Death of a Maid (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)

Book Description

Mrs. Gillespie is famous for being the best maid in the northwest of Sutherland. But to Hamish Macbeth, she is a malicious gossip who bangs around the furniture and clanks pots. When Hamish wins Mrs. Gillespie's services in a church raffle, he spends most of the day trying to avoid her. He doesn't understand how she managed to gain such a fine reputation. Then she is found dead, struck down violently by a metal bucket of water. Knowing Mrs. Gillespie's penchant for gossip, Hamish is sure she delighted in finding out her clients' secrets--which means that everyone whose home she cleaned is a suspect.

Customer Reviews:

Murder Most Foul.......2007-08-31

22 Hamish Macbeth novels and it would be difficult to pick a favorite. I enjoy them all and wait expectantly for the next to arrive on my doorstep. It is like opening the door to friends whom you've missed and having a good visit with them.
Hamish has lots of suspects when he finds the local charwoman who left water covering his kitchen floor bashed in the head with her own bucket. Inspector Blair manages to destroy what little evidence there might have been at the scene of the crime. Hamish had learned from his own experience the woman was not a good maid, so why was she so highly rated and employed by so many?
Before this one reaches it conclusion Hamish is on the point of handing in his resignation when he is stopped by a phone call from Elspeh, his reporter friend with the "sight." A rather drawn out ending brings tugs out of hiding to exact revenge on the talented Highland detective.
A fast and gentle read which never lets you down.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Sins of the Fathers."

Not up to my standard of "gentle" mysteries.......2007-07-23

I like MC Beaton because usually the peole murdered in her books are either despicable characters or someone I never "knew." In this book, one of the murder victims is an innocent. Though the question is actually raised, "how come someone innocent was murdered?", I like my lkysteries when the victim is a villain and the innocent live happily ever after. After all, mysteries for me are an escape from the realities of the violence reported in newspapers and t.v. But still these mysteries are charming and the cast of characyers have become my friends. the romance angle is getting a bit tiresome and unrewarding. Any reader who enjoys these stories should make sure to avoid the dvd video adaptations of the sstories. They are dreadful. I hope Ms. Beaton made a lot of money out of them because they totally changed the character of Hamish Macbeath, at least in my opinion.

CONFESSION OF A NEW READER!.......2007-07-02

Okay, I will admit it. I am a newcomer to this particular genre of novel, being relatively newly introduced to them by my wife. This is certainly the first work by M.C. Beaton I've read, therefore the first of the Hamish Macbeth Mysteries. I also have to admit that I have been missing a lot over the years! This work is simply fun to read! The story is simple but very well told. A maid, or charwoman, is hit over the head with her own mop bucket and murdered! So the tale begins. This author is an absolute master at the development of a character in a very short time with very few words. You get to feeling you know each and ever one of them quite well before the end of a page. This takes skill! I liked the simple plot line of this work. It was not hard to figure out that quite a number of the people living in Macbeth's village were extremely pleased that the woman was dead, including her poor husband. This left the story open for many, many very interesting suspects, all of whom could conceivably committed the crime. These suspects were all quite colorful and were a story within themselves. The author can be absolutely hilarious at times and the interaction between the author and his pets is great. I found my self enjoying this one and actually relaxing, which is the primary reason I read these novels. I have not much to compare it with, so I am giving it five stars simply because I liked it. I will certainly be reading more of this author's work!

DEATH OF A MAID makes murder fun.......2007-05-30

A win at the church raffle leaves Police Constable Hamish Macbeth with the services of Mavis Gillespie, a vicious local gossip working as a maid --- although her snooping skills far outshine her cleaning abilities. When Macbeth discovers that Mrs. Gillespie has made off with a letter addressed to him from his ex-girlfriend, Elspeth, he decides enough is enough and vows to confront her with this little bit of thievery. Unfortunately, by the time he catches up to her, she lies dead in a pool of her own blood, the apparent victim of a fatal bucket bash to the head.

Macbeth now has the job of figuring out who murdered her, all the while knowing that his superior from nearby Strathbane, Detective Chief Inspector Blair, will undoubtedly take the credit --- as he always does. That doesn't really bother him, but a television crew intent on producing a documentary film on Hamish Macbeth certainly does. Comfortable in his role as village policeman, he curses his luck, for a well-run investigation with extensive media exposure could easily earn him a promotion --- the very thing he assiduously strives to avoid.

Soon, Elspeth, old flame and veteran journalist, shows up --- and with a new beau in tow. Macbeth pines for a return to the days of stoking the fire and tending his sheep, while his cat and dog make all the demands on him he would happily handle. But there's a murder case to solve.

Extraordinarily competent, while pretending to be a plodding policeman, Macbeth conducts a fine and thorough investigation, all the while trying to avoid Elspeth, Blair and the documentarians. He does so thorough a job, in fact, that he touches a raw nerve, sending the panicked killer into a downward spiral that leaves one reporter dead too. He wishes he knew what fatal piece of information the reporter had discovered.

As Macbeth works his way through the many witness interviews, he realizes, with mild surprise, the number of secrets that the Lochdubhians are harboring. And it begins to appear that Mrs. Gillespie had been unearthing those secrets rather than dusting furniture and mopping floors, for her bankbook reveals a sum that cannot be explained by a maid's modest earnings. It looks as though she had entered dangerous ground and become a blackmailer.

