I enjoyed this story. I thought the Scottish accent came through so strongly I could actually hear it. The characters were all wild and crazy including the scenery and the cat. Personally I felt that the story jumped around so much I had trouble tracking the timeline and this possibly created drag in the story. Other than that the story made for a good cozy murder mystery.

Beaton's books are always fun to read, and her annual contributions to her series are not to be missed. My booktalking points will be the cat (how do you misidentify your own animal), the murder victim (we all know someone as dispicable), and Hamish's love life (really? really?). A perfect quick read in a place where eye-rolling and snickering won't be frowned upon.

Hamish is one of my favorite characters in mystery cozies, so it's always fun to reconnect with him. I've read most of the books in this series and I'm not quite sure which number this is, but it's another classic installment to a fine series. All the usual characters are here: Lugs, Nessie and Jessie, Archie, the awful Inspector Blair, and of course Priscilla (why can't she just stay in London and leave everyone alone?). As always, Beaton adds her signature twists and humor to a short but well-crafted story and leaves you wanting to return to Lochdubh very soon.

I continue to be drawn into this series. The psychological make up of the characters fascinates me as Beaton reveals the all too human contradictions within us. The

We always buy M.C. Beaton for our library. She's the reigning queen of mystery.

What can I say? The Hamish series just gets better and better. Each volume is fresh and has you falling in love again with Hamish and the village residents. Without giving anything away, the large wild cat, that many say is evil, helps with story and the murder solution.

The Hamish Macbeth series is one of my all time favorite series to read. This book was another classic Hamish tale. Murder, deceit, the horrible Blair, random run ins with Elspeth, crazed villagers, and everything else we've come to love from this series.

I never tire of these books and frequently reread them or listen to the audiobooks over and over again. The best version of those being read by Shaun Grindell. This is book #33 and I never want to run out of Hamish stories to read.


Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is #33 in the series and, unlike some other series writers who seem to be “phoning it in” after a while, M.C. Beaton is still providing the reader with a good story to compliment the familiar characters and village ambiance in the Scottish highland village of Lochdubh. The eponymous honest man is a newcomer to the village who says exactly what he thinks of people, and sometimes he goes too far with his blunt candor. The subplots involving Hamish’s assistants, his hostile superior officer, and a strange wild cat enhance the story.