| Title | : | Death of a Cad (Hamish Macbeth, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0446607142 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780446607148 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 214 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1987 |
Death of a Cad (Hamish Macbeth, #2) Reviews
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Okay, so that was a little better than the first book. Good enough for me to continue on with the series? Perhaps.
Small town constable, Hamish Macbeth solves another murder before the big boys at the bureau can suss it out. That seems to be an ongoing theme: seemingly slow-witted and ambition-free local bobby outdoes the top brass. A little bit unbelievable...except that I've worked under some really thick fuckers in my day, so yeah, I can suspend disbelief on this one for a bit longer.
The characterization is still ham-fisted though. Lots of upperclass twits in Death of a Cad, which revolves around a successful playwright and the murder of an annoying twat by one of the toffs staying at the local castle. There's just too many stereotypes prancing about saying ridiculous things for this to be taken seriously. And it's also not quite ridiculous enough to be considered a comedy.
The will-he-won't-he, will-she-won't-she play between Hamish and the castle debutant is not a romance I can pull for. I just don't care if they hook up. However, Hamish himself is a likable enough guy with a good set of morals and seems like the kind of blue-collar hero I could root for, so I'll likely give book three a try some one of these days. -
BLURB
Murder Most Fowl When Priscilla Halburton-Smythe brings her London playwright fiance home to Lochdubh, everybody in town is delighted...except for love-smitten Constable Hamish Macbeth. Yet his affairs of the heart will have to wait. Vile, boorish Captain Bartlett, one of the guests at Priscilla's engagement party, has just been found murdered-shot while on a grouse hunt. Now with many titled party guests as the prime suspects, each with a reason for snuffing out the despicable captain, Hamish must smooth ruffled feathers as he investigates the case. When the hidden culprit strikes again, Hamish will find himself trying to save Priscilla from a miserable marriage-and catch a killer before he flies the coop.
214 Pages. It's a breeze!
2022 - EDIT: I reread this novel from a totally different angle than before. In Death of A Snob I became aware of the author's subtle vignettes on social labels we all love to award everyone and everything. It brought so much comic relief and I realized how crafty(in a positive way) M C Beaton really is. She creates these either familiar, and/or eccentric characters and sprinkles local yokel-vernaculars all over the dialogue. In between she sneaks in biting, edgy, social commentary that constantly had me laughing out loud. She does not spare anything. Nobody escapes her fine satirical paint brushes. I felt inspired to reread the series.
In this novel she takes out the class-issue in British culture. The reader can sense the utter fun she has in doing so.
Here are some of the 'finer', political incorrect and super funny characters and moments:
Cad:
- a man who behaves dishonorably, especially towards a woman —iPad dictionary
- Since 1900, a man devoid of fine instincts or delicate feelings —The Penguin Dictionary of Historical Slang.
ABOUT Captain Peter Bartlett
"Dirty sod! Absolute dirty rotter. Complete and utter cad!
ABOUT Detective Chief Inspector Blair
"... had a chip on his shoulder so big, it was a wonder his arm didn’t fall off. "
"That man Blair, is an uncouth pig."
"Blair doesn't know his arse from his elbow,"
"That horrible man, Blair."
"I wouldn't tell that nasty man, Blair, anything."
"Good Heavens! That man cannot find his hands if they weren't attached to his arms."
Blair detested the upper classes because they made him feel inferior, and the Highlanders because they lacked any inferiority complex whatsoever.
Everyone clams up on the spot. Captain Bartlett could be offensive, they say, but not as offensive as some— meaning Blair, of course. Blair is also high-handed with the servants. Servants who might be the gossipy type clam up on the spot and play the old retainer bit.”
ABOUT Jenkins, the Halburton-Smythe's English butler
Very well, Jenkins,” said Priscilla. “You may go.”
“And what shall I tell Mrs Halburton-Smythe?” asked Jenkins, his eyes gleaming with malice. It was not that he disliked Priscilla in any way; it was just that he was a terrible snob and he thought Hamish Macbeth had no right to be attending Tommel Castle as one of the guests.
“Chust say,” said Hamish, whose Highland accent became more marked and sibilant when he was annoyed or upset, “that Miss Halburton-Smythe will be doon the stairs shortly, and if you add anything to that statement, ye great pudding, I’ll hear o’ it and I’ll take ye apart bit by bit.”
Jenkins glared awfully and then he wheeled about, his arms held out as if carrying a tray, and made a ponderous, stiff-legged exit.
“He’s like a butler in a fillum,” said Hamish. “I think when he feels his act or accent is slipping, he takes the bus down tae Strathbane and sees another old movie.”
