Death of a Maid
by M. C. Beaton
Published by Mysterious Press
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Reviewed by Anne-Gigi Chan
(22nd installment of Hamish Macbeth Mystery)
Hamish Macbeth was a policeman in a small Scottish village. He cherished his quiet life in the Highlands and got more than he bargained for when he won Mrs. Gillespie's maid service at the church raffle. Just when Macbeth was beginning to suspect that Mrs. Gillespie was snooping around the police station more than she was cleaning, he found her lifeless body outside one of her cleaning client's home. It was common knowledge that she was a much disliked gossip, but as Macbeth investigated further, there seemed to be something more sinister lurking behind the apparently serene village scene.
As the body count went up, Macbeth not only had to deal with superiors from the city headquarters who despised him, he also had to watch his ex-girlfriend parade into town with her new boyfriend. With his personal life in a bit of a turmoil and the risk of his superiors closing down the village police station, Macbeth was glad when they finally wrapped up the murder case...or so he thought.
Although this was the 22nd installment of the Hamish Macbeth series--and I have seen the BBC productions based on the series--this was the first time I read any of the books. This was a nice easy read and the story flowed well with twist and turns in the plot. However, the writing itself was bland with no sparks in it at all. I am sure the regular Hamish Macbeth followers would enjoy seeing their familiar characters engaged in another adventure. I think this would make a good TV adaptation; however, if I were to read another Hamish Macbeth mystery, I would most likely choose one of the earlier works that made the series a success.
FYI: M.C. Beaton is the pseudonym Marion Chesney reserves for her mystery novels. Known primarily for the more than 100 historical romance novels she has published under her own name, she has several other pseudonyms: Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward.
Armchair Interviews says: Long-time followers of Beaton's work will enjoy this book.