Death of an Addict (Hamish Macbeth, #15) by M.C. Beaton

Death of an Addict (Hamish Macbeth, #15) Reviews

• 
  Jerry B

  We’re not surprised at the mixed reaction to “Addict”, the 15th entry in the charming light mystery series featuring Constable Hamish Macbeth and his Highlands Scotland village of Lochdubh. Most all these stories feature an unusual murder that Hamish eventually solves, mostly through sharp wits and everyday common sense, often to the dismay of his police superiors who thinks he’s an unambitious dolt. However, the familiar townsfolk and places are thrown aside in this particular tale, as Hamish pairs up with a female higher-up inspector, going undercover as a married couple to chase out some drug dealers. While spending several nights together in hotel rooms, they also pair up in other ways, which seemed out of character for both. And, uncharacteristically, the pair traverse the nearest big city, even other countries, posing as drug dealers in a weak attempt to fool some bad guys. Meanwhile, solving the addict's murder got hardly a mention; and a silly sub-plot about a religious cult did little but serve as an unwarranted detour.
  
  The trouble with a series with which readers “know” what to expect, is that when we don’t find it, some are pleasantly surprised and others are disenchanted. We per se are not tired of the “normal form” of these light-hearted tales and don’t want far-fetched action with new characters stealing the show. While not at all deterred from Beaton’s future novels, count us among the disappointed.
• 
  Julie Durnell

  Hamish Macbeth #15 is quite a departure from the previous Hamish books. I enjoyed the new character, Olivia, who is actually his superior officer, and someone different than old Priscilla as a love interest. I didn't care much for all the drug dealing plot but it was an interesting adventure in the Scottish Highlands once more!
• 
  Elizabeth

  Yes, still 18 more left in the series.
• 
  Kelsey Hanson

  Definitely not my favorite Hamish MacBeth novel. This book kinda turned him into both a sexist jerk and a pathetic desperate single guy. I thought Olivia was a nightmare and Hamish is starting to have a revolving door of women in these novels. I also don't think THAT many people would find Hamish weird for not wanting a promotion. That's actually a fairly normal response when people don't want to uproot themselves for a job. Pretty disappointing, but a quick read.
• 
  Heather

  This one really felt like Beaton was just tired to writing Macbeth books, but needed one to fulfill some contractual obligation. So she had this idea for another book and pigeon-holed it into a Macbeth story. Yeah. My least favorite so far.
• 
  Peggy

  Enough already. I'm done with series. it just went to unbelievable
  
• 
  Ellie

  
  Death of an Addict is a different kind of contribution to
  M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth mystery series. Police Officer Macbeth's sleepy Scottish village of Lochdubh officially enters the present as drugs and drug-dealers enter in the form of a young man who comes post-rehab to Lochdubh to write his cautionary memoirs-& then turns up dead of an overdose. The police are satisfied that he died of an accidental od: except, that is, for Hamish Macbeth, who has a feeling something's not quite right.
  This is the most police-like of the series that I've read so far but Hamish is the same lovable self he always is. There are 2 detective stories in this one book: one a police procedural/thriller that's primarily plot-driven and one a small village murder mystery (cozy) that's primarily character-driven. There's romance, addiction, recovery, drug-tzars, and, as always, descriptions of this village of Lochdubh that make you want to pack up and move there.
• 
  Lynn

  I reach for a Hamish Macbeth book when I want to read something light and entertaining. This is the 15th book in the series and I have read all of the previous books. This book was just ok for me and perhaps one of the my least favorite books so far in the series. The idea of Hamish as an undercover International Drug king pin was a stretch for me. I suppose after 14 books the author looks for a new plot for her series that is different than the previous ones.
  The character of Detective Chief Inspector Blair who has always hated Hamish crossed the line in this book. It will be interesting to see where this character goes in future books. I imagine there will be little change and no consequences but will read on to find out.
  I will continue with this series because I like the hours of relaxing light entertainment they give me.
• 
  Dolly

  This is an unusual book in the Hamish Macbeth series. Hamish gets caught up in a drug sting operations, going undercover as a married drug lord, wearing fancy clothes, traveling to Amsterdam, and basically getting out of his comfort zone. It wasn't my favorite of the series, but it was a fast, fun read.
• 
  Sarah Booth

