charlie literally stumbles onto a dead body. Between the time it takes Hamish to call in for support and grab breakfast, the body mysteriously disappears. This starts an interesting series of events involving smugglers, a minister, an ex-model, a professor who peddles his disbelief in God and a few boxes of e-cigarettes that seem to combust while charging.

With multiple story lines and twists, it was a relief to be able to keep up with both the story and characters without reading the prior books. I was surprised to find that the story didn’t conclude with the mystery being solved, but continued to focus on the murderous relationship between two of the more ambitious members of the police force. The book itself was a fun read and the conclusion to the whodunit was fulfilling.

What a boring book. I found myself saying "get on with it" too many times to count. The actual plot points and important events had no logical lead in, happened abruptly, were described in less than one page. I was left wondering why the countryside, weather, and menu choices had to be described so many times and in such extravagant detail to solve a mystery. Then the story didn't end! the last few chapters start another plot that, surprise, leads nowhere. This was my 1st Hamish Macbeth mystery and will also be my last.

This book was about Hamish Macbeth staying the night in a haunted castle to try to find out why it appears haunted. He and his policeman Charlie spends the night and Charlie falls through the floor and they find a dead body. After a supper break they go back and the body is missing so they have to figure out what happened. As usual there are lots of side issues happening in. Hamish's life.

We, my husband and I, thoroughly enjoy this series. The author paints the Scottish areas vividly and we feel we are there. The main character, Hamish, is an excellent policeman but lousy at personal relationships. It felt like such a bright person should be doing better and, yippee, in this book he shows progress. The mysteries are always good and relatively complex, another plus.

Hamish is his usual, iconic self, solving the crime(s) when no one else can or will. The ghost in the title, in my mind, is really not a key ingredient in the mix, but does grab your interest so that's a good thing. A regular reader of the Hamish MacBeth series will identify with many of the returning characters, others will have to read carefully to understand the conflicts and concerns as the characters interact and confront one another. All in all, a fun book in the continuing saga of Hamish MacBeth.

Hamish , steadfast and charming with the ladies, . And always in the sights o SCI Blair. The twist and turns in the plot only want to make you read faster. All of the characters are easily recognizable from every day life. Excellent read , thanks,M C Beat on

Yikes. A lot of death, plotting, and evilness in this entry; much more so than usual. There’s a certain grittiness to it that makes me hesitate to call this particular book a “cozy” mystery. It’s still enjoyable, and it’s a good story with lots of twists and turns and unforeseen endings.

Although I almost like every book in this series as much as the other one, M.C. Beaton outdid herself with this one. The plot of the book is so complex, unpredictable, and full of surprises, just like the characters in it. As a fan of the author and the series, I can see the murder mysteries keep getting more and more complex and brilliant with each and every book, but the one of the main reason I like this series so much is the quirky, flawed, relatable, complex, and likeable characters, trying to do best they can to cope with what life throws their ways, and the terribly entertaining way of storytelling. This is one of those books I couldn’t put down, while not wanting it to end. Unlike most mysteries that seem to unwind gradually, this book keeps getting more and more complex, unpredictable, and breathtakingly suspenseful toward the end. I also liked the fact that all the regular characters are included in this book.

Loved this latest edition to the Hamish series! M.C. Beaton never disappoints! My fave this time were the teasers about Sonsie, drawing out the suspense?... Good to meet up with Elsbeth and Priscilla as well. And poo poo to anyone who says our M.C. has "lost it" or it was "ghostwritten" or she's too "negative" about police corruption and Hamish's "treatment" of women. Welcome to the real world! And besides, this author's true fans love her quirky nature and slightly dark view of the world and the characters that inhabit it. A+++

I get transformed when reading each Hamish Macbeth books. I feel as though I’m there, seeing Louchdub, watching the Currie sisters, and in his small kitchen. I look forward to the next adventure! I know I won’t ever visit but I can always read about it.