Death of a Dreamer by Marion Chesney (2007, Paperback, Reprint)
Product Details
Overview -
Death of a Dreamer (Hamish Macbeth Series #22)
Product Details
- Pub. Date: January 2007
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
- Format: Mass Market Paperback , 288pp
- Series: Hamish Macbeth Series , #22
- ISBN-13: 9780446618137
- ISBN: 0446618136
- Edition Description: REPRINT
Synopsis
The rugged landscape of Scotland attracts dreamers who move north, wrapped in fantasies of enjoying the simple life. They usually don't last, but it looks as if Effie Garrard has come to stay. When Constable Hamish Macbeth calls on her, he's amazed that she weathered the difficult winter. But Effie is quite delusional, imagining that she's engaged to local artist Jock Fleming. Later, Effie is found in the mountains, poisoned by hemlock.
Publishers Weekly
Beaton's flawless 21st installment in her popular Hamish Macbeth series (after 2005's Death of a Bore) boasts amusing local color and singularly savvy sleuthing. Macbeth, constable in the Highlands village of Lochdubh, thinks the apparent suicide of Effie Garrard, an artist who's arrived in town only recently, is suspicious. Following the murder of a nosy American tourist, Macbeth digs a little deeper and learns that Effie couldn't paint to, er, save her life-she was passing off another artist's work as her own. Macbeth's personal life is also consuming: two old flames turn up in Lochdubh within a few days of each other. Of course, Macbeth solves what turns out to be a double murder-but resolution of his romantic contretemps will have to wait for the next novel in this charming series. Beaton, who's also the author of the Agatha Raisin mystery series, will be the British guest of honor at the 2006 Bouchercon. (Feb.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Specifications
- Pub. Date: January 2007
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
- Format: Mass Market Paperback , 288pp
- Series: Hamish Macbeth Series , #22
- ISBN-13: 9780446618137
- ISBN: 0446618136
- Edition Description: REPRINT
Reviews (3)
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4.0 / 5.0
Hamish MacBeth is back, and the Highlands village constable has two murders on his hands. One is a lonely and unbalanced woman who's rented a cottage near the village and is passing off someone else's art as her own, in addition to deluding herself that a visiting artist wants to marry her. The other is a retired businessman who doesn't seem to be popular with anybody. How are these two murders connected? Hamish deals with a variety of village visitors who may have clues, as well as old loves who resurface in his life with the usual complications. As always, a nice and nondemanding read for a quiet afternoon.
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4.0 / 5.0
Residents of Sutherland County in the extreme northern Scotland are used to harsh winters, but this year¿s series of blizzards was the most savage in memory. Lochdubh constable Hamish Macbeth knows the horrendous weather kept crime down as few from the south ventured this far, but he also feels guilty for not calling on new neighbor Effie Garrard during the adverse season. Hamish goes to visit Effie expecting her home shuttered tight and she in the warmer south, but instead he sees she weathered the winter reasonably well. --- Effie insists that visiting landscape painter Jock Fleming loves her while the artist says that is not so as he treasures all the beautiful women. When Jock dines with summer-bird Priscilla Halburton-Smyth dreamer Effie argues with him that he belongs to her while he insists no way. Not long afterward, Effie is found dead, a victim of hemlock poisoning. Though some say suicide as the fantasist could not cope with the end of her relationship with Jock and others assume the artist killed her, Hamish thinks the case is much more complex. He looks into who turned the dreamer¿s world into a nightmarish death even as a second victim dies. --- The first half of this fine locality piece is more a character study as the villagers begin to come out of the wintry cocoon and introduce readers to the key players besides Hamish. About a little more than a third of the way into the fine story line the death of the fantasist occurs at that point Hamish goes into constable mold and the tale twists into a fine Scottish police procedural with the villagers offering their opinions until the second death occurs. M.C. Beaton provides another strong Macbeth who-done-it. --- Harriet Klausner
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5.0 / 5.0
We love the entire Hamish series and once we have read them all we plan to watch the PBS series. Hamish is funny and likeable and empathetic at the right times. His dog and cat add a light touch. Hamish is the Scotts cousin to Charlie Moon in the Doss series.