2015 COMMENTS
I ventured off to Youtube to find more information on the author and discovered a 3-part series(each part consisting of several episodes) of Hamish Macbeth mysteries. What a great discovery it was. Although it is different from the written series, the episodes reflected the humor, social fabric and typical characters of the community. Amish Macbeth becomes very real.
It was with delight that I read the second book in the series. It is a fast-moving easy read, a well-constructed whodunit with a typical Scottish flair. Really enjoyable. I will do a few more of the author. Thanks to the video series, the books have become much more enjoyable. -
A pleasant cozy mystery that made for an ideal lazy Sunday reading. I didn’t quite enjoy this Mcbeth mystery as much as the first, but it’s short page count helps to keep the reader engrossed and can easily be read in a day.
The mystery itself is fun, as the vile Captain Bartlett is killed on a goose hunt, Mcbeath is convinced that fail play is in order.
I found quite a lot of the secondary characters to be annoying, so this story didn’t click aswell for me.
I found the solution to very satisfying. -
This one just seemed off kilter to me. This murder mystery plot was driven mainly by conversation, more of a "telling" aspect than "showing." The character development was very little, and there was a large array of characters who were all mostly unlikable. I loved many in her Agatha Raisin series, and had hoped to love this one too. Hopefully this series improves as it goes.
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Als Priscilla Halburton-Smythe ihren Verlobten nach Lochdubh mitbringt, sind alle verzückt - bis auf Constable Hamish Macbeth, der selbst in Priscilla verliebt ist. Doch derlei Herzensangelegenheiten müssen warten, als Captain Bartlett, ein Gast auf Priscillas Verlobungsfeier, bei der Moorhuhnjagd erschossen wird. Hamish steht ein schwieriger Fall bevor, denn fast jeder der feinen Verlobungsgesellschaft scheint einen Grund gehabt zu haben, den garstigen Captain in die ewigen Jagdgründe zu schicken. Kann Hamish den Mörder fangen, ehe dieser über alle Berge ist? Und kann er zugleich Priscilla davon abbringen, den größten Fehler ihres Lebens zu begehen?
Mein Leseeindruck:
Dieser zweite Band der englischen Krimi-Reihe hat mir sehr gut gefallen! Man merkt, dass der Roman schon älter ist. Ich glaube, die Erstveröffentlichung war 1987. Zeitweilig wirkt die Geschichte sehr altmodisch, was aber gerade den Reiz und den Charme dieses Buches ausmacht. Ich habe mich auf jeden Fall sehr amüsieren können über die teils schrägen Charaktere und habe aber auch sehr gut miträtseln können, denn Spannung ist auf jeden Fall auch vorhanden! Ich bin froh, dass ich noch ein paar Bände der Reihe vor mir habe! -
These books are really quick, good, easy reads that are perfect for a lazy afternoon.
I loved the setting, first of all. i find some books set on the British Isles hard to follow, but this was quite easy to read. The characters experienced some growth in this book, though I really wish people would stop thinking of Hamish as simply a lazy person looking for freebies, he's actually a really good policeman.
Overall a great book that I finished in little time. Onto the next one! -
Death of a Cad is the second book in the Hamish Macbeth mystery series. Macbeth is the village constable in Lochdubh, Scotland. He's got a bit of a thing for the daughter of a local wealthy resident, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. Imagine his disappointment when she brings home a fiance, a playwright from London with all the personality of a dead fish. Upper Class Twit basically. Priscilla's parents are glad to see their daughter not making goo-goo eyes at the local constable and settling down to a marriage within her own class, so they throw a party for Henry Withering. The upper crusties gather to meet the fiance. One of the guests, Captain Bartlett....a total womanizing cad....ends up dead. At first it appears to be an accident.....but then it becomes apparent that someone shuffled Bartlett off the mortal coil with extreme prejudice. Murder. So.....which upper crustie is a killer??
I love the Hamish Macbeth series mostly because Hamish reminds me of the Scottish version of Columbo. Everyone thinks he is a bumbling, lazy, stupid village bobby.....but he is actually very observant and skilled at his job. While everyone else is observing social lines and graces, he's out looking for clues. For Hamish it's more important to find out who killed Captain Bartlett than to suck up to the local wealthy residents of Lochdubh. I was shocked at how they talk about how lazy and stupid he is when he is still in the room!! I found myself disliking Priscilla.....she uses Hamish when it suits her and teases him....then abandons him with she needs to kiss her family's asses to keep her money. Ick. He would be better off with another woman. Let her marry off to someone like the awful playwright she hooked up with to please her parents.....LOL....