Macbeth finds there is no shortage of suspects. The victim's husband appears relieved by his wife's death. Her daughter sees a way to repair her ruined marriage now that her meddling mother is dead. Even the lady who runs the church bingo is not sorry that Mrs. Gillespie is gone. And there are myriad more. Good riddance, they all seem to say. Macbeth has a lot of sorting out to do.

Meanwhile, Elspeth keeps creeping into his thoughts. Try as he might, he cannot banish her from his mind. But what does his heart say? Is he simply jealous because there is another man in her life, or does he really want her back? He remembers how good they were together. But he also remembers they drove each other crazy. For now, he must forget about her and concentrate on finding this killer.

M.C. Beaton gives us delightful, refreshing, light reading. Sure, there's a dead body, but the victim deserved it. Plus, the killer is a despicable rogue. DEATH OF A MAID makes murder fun.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

M.C. Beaton does it again.......2007-05-15

Loved the latest Hamish book, can't wait for the next Agatha.

Average customer rating:

Folger is a good series
Yale's may be the best edition of Macbeth
Macbeth does murder sleep - finish it tonight
a wonderful tragedy ...
A Masterpiece "To the last syllable of recorded time."

Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743477103

Customer Reviews:

Folger is a good series.......2007-01-01

It would be ridiculous for someone to come on here and give Bill a bad review. When a person writes a review on a Shakespeare play, Shakespeare is not on trial, the reviewer is. So, I have no comments on the play, just the series. This is the second Shakespeare work I have read out of the Folger Library series. The running commentary and essay at the end of the play are well done and beneficial. If you enjoy reading Shakespeare, but find the archaic language hard to grasp at times, this is a good series for you.

Yale's may be the best edition of Macbeth.......2005-12-31

Virtually all editions of Macbeth will have at least some annotations. Rummaging through five different editions, I preferred the Yale University Press version, edited by Burton Raffel, as having the most comprehensive and comprehensible notes, as well as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare's play. Raffel not only explains the meanings of obscure words, but also gives brief notes pertaining to relevant history, geography, stage directions, etc, that are rarely addressed as fully by other editors. In addition, Raffel frequently gives the proper way to stress the syllables in a line when reading it aloud, which can be extremely helpful. (However, in most places these stresses need to be very subtle, so that you don't sound like "taDUM taDUM taDUM".) And Yale's page layout is among the clearest that I've seen.

(To find this edition: at Avanced Search, enter ISBN 0300106548; or, enter Macbeth as title, and either Raffel as author or Yale as publisher.)

As a bonus, this edition includes at the back a long essay on the play by Harold Bloom. This is not an uninteresting commentary, but Bloom desperately needs a good editor. His essay is not only at least three times longer than it should be, but is startlingly repetitious. Yale would have been wise to have asked Bloom for a rewrite.

Macbeth does murder sleep - finish it tonight.......2005-08-07

One of the great Shakespearian tragedies. It deals with political avarice in the royal family and the consequences thereof on the personal lives of those involved.

What else can I say that has not already been said. The play has survived so long with such esteem for a reason. It's brilliant.

a wonderful tragedy ..........2005-06-06

Today, many people desire to see what lies ahead in life but fail to realize the ceaseless consequences that can transpire if premonitions about the future come about prior to its arrival. Macbeth is the victim in this situation, when he receives a foretelling from three supernatural witches that he would become the king of Scotland. From then on, fueled by his greed, Macbeth does anything to reign, and goes far enough as to killing his best friend. As the previous noble knight becomes a malicious evildoer, many people in Scotland yearn for his abdication or someone to put an end to his life. Soon, their wish comes through.

Though it is difficult to understand Shakespeare's style of writing and some of the language he used, this did not keep me from enjoying the book. The story itself was action-packed and had many metaphors that related to human nature.

My suggestion on reading Macbeth is to receive an overview of the story before actually reading the text, as it is extremely convoluted (but meaningful). I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading classic literature.

A Masterpiece "To the last syllable of recorded time.".......2005-04-11

"Macbeth" comes out as one of William Shakespeare's darkest and murkiest plays, most likely as a result of being written during one of Shakespeare's darkest times in his own life. This play strays away from the more common Shakespearean formula that contains a hero and his demise resulting from a specific tragic flaw. In "MacBeth", the title character is not a hero, but rather a villian. MacBeth murders the king of Scotland to bring truth to a prophecy given to him by three witches (the famous "toil and trouble" sisters). After assuming the throne, MacBeth returns to the witches and requests to hear the circumstances of his own death. The witches tell MacBeth he cannot be killed by any "man of woman born." Under a false assumption of near immortality, MacBeth relaxes his gaurd and perhaps displays his own tragic flaw of over confidence.
Focusing on the power corrupt and merciless villain MacBeth and his dastardly and influential wife Lady MacBeth, this play works as a twisted look into a mind poisioned with greed and hate. Though pessimistic and disturbing, this play must not be dismissed. It contains some of the most poetic language and beautiful lines ever to be written. It is no mystery that MacBeth stands as one of the most quoted works in literature. It is however a mystery that Shakespeare could create something so magnificient in a period when he saw life as "...a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Average customer rating:

You'll get Shakespeare after reading this
Modern MacBeth above the Rest
Suits our needs
Yucketh
Nice translation of Macbeth

Macbeth (Shakespeare Made Easy)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0812035712

Book Description

Here are the books that help teach Shakespeare plays without the teacher constantly needing to explain and define Elizabethan terms, slang, and other ways of expression that are different from our own. Each play is presented with Shakespeare's original lines on each left-hand page, and a modern, easy-to-understand "translation" on the facing right-hand page. All dramas are complete, with every original Shakespearian line, and a full-length modern rendition of the text.

