Hamish Macbeth is a longtime police officer in Lochdubh Scotland. This cozy mystery has him investigating a complaint of a "ghostly howling " in an old castle. Soon his investigation leads to a string of murders that his superiors seem eager to consider the killer identified and the case solved. Hamish believes otherwise and continues to dig his way into the web of deceit! I am a loyal reader and fan of M.C. Beaton, having read all her Hamish Macbeth series. This book struck me as being a bit darker than earlier stories. Instead of fun, caring characters, I felt like they all took a twist into becoming brooding, malicious ones. Even Hamish is not himself, being extra morose and pathetic. I really missed the humor of the regular Lochdubh characters and the comradery of Hamish and Jimmy Anderson. I always enjoyed jimmy before this book and now he is an unlovable lush. Officer Blair has gone from an irritating superior to a possible killer. Too much darkness in the lovable life of Hamish! I still love the series and definitely recommend this book and the Hamish MacBeth series to lovers of mystery.

Death of a Ghost (Hamish Macbeth, #32) is now available from Grand Central Publishing. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

More of Hamish MacBeth, but not very different from the others in the series. A bit standard, with new characters with the same characteristics as bit characters from previous books. Many of the characters act inconsistently within one book, or over the entire series.

In this, an unlikely story starts off interestingly enough, but is then wrapped up abruptly, and the book stretches and meanders through unimportant sub-stories much longer than is necessary.

The earlier books in the series were funny, surprising and endearing. Both the story and the characters. Hamish is at times unlikable, but most of the time supremely heroic. I have found recent books to be a bit disjointed, and not as delightful. I have not completely given up on Hamish or Lochdubh, but the parade of perfect-until-they-suddenly-turn-insane love interests is frustrating, and the 'unpredictable' twists and surprises seem more manufactured and less likely with every new release.

I have always loved Hamish Macbeth and his little slice of Scotland. Getting a new "Death of" book feels like going home on vacation. The characters all feel like old friends. You know what to expect when you pick up one of these books and I've never been disappointed. Because of the quirky characters, Scottish setting, wonderful dialogue and twisting storylines these books are my favorite cozy mysteries.

Unfortunately, this time the story seemed a bit forced. Maybe after more than 30 books it's time to shake things up a little. I wonder why a few of the characters are still around since they no longer really add anything to the story. I'm thinking Priscilla here, specifically. Also, how long can inept, vindictive police run things without being found out? Surely by now Blair should have been exposed.

I will, of course, jump at the chance to read Hamish's next adventure. I just hope it is a bit more fun for his fans.

I’ve read a number of the Hamish Macbeth books over the years and always enjoy dropping in to see how Hamish is faring. He is still the least ambitious policeman, wanting no more than to stay in his wee apartment at the police station. He is still looking for his soul mate (though he finds an interesting host of reasons why each woman he finds is just not right for him in the end.)

In this story, Hamish is called to the scene of a castle to ferret out the ghostly noises that are scaring the villagers. Of course, he stumbles across a murder scene and the story is off and running.

I found that the story contained a few interesting twists, including some pretty dark doings on the behalf of two more ambitious policeman. The end was a bit of a surprise to me but made sense in the context of the story. I enjoyed reading the book and will continue to drop by to see how Hamish is doing in the future.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Hamish has been featured in 32 books so far and he is still looking for that prefect woman. I have not read these in order so I missed his latest. I only know about her because he manages to send her packing as the book begins. Now he is on the lookout again but a new mystery appears. What looked like one mystery was actually two and I was in the dark on who done it until the very last. Beaton always makes a Hamish book fun to read and Death of a Ghost was no execution.

