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Death of a Perfect Wife (Hamish Macbeth #4)
by
M.C. Beaton
Although the Thomases were not initially liked by villagers, Trixie Thomas had become a model of domestic efficiency - the perfect wife. So it came as a great shock to everyone when she was found dead - to everyone but police inspector Hamish Macbeth.
192 pages
Published
August 14th 2008
by Robinson
(first published 1989)
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Mar 20, 2010
Eric_W
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
humor,
mysteries-and-thrillers
Neuropsychologists tell us that humans reach their mental peak around age 27. Perhaps that explains my delight in the books of MC Beaton, since clearly I passed that milestone many moons ago. They certainly make no intellectual demands, nor are they filled with clever literary repartee, nor are they filled with obscure footnotes or references. They're just fun and the Hamish MacBeth series, the meanderings of a local Scottish bobby are (read with particular aplomb and accent by Davina Porter)a g...more
2 likes · like · see review
view 1 comment
Sep 26, 2010
M.
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
english-village-mysteries
Three Stars
This is my first foray into the print version of Hamish MacBeth (having enjoyed the BBC television version). The book was an airy, enjoyable read.
The true light of the book is the lead character, a Scottish constable whose competency threatens him with promotion and departure from his beloved village of Lochdubh. The character is extremely likeable. The other stars of the show are the wonderful Highland setting and the eccentric characters that populate it. Beaton writes of a place we...more
This is my first foray into the print version of Hamish MacBeth (having enjoyed the BBC television version). The book was an airy, enjoyable read.
The true light of the book is the lead character, a Scottish constable whose competency threatens him with promotion and departure from his beloved village of Lochdubh. The character is extremely likeable. The other stars of the show are the wonderful Highland setting and the eccentric characters that populate it. Beaton writes of a place we...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Summary: Hamish Macbeth is quite pleased with the quiet life of a parochial policeman… until a pushy housewife arrives from London and starts reforming the town. No wonder she turns up dead – but who did it?
This meets the definition of “cosy crime” exactly for me. A pleasant, polite, short (192 pages) murder mystery with a few personalities but no particular danger. PG-rated, for once, which was a nice change!
I was a bit disappointed by the style – it was all a bit simplistic for me. The charact...more
This meets the definition of “cosy crime” exactly for me. A pleasant, polite, short (192 pages) murder mystery with a few personalities but no particular danger. PG-rated, for once, which was a nice change!
I was a bit disappointed by the style – it was all a bit simplistic for me. The charact...more
The main spotlight (on a regular) is on Angela Brodie, IMO, who had been a rare unconventional and sympathetically described woman in her other books as well, and even her husband's brief assholeness is feministically converted. I had forgotten even the marriage of the rawredhanded fisher-wife got a ray of hope, not just the bitterness.. While I despaired over critics seeing "black comedy" where there seemed to be nothing but mean-spirited retellings of daily bothers, Hamish remains on top, the...more
It's hard to believe these delightful light mysteries of a north Scotland town and their village bobby, Hamish Macbeth, consist (as we speak) of a 28-book set; given that prolific author Beaton has another series (Agatha Raisin) with a similar number of novels. We were pleased to discover “Perfect Wife” is just the fourth of these tales – hard to believe its publication date of 1986 spans back a quarter century.
In the story, a new couple comes to town and is trying to convert a modest cottage in...more
In the story, a new couple comes to town and is trying to convert a modest cottage in...more
**** "Death of a Perfect Wife" (H4) by M.C. Beaton is comfortable to read again. I holiday in the scenery and smile at the eccentricities, except ghostly visions. Finally Scottish Lochdubh village bobby Hamish Macbeth lets go of his long fix on cool blonde aristocratic Priscilla after several dates and a dreamy kiss; she misses his attention after she loses him. The fine clear weather gives way to damp, flies and midges, so I remembered that the hanging insect strips were poisonous. The gloomy o...more
Ah Hamish MacBeth-- who loves his little highland village more than success and fame...I love these cozy mysteries, more for the people than the plots.
From the Publisher
"Offbeat, utterly endearing . . ." Booklist.
A Hamish Macbeth Mystery.
When Paul and Trixie Thomas move to the village of Lochdubh, Trixie jumps into things with a vengeance. She organizes an anti-smoking league, promotes vegetarian cooking, even starts a birdwatching society. It's too much . . . too perfect. It doesn't feel like...more
From the Publisher
"Offbeat, utterly endearing . . ." Booklist.
A Hamish Macbeth Mystery.
