I have a theory that people swear because they have a poor or extremely limited vocabulary. "Comedians" are foulmouthed when they believe their humor is inadequate and they will be unable to otherwise reach their audience without the vulgarities.

What can be said about a previously talented author who feels the need to be salacious in her writing?



Disappointed....

My favourite one so far

5 stars.
Good story, interesting characters.

I have to chuckle over this one....it would have been written during the time that Beaton's own Hamish Macbeth was made into a tv series for BBC Scotland (1995-1998). That real life series, as with the one in the mystery, bore no resemblence to the stories they were based on, except for the name of the title characters. I have a feeling the scriptwriter in the book got exactly what Beaton would have liked to have done to the scriptwriter on her series. She poked fun at directors, producers, actors, and herself.

I've been revisiting the Hamish MacBeth series. Death of a Scriptwriter was one of the best entries, managing to have all the warmth and cosiness that made M.C. Beaton such a beloved author, while sporting a very good mystery. If you haven't read any of the MacBeth books, this one could work as a good intro or a stand alone. The backstory is easily picked up. Highly recommended.

Hamish MacBeth is kind of a sad character. There are times he comes off as super friendly and quite capable of being friends with a woman. This feels modern. He likes his whiskey but he's not a hard drinking lout. He doesn't seem like someone who is always trying to get in someone's pants. He invites women in, in a thoroughly pleasant manner. He seems capable of meeting for dinner without that meaning anything besides spending time together and having conversation. He honestly sounds better than most of the other men described in the book who come off as overly controlling of their wives.

Sadly, when Hamish finally did get engaged to his long time girlfriend, Priscilla, they fell into awkward overly gendered traditional roles. Slowly it dawns on them that there's no way the wealthy Priscilla is going to turn into a village policeman's wife. On his side of it, he has no ambition to be anything else beyond his current station. Much as they enjoy each other's company, they're a bad fit. Like Josephine Tey's detective Grant, MacBeth needs to stay single.

So prior to the opening of this book, they have already broken off their engagement. In this book we see an older, more lonely Macbeth. He solves the mystery which I enjoyed. I like all the details that describe these small highland communities. I like the pacing. This book does make you want to read on in the series. Unless, of course, you just don't like the sleuth. Some reviewers comment that MacBeth doesn't have much of a personality. Aside from being described as lazy, they say there's not much too him. I disagree. I thought I got a good sense of this lonely bachelor. He likes his animals, solving mysteries, and doing what's best for the community. He's from a big family and maybe that's why he was never in a hurry to get married. By this book though, I think we are to assume he won't ever get married

Murder, mayhem, and Sunday-night television. Another murderer strikes again in the highlands and Hamish MacBeth is on the case. A television crew has come to the town of Drim, near Lochdubh, to film a new show based on the mystery novels of one Patricia Martyn-Broyd who is also living in the area. But when the ill-tempered, shady, chauvinistic scriptwriter is murdered, everything begins to fall apart. As always, Hamish begins working the case, using his tried-and-true (if not unconventional) methods to solve the crime. If I've said it once, I've said it several times now - I love this series. It is comforting and familiar, like a warm blanket.

2015 Review:
What better way to start the new year than by spending a little time with a man who knows what he wants out of life and is content with what he has? Hamish Macbeth once again has a mystery on his hands in the village of Drim when a scriptwriter who has made a sexy drug romp out of a stodgy period cozy winds up dead. He finds that there is a worse detective to work with than Blair. And he is once again disappointed in love.

2022 Review:
I picked up a whole stack of books in this series and when I was looking for something to read on a red eye flight, this one was on top. Initially, I could not remember if I had read it before, because it seemed familiar, although that familiarity is part of the charm of the series. When I saw that I had read it before, I continued anyway because it was nice fluff after some heavier/more intense reading and because I could not remember whodunit. I once again find myself in complete sympathy with Hamish Macbeth and his desire for a little subsistence job and a simple life in the village he loves. I would happily take that kind of life if it were available to me.

I usually enjoy this series more. I’m a fan of Hamish, but this book was just ok to me. Maybe it was because I could care less about tv/filmmaking. The location of Drim in Northern Scotland was dismal, which didn’t improve the atmosphere of the book any. It wasn’t bad, just not as good as most.

Classic Hamish case!

A very interesting plot. Set in Drim a nearby village to where Hamish is based. A motley set of village characters who love a good murder. Usual cosyness but something extra to elevate it to a 4* for me

So, with the Hamish Macbeth series, my review is the same. Good, cozy read with some great extra detail. These mysteries are not going to break your brain, but they provide a nice break from heavier reading and a fun, predictable storyline. I only like cozy mysteries, so I am biased. If you like a deeper, more psychological thriller, this is definitely not it. Overall, I'm happy with this series and can truly reccomend for someone with similar tastes.