  This was a good one! There was adventure and a deviation from the usual formula the stories follow. There’s a very funny scene where Hamish gets himself into an awkward situation that made for good comic relief. This book had you really disliking upper management, but cheering for the folks of Loch Duhb.
• 
  Donna Radcliff

  Not my favorite, too much Miami Vice in the Highlands. Drug Lords, seamy big town crime. Not my cuppa.
• 
  Karen Mosley

  Skip this one. The murder investigation was good, but Macbeth makes ridiculous romantic choices that ruin the whole story.
• 
  Rachel

  I find Hamish Macbeth stories to be totally soothing. The characters are so fantastic and the murder mysteries always intriguing. This was another great story.
• 
  Amy Lee

  Way too far afield for Hamish -- judgy and trite.
• 
  Margitte

  COMMENTS
  In the previous novel, Death of a Scriptwriter, a symbolic suicide took place, promising big changes to the future of this series, implicating the 'high-jacking' of an author's work by new forces in the word games, so to speak. M C Beaton's novels were getting 'adulterated', and she was outspoken about it.
  
  In this novel, the transition from the traditional Lochdubh villagers to new characters are in the works, and the results is a lukewarm introduction to a 'more acceptable' new political agenda in the structure of the series.
  
  Hamish Macbeth is still the anchor character and must bow down to a new superior. In this case Chief Inspector Olivia Chater. Together, acting as a married couple, they must solve a drug case and it gets messy when the jealous, mean-spirited Detective Chief Inspector Blair is using his underworld connections to thwart their efforts. In his frame of mind, it is essential to prevent Hamish Macbeth from becoming an international hero.
  
  On the positive side, Hamish Macbeth is determined to remain in his beloved Lochdubh, and refuses to accept the death of the young Tommy Jarret, who rented a cottage from Parry McSporran where he was trying to stay clean and write his story. There's a green-eyed monster in the Drim loch, attracting tourists to the struggling village of Drim. Somewhere outside the community, a new religious cult is established, called the Church of the Rising Sun, which inspires Hamesh to take his two-week break and paint the church as a depressed outcast, sleeping in his old Volvo—the rusty, dusty old vehicle, rented from Sean Fitzpatrick, the recluse. His superiors are once again convinced that Hamish has lost a few marbles, but get their act together when his instincts convinces them of bigger, more sinister shenanigans in the communities.
  
  Come to think of it, Hamish becomes a jobless / homeless outcast, as well as the James Bond of Scotland in one go. Imagine our beloved constable in an Armani suit, designer jeans, suede and leather jackets, silk underwear, shirts from the famous Jermyn Street shirt-maker, gold cuff links, gold Rolex, wraparound sunglasses, and a camelhair coat! My oh my! He finally travels outside his comfort zone to Amsterdam and, well, expands his horizons in more ways than one ...
  
  Death of an Addict is an adventure to die for ... (in more ways than one) ... for both reader and protagonist. However, the villagers of Lochdubh is not to be underestimated ... :-)
  
  214 pages.
• 
  Bill

  
  Death of an Addict is the 15th book in the Hamish MacBeth mystery series by
  M.C. Beaton. It's an interesting story, with Constable MacBeth of Lochdubb investigating the death of a young man and going under cover to infiltrate drug dealers in Strathbane.
  
  I'm not reading these in order, just reading those I've got on my book shelf, so it's apparent that some things have gone on in Hamish's personal life that I've missed. Having said that, it doesn't take away from the story and you can get the gist of it.
  
  Hamish goes to Drim, a village in his constabulary, to investigate reports of a sea monster in the Loch. While there he meets a young man renting a chalet from another local. Also there is a young lady, renting another of the chalets. This young man will turn up dead, presumed dead of an overdose. The boy's parents tell Hamish that the boy had once been addicted to heroin but had turned his life around. The whole thing seems to be questionable to Hamish, but his superiors in Strathbane feel it's an open and closed case.
  
  Hamish takes time off from his work as local constable and begins an investigation on his own. His findings result in a bigger investigation of drug runners in the area. Det Inspector Olivia Chater is brought in from the Glasgow force to work with Hamish undercover to try and catch the local big guys in the drug enterprises.
  