When Paul and Trixie Thomas move to the village of Lochdubh, Trixie jumps into things with a vengeance. She organizes an anti-smoking league, promotes vegetarian cooking, even starts a birdwatching society. It's too much . . . too perfect. It doesn't feel like...more
Highland policeman Hamish Macbeth is in action again, this time solving the murder of a newly arrived lady in Lochdubh, while also feeling envious of the lady he takes a shine to arriving back in the village with a new boyfriend. The new arrival was liked by some hated by others thus providing plenty of suspects for the murder.
The girl he admires with her boyfriend unsettles him but not at the expense of his solving the crime ... and in the end the romance between his distant lady love and her n...more
The girl he admires with her boyfriend unsettles him but not at the expense of his solving the crime ... and in the end the romance between his distant lady love and her n...more
Hamish's friend Angela has a personality melt-down due to the influence of a so-called "perfect wife" who challenges her to discard her bookish way of life and her haphazard housekeeping methods. The old Angela disappears and is replaced by a compulsive, cause-oriented, health-mad cook, permed within an inch of her life, who banishes her animals to the back yard and refuses to cook her husband's favorite unhealthy meals. Turns out the perfect wife is a bit of a crook. We're all on Angela's side...more
I reallly like these quick and easy books. There a lot like the main character, Hamish, a seemingly unambitionish bobby patrolling a Highland village. But under the easy charm is a wicked brain and sly wit.
In this tale, a couple moves to town after buying a wreck of a house. While she seems the perfect wife, managing everything and everyone in her orbit, she riles some while charming others.
Beaton starts fleshing out more of the village inhabitants in this book, and Hamish's obsession?love? for...more
In this tale, a couple moves to town after buying a wreck of a house. While she seems the perfect wife, managing everything and everyone in her orbit, she riles some while charming others.
Beaton starts fleshing out more of the village inhabitants in this book, and Hamish's obsession?love? for...more
Fourth in the Hamish Macbeth mystery series. I've read the first two, and skipped the third because the shop didn't have it when I picked up 1, 2, 4 and 5. I have no intention of looking for the third, because this is the last of the series I'll bother reading.[return][return]As with the other books, this has the lazy, amiable village policeman having to deal with murder coming to his otherwise sleepy village. In this case, Hamish spots Trixie Thomas as a potential murder victim fairly on, thank...more
Aug 16, 2010
Dolly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Mystery fans
I've enjoyed the Hamish Macbeth mysteries - they are quick reads and the characters are very entertaining. I have been skipping around in the series thus far, but will try to read them more or less in order as I can get them at our local library. This story was intriguing as it delved into the marriages of the village and how a single woman can stir up a hornet's nest among the people, especially the women.
new word: havering
new word: havering
Actual Rating: ***1/2
Well, he's certainly no Armand Gamache, but I am growing quite fond of that lanky red head, Hamish Macbeth. In this book four of the series, the seemingly perfect wife comes to the village of Lochdubh, and the mayhem begins as one by one the formerly content wives of the village succumb to her "suggestions." As usual, Hamish is at odds with his superiors; and, as usual, Hamish wins the day.
Well, he's certainly no Armand Gamache, but I am growing quite fond of that lanky red head, Hamish Macbeth. In this book four of the series, the seemingly perfect wife comes to the village of Lochdubh, and the mayhem begins as one by one the formerly content wives of the village succumb to her "suggestions." As usual, Hamish is at odds with his superiors; and, as usual, Hamish wins the day.
Hamish Macbeth, constable for the sleepy village of Lochdubh in Northern Scotland, enjoys his perfect / quiet / un-ambitious village life until Trixie Thomas moves into town and ends up getting murdered.
An enjoyable book with assorted village characters being brought to life and a reasonable mystery to string the story together.
Not a classic – but entertaining ennough for a wet afternoon.
An enjoyable book with assorted village characters being brought to life and a reasonable mystery to string the story together.
Not a classic – but entertaining ennough for a wet afternoon.
One day I shall go to the Scottish Highlands, and there had darn well be a murder, because Beaton has led me to suspect that there is murder EVERYWHERE! I truly, truly loved this one, where a born reformer comes to town to open a bed-and-breakfast, and begins to make over the housewives of Lochdubh. Angela Brodie, the doctor's disorganized, bookish wife, becomes her most devout disciple, and even the even-keeled doctor wants to murder this "perfect wife."
2 likes · like · see review
I have read a few Hamish Macbeth books in the past, though none of them were in order. I recently purchased the first half of the series. I am really enjoying reading them in the correct sequence. I will admit that it's not heavy literature, but I absolutely love this series. The author makes the fictional Scottish village of Lochdubh come to life. The characters are rich and realistic. I love the atmosphere just as much as the mysteries.
