Death of a Valentine

Ah yes, another mystery set in the Scottish Highlands. There is never a dull moment when Hamish is around. This time Hamish is going all out to find out who killed Annie, the festival Queen. One wonders how this small little town, Lochdubh seems to draw out the worst in people. This time Hamish,has been promoted to Sargent. He even has a new helper,Josie McSween to help him with the case. Unfortunately, no one is what they seem to be on the surface. Festival Queen Annie, seems to have quite a different lifestyle then any one can possibly imagine. Josie, his assistant wants so much to impress Hamish, is when the trouble begins in this wonderful cozy mystery. M.C. Beaton brings Hamish and his village to life once more. The plot is very well done and the characters seems to take on a life of their own, in this latest installment. Poor Hamish. How does he always seem to find find himself in trouble? This book and all of the books, are keepers on my library shelf. I definitely recommend this mystery to all readers who enjoy a fun mystery to solve.

In this 25th entry into the Hamish MacBeth series, finds perennial bachelor MacBeth vigorously pursued by a new police recruit and his new partner, Josie McSween, sent to Lochdubh by his enemy Chief Inspector Blair. While Josie is pursuing Hamish by trying to drug him into a night of passionate loving and by mistake drugging anyone in the vincinity but Hamish, several murders occur. The first one on Valentine's Day sees the death of the not-so-sweet and not-so-innocent Anne who opens a parcel which explodes in her face. Several other murders occur and Hamish investigates with his inept, marriage-dreaming partner Josie. Josie finally succeeds in drugging Hamish with Rohypnol (date-rape drug) and lies about them spending the night together and conceiving a baby. MacBeth's old girlfriend, reporter Elspeth has found evidence that all is not as it should be--will she be in time to stop the wedding? If you like Hamish MacBeth novels, this is sure to please. It is a bit darker than some of the novels with regards to Hamish and his personality, but also contains the gentle humor that the series is laced with. Most of our old friends from the series appear in this book--so it is a nice continuation of a gentle friendship with the village of Lochdubh.

It's hard to believe that this book is number 25 in the Hamish Macbeth series. I still really enjoy each book, and they make me laugh out loud. Beaton is definitely the queen of the English village cozy and this character is the crown jewel in her arsenal. Hamish is always true to his own beliefs and yes, he is a confirmed bachelor. There are lots of men like this out there. They remain impervious to all the females that try to snag them. In this book Hamish is trying to find a bomber who blew up a young beauty queen, and his new constable who happens to be a woman, isn't much help to him because all she wants is for Hamish to marry her and she stops at nothing to achieve this. Hamish finds he has a whole string of killings on his hands, and his own life is threatened by a surprising person. Loved the book, and love Hamish. Bring it on!

In the Highlands on Valentine's Day, Lammas festival queen, Annie Fleming received a gift that exploded when she opened it; she died instantly. police sergeant Hamish Macbeth leads the investigation with his new sidekick constable Josie McSween at his side; something he detests. They soon find out that the victim had plenty of rejected lovers who loathed Annie for spurning their advances. Meanwhile working together draws the two cops closer even as Hamish uses the murder as proof that love is lethal to more than just the heart. However the villagers of Lochdubh are euphoric that the bachelor police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth and popular constable Josie McSween are engaged. Unlike seemingly the entire Highlands, Hamish is miserable and grumpy when he should be elated. With a strong police procedural combined with a comedic romantic subplot, fans of the long running series will relish the latest Macbeth thriller. Ironically, the investigation is super vs. the romance which is amusing yet it is the latter that keeps the audience reading in one sitting (or cheating) with a need to know whether the long time (24 previous titles) bachelor says I do. Harriet Klausner

MC Beaton has done it again. Just as always we find a tale of mystery, humor, and intrigue. In this latest cozy mystery, Death of a Valentine, Hamish Macbeth is not only honing his detective skills, but is also considering marriage. How will he solve the crime? Will he finally tie the knot? I'm not about to be a "spoiler" here, so I will say this is as good a read as Beaton has written to date. Highly recommended.