Death of a Nag

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 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.

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.

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.

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