Another winner for me. These fun mysteries take a short time to read, and the underlying lives of the characters and countryside make me want to buy my ticket to Scotland today! In this book, the relationship between Macbeth and his love interest changes, keeping me anxious to read more. Macbeth is very happy with a contented life and sees no reason to allow anyone else to interfere with it. He doesn't see it as a lack of ambition, but a conscious choice to enjoy his life. I love that!
Apr 30, 2013
Rebekah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-of-2013,
m-c-beaton
My first ever Hamish Macbeth book! Honestly, I did not like the Agatha Raisin books as much and it is really good to know that I like this series! :)
However, I think I would need to see the rest of the other books before I am able to give a stronger viewpoint on this.
I really hope Hamish and Priscilla which I think will not happen. :(
However, I think I would need to see the rest of the other books before I am able to give a stronger viewpoint on this.
I really hope Hamish and Priscilla which I think will not happen. :(
It's been a while since I visited with the folks in the quaint Scottish village of Lochdubh, and it seemed like a reunion with Constable Hamish Macbeth was in order for me. While this book's plot won't leave you gasping and turning pages with one hand while reaching for your heart medication with the other, it is a nice read about a domineering perfect wife who moves into the otherwise quiet village and profoundly disturbs the order of things to such a degree that some of the men and a couple of...more
I've no claim to being a perfect wife - and after reading this book, I don't want to be! After reading some long, intense books, this was great. Hamish is such a lovely character and the portrayal of village life is great. I made no effort to work out who the murderer was; I just enjoyed being swept along with the story.
Love Hamish Macbeth! Can’t wait for the next book to be published. It seems M.C. Beaton aka Marion Chesney never lacks the inspiration for a good story. I even liked the BBC series although it was way too short and Robert Carlyle looked nothing like his character as described in the book.
Another good Hamish Macbeth mystery set in his charming village in the Highlands of Scotland. Hamish is clever, humble, persistent. His love of local heiress Priscilla Halburton-Smythe will be an ongoing feature in this series, and it is intriguing to see the two ignore their hearts.
My first Hamish Macbeth book by M.C. Beaton. A nice, cosy detective story. Love the colourful descriptions of the village and its inhabitants. Hamish Macbeth is a likable bobby. He has a kind heart. By the way, there is no such thing as a perfect wife...read the book to find out why.
Found out I started this and it's in the middle of a series (oops!) Hamish Macbeth was an entertaining local bobby though and I barely figured the mystery out before he did, so it was a good story. The whole town wanted Trixie dead, but one person more than any other.
i like books with a scottish locale and it's got an agatha christie edge to it so it was entertaining and had a message about what it's like to be content rather than climbing the ladder to success. of course the book is worth reading just to enjoy the local crusties.
Hamish's superior officers may think he's a bumbling hick, but he's anything but! This time he solves the murder of the "perfect wife" newly arrived in town who has managed to upset everyone with her new ideas. These books are so much fun to read!!
I rated this a 5 star, although I agree with many reviews that this series is not what I might call great or classic literature, I have so much fun reading them. I really can not put them down until I've found out "who done it"!!!
Ahh, continuing on what my friend calls "a reading cure" for my healing broken hand. The Hamish Macbeth series is perfect for that. They offer wit, humor, mystery, fun characters, and the writing is really good so you don't feel guilty reading them. However, they are truly the hot-water bottle of books. Settle in with them and you soon feel warm, relaxed and transported to another place.
M C Beaton seems to excell at creating horrible nasty characters who no-one likes but no-one will challenge. Apart from the fact it wouldn't be like that in real life they make for good plots and challenging murders.
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Also writes as:
Marion Chesney (real name)
Jennie Tremaine
Sarah Chester
Helen Crampton
Ann Fairfax
Marion Gibbons
Charlotte Ward
M. C. Beaton has been hailed as "the new Queen of Crime." She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Agatha Raisin mysteries, which began with The Quiche of Death and also include As the Pig Turns and Busy Body, set in the English Cotswolds, as well as the Hamish M...more
More about M.C. Beaton...
Marion Chesney (real name)
Jennie Tremaine
Sarah Chester
Helen Crampton
Ann Fairfax
Marion Gibbons
Charlotte Ward
M. C. Beaton has been hailed as "the new Queen of Crime." She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Agatha Raisin mysteries, which began with The Quiche of Death and also include As the Pig Turns and Busy Body, set in the English Cotswolds, as well as the Hamish M...more
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