Bathtubbooks.com

I’m a lot easier when I’m listening to stuff than when I actually have to turn the pages. Yep, I guess I am THAT lazy! I didn’t like an earlier MC Beaton offering, Agatha Raisin. Terrible story, weak links and I just loathed Agatha herself. Still, when I heard about Hamish MacBeth, a clever copper in the Scottish highlands, I figured I’d give it another go!

Police man Hamish MacBeth likes his life quiet. He lives in a small village in the Scottish highlands, with his sheep and his loyal dog, pining for the daughter of the manor, and would like to keep it this way. But sometimes a dead body or two can get in the way of having “a wee dram”! When strangers Trixie and Paul Thomas move into Hamish’ small village they stir up all kinds of trouble. Trixie is an overbearing feminist who rouses the female population into rebellion against their mild husbands, forcing granola and dandelion coffee on them Hamish isn’t surprised when Trixie ends up dead….

Davina Porter narrates, and she does a pretty good job. I’m not Scottish, so I couldn’t judge her Scottish accent, but she sounds pretty convincing to me! Her Trixie made me want to throttle the woman, which was probably the point. However, Hamish himself sounded very dull and slow, which is also as he should most likely sound, but it got a bit annoying after a while. I love the sound of Scottish accents though! All in all, I don’t think MC Beaton is a particularly gifted narrator. As with the Agatha Raisin story, this Hamish whodunnit is disjointed and relies heavily on coincidence. It’s silly and relaxing stuff, but I found the plot, such as it was, rather disappointing. Hamish is a lot more likeable than Agatha Raisin though, and I like his views on life. More people should be that contented with their lot!

Death of a perfect housewife – Recorded Books LLC; Unabridged edition (2000)