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

One ruined castle lies outside the village of Drim. Hamish begins to hear reports that this castle is haunted and lights have been seen there at night, but he assumes it's some children or maybe the local lads going there to smoke pot, or, worse, inject themselves with drugs. Hamish decides to spend a night there. The keening wind explains the ghostly noises, but when Charlie falls through the floor, Hamish finds the body of a dead man propped up in a corner of the cellar. Chief Detective Inspector Blair arrives to investigate the body, but there is none to be found. Dismissed as a drunk making up stories, Hamish has to find and identify the body and its killer before the "ghost" can strike again.
As an avid reader of Hamish McBeth stories, I was so excited to receive a copy of his newest book to review. Generally, I liked the book. The story begins with Hamish having women trouble as he always seems to do. But soon he gets pulled into the solving of a crime or two or three along with his attempts to prevent Blair from making his life miserable. As he followed the clues, I got more and more interested. And the mystery did come to a satisfactory conclusion.
Then Ms. Beaton threw in a story at the end of the book after Hamish had already solved the main crime. I didn’t think that it added anything to the book and actually detracted from what was a good story. It just seemed that she through it in to make the book longer for some reason. My preference would be to weave more twists into the original story and forget these additions out in left field. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have only read one book previous in this series and to be honest was I not so impressed with it. However, I thought I would give the series on more chance. The story seemed interesting and I love reading books set in Scotland.

Death of a Ghost starts off with a haunted castle, but then it quickly turns into a murder mystery when Hamish and Charlie find a body in the castle. Who killed the man and why? This is only the beginning as more the killer goes after more people. And, it's up to Hamish to put a stop to it all.

I have some problems with this book, and one major problem is the way the book is written. It's pretty much just dialog and not much description. And, the dialog feels very terse and lacks fluency. This could be just me, but I find it very hard to get into the story because of that. The characters never come to life and for instance, Hamish problem with women, is that suppose to be funny? I actually don't know because it never is funny. It's just annoying. And Charlie being clumsy is another thing that is just not working for me. Not to mention when Charlie fell for Olivia, the books female fatal. That was just cringeworthy. The only things that kept me going were that I wanted to know who the murderer was.

Death of a Ghost is my last attempt reading this series. I just can't see what's so awesome with the books. The storyline, especially towards the end of the book was just so baffling. I mean everything concerning Chief Detective Inspector Blair felt like a parody. Without being funny.

For me, reading a Hamish book is like having a nice bath, popping on a new nightie and slipping into a bed made with fresh sheets; it's that comfy and cosy an experience. Yes they are rather formulaic in nature; you know that certain things will happen in the course of his investigations. They have happened in all the past thirty odd books but, for some reason, they have worked every time, never feeling samey or stale. Instead, as I have already mentioned in past reviews, they give me a certain familiarity and indeed the chance to play "Hamish Bingo" as I mentally tick them all off!
In this book we are back in Drim - great name for the place - specifically in a ruined castle on the outskirts. Strange things have been happening there and Hamish, along with sidekick Charlie, goes along to investigate. Then, on falling through the floor, Charlie happens upon a body. With Hamish seeing to Charlie's injuries, Blair arrives to find the body gone. We then follow as Hamish and Charlie, once recovered, try to get to the bottom of the missing corpse, with Blair, Daviot, Anderson et al all chipping in to aid and otherwise their endeavours. As already mentioned, all the usual things happen in this book and the same faces pop up in the village to add another layer to Hamish's investigations along the way. Nice to see that his pets play their parts once again too.
The crime itself, the only thing that actually changes from book to book in this series, was just as well crafted as always and kept my interest throughout. Although, that said, coupled with all the rest of what happens through the book, the familiar stuff, it did feel a little shorted than usual. Not quite as meaty as some I have read in the series. But, at the end of the day, come the final page, I did feel on the whole satisfied. To me, these books are easy reads. Something to grab when I just want something as a distraction to life, something I don't have to concentrate too hard on. Something that will tick most of my boxes and leave me sated. This one did that, which means, to me anyway, there's still life in the old dog yet. Roll on the next one.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I got fatter just reading about the bacon baps in this book, so thanks, Miss Beaton, for the extra hip padding.

Aside from being well-fed, the characters in this book are quirky, funny and make you laugh throughout with their dry-wit and quick thinking. Even if you have not been a long time follower of this series, this book can be read alone and will still make sense.

The mystery in this book, as in all other MC Beaton books is tightly woven and runs through a curious course of suspects and possible motives. This book will keep you turning pages, giggling as you do and when the mystery comes to an end, will leave you wanting more.

I recommend this to mystery lovers of all kinds. So much fun.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Now for some BACON.

