Highland Laddie Gone (Elizabeth MacPherson)

This hilarious book kept me going until I finished it. I gobbled it up in about 2 days of sporadic reading. The duck story though "sad" made me believe it might have really happened, I had to laugh and share it with others. I have a border collie so I enjoyed hearing about the one in her book. I met old characters as well as new that I "wanted" to read more about.

Sharyn McCrumb is the author of three mystery series, each very different from the others. This is the third book featuring forensic anthropologist Elizabeth MacPherson. They are fairly lightwight and humorous. Some of her later volumes ('MacPherson's Lament' and If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him...') combine current and historic mysteries which I found particulary intriguing. This mix of contemporary and historical mysteries is also a key element of her second series. Based in the mountains of eastern Tennessee with titles gleaned from old Appalachian folk songs it is a more serious collection that is rich in the beauty and folklore of the region. My personal favorite is 'She Walks These Hills'. On the off chance that there is someone out there looking for something a little more irreverent than 'Highland Laddie Gone,' McCrumb has an answer for that, too. The title says it all: 'Bimbos of the Death Sun' Don't laugh. It won an Edgar.

Unlike some of my fellow reviewers, I love funny mysteries. They have to be well-written, too, mind you - something that has funny lines but is otherwise incoherent wouldn't get five stars from me. However, Sharyn McCrumb is anything but incoherent. Her characters have lots of witty dialogue, but also are fleshed out to be real people. (Some more thinly fleshed out than others, but still...) Elizabeth is attending the Highland Games with her cousin Geoffrey because she happens to be the Maid of the Cat for Clan Chattan. The cat is an old, toothless mountain lion. There are funny moments with other animals too- keep an eye out for poultry. At the games, she meets a genuine Scot- who has a rather jaundiced view of the American version of things, but who also has an accent that Elizabeth compares to pancake syrup; she falls in love with it almost immediately, and then with the rest of the guy.The person who is murdered certainly deserves it, as is often the case in McCrumb's stories. She writes really good nasty people. For me, perhaps the funniest part of the book is near the end. The officer who has been working on the case also happens to be part of a Civil War recreation group- costumes, battles, etc. Elizabeth is talking to him about the next event that's going to use the grounds after the Games are finished. It's the SCA, who dress up in medieval costumes and hold jousting tournaments. About this group, "those people are weird" says Clan Chattan Maid of the Cat to Confederal Colonel Lightfoot MacDonald!!

I've read 4 or 5 of the Elizabeth MacPherson mysteries and this one is my favorite. All are humorous, light mysteries great for the beach or in-flight entertainment. As a fan of all things Scottish, I especially enjoyed the author's version of the scottish games and her presentation of an actual Scot being the most un-Scottish person there. Very amusing!

This is the 3rd in the series of Elizabeth MacPherson mysteries, and definitely one of the funniest. There is a delightful portrayal of a Scottish festival and the many participants there. We also get a view of this festival through the eyes of real Scot, Cameron Dawson, Elizabeth's new found enamorata.The story kicks into high gear when the head of Clan Campbell is found dead. It also reaches hilarious heights when Elizabeth's cousin Geoffrey finds himself mixed up in the screwball Scottish Republican Army, and Cameron is mistaken for a British spy.If you enjoy fast paced and humorous mysteries, pick up a copy of this book. You'll probably want to read the rest of the series once you get started.