  This will involve pretending to be a big man in drugs as well and even mean a trip to Amsterdam. Hamish must learn to work with Olivia.. Hamish has trouble dealing with women, shyness and a habit of falling in love, and Olivia has felt the pressure of being a senior female police officer, which makes for a sometimes prickly relationship.
  
  It's an entertaining story with sufficient action to hold your interest and some nice twists in the plot. It's all a new experience for Hamish, moving from his quiet rural constabulary to the high stakes drug trade. Most enjoyable. (4 stars)
• 
  Ivonne Rovira

  
  M.C. Beaton strays from her usual cozy style in the 15th novel in her Hamish Macbeth series; usually, the perennial unambitious but preternaturally curious Constable Macbeth secretly investigates a closed case after being warned off by his superiors and manages to solve the crime and make the jealous Inspector Blair look foolish and spiteful. In Death of an Addict, Macbeth goes undercover in an elaborate international drug sting operation after poking his nose into the supposed suicide of the titular reformed heroin addict. While Macbeth carries off his undercover work implausibly well, it’s still a pretty good read. The culture shock between Macbeth and his Glaswegian partner and superior proves interesting, and I loved the softening of the hard-nosed Detective Inspector Olivia Chater as she gets to know Hamish and the slower-paced Highlands of Scotland better. I hope we get to see more of the clever and pretty Olivia, and the ambiguous ending makes me think I’ll get my wish.
  
  Longtime readers will find Death of an Addict a wonderful change of pace; however, a pointless subplot involving a pair of scam artists running a religious cult slows down the action enough to knock the book into three-star territory. Even so, it’s still worth the trip to the nasty Highlands village of Drim to see Hamish far outside his comfort zone.
  
• 
  Natalie

  When a former drug-addict is found dead of an overdose, Hamish wonders if the young man's old habits caught up to him again or if something more nefarious is afoot. His search for answers leads to him straight to undercover operation in the hard core drug scene with the lovely Inspector, Olivia.
  
  While this book had a lot of the signature Hamish humor and smarts, I missed the small town setting and the fun town folk. It also wasn't much of a whodunnit. The whole undercover operation wasn't as fun for me.
  
  When I reread the series I'll definitely still read this one but it's been my least favorite so far.
• 
  Jennifer

  #15 in the series, with Blair continuing to be obnoxious. Hope he tones down in future installments.
• 
  writer...

  The Hamish Macbeth Mysteries #15
  Author: M.C. Beaton
  Reader: Shaun Grindell
  Length 5.8 hrs • Unabridged
  ℗ 2014 by Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  
  
  Hamish uses his 2 weeks off the beat in the Scottish Highlands to pursue drug lords following the death of a young drug addict. Hamish takes an unexpected step into the drug world impersonating a druglord then realizes his need for department assistance to back his claims. A female Detective Inspector is sent out from headquarters. They head to Amsterdam, making acquaintances and impressions that lead to deep and dangerous peril back in Scotland.
  
  High adventure ensues when their cover is blown and villains take the upperhand. Great twists keep the story moving to a satisfying conclusion and readers can look forward to more of Hamish Macbeth's Highland adventures.
  
  Shaun Grindell does an excellent job creating personalities for the wide cast of characters. His voice is age perfect for Hamish as well as his authentically portrayed Highland accent. Grindell's timing and speech rhythm is exceptional in delivering Beaton's wit and humour adding much to the enjoyment of listening to the story.
  
  Blackstone's recording is clear and uninterrupted .
  
  
  
  Appreciation to Blackstone Audio and Audio Jukebox for the mp3 for review.
  
  
  AUTHOR BIO :
  M. C. Beaton has won international acclaim for her bestselling Hamish Macbeth mysteries and the Agatha Raisin mystery series. She is also the author of more than one hundred romance titles and a series of romantic suspense novels, the Edwardian Mystery series. Born in Scotland, she now divides her time between Paris and the English Cotswolds.
  