Read and liked all of Beaton's books, but this one did not measure up to its' proceeding ones. It had loads of surprises and murders and would be suitors but all did not blend well with the story line. The promising idea of Fox being a new threat in future novels was rapidly dispersed. All in all, it was a quick and amusing read especially with Charlie's mishaps.

I am a huge MC Beaton fan and this was a good addition to her mystery series. It had the usual spark and characters we've all come to know over many years. Have to admit that I missed hearing more about Priscilla, but maybe in the next book? And Sonsie. missed her too. Good solid book!

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, did NOT finish! I would give this ZERO stars if it would let me.

I read many of the early Hamish Macbeth books and I loved them. This one, though? I hated it. Hamish has turned into a condescending pig that I do not like. I finally just skipped to the end and it made say, "WTF??"

The entire epilogue (which was way too long) storyline with Fox and Blair was just so far out there. Is Beaton even writing these books herself anymore or has she just gone barmy?

Absolutely abysmal book and I highly doubt I will ever read an MC Beaton book again.

Hamish is back and he's just as fuddled as before. This time, he's investigating ghosts...

Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published February 21st.

Hamish is tired of being controlled by his current girlfriend, so the first thing he does is figure out how to get out of the commitment. He's not kind about and it's a bit crude, but she's definitely out of his life. He thinks he'll write off women for a while.

The local castle owner asks him to come and visit and look into the noises he swears are coming from a ghost. Hamish and his assistant agree to come and sleep in the abandoned part of the building where the noise originates. No noise but his assistant falls through the roof and finds a dead body below. It was not a natural death, so now they really have something to investigate.

With smuggling, bad e-cigarettes, cops trying to kill each other and more, Hamish has plenty to keep him busy. There's lot of action, more than one death, and the original body missing, you'll keep turning pages to the end. His old girlfriend came back to town for a few days but they didn't connect. I wonder if they are going to get together again?

Thank you.
Enjoyed it.
Will get copies for family and friends.

This is good classic Hamish Macbeth. If you are a fan of the series already, then you won't be disappointed. If not, I think you could easily pick this one up and enjoy it as a stand-alone mystery without having read the previous books.

Called to the village of Drim to investigate claims of a "haunted" castle, Hamish and Charlie discover no ghosts, but they do find a dead body. Unfortunately it disappears before CDI Blair arrives on the scene. When the investigation points to local smugglers, the department is quick to wrap up the case. Hamish is not convinced, however, and puts his own life on the line to find the real killer.

The usual suspects all make appearances in this book, even if it's just in passing. Fans know that Hamish is unlucky (and, I have to say, stupid) when it comes to romance. Even though I wish he would just get over both Elspeth and Priscilla, I still enjoy both characters and am always glad to have them show up in Lochdub.

This is the 32nd book about Hamish Macbeth, but the first one I've read. It wasn't hard to pick it up and get right into the story. Beaton does a good job of letting a new reader know the background without beating a dead horse about it. I enjoyed this book a lot and plan on reading more of this series.

The main characters were interesting, and the story was good. Hamish is a good "hero," and reading about his escapades was fun. The story reminded me a lot of an Agatha Christie meets Colombo meets Ed McBain. Even after the mystery was solved, another little mystery was thrown in so I am looking forward to the next book.

4.5 stars.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Once again our unambitious Sergeant Macbeth is back in a new tale of mystery and intrigue. When he and his policeman Charlie Carson are called to a supposedly haunted castle in Drim by the new owner, Hanover "Handy" Ebrington, a retired superintendent from Glasgow, they take the task willingly, thinking it is merely the wind playing tricks. After spending the night in the castle and finding no ghosts, they decide to do a bit of exploring, hoping to find the source of the 'moans' that were often heard in the night. What they do find is a bit more than that: when Charlie falls through a hole in the floor they discover a body. But once they call for backup and go to find the body, it's gone.

Sure that smugglers are somewhere about, Hamish has more on his plate than this: Drim's local minister Peter Haggis seems to be taken with Olivia Sinclair, an industrialist's wife, while his sister Sheila is interested in the husband, Selwyn. And poor Hamish is trying to avoid women altogether, while the wife of Lochdubh's own minister, Mrs. Wellington, has it in her mind that Hamish needs a good woman and sets about summoning her niece Heather, intent on putting them together.

