Sergeant Hamish Macbeth is alarmed to receive a report from a woman in the small village of Cronish in the Scottish Highlands. She has been brutally attacked and the criminal is on the loose. But upon further investigation, Hamish discovers that she was lying about the crime. So when the same woman calls him back about an intruder, he simply marvels at her compulsion to lie. This time, though, she is telling the truth. Her body is found in her home and Hamish must sort through all of her lies to solve the crime.
Series: Hamish Macbeth Mystery #30 | Publisher: Grand Central | Release Date: February 2016 | Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery | Source: Publisher | Rating: 3.5 CupsChallenges Read For: Pick Your Own Genre: Contemporary
It’s
always a pleasure to rejoin Hamish Macbeth as he solves crime in the Scottish
Highlands.
So,
there’s quite a bit happening in this one. Hamish is sent to the neighboring village
to investigate after a woman claims she’s been attacked. It turns out the woman’s
crying wolf for attention. When she calls the next time, Hamish ignores her
only to discover she’s been tortured and murdered. As Hamish investigates the
crime, it seems to be connected to the murder of the Leighs. As more clues are
uncovered, it seemed there’s more going on than meets the eye.
So,
I’ve skipped around in this series and it’s doable, but I’m not sure that this
one would be the place for a Hamish Macbeth newbie to start because of the
stream of Lochdubh residents that pop in and out of the book. There’s really no
explanation to go along with the eccentric residents and I think readers, not
having met them in the previous books, will probably be annoyed by these crazy
characters.
I’ve
always been a massive fan of Hamish Macbeth. He’s a bit quirky yet he’s such a
fun character to get to know. Although you don’t really get a full sense of who
Hamish is in Death of a Liar.
Instead, he seems a bit girl-crazy. I mean, he’s always had a healthy love of
the lassies but it’s almost as though he’s a teenage boy lusting for this one
then that one and avoiding the one that’s actually interested in him. And, of
course, his two main love interests—Priscilla and Elspeth—are still in and out
of his life.
The
mystery wasn’t one of my favorites in the series but it was okay. A few things
I figured out early on and a few things kept me guessing. At times, it felt as
though the body count was rising just to fill in the word count, so I could
have done without some of the stuff that sort of felt like filler.
If
you’ve read Hamish Macbeth before you’ll be able to recognize some of the
characters and their traits, like Chief Inspector Blair who is always searching for a
way to get Hamish fired. Although there’s a few new one’s thrown in as well.
I
was slightly disappointed that so little of this novel took place in Lochdubh, the
village where Hamish lives.
Overall,
this was one enjoyable with a bit of humor thrown in. Not a top ten favorite
Hamish Macbeth read, but still decent. Like always it provides readers with a
look at the remote Scottish Highlands and the crazy residents as well as
providing a nice little mystery.
Death
of a Gossip
Death
of a Cad
Death
of an Outsider
Death
of a Perfect Wife
Death
of a Hussy
Death
of a Snob
Death
of a Prankster
Death
of a Glutton
Death
of a Travelling Man
Death
of a Charming Man
Death
of a Nag
Death
of a Macho Man
Death
of a Dentist
Death
of a Scriptwriter
Death
of an Addict
A
Highland Christmas
Death
of a Dustman
Death
of a Celebrity
Death
of a Village
Death
of a Poison Pen
Death
of a Bore
Death
of a Dreamer
Death
of a Maid
Death
of a Gentle Lady
Death
of a Witch
Death
of a Valentine
Death
of a Chimney Sweep
Death
of a Kingfisher
Death
of Yesterday
Death
of a Policeman
Death
of a Liar
Knock,
Knock, You're Dead (novella)
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