I listened to the audiobook version of the story. The audio is just over 5.5 hours long and narrated by Antony Ferguson. Ferguson's voice and acting are perfect! He reads at a nice steady pace....and his accent is sublime! I have partial hearing loss but was easily able to hear and understand the entire book. All in all, a great listening experience!
There are 33 books in the Hamish Macbeth series. I have a lot of reading to do! M.C. Beaton also writes the Agatha Raisin series. -
This series reminds me of a male version of the Daisy Darymple series by
Carola Dunn. It's a cozy murder mystery series that my daughter has been reading & urging me to do the same. I've read all the Daisy's, so now we're switching.
Hamish is Scot who likes being the village constable. While he's quite intelligent, he not ambitious nor is he impressed by titles. His direct superior is just the opposite, so luckily they don't see much of each other & it makes for some interesting friction. His love interest isn't really & that's kind of fun, too. It's going to get old if it goes on for too long, though.
The murder mystery was very well done, as were the clues & the characters. While there were a lot of them, they were memorable enough that it wasn't a problem keeping them straight.
Well narrated & just long enough. I'll definitely be reading more of the series - in order. I'm sure order is important. My daughter was quite peeved by a short story being numbered 0.5 by the library when it was really 15.5. Spoilers abounded! -
Three stars for the whodunit (which I did not come to right conclusion as to who dunnit!) and 1 whole star for wonderful Hamish Macbeth-swoon! I love the setting of Lochdubh too!
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The village of Lochdubh, Scotland is one of my current favorite places. Between the uppity landed gentry, the local game poachers, and the seemingly hopeless romance between the intrepid Hamish and the lovely Priscilla, I'm eager to read every one of these diverting installments in this series.
This particular story has some of my favorite elements - snarky humor, an older femme fatale, and the poor, dead, cad who is mentioned in the title. When you combine these into a weekend estate party, it turns into a murder that is extremely entertaining for everyone except the people directly involved. I loved it. -
Another cozy read with Hamish MacBeth. On the surface MacBeth is a rough and lazy country police officer but there is more to his character than meets the eye. This particular story has everything needed for a murder mystery - a murder during a weekend estate party, the death of a cad, a bit of romance, a secret past, a tad of sarcastic humour and a houseful of suspects. The perfect combination for an entertaining read.
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Macbeth vs. the London Playwright
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (2016) of the St. Martin's Press hardcover original (1987)
After discovering M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth cozy mystery series due to the Estonia cameo in
Death of Yesterday, I started to seek out the earlier books by finding several at Toronto's
Sleuth of Baker Street. I enjoyed those and found them to be an especially delightful diversion during this continuing pandemic. My next plan was to go back and read the series in order. I then discovered the rather terrific bonus that most of the books are available free on Audible Plus, a service that I had previously been underwhelmed by (some early attempts with longer books had audio difficulties, with book narrations freezing in midstream). Beaton's shorter books (usually 4 to 5 hours on audio) seem to be perfect for this medium.
Death of a Cad is the second of the series and continues building the characters in the fictional town of Lochdubh (pronounced Lock-Doo) in the Scottish Highlands. Macbeth's crush on Priscilla Halburton-Smythe is derailed with her engagement to a London playwright and the engagement party is the occasion for the arrival of numerous guests, including the boorish Captain Bartlett. The cad is murdered and Macbeth proceeds to solve the crime with especial satisfaction. -
This series isn't for me.
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✨Lovely audiobook!
(A real cosy crime though, not that much suspense :)
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I am finding that I am enjoying this series. Quick listens that are worth the time when you are between books.
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In Death of a Cad, Hamish Macbeth's life takes a turn for the unpleasant. Hamish has long been smitten with Priscilla Halburton-Smythe but due to the disapproval of her parents, has never been able to express or act on that. It's part of what created some of the romantic tension for Hamish in Death of a Gossip. Unfortunately for Hamish, Priscilla comes back to town with a fiance in tow. Some of the local notables are invited up to the Halburton-Smythe estate for the engagement party but when one of the guests, Captain Bartlett (a notorious cad and all around boor), is found dead after a grouse hunt, Hamish gets drawn into the investigation. Together with his nemesis Inspector Blair, the Scottish policmen must find the killer at the party before he strikes again.
This story is much more focused on the impossible interest between Hamish and Priscilla that was present but less so in Death of a Gossip. The murder brings to life all of the parental ambitions that are pressuring Priscilla and Hamish must solve the murder while dealing with his own feelings about the engagement. Hamish's interaction with the local nobility are amusing, particularly since he can't cross certain lines but doesn't exactly go out of his way to avoid making people angry. That same imperturbable cleverness that made Hamish so enjoyable in Death of a Gossip is alive and well in this book and made the mystery highly enjoyable. I'm not normally a huge mystery fan but this series is too much fun, particularly given how quick and easy it is to read. -
I'm loving this series more and more. It makes me so happy. Hamish is positively delightful.
