Death of a Green-Eyed Monster by M. C. Beaton Pleasant visit with favorite characters in this fast paced, easy to read mystery. A new mysterious American newcomer comes into play. Enjoy the book and looking forward to more adventures with Hamish and friends.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

It was so bittersweet to read this book knowing that M.C. Beaton had passed away and that she’d had assistance with writing this book before her death. IF this had been my first read in the Hamish Macbeth series, I’d probably have rated the book a solid 4 or 4.5 stars. However, it was NOT my first book in the series – I’ve read them all. It was a good mystery and it was well written – it was just a little ‘off’ somehow. Hamish just wasn’t quite Hamish – I still loved him, but he wasn’t exactly the character I’ve come to know and love. I also didn’t get the book I had so very much wanted. I have to wonder if this is really the last book of the series or not because nothing was really wrapped up in the book and lots of ‘hints’ were there for things to come. The book I WANTED would have had a happily settled Hamish in his sweet Scottish village – and DCI Blair having been dropped in the deep ocean somewhere. That is definitely NOT what I got. So now, do I go on picturing our sweet, lovable Hamish spending a long, lonely life in Lochdubh – OR – will there be another book and another? If there are more, will they satisfy my Lochdubh hunger and my desire to see Hamish happily settled and living a life that isn’t lonely?

Hamish Macbeth is very, very happy being the police Sergeant in remote, breathtakingly beautiful Lochdubh, Scotland. He’s been engaged twice and both times he’s broken those engagements because he realized those ladies just weren’t the right match – neither of them wanted to stay in Lochdubh. They wanted a big city life – and he definitely did not. So, imagine his delight when his new constable, Dorothy McIver, is not only as beautiful as his beloved Highlands – she wants to live there – with him. They work together for several months and grow closer and closer until he finally asks her to marry him – and she says YES.

They work well together solving the few crimes that happen in ‘their patch’ as Hamish refers to it. Then, there is a murder, and ‘special’ investigators from Strathbane and even Glasgow descends on their peaceful little world. One of those investigators is DCI Blair who hates Hamish with a passion. Blair is the epitome of a dirty cop – Hamish knows it – Blair knows Hamish knows it. Hamish just can’t prove it – yet. Hamish and Dorothy conduct their own investigation since they’ve been told to stay out of the official one. It really gets personal for Hamish when Douglas (Dougie) Tennant is beaten and left to burn to death in his cottage near where the murder happened.

There are so many things that don’t make sense to Hamish. Is all of it related to gangs bleeding over from the big cities into the Highlands? Who is the blonde woman in the blue car? What does the soldier, Keith Bain, have to do with any of it? His alibi certainly doesn’t hold up. Then, there is the American, James Bland. Who is he really and why is he in Lochdubh? We all know DCI Blair is up to no good – but what is it he is actually up to?

To tell you this book broke my heart and left me terribly, terribly sad for Hamish would be putting it mildly – especially if there are no future books. I’m not sure if I’m glad I read it or not because, if it is the last book, my imagination was so very much better than where this went. That said, it was a good mystery and a good read even if it wasn’t the same as it would have been had M.C. Beaton written all of the words.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this series from the first book Death of a Gossip. Hamish Macbeth is the main character along with the supporting characters in the town of Lochdubh, The new characters add to the story. Hamish is the policeman assigned to this town which he loves. He gets a new constable Dorothy McIver to work with him. He shows her around town and the Tommel Castle Hotel to introduce her to the villagers. While at the castle he is told that a woman showed up asking about Dorothy but left. While there they run into two men in the parking lot.who Hamish is suspicious of. He gets a call from Dougie, the owner of the gas station that there is a dead body in a car. Hamish goes and finds that it is one of the men in the parking lot, Graham Leslie who is shot in the head. This is where the story takes off with Hamish trying to find out why he was killed. So much is happening in the town with thieves, car races, a motorcycle as well as murder. Hamish and Dorothy spend a lot of time together. They fall in love and Hamish asks her to marry him and she accepts. The town is very happy for them. Detective Chief Inspector Blair is assigned to the murder. He and Hamish have a bad relationship; throughout all the books. He is into something shady. On the wedding day Hamish is at the church but Dorothy does not show. He knows that she is in danger and looks for her. She is found in a field dead. Hamish goes to great lengths to find the killer. I will leave the end of the story to the readers as the ending comes with many surprises.

