Death of a Macho Man (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries): Amazon.co.uk: M.C. Beaton: Books

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Synopsis
The one-man Scottish police force Hamish Macbeth becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the town ne'er-do-well, Randy "Macho Man" Duggan, whose real killer is surprisingly close at hand.

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First Sentence
Randy Duggan was called the Macho Man in the village of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands and he seemed to live up to his nickname. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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4.6 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book and a great mystery, 4 Mar 2005

By	Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This is the twelfth in a series of mysteries featuring the detective work of small town, Highland Scottish detective Hamish Macbeth, P.C. A loudmouthed bruiser of a man has established himself in Lochdubh, but when he starts to bully those smaller than himself (everyone), Hamish decides that it is time to deal with him. But, when the man is found dead (drugged, tied up, and blasted with a shotgun), Hamish sets out to find out who did it and why. And when a second person is murdered, the plot continues to thicken...

Being a dyed-in-the-wool Hamish Macbeth fan, I can tell you that this is another great Hamish mystery, just as good as the rest. The story was quite fascinating, and I have always enjoyed M.C. Beaton's (pseudonym of Marion Chesney) Highland setting - the characters are quite fascinating as is the environment of the Highlands themselves. Overall I thought that this was a great book, and a great mystery. If you like mysteries, or are merely interest in the Scottish Highlands, then you must get this book!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Two Novels in One, 20 April 2007

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Death of a Macho Man (Thorndike Mystery) (Hardcover)

It's always a challenge keeping a mystery series fresh. Many times readers will react negatively to changes you put in place. In Death of Macho Man, M.C. Beaton does something few mystery writers could accomplish: She builds up enough plot complications for two mysteries and lets her characters be much more active than usual. The result is immensely satisfying for giving you more of what you like about Hamish Macbeth stories: Mysterious deaths; unexpected motives; romantic complications; prickly interactions with Priscilla Halburton-Smythe; failed attempts by Detective Chief Inspector Blair to get Hamish fired; by-play with the Lochdubh villagers; and exciting action sequences. Don't miss this book!

As usual, an outsider is causing problems in Lochdubh. Randy Duggan claims to have been a professional wrestler in America and likes to brag about his exploits. He has plenty of muscles and tattoos, but his stories don't always ring true. Duggan can usually gain an audience by buying drinks all round with his wad of cash. But after awhile, even free drinks begin to pale as Randy's need to brag nonstop in unconvincing ways becomes boring. Physical confrontations start and Hamish has to sort things out. Duggan wants a piece of Hamish and Hamish makes the mistake of agreeing to fight Duggan while Hamish is off duty. The whole area gets a bet down and arrives to watch the fun. Things turn nasty, however, when Duggan is found dead with his head blown off by a shotgun. Naturally, Hamish is the top suspect.

From that taut beginning, the story builds in intensity as Hamish works in secret to find the real killer. Priscilla Halburton-Smythe has her biggest role in many books, and all of the challenging dimensions of their relationship are put to a test (including teaching Hamish how to use a computer). The mystery deepens as Hamish begins to find out unpleasant facts about two local residents. Everything is up in the air once the pathologists realize that Duggan has had plastic surgery. What was he trying to hide?

A great subplot in the book is the attention paid to Hamish's relationships with his friends among the villagers. As the investigations continue, Hamish finds himself in trouble with the villagers as well as with the police leaders in Strathbane.

You'll also like seeing Hamish become a lot more reckless and less lazy. It shows a side of him that only occasionally is revealed in the earlier books.

Highly recommended!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Two Novels in One, 20 April 2007

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

It's always a challenge keeping a mystery series fresh. Many times readers will react negatively to changes you put in place. In Death of Macho Man, M.C. Beaton does something few mystery writers could accomplish: She builds up enough plot complications for two mysteries and lets her characters be much more active than usual. The result is immensely satisfying for giving you more of what you like about Hamish Macbeth stories: Mysterious deaths; unexpected motives; romantic complications; prickly interactions with Priscilla Halburton-Smythe; failed attempts by Detective Chief Inspector Blair to get Hamish fired; by-play with the Lochdubh villagers; and exciting action sequences. Don't miss this book!

As usual, an outsider is causing problems in Lochdubh. Randy Duggan claims to have been a professional wrestler in America and likes to brag about his exploits. He has plenty of muscles and tattoos, but his stories don't always ring true. Duggan can usually gain an audience by buying drinks all round with his wad of cash. But after awhile, even free drinks begin to pale as Randy's need to brag nonstop in unconvincing ways becomes boring. Physical confrontations start and Hamish has to sort things out. Duggan wants a piece of Hamish and Hamish makes the mistake of agreeing to fight Duggan while Hamish is off duty. The whole area gets a bet down and arrives to watch the fun. Things turn nasty, however, when Duggan is found dead with his head blown off by a shotgun. Naturally, Hamish is the top suspect.

From that taut beginning, the story builds in intensity as Hamish works in secret to find the real killer. Priscilla Halburton-Smythe has her biggest role in many books, and all of the challenging dimensions of their relationship are put to a test (including teaching Hamish how to use a computer). The mystery deepens as Hamish begins to find out unpleasant facts about two local residents. Everything is up in the air once the pathologists realize that Duggan has had plastic surgery. What was he trying to hide?

A great subplot in the book is the attention paid to Hamish's relationships with his friends among the villagers. As the investigations continue, Hamish finds himself in trouble with the villagers as well as with the police leaders in Strathbane.

You'll also like seeing Hamish become a lot more reckless and less lazy. It shows a side of him that only occasionally is revealed in the earlier books.

Highly recommended!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Novels in One
It's always a challenge keeping a mystery series fresh. Many times readers will react negatively to changes you put in place. In Death of Macho Man, M.C. Read more

Published on 20 April 2007 by Professor Donald Mitchell

4.0 out of 5 stars Hamish is up to his old tricks again!
"Reading a Hamish Macbeth book is like taking a vacation in the Highlands to enjoy the local color and heather-scented air," according to the book's liner notes. Read more

Published on 4 Nov 2000

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Quick Read
I found this an easy novel to read. Entertaining even though I rather figured out the villan(s) before the final page, which is a coup for me. Read more

Published on 1 Jun 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars Very fun to read!
Much like Gregory McDonald's "Flynn," Hamish Macbeth is a local police officer who has a nack for uncovering the truth: be it crime, unfaithful sweethearts, or tall... Read more

Published on 10 Jul 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars Double Cozy!
How I do adore Hamish MacBeth! He always cheers me up and keeps me wanting more. Reading one of Beaton's books in this series is like traveling to a quaint but slightly mad... Read more

Published on 27 Jun 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars hamish macbeth a winner once again
This book is definitely one of the best mysteries I have ever read. This is the first time I have ever read a village mystery that could top a Miss Seeton novel. Read more

Published on 2 Aug 1997

› See all 9 customer reviews...

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	63% buy the item featured on this page: Death of a Macho Man (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries) 4.6 out of 5 stars (9)
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Death of a Macho Man (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

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