Priscilla is back at home with her new fancy-pants fiancé. They don't exactly mesh, but she likes that her parents are happy with the choice. Poor Hamish.
There is a party to celebrate the engagement, but it all goes topsy-turvy when one of the guests ends up dead. The good news is Peter Bartlett isn't much of a loss, the bad news is, everyone is a suspect. Obviously Priscilla's father blames Hamish for the whole affair. Blair is around bungling matters, as usual.
I love how these books are set up. Beaton does an excellent job of introducing all the players, giving you a sense of their personalities, killing off the annoying one, and having Hamish find the clues. Hamish is a pure delight.
I basically plowed through the first four books in about 10 days. I had to take a little break, but I'll be diving back in soon. So far all of the books have been available on the included Audible catalog. Huzzah!
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More a 3.5
My first outing with both Highland bobby Hamish Macbeth and Glaswegian author
Marion Chesney under the pseudonym M.C Beaton, Death of a Cad, is a wonderfully readable, intelligent and enjoyable murder mystery - Hamish Macbeth is an endearing character if there ever was one! He is amative, captivating and the perfect guy to get behind. -
Poor Hamish. His wee heart takes a bit of a beating when when Priscilla brings home a fiancé. Of course, people die and Hamish is the only one who can identify the killer.
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On ne risque pas de connaître quelques nuits blanches avec Hamish Macbeth ! C'est le genre de roman policier suranné qu'on lit pour se consoler du retour de la grisaille. On n'est pas loin du cliché en recommandant une théière chaude et un plaid à moumoute pour entamer sa lecture.
L'histoire nous invite dans le château de la famille Halburton-Smythe (rappelez-vous de Priscilla qui fait battre le cœur de notre grand échalas à la chevelure flamboyante). La demoiselle ramène de Londres le dramaturge en vogue - également son fiancé attitré - que les invités de ses parents sont impatients de rencontrer. Mais la soirée est polluée par les remarques déplaisantes d'un affreux goujat. Comme d'habitude, cet individu est retrouvé mort. Et les suspects ne manquent pas.
Même s'il est écarté de l'enquête, Hamish Macbeth continue de fouiller la lande pour apporter la preuve du crime parfait. En effet, la police a d'abord conclu au banal accident de chasse. Que nenni. Notre écossais a de la suite dans les idées et trace son chemin en vagabondant ci et là, en ressassant les discussions entendues, en téléphonant à son cousin journaliste ou en toquant à la porte d'une vieille tante pour cerner la personnalité du défunt.
Il oublie ainsi ses déboires sentimentaux en sachant la jolie Priscilla inaccessible et prisonnière de son rang. Sa relation avec Henry est d'ailleurs un vrai casse-tête (... et je n'étais pas loin de penser à
Sidney Chambers et Amanda). En tout cas c'est tout aussi élégant et poudré, baignant hors du temps, conduit sans esbroufe et avec un grand classicisme. Je n'avais pas deviné le dénouement - après tout je considère que cette série se lit surtout pour son emballage, moins pour son suspense qui n'est pas franchement insoutenable !
Ça manque encore de piquant, ceci dit... -
Dem armen Highland-Polizisten Hamish Mcbeth ist gar nicht zum Lachen zumute, als seine Angebetete Priscilla Halburton-Smith einen Verlobten aus London mitbringt. Besagter Verlobter ist ein versnobter Theaterautor, dessen letzten Stück gerade erfolgreich in London gespielt wird. Zu Ehren des Autors veranstalten Priscillas Eltern eine Jagdgesellschaft und der Landadel reißt sich geradezu darum, dabei sein zu dürfen. Höhepunkt soll eine Jagd auf die selten gewordenen Moorhühner sein, doch am Morgen der Jagd findet man den wenig beliebten Captain Bartlett erschossen überm Zaun hängen. Schnell wird das Ganze als Unfall abgetan, doch Hamish Bauchgefühl sagt etwas Anderes und er sollte Recht behalten.
