Simply Angela : Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton

Monday, June 13, 2016

Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton

M. C. Beaton's New York Times bestselling Hamish Macbeth series continues with a new mystery featuring Scotland's most quick-witted but unambitious policeman.

James Harrison has recently moved to a restored hunting lodge in Sutherland with his gorgeous private nurse Gloria Dainty. When Hamish visits Mr. Harrison to welcome him to the neighborhood, the old man treats him very rudely. Gloria apologizes for her employer's behavior, and Hamish takes the plunge and invites her out for dinner. On the appointed evening, Hamish waits for Gloria at the restaurant. And waits. Gloria never shows up. Four days later, Gloria's body washes up on the beach near Braikie. Now without a date and without his former policeman Dick Fraser (who left the force to buy a bakery), Hamish must find out who killed the beautiful new resident of Sutherland, and why, before the murderer strikes again....

Series: Hamish Macbeth #31| Publisher: Grand Central | Release Date: February 2016| Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery | Source: Publishers | Rating: 4 Cups

Challenges Read For: Hamish Macbeth, Pick Your Own Genre: Contemporary

I really enjoyed this one. It was leaps and bounds better than the last book. And, thankfully, the plot was contained and not running rampant.

Here’s What’s Going On. When Hamish pays a visit to Sutherland’s newest resident, James Harrison, he finds himself enamored with his private nurse, Gloria Dainty. When Hamish invites Gloria to dinner and she never shows up, Hamish returns to the hunting lodge to discover that Gloria has fled in the night. When Gloria’s body is discovered on the beach four days later, Hamish soon discovers that there is more to Gloria than he thought. Now he must race to find the murderer before he or she strikes again.

I found the mystery aspect to be intriguing. Gloria’s a private nurse but she’s also playing up her sex appeal and, if I’m being honest, acting a bit tarty. I wasn’t really surprised that Hamish fell for her charms, he can be a bit woman-crazy from time to time. When her body’s discovered on the beach and certain facts are revealed about her it makes Hamish question if he’s going about finding a woman the wrong way and he realizes that needs to start looking deeper than just looks.

While I had my suspicion who the murder was, there were so many twists and turns that I was never 100% certain until it was revealed. And like previous Hamish books, there’s more than one murder, so that always adds a bit more intrigue.

There’s a new cop that’s been added to Hamish’s small station and I enjoyed watching Charlie blend in. Elspeth and Pricilla, Hamish’s previous girlfriends, both pop up, although there’s a bit of a side story with Pricilla so we see her a bit more. And, of course, Blaire’s still trying to figure out how to get rid of Hamish.

If you’re a Hamish newbie, don’t fret, this book is perfect to jump into without feeling lost. Like any established series, old characters and old situations pops up but, thankfully, it’s all briefly explained.

Overall, this was one of my favorite Hamish books. I could not put it down and read it in two sittings. The ending was a tad bit rushed but everything was tied up nicely.