Customer Reviews:

You'll get Shakespeare after reading this.......2006-05-21

My World Literature professor suggested the "Shakespeare Made Easy" series after I told her that I would have difficulty understanding the Bard. I not only (finally!) understood what was happening but, in the future, will buy the other books in the series to do some serious catching up on Shakespeare.

The translation was in Modern English but what will surprise the reader is that many things haven't changed from Olde English. As you're reading the Modern English version, take the few seconds to look at the corresponding Olde English (on the left) and see how much you can understand.

In any case, the price is just right for this book and you'll come away with a deeper knowledge and much appreciation for Shakespeare after you're done. - Donna Di Giacomo

Modern MacBeth above the Rest.......2006-03-10

Very helpful, affordable, and clear. Helped in more ways than I thought.

Suits our needs.......2004-03-28

I won't even attempt to critique Shakespeare's work, as some have done here. I'm not reviewing MacBeth, but this particular version of it. As a homeschooling Mom with three highschool students, the only way we could get through Shakespeare's works is by having a copy of Shakespeare Made Easy on hand. As it is, we completed 5 plays this year - all done orally, with each of us taking several parts. While I think it's important that my kids read Shakespeare in it's original format (and they did), I had the Shakespeare Made Easy translation handy so that I could give simple, concise explanations whenever they just didn't "get it". I recommend these books for that purpose - not for the watered down versions of these classics, but to make them understandable to the average student who might otherwise find Shakespeare's works boring and a waste of time (as many students do).

Yucketh.......2003-05-03

This version is horrible. I was looking for one of those Shakespeare versions that footnoted the words and phrases you didn't understand, so you could piece together the meaning yourself. Instead, this version gives you very a very simplistic interpretation of the text, every step of the way. I wouldn't recommend this edition to anyone.

Nice translation of Macbeth.......2001-12-17

This book is a nice translation from Shakespeare's language in Macbeth to the modern easy to read language of today. As a student myself, I recommend this book to other students studying Macbeth, if they feel they do not understand exact phrases from the play. If you are already good at 'translating' the lines from the play i do not recommend this book as strongly...... but still........ it helped me a great deal with my assignments.

Average customer rating:

No need to avoid Shakespeare anymore
very helpful

Macbeth (No Fear Shakespeare)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: SparkNotes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1586638467

Customer Reviews:

No need to avoid Shakespeare anymore.......2005-04-12

I consider myself to be a reasonably literate individual but, I have always avoided Shakespeare since I cannot make sense of the text. But now, I have fianally read Macbeth because, with "No Fear Shakespeare," each left hand page is written in the original whereas the right hand page is a plain English translation. So now I know, that when a porter says "it makes him stand to and not stand to," he is not referring about someone standing up on his feet. Instead, it means that alcoholic drinks make a man have an erection but then, lose the erection. How true is that and how cool is it to be able to understand that? Seriously, Macbeth is a great tale of ambition, deception and conscience. Thanks to this innovative book, I was able to read the original, then, after reading each page, I referred to the translation so I could understand. It was fun to read lines in the original, try to work out what I thought it meant and then check whether I was right. I recommend this as a way finally read and appreciate Macbeth.

very helpful.......2005-03-19

The translation is clear and it helps immensely that it is side by side with the actual text. That way it's easy to fully understand the meaning behing Shakespeare's language.

Death of a Gossip (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

An Uncharacteristic Beginning to a Humorous Series
Hamish Macbeth's Début
They get better!
Cozy is the perfect definition
Keep Reading...

Death of a Gossip (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446607134

Book Description

When a famous gossip columnist is murdered at the local fishing school, no one is ready to talk. It's up to Hamish Macbeth, with the inspiring assistance of the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, to sniff out the right rat amid all the cunning anglers with secrets to hide. But someone has baited a hook for him . . .

Customer Reviews:

An Uncharacteristic Beginning to a Humorous Series.......2006-12-16

Death of a Gossip is the first book in the Hamish Macbeth mysteries by M.C. Beaton. I decided to read this book after having found many of the references to Hamish Macbeth's motives in the later books to be obscure and puzzling. I was pleased to find that Death of a Gossip does a fine job of setting up the premise for the series; outlining the characters of Hamish Macbeth and his friend, Priscilla Hallburton-Smythe; and establishing a plot structure for the future murder spree in the small village of Lochdubh in the northwestern Highlands of Scotland. If you want to understand those underpinnings, you definitely need to read this book.

However, the book is quite unlike the others in the series in important ways:

1. The premise behind the murder is much more thoughtful and better developed than in the following books.

2. The tension between the victim and the other characters is also better developed.

3. The interplay between Hamish and Priscilla is awkward and embarrassingly at the edge of prurience for burlesque purposes. In later books, this relationship is much better grounded and more interesting.

4. The detection involved is clumsy and disappointing. It's as though M.C. Beaton had missed the last class on how to write a mystery story. In the later books, the detection is a rewarding element of the stories. So this is an unusual false start.

I mention all of these things lest you fail to realize that you have better books ahead of you.

If you have read none of the Hamish Macbeth stories, I recommend you start with this one and read through them in the order that they were published. You'll enjoy the character development better that way.