  READER BIO :
  Shaun Grindell was born and raised in Southampton, England. His training includes the Calland School of Speech and Drama and the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in London. He has been seen on stage in London and Las Vegas and currently resides in New England with his wife.
  
• 
  The Flooze

  I understand from reviews that many readers are disappointed to find Hamish away from Lochdubh for most of this book. For me, it was rather exciting to see Hamish completely out of his element.
  
  Though we know he can charm and fib his way out of most anything on his own turf, this time we get to see Hamish rise to the challenge of a much more complicated investigation - one that costs a lot of money and manpower. He comes out of it with mixed results, the negative ones reinforcing that at heart he's always hoping for the best in people...and also that his Highland self is still rather old-fashioned.
  
  For anyone fearing a lack of village intrigue, have no fear. We meet some new characters from Hamish's beat and see more of the area he loves so well. Particularly amusing is an old Irish recluse who bitterly aids Hamish. He's abrasive in a delightful way, and I hope we'll see him again. Though we admittedly don't get a lot of page time with the old favorites, Beaton ensures that every moment at home counts - culminating in another brilliant example of Lochdubh's fierce (yet hilarious) loyalty.
  
  As others have felt, the only issue I had was Hamish coming off as a bit desperate for female attention. But it's a small quibble, and honestly: what lovelorn man or woman hasn't had their moments of oddity when faced with frustrating loneliness?
• 
  Eric_W

  Normally, the overdose death of a heroin addict would hardly raise police suspicions, but our favorite Scottish constable, Hamish Macbeth, is unlike most police and he wonders about more than a few incongruities. And what does it all have to do with new sightings of another monster in the local loch. Hamish suspects nothing more than a new family of seals. In order to collect more information about the heroin overdose, Hamish, with the surprise approval of his Strathbone superiors, goes undercover, literally and figuratively with a notorious detective inspector posing as his wife. Those knowing Hamish will recognize the scenario for trouble and sure enough. But the real trouble is caused by that pesky detective inspector Blair, who remains so envious of Hamish's local success.
• 
  LJ

  DEATH OF AN ADDICT (Police Procedural – cozy) – Ok
  M.C. Beaton – 15th in series
  Drugs come to the Scottish Highlands when a young man is found dead from an apparent overdose. But his parents believe it as murder and ask Constable Hamish Macbeth to investigate.
  *** Although Hamish is brighter than he appears, the idea of him posing as a drug kingpin just doesn’t work. And the dialogue is weak in the extreme. It is extremely rare when a television series is better than the books but the BBC series of Hamish Macbeth is. This is a very light series anyway, but this story was one of the weakest.
  
• 
  C.J. Prince

  Ah, if you're ready for "Death of an Addict", you've already galloped through fourteen Hamish Macbeth books. And if you don't know who he is, then go back to #1 "Death of A Gossip." Perhaps you'll fall in love with the lanky Scotsman with blazing hair just as I did.
  
  If you're in the reading doldrums, this series will sail you off to the horizon of the Highlands and make you smile. By #15, you already know many of the characters and it's like you've settled in a croft in Lochdubh (pronounced Loch do).
  
  The death? Oh, yes, the death is a murder or is it? The conundrum of a former addict who appears to have overdosed. Read on with Macbeth. No spoilers.
• 
  Jenn

  5/8/22 - Still really love this one! And now I'm taking a break from my headlong hurtle through Hamish Macbeth re-read (re-listen?), but will be back shortly! Love him!
  
  One of my favorites of the series! Hamish has to go undercover twice and gets his cover blown with near-deadly repercussions - it's a very exciting and different installment that has Hamish away from Lochdubh and all the usual suspects there and investigating the drug underground.
• 
  Jenny

  Hamish gets to go undercover to bust a drug ring...the murder in this "episode" seems very secondary, almost like an afterthought. Interesting story line, but not my favorite. Not nearly enough of the locals. I have really enjoyed this series overall though...light, quick, great characters, and Shaun Grindell is an amazing reader.
• 
  Una Tiers

  Poor plot, not what Beaton is capable of writing.
• 
  Mary K.

  Very Dark. Not the usual light read.
• 
  Heidi Burkhart

  An entertaining "who dunnit." Once again Hamish tries mixing work and romance while trying to solve a murder.