I look forward to the next inn the series to find out what is next for Hamish.

Thank you NegGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC.

A light and quick Hamish Macbeth mystery!

I liked this mystery and how the plot unfolded, but it just didn't have that spark to keep me on the edge of my seat. The Dorothy and Hamish relationship seemed really rushed even though it was an important aspect to the story. She definitely seemed suspicious to me from the start and maybe that is why I wasn't overly surprised how events unfolded.

Overall it was an enjoyable mystery, but I am hoping for that little extra from future Hamish mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

I loved visiting with Hamish again. This does have another author working on it, so there are some differences. Also, Hamish doesn't report directly to Blair so he isn't having to resort to as much subterfuge to solve the mystery. There still is some however, as Blair is in the area. I did feel horrible for Hamish with the ending.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was super leery of this posthumous continuation of the Hamish Macbeth series, but it mostly lives up to Beaton's standard. Some of the writing is a bit stilted, comparatively, but the overall zest is still there, and the whimsy of Lugs and Sonsie are on full display from the opening chapter. It's not the same, by any means, but it will suffice.

Before starting this book I did not know M.C. Beaton had passed away. I don’t know if R.W Green will continue writing the Hamish Macbeth books but I was less than impressed with this collaboration by the two authors. Almost at once the story felt “off” to me. The book was missing the charm of previous books and everything seemed rather forced. From the beginning I found Hamish’s grand passion for Dorothy extremely unbelievable. She never felt like a fully formed character. While more established characters did make appearances in the book, there seemed to be more outsiders than usual and also less about the natural beauty of the area. The book just had a clunky feel to it. I think this may have been my last visit to Lochdubh.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the authors, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

No no no no no. This was not a Hamish book. What happened to lovable Hamish? He’s been replaced with some kind of weird dim witted robot.

Why is Dick giving Hamish a brand new electric razor he just happened to have in his car? What a weird thing to write.

If I had to read any more about Dorothy’s dark hair tumbling around her shoulders I thought I might vomit.

So many things weren’t right with Dorothy and this book as a whole. I just don’t understand why it was published. I’ll miss the Hamish books but I can’t read any more after this abomination.

R.I.P., Ms. Beaton. R.I.P.

I was unenthralled with this new author’s try at Agatha Raisin. As I said in one my reviews, it’s perfectly pleasant and Agatha isn’t Agatha anymore.

I thought I was done, but then I saw that he was doing Hamish. I thought: perhaps this will be better. Maybe he can recreate Hamish better than our feisty Agatha.

Yeah…no.

Hamish isn’t Hamish anymore. Neither are most of the other characters. Our lovely, lazy, brash Hamish has become a dull boy. Our bombastic hotel owner is soft and practically fluffy. Blair is less buffoon than before. Even the quirky village folks have lost their spark.

It's a perfectly pleasant book…and that’s all.

And, yes, folks. I’m truly done this time. It’s time to let Ms. Beaton and her characters rest.

*ARC via Net Galley

When the new constable arrives in Lochdubh, Hamish is immediately struck by her beauty and falls under her spell. As he and Dorothy work closely together he falls for her more with each passing day. Finally, he proposed and she says yes. 

As the wedding nears, a murder rocks the quiet area and has Hamish and Dorothy busy searching for a killer wile trying to plan their wedding. Will they make it to the alter or will there nuptials be put on hold by the killer? Maybe even permanently.

While this is book 34 in the series, it’s the first one I have read and I am hooked! The setting, the characters, the cat and dog, how could I not be all in? I love when find a series with a bunch of books I can binge on and this one is going to keep me through the next month or two.