Here's a thumbnail of the set-up. Hamish Macbeth is the sole police constable in a small village where there's not much to do. He's impoverished because he's the eldest son in a Scottish family with lots of wee lads and lassies who need financial support. Due to a Highland tradition, he cannot even think of getting married until another son can replace him as an extra provider for the younger children in the large family. Since Hamish is much older than the other children, that day will be long in coming. There's not much for him to do, and he uses a lot of his time to scrounge free food and drink, raise chickens . . . and to poach on occasion. His one vice is his mongrel dog, Towser, who often eats better than Hamish does. Hamish has been struck dumb by the beauty and grace of Priscilla Hallburton-Smythe, daughter of the local landed gentry. Priscilla is unaware of his feelings. Others think that Hamish is retarded because of how much Priscilla affects him. The Hallburton-Smythes see marrying off Priscilla well as their main activity.

As this story opens, it's fishing season . . . and many beginning anglers arrive for the fishing school. They expect to struggle with tying flies, getting lines untangled and overcoming midges, but they don't expect the pointed comments of Lady Jane Hamilton . . . which hint at the hidden secrets in their closets. Lady Jane is obnoxious in other ways, and soon everyone feels threatened. Someone must feel more threatened than others because Lady Jane is found dead. Who did it? Hamish will find out, even though he's ordered off the case.

Hamish Macbeth's Début.......2006-10-13

In the 1st book in the Hamish Macbeth mystery series, we are introduced to the laid-back yet highly intelligent Constable Hamish Macbeth. Living in the Scottish village of Lochdubh, Hamish loves his small town and the villagers that live within it. Even though Hamish is kind and fair, the townspeople still consider him a bit of a moocher (always looking for free coffee and sandwiches), and he has been known to poach game to send back to his siblings. Living a bachelor's life in an idyllic setting, Hamish loves nothing more than to loaf about on the moors.

In this first installment, a new class of fly fishermen has arrived at the Lochdubh School of Casting taught by John and Heather Cartwright. Everyone is looking forward to a relaxing holiday learning more about their new hobby. The peacefulness of the outing is rudely interrupted by the brash antics of one of the pupils, Lady Jane Hamilton. Making snide comments about each of the members of the fishing school, she quickly makes enemies of them all. When a body is found murdered, no one is surprised to find that it is Lady Jane. Doing some digging into everyone's background and a little bit of lucky guess-work, Hamish lands himself the killer before all the students return back home after a wild vacation.

Having read all of the books in the series in the past, I decided to return and read them again for a second time. Listening to these books on CD is almost like visiting an old friend, or a childhood home. Hamish is a soothing character...he has such a good natured personality, and rarely gets anxious or angry. He looks at his cases in a calm, yet clever manner and always catches his killer. This series definitely grew on me as I continued to read it. In this first book, most of the beloved townspeople are absent (with the exception of Priscilla and her father). Much of the appeal of this series is in the village and its inhabitants, so if this is the first book you have read in the series, don't stop here. This is a witty, sometimes quirky look inside the brilliant mind of a constable at work in his beloved Scottish Highlands. I cannot wait to revisit Lochdubh again soon!

The next book in the series is called "Death of a Cad". Enjoy!

They get better!.......2006-06-24

The first of the Hamish books that I "read" was a recent one: Death of a Charming Man, and I went on to 3 others before coming back to the beginning. I am very glad that I started with a later book rather than this one, because without recommendation, I would not have gone farther. The books are told from the Third Person Limited, and in the later books, the story is told with knowledge of Hamish's thoughts. In this book, the first half is told primarily from the viewpoints of other characters, most prominently those of Alice, a confused 19-year-old who is only in the village for a week. In fact, the book is really about a group of outsiders rather than about the colorful villagers we come to know and love later. There are no Curry sisters, or doctor, or minister's wife, or Patel the grocer.

Hamish is a petty thief. This book does, though, point out in a fine way that all the characters are self-aggrandizing liars and hypocrites, but that all but one or two of them are harmless. Another nice thing about this book and all the Hamish books is that you know who's going to die, s/he doesn't die until about a third of the way through, and s/he is so awful a person that you can't wait for it to happen.

Note: I have listened, rather than read, the Hamish books. The audio versions are excellent. Both Davina Porter and the gentleman who reads the last books have wonderful breath and inflection. I forgive Ms. Porter for not managing one visitor's NYC accent -- in all other respects, she makes the books come alive. The perfect distraction from housework or a workout or a long plane ride.

Cozy is the perfect definition.......2006-03-06

This is the first book in the Hamish Macbeth Series. The book was enjoyable, yet it seemed similar to cotton candy, good, yet not filling. There were very nice settings and a solid mystery at the heart of this book. One of my biggest concerns after reading the book, was that I did not really take to the book's hero. I have read the other reviews and will probably give the other books a chance at some point.

Keep Reading..........2005-06-22

At first glance, "Death of a Gossip" did not fit my ideal of the "hero." It features Hamish Macbeth, a Scottish village constable - who isn't particular handsome or suave and is notoriously known for "mooching" coffee at the local hotel. (He sends the majority of his paycheck home to his parents and siblings.) Initially, I thought it might be a little dated as it was written 20 years ago.

But I quickly discovered that there is a reason for the success of this series, with additional new episodes published each year. In many ways, this series is light - and in many ways, it is rather profound. M.C. Beaton conveys important insights about human flaws and strengths in a remarkably understated way.

As the title suggests, this book focuses on the murder of a newspaper gossip columnist, who has made a career of embarking on various group vacations throughout the country - but only after first investigating the "skeletons" of the other guests on the tour. She has built her reputation on ultimately exposing these vacationers in her column.

