Hamish Macbeth is back!

MURDERS TAKE READERS BACK TO LOCHDUBH

BY Bill Tolbert

The  Free Lance-Star

FANS OF M.C. Beaton’s “Hamish Macbeth Mystery” series will be happy the 27th installment, “Death of a Kingfisher,” follows the tried-and-true formula.

The village policeman in the Scottish Highlands is happy in Lochdubh, and has no desire to advance up the ranks of law enforcement. He solves cases his superiors bungle, but he doesn’t really want the credit, or a promotion that might come with his success.

As this story begins, a new tourist attraction—“The Fairy Glen”—is opened near the village of Braikie to combat a poor economy.

The killing of a beautiful bird—a kingfisher—at the new attraction is the first death, but certainly not the last.

While the book has more murders than many earlier Macbeth books, Beaton weaves a tale that is just as delightful as previous stories.

While Macbeth takes center stage, familiar characters including Inspector Blair, Elspeth Grant, and the Currie sisters fill in the story.

There’s even a new village copper—this one a fan of TV game shows.

All-in-all, Beaton again provides a delightful visit to the Scottish Highlands.

Bill Tolbert is an editor with The Free Lance–Star.

DEATH OF A  KINGFISHER

By M.C. Beaton

(Grand Central, $24.99,  256 pp.)

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