The Book Depository Death of a Chimney Sweep by M C Beaton
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Price: £8.00
Brand: The Book Depository
Description: Death of a Chimney Sweep : Paperback : Time Warner Trade Publishing : 9780446547406 : 0446547409 : 01 Jan 2012 : In the isolated villages of northern Scotland, the residents rely on chimney sweep Pete Ray. After Police Constable Hamish Macbeth finds a dead body stuffed inside a chimney, the entire town of Lochdubh suspects Pete. Then Pete's body is found on the Scottish moors, and the mystery deepens.
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9780446547406
MPN: 0446547409
GTIN: 9780446547406
Author: Mrs. A. L. Maddocks
Rating: 5
Review: I read this whilst I was recovering from the winter vomiting bug and I have to say that it was an interesting and intriguing read without taxing the brain too much. The characters are well drawn and come across as a right motley crew and their ultimate comuppence was brilliant (won't say anymore). As you can guess, Hamish suceeds in solving the mystery whereas more higher ranked officers just pontificated and dismissed the lower ranks and as a result looked complete idiots (as usual). Thoroughlly enjoyed Hamish. Life would not be the same without a regular fix of the Scottish countryside with a bit of Hamish thrown in. Good and easy read. Would recommend.
Author: L. Burgoyne
Rating: 3
Review: I enjoy reading the Hamish Macbeth mysteries - as another reviewer has said, they are cosy. Coming from Scotland I enjoy the local nuances and language, however this also creates many of its problems. The Scottishisms are clichéd and Beaton uses the same awful ones over and over again (the sibilance coming into Hamish's voice immediately springs to mind). The characterisation of Scottish people is often very accurate, but the wee bits of 'flavour' which may have been amusing in the first 10 books have started making me cringe. The actual stories have never been particularly well written - certainly not clever, but comfortable, enjoyable easy-reading. This one was slightly poorer than others and I was less interested in the case. I'm also revolted that it came out months earlier in America than in Britain, simply for the reason that it appeals so highly to the sort of people Beaton derides in the books (tweedy Englishmen venturing to Scotland because they think its quaint, dreamy etc.) If you have read and enjoyed all the other Macbeths then you may find this quite enjoyable, but they are certainly on the decline....