When "The Gossip" is murdered, Hamlish steps in to investigate the mystery - but in a funny, quirky way. The mystery is solved through the often hilarious recounts of conversations and events that take place in the quaint, unsophisticated Scottish village.

Hamish Macbeth GROWS on you and wise advice is to be gleaned from this patient, sometimes lazy, all too human constable - almost before you discern it. He transports one back to a simpler time when the good character of an individual was the most important attribute one could possess. I urge readers to give this series a try because it only gets better with each book.

Death of a Charming Man (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)

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Hamish Tests His Limits
mystery lovers
Doris Bodmer (Visa ending 34154)
A Crucial Book in this Series
Death of a Charming Man

Death of a Charming Man (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446403385

Book Description

Now that Priscilla Halburton-Smythe has agreed to marry him, Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth can't imagine a more perfect life. There's not much crime in his remote Scottish village of Lochdubh, nothing much at all to do but fish, drink coffee, and slouch around. And now to spend time with lovely Priscilla. But his days aren't as tranquil as his dreams. For one thing, Priscilla's renovation schemes are driving him out of his cottage. Not to mention her ambitious plans for his career as a policeman away from Lochdubh. This might be a good time to find out why Peter Hynd's arrival in nearby Drim was causing so much trouble. An attractive, unmarried man with an independent income would always attract attention in such a small place. But this time Hynd's arrival seems to have caused bitter rivalry among the women of Drim. Hamish finds their petty fights amusing and a clever excuse to avoid Priscilla and her schemes for a new electric stove (to replace his beloved woodburning appliance), a posh new bathroom, and virtuous nutrition. Amusing, that is, until death threats, physical abuse, and murder make statistical history in one of Scotland's most picture postcard-perfect towns.

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Customer Reviews:

Hamish Tests His Limits.......2007-03-04

Don't read this book yet if you haven't read any others in the series. At least go back to Death of a Glutton and follow that with Death of a Travelling Man before taking on Death of a Charming Man. But if you can go to the beginning, Death of a Gossip, that would be best.

At the end of Death of a Travelling Man a false rumor spreads that Hamish and Priscilla Halburton-Smythe are engaged. Faced with everyone believing so, Hamish and Priscilla agreed to a sort-of engagement . . . just to see how things go. Hamish is wildly happy, and Priscilla is pleasantly open to the experience.

At the start of Death of Charming Man, Priscilla's well-organized ways are driving Hamish a bit batty as a new electric cooker is installed to replace his old wood-burning stove at the police station. Matters are made worse by Superintendent Daviot's wife who is out searching for homes that Hamish and Priscilla can buy in Strathbane. Hamish wants to stay in Lochdubh and live in the police station with Priscilla (without the cooker).

Wanting relief from all this, Hamish heads on Drim (a dreary place on his beat) to meet the new English arrival, a gorgeous young man named Peter Hynd who knows how to turn on the charm. There's something about Hynd that bothers Hamish. Those concerns grow when Hynd begins flirting with all of the middle-aged women in Drim who turn a bit batty themselves over the attention. Hamish is less pleased when Hynd invites Priscilla for dinner and later makes trouble over wanting to buy her scarf.

Matters are made worse in the Hamish-Priscilla relationship when the receptionist at the Tommel Castle Hotel decides to thrust herself on Hamish and create a scandal. Finally, Hamish warms Priscilla up a bit when police business intrudes.

When Peter Hynd leaves Drim, the men cheer and the women weep before going back to the old ways. Hamish is suspicious that there's foul play involved but cannot prove anything. An apparently accidental death follows that makes Hamish even more suspicious. But he's alone in his concerns. Feeling abandoned, Hamish takes his vacation to sleuth on his own. Before the book ends, Hamish finds that he's met his match in more than one way in this entertaining mystery.

Hamish Macbeth fans will find this to be one of the top books in the series. The development of the Hamish-Priscilla relationships is very find. The portrayal of the Peter Hynd character is well done. The villagers in Drim become interesting as well. The mystery is a challenging one, and most people probably won't get it until M.C. Beaton drops two clues to get you on the right track. The ending is full of interesting humor in which M.C. Beaton makes fun of her typical Hamish Macbeth endings.

Savor this one. It's very fine.

mystery lovers.......2007-02-09

always a pleasure to read..find a comfy spot and enjoy. love hamish and his love of the country

Doris Bodmer (Visa ending 34154).......2006-03-14

As with all MC Beaton's Hamish Macbeth stories, it is is the nature descriptions which are so particularly charming. You think you are in the Scottish Highlands with the constant change of weather and the few remarkably lovely days, the stern mountains and the Loch which can be silvery smooth or roaring with fierce waves. All this surrounds Hamish, the lovable and astute detective who wants to live nowhere else but in Lochdubh. I want to take my next vacation in the Highlands (hope I won't get murdered.) Keep writing Mrs. Beaton we love your books.

A Crucial Book in this Series.......2003-12-11

This book is a crucial book in the series because of what happens in Hamish's personal and professional life as a result of his uncovering this mystery. Hamish is sleuthing on his own in the small neighbouring village of Drim. He's the only one that thinks that murder most foul has been committed there. He puts his professional life on the line to first of all prove that murder was done, and then to show who actually committed it. Hamish is his usual laconic, endearing self. No wonder that the books of Hamish Macbeth have started a cult of followers over here across the pond from where MC Beaton and her fictional characters live. As in other books there is a sense of despair but a true sense of warmth as well. Her books in this series in particular are prime examples of black comedy. And her characterizations are absolutely wonderful with each outing.