Hamish hat es mir seit seinem ersten Fall angetan. Ein sehr zurückhaltender, bescheidener Highland-Polizist, der sich üblicherweise mit Barrangeleien und Wilderei in seinem Beruf auseinandersetzen muss. In diesem Band habe ich doch sehr mit ihm gelitten, denn er hat ein Auge auf die schöne Priscilla geworfen und die möglicherweise auch auf ihn, aber die Ständekonvention verbietet es, dass ein armer Polizist und eine Landadlige zusammenkommen können. Nun bringt seine Angebetete aber diesen Theaterschnösel mit nach Hause und ist auch noch mit ihm verlobt. Bei der Figur Priscilla bin ich mir unschlüssig ob ich sie mag, denn sie verhält sich sehr ambivalent gegenüber Hamish. Generell mag ich ja Frauen mit eigenem Kopf, aber dafür ist sie mir zu sehr darauf bedacht, was ihre Eltern sich für ihre Zukunft erhoffen. Es erfolgt eine Rundumvorstellung aller Verdächtigen – pardon Nebenfiguren – mal mehr und mal weniger ausführlich. Natürlich hat jede davon ein Motiv dem Weiberheld Bartlett den Tod zu wünschen, aber nur einer setzt die Phantasie auch in die Tat um. Erst ein kleiner Ausflug von Hamish in die Hauptstadt und ein Theaterbesuch bringen den Dorfpolizisten auf die richtige Fährte. Die Hamish-Mcbeth-Reihe ist sehr gut dazu angetan, es sich an einem trüben Wintertag auf der Couch einzumummeln und sich auf Moorhuhn und Verbrecherjagd durch die Highlands zu begeben. Diesmal muss man auch keine 200 Seiten auf ein Mordopfer warten, wie im vorangegangenen Buch und da man schon ein paar der handelnden Personen kennt, ist es wie ein tolles Wiedersehen mit Freunden.
Ein echter Cozy-Mystery-Roman mit einem sehr sympathischen Ermittler inmitten einer idyllischen Landschaft, in der auch schon mal Tote über den Zäunen hängen. -
A charming murder mystery set in Scotland. My first read in the Hamish Macbeth series, but it is actually the second in the series.
It was short - I could have read/listened to this on a lazy Sunday.
Audio narration was very good, voices all done well. And having it read with an authentic Scottish accent was definitely a plus.
This was so much more risqué than the Agatha Raisin stories. Not all of it, just the bits that mentioned naughty business, mentioned it well! :) It was laugh out loud at some bits. I really enjoyed it.
Peter Bartlett is murdered at a castle owned by Mr and Mrs Halburton-Smythe, after a party attended by a whole host of interesting Scottish characters. Hamish Macbeth is the local detective who happens to be in love with the daughter of the Halburton-Smythes - Priscilla. The only problem with that, is that the party was to celebrate Priscilla's engagement to London playwright Henry Withering.
I didn't think much of any of the characters except the two sisters, they were funny. The rest, including Priscilla, were just a bit mean and thought a lot of themselves - although they were attendees at a posh castle party and all suspected of murder, so that makes sense!? Oh and Hamish was cute. I guess we have to like him, he has a whole series!
We go through the usual detective whodunit process and eventually our man - or woman - is caught. Lovely to play along with this lighthearted murder mystery.
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com -
This was the first book from the Hamish Macbeth series for me and I will definitely read more books from this series.
Hamish Macbeth is a policeman in Lochdubh and in love with Pricilla Halburton-Smythe. Unfortunately, she came back from London to her parents' house to celebrate her engagement. It goes without saying that everything does not go smoothly. One of the guests, rather an unpleasant contemporary, is found dead. Macbeth is sure that it was murder and not an accident. However, his superiors want to be good with the notables of the region and therefore declare death as suicide. Macbeth can not resist and investigates on his own. Only when a second murder happens, he is taken seriously.
This is a funny cozy mystery. -
3.5 stars. I found this book to be more engaging than the first in the series. These are light mysteries set in Scotland and unlike the Agatha Raisin books, here the focus is less on the life of the detective Hamish Macbeth and more on what happens to people associated with a crime that has taken place. This isn't very high on detection or the mystery quotient, but the series seem fun for a light reading. One of its charms is the old world feel that it has.
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Good humour (maybe a bit less acid in comparison with the first), a murder mystery well told, and I like Hamish's equanimity
Priscilla is a bit irritating, but she's young and loves her parents. -
Always a delight to either read or listen too. A great writer of mysteries, Beaton understands her characters and settings so well. Thoroughly research and just pure fun.
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Character List
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This is the first book I've read by M C Beaton but it won't be the last. Her words just roll off the page. Hamish Macbeth is the perfect country policeman. His laidback attitude leads many to believe that he is a lazy bumpkin, but under his red hair is a sharp inquiring mind.
Beaton keeps you guessing with a few red herrings thrown in to make it interesting. If you pick this up I don't think you will be disappointed.