Death of a Charming Man.......2003-08-03

"Death of a Charming Man" is the 10th Hamish Macbeth mystery by M.C. Beaton. Hamish is now engaged to the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. Priscilla is making changes to make Hamish more respectable, and it is cramping his style. Hamish travels to the small village of Drim which is in his territory to check out a very handsome and rich Englishman, Peter Hynd, who has moved there. The middle-aged women of Drim are all going to the hairdresser and taking aerobics classes in order to impress Mr. Hynd. He is even sleeping with some of the women, most of whom are married. Suddenly he disappears from Drim, and sells his house. Hamish senses that something is wrong and believes that Peter Hynd may be dead, and possibly murdered, perhaps by a jealous husband from the village. To get away from Lochdubh and Priscilla, he vacations in Drim to try to find out exactly what happened to Peter Hynd. This was not my favorite Hamish Macbeth novel, but it is an important one in the personal life of Hamish, and is a good read.

Average customer rating:

Great Macbeth!
Great for Classroom Use
Best Yet!

Macbeth (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: The Audio Partners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 193221920X

Book Description

Three witches predict not only that Macbeth will become king of Scotland, but also that his fellow general, Banquo, will father a succession of Scottish kings — though Banquo himself will never be crowned. When Lady Macbeth persuades her husband to slay King Duncan and seize the throne of Scotland, Macbeth achieves his ambition, but one murder leads to more. Guilt, retribution, and self-destiny are explored in one of Shakespeare's crowning achievements. Performed by Hugh Ross, Harriet Walter, and the Arkangel cast.

Customer Reviews:

Great Macbeth!.......2007-05-15

This CD is excellent--the witches are super creepy sounding, and the unabridged text is well performed. Definitely helpful for teaching Macbeth.

Great for Classroom Use.......2007-01-13

This series is wonderful if you are a teacher. It really helps students to hear how Shakespeare's words are supposed to flow when spoken by classically trained actors. Students snicker a bit at first when they hear the Scottish accents, but they get used to them quickly and the quality of the recording is excellent. The cheesy music in between acts is irritating, but you learn to ignore it. A fun bit of trivia is that the porter scene is acted by David Tennant who most people know as the current Dr. Who! It's also a treat to be able to listen to Macbeth in my car. Shakespeare makes rush-hour almost tolerable.

Best Yet!.......2005-10-25

I've been playing this in a regular senior English class. Many of the students are finally understanding the play. The actors in this cd do a wonderful job interpreting their lines. The Scottish accents are well done. Sound effects make it vivid. It's the best production I've found to date.

Death of a Perfect Wife (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

Poor Hamish
Hamish Macbeth -- enough said
A Satisfied Man Looks for the Murderer of the Perfect Wife
Amusing, Unique, with Nice Scottish Background....g
A Strong entry in the Hamish Macbeth Series.

Death of a Perfect Wife (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446614734

Book Description

"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 the old Lochdubh anymore. So when Trixie is murdered, not everyone is exactly devastated. Constable Macbeth, head over heels in love with beautiful Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, must interrupt his romance at the most inopportune time to solve the mystery. But how to do that when the list of suspects includes the entire town?

Customer Reviews:

Poor Hamish.......2006-11-11

Just when Hamish McBeth feels Lochdubh is settling down so he can enjoy his life of lazy leisure, the town's newest arrival sets his peace loving life on it's ear. Trixie Thomas is the biggest pain in the rear the poor constable could imagine, bound to cause nothing but trouble by organizing all the other wives into her vision of perfection.

At first, all seems well, until gradually the husbands become less and less happy over the changes being made, and the wives seem more and more frustrated that they can't achieve the level of perfection Trixie demands. It's only natural then, that someone solves everyones' problems by doing away with Trixie, which of course, creates all manner of problems for poor Hamish. Not the least is the arrival of his worst nemesis, Dectective Chief Inspector Blair, who proceeds in his usual ham-handed manner to muck things up for Hamish.

As always, M.C. Beaton delivers with her Highland policeman in his murderously inclined village of Lochdubh. Hamish is a terrific creation, a man who is genuinely content to be where he is, except for his lack of success in the romance department. The books are always an enjoyable read and MacBeth is a warm, endearing character, especially for those of us who appreciate his lack of ambition and his desire to be allowed to go his own way.

Hamish Macbeth -- enough said.......2006-11-10

What is there to say about finishing a Hamish Macbeth mystery? You've had a delightful read, and the good news is another one sure to follow.

A Satisfied Man Looks for the Murderer of the Perfect Wife.......2006-10-07

Death of a Perfect Wife is my introduction to the Hamish Macbeth mysteries. Having enjoyed the book, I look forward to reading more in the series.

Unambitious, but happy, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth is the one-man police force in the village of Lockdubh in the Scottish Highlands. He has his dog, his sheep, friends and all the time in the world to enjoy life. The hardworking citizens there usually think of their relaxed Bobby as a bit of a goof-off. All that changes when an actual crime occurs that threatens the domestic happiness of many of the village's households.

When Hamish is not out poaching salmon or game, he's given to dreamily considering the delights of Priscilla, daughter of the snooty, hyphenated castle-owning family. He's obsessed with her . . . or his imagination of her . . . and finds it disturbing when Priscilla is seen being friendly with a new man.

Into this idyll comes Trixie Thomas, the new wife of reformed overeater, Paul Thomas. Trixie is the White Tornado of cleanliness. She also advocates healthy living, saving the environment and many other good purposes. Soon, all the husbands in Lockdubh are having salads and fiber instead of steak and potatoes, giving up smoking and being hectored to give up other bad habits at Trixie's instigation to their wives.

Trixie also makes no bones about needing money and is constantly scrounging up old furniture to furnish a bed and breakfast establishment. The uproar becomes even stronger when Trixie leads a group to stop a local farmer from knocking over a building with bats in it.

Then, the uproar takes a new turn when Trixie turns up dead. Blair, Hamish's sarcastic superior, takes over . . . but Hamish plods away on his own. The investigation is complicated when Blair's new superior decides that Hamish is the route to Priscilla's hospitality for his wife.

The mystery isn't very mysterious, but the novel does a fine job of exploring the ways that we mis-mate ourselves by the expectations we bring to relationships and marriage. Those misperceptions can cause a lot of harm.

I listened to the Recorded Books version of the book as portrayed by Davina Porter and found my enjoyment greatly enhanced by her imaginative use of Highland accents and verbal pacing. I recommend you do the same.

If you are looking for high action, high tech mysteries built around crime scene investigations, this isn't your book. If you like a good, light-hearted story, you'll have a ball!

Amusing, Unique, with Nice Scottish Background....g.......2004-04-01

This is a fine , short , to the point mystery with great Summertime Scottish scenes, eccentrics, cozy old fashioned couples who get hysterical over seeing theiri mate hug a friend of the opposite gender. An English couple move into this quaint Scottish village, start a bed and breakfast, and the wife converts many of the ladies into bat-saving environmentalists, non smokers, and vegetarians ! Some frustrated romance, upper crust lords, rough and tumble kiddies, and arsenic enter into the brew, and our detective-hero saves the day.And the very end is a real winner. my only complaint is many of the locals almost think the victim deserved her fate,including the detective..Still, a fine, Scottish mystery!

A Strong entry in the Hamish Macbeth Series........2003-09-02

The more that I read Hamish, the more that I like him. He is a totally understated, shy and smart village policeman. He has many endearing qualities, not the least of which is his naivety. In this book an English couple moves into Locdubh and opens up a bed and breakfast. Their arrival throws the whole village into an uproar because the wife, Trixie Thomas, is a do-gooder as well as a "tree-hugger". All the wives join with her and start dramatically changing their home lives, much to the dismay of their husbands. It doesn't surprise Hamish when Trixie turns up dead and he certainly has no dearth of suspects. Trixie antagonized a lot of people. It's up to Hamish to determine who was the one that got mad enough to kill. Along the way we meet more of our Lochdubh friends and Hamish triumphs again. Ms. Beaton's characters just seem to live and breathe off the page.

Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God

Average customer rating:

wonderful
a terrific book to use during retreats, youth group meetings, prayer groups, and for personal devotion and meditation
Praying Thanks for Praying in Color
Learning how to pray all over again
Far Better Than You Might Think

Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God
Sybil MacBeth
Manufacturer: Paraclete Press (MA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1557255121

Customer Reviews:

wonderful.......2007-09-30

I love this book - it's a great resource for ways to pray using our creativity

a terrific book to use during retreats, youth group meetings, prayer groups, and for personal devotion and meditation .......2007-06-18

If you saw me at the coffee shop, scribbling away with my colored pencils, you might think I was doodling --- and pretty primitive doodling at that. But truth be told, I'm praying --- praying in color --- learning a new way to talk with God from Sybil MacBeth's unique first book. And it's not just for artists.

The bright, primary colors of the jacket and the unique full-color interior design grabbed me from the start. MacBeth, a math professor, believes that for those of us who struggle during prayer with wandering minds, restless hearts and intrusive thoughts, drawing with colored pencils or markers while we pray will help us focus and remember our prayers. It also will bring joy back to prayer. "When I draw as a way to enter prayer, I get to delight in my prayer and to feel God's delight that I am making an effort to pray," she writes. Prayer as joy? I was hooked. Praying in color is a simple concept, and it's easy to get started.

I began with an ink pen, drawing a small shape on a page of copy paper (MacBeth also suggests a notepad, blank journal, or any sort of paper you feel comfortable with). My friend Rick had just had a heart attack, and he was the first person on my mind to pray for. So I drew a heart, then put his name in it. Simple. And memorable.

Other ways to begin, MacBeth suggests, include writing one of the infinite names for the Almighty in a shape, a reminder that God is ever-present during your prayer time. Yet another option is writing your own name in a shape, if you are in a particularly difficult situation.

Next, MacBeth says to add detail to the drawing, remembering that this is not about being a fine artist but rather about creating something visual to remember your prayer. Each stroke and each moment you spend on your drawing is time spent with God. I added a Band-Aid to Rick's heart as I prayed for his healing, an encompassing halo symbolizing God's protection and all-surrounding love, and Rick's wife Susan's name leaning on top of the heart (a reminder that she needed my prayers as well).

Next comes the color. MacBeth recommends markers or colored pencils, and notes that some readers like gel pens. I had a good selection of colored pencils, so I used plenty of red, yellow and green to color in my heart and the doodles in and around it. The colors help you bring the symbol of your prayer more easily to mind later, MacBeth believes. I was finished with my prayer for Rick and ready to go to another.

When you move from one person to the next in this way, MacBeth suggests offering a closing prayer, an "Amen" or even more simple, "I'll be back." I like that! If the request is particularly heavy, she recommends taking several deep breaths or standing up and moving around to let go of any tension that might have built up.

When you're finished with your prayer page, you'll have a virtual collage of color, shapes and names. MacBeth calls this a prayer "icon," but evangelical readers need not be put off by this. "I use the word icon with the understanding that an icon helps us to see God. We do not worship the image; it has a transparency about it that lets us see through it to a deeper experience of God and God's presence." Well said.

Each page has step-by-step instructions that clearly illustrate whatever MacBeth is teaching. She integrates personal anecdotes gleaned from her PRAYING IN COLOR workshops, scripture, vulnerable insights from her own struggles with prayer and answers to potential criticisms.

Stuck on what to doodle? MacBeth includes samples of prayer pages or icons, and chapters full of ideas about who and what we might pray for. We can pray in color for our enemies, to meditate on scripture, to recall certain things, for discernment, or even pray using a prefab calendar during Advent or Lent. MacBeth even offers ideas for praying in color with a computer! There is plenty here to get the most artistically-challenged or prayer-challenged person scribbling away.

This would be a terrific book to use during retreats, youth group meetings, prayer groups, and for personal devotion and meditation times. Writes MacBeth, "A new prayer form gives God an invitation and a new door to penetrate the locked cells of our hearts and minds." A beautiful image, and one I'm planning to draw --- the next time I go to God in prayer. Thanks, Sybil!

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

Praying Thanks for Praying in Color.......2007-05-01

So often, when I am journaling my prayers, the words just escape me, or I feel the urge to draw something but am intimidated by my lack of artistic skill. I can do collage and some painting and I can write, but my sketches are sad. So, when I saw this book on the table at a retreat last weekend, it called to me. I really didn't have the money, but I picked it up anyway. I put it back down and picked it back up. Something in me just NEEDED it. So, in the end, I paid for it. I began reading it immediately, before our evening session. My fingers itched to try out this technique. So, on Sunday morning, when I took some Sabbath time to sit outside in the quiet, I tried the idea shared in the first few chapters. It felt so natural. My body let go of so much perfectionism and I felt free and light.

I am sure this method of prayer via doodles will not work for everyone. But, it is worth a shot for anyone. It has so many uses, from the actual praying during drawing to the reminder each shape can bring throughout your day. This method of pray would be easy to do with children or to use when waiting somewhere or trying to simply slow your thoughts for a bit.

Learning how to pray all over again.......2007-04-20

I've been searching for a "how to" book on praying. I wanted something more than just a bunch of pre-written prayers...a deeper connection. Praying in Color is just the book! I read it cover to cover in one night. Once I started drawing, I couldn't stop. I actually spent over an hour on one prayer. The first page of the book "Prayer Dilemmas" spoke volumes to me as I related to just about everything on the list. What a great book to reconnect to Spirit. I highly recommend this for adults, teens and families.

Far Better Than You Might Think.......2007-04-19

Seemingly "too" simple or childish for adults, Praying In Color is excellent for any age person. I am someone who doesn't mind sitting still or quiet for a half hour and doesn't have difficulty staying focused, so I really thought I wouldn't need this "silly" activity. I was wrong! After just a few minutes of praying in color, I was hooked. My grandsons, ages 8 and 5, love it. Some of my friends tried it and then tried it with their husbands - they loved it. The possibilities for this activity are endless - what a boost to a prison ministry, or outreach to the deaf - for use by people who are uncomfrotable praying aloud in a group. Teens are excited by this activity as it really allows them to 'get out of the box'. And it is appropriate for people of ANY FAITH. Praying in color is really one of the oldest ways to pray - iconographers refer to their icons as 'prayers in color.' Try it - you will like it!

MacBeth : For Kids (Shakespeare Can Be Fun series)

Average customer rating:

My kids love these books!
Excellent Introduction to Shakespeare
Macbeth For Kids: Shakespeare Can Be Fun

MacBeth : For Kids (Shakespeare Can Be Fun series)
Lois Burdett
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0887532799

Book Description

"Who is William Shakespeare?" For more than 20 years, Lois Burdett has asked that question of her elementary school students in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, leading them on a voyage of discovery that brings the Bard to life for boys and girls ages seven and up.

Macbeth for Kids, written in rhyming couplets is suitable for staging as class plays as well as reading aloud.

Customer Reviews:

My kids love these books!.......2003-03-18

I have 2 sons, ages 9 and 11, and they both love Lois Burdett's Shakespeare books! These books make the story lines accessible while providing the flavor of Shakespeare through the wonderful rhyming couplets. I first used one of these books to "preview" the story of MacBeth to my younger son, who was going to be in a children's musical production of the story. He loved the book and often asks me to reread it to him, and we have since acquired several other of the Burdett titles. My sons also enjoy the whimsical illustrations and sidebars done by the children.

Excellent Introduction to Shakespeare.......2000-11-22

I am a third grade teacher on Long Island. Last year I introduced three of Willaim Shakespeare's plays into our classroom. My children loved Macbeth. We studied Macbeth, The Tempest and Hamlet. The way Mrs. Burdett wrote in rhyming couplets really made the reading enjoyable! I plan on using her books throughout my teaching career. Thank you Lois Burdett! Shakespeare can be fun thanks to you.

-Michael Hynes

Macbeth For Kids: Shakespeare Can Be Fun.......2000-07-19

What a wonderful way to introduce Shakespeare to children! I used this book as a third grade teacher to teach inner city kids about Macbeth. It was amazing to hear the students discussing all of the characters and their actions. They were proud of themselves for learning about Shakespeare "like high school kids." If you make it fun, they will have fun!

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