But once the lost body reappears, and there is another murder, Hamish is sure there is more to the story than just smugglers at bay and he is determined to find the truth of the killings all the while dodging the machinations of Mrs. Wellington to see him wed, and his nemesis Blair to see him out of the police force. And yet there are more subplots woven within, all balancing each other out and a lively part of the final tale.

What we have is quite an involved story, with plenty of threads going out in all directions, and it is up to Hamish to pull them all together and twist them tightly into one coil as a single unit. With his policeman's instinct and his Scottish intuition, this he does beautifully. But no, the book does not end with the discovery at last of the murderer; Ms. Beaton pulls together the rest of the tale by gathering each subplot collectively as if it were the easiest thing in the world to do, and leaves us yearning for the subsequent book in the series, if only to find out where Hamish will next find himself. I, for one, heartily await it and hope it is to be soon. Highly recommended.

I always look forward to the release of a new Hamish Macbeth mystery each year. In fact, Hamish is probably my favorite cozy mystery series. The small town of Lochdubh in northern Scotland provides a perfect setting for the lazy policeman who wants nothing more than to look after his beat while raising a few sheep and sharing a day fishing with his pets.

A little background for those unfamiliar with Hamish Macbeth - I have to admit, Hamish books are…comfortable. While the mystery is different in each one, there are certain things a regular reader anticipates in each book. There are things in addition to the mystery that I’ve come to expect. It’s like eating your favorite comfort food that your mom used to make when you were little. The recipe you make is a little different, but those subtleties that you love are still there.

To further spice things up, Ms. Beaton always adds new layers to the village of Lochdubh and Hamish. He’s been through multiple work partners over the years; Hamish prefers to work alone and usually finds a way to help his partner move on to another occupation. The mystery is always fresh. Hamish’s complicated relationships with Priscilla and Elspeth seem to have quieted down in the last few books, leaving him open to new experiences (and less pining).

This latest Macbeth mystery is what I’ve come to expect from Ms. Beaton – a cozy mystery full of familiar characters and wit. Hamish and his constable, Charlie, are invited to spend the night at an old castle in the hopes to catch a ghost (most likely the wind) and end up with a dead body of unknown origin instead. Which promptly goes missing.

As always, my favorite part is getting to spend time in Lochdubh. The majority of Death of a Ghost is centered nearby in a neighboring village on Hamish’s beat. We get to catch up with a few familiar faces from previous outings, but I could have used more time with the villagers for sure. I also used to really like the character of Jimmy and his off-the-record talks with Hamish, but in this book he is starting to feel a bit like Blair instead.

While new readers won’t necessarily know the backstory of Hamish and his relations with various characters, they should have no problem picking this book up and enjoying the characters and the mystery. For those of you familiar with Lochdubh, it’s another fun outing with Hamish.

I have read and reread all of the Hamish MacBeth series and have to say this was a favourite, although considering it's a cosy mystery, I found this particular one to be deeper in the plot.. More intrigue, maybe more modernistic? Up with the times?
All the village characters took part in it, .even those of the past...Charlie went from one calamity to another! One minute you feel bad for the poor bloke and the next you're shaking your head saying "What is he thinking?!" But it all works for the good...
I had NO inkling of the killer and was surprised in the end. There were twists and turns, back and forths with Blair and Deviot. The usual issues and new ones added...
A completely enjoyable read, a visit with old friends from a familiar place and a mystery with substance. I hope MC Beaton continues on this level. I give it 5 stars.

I’ve read the entire Hamish Macbeth series and this one is my second least favorite. I’ll give it 4-stars, but would say it is more like 3.5. I say that because I am just getting tired of some things in the series – like Hamish and his love life. He never learns from his past. He’s in his thirties and has a really smart, intuitive brain, but has no sense when it comes to women. I was really glad that Priscilla Halburton-Smythe was hardly featured at all in this book AND maybe there is some movement in the relationship with Elspeth. I guess we’ll have to wait for the next book to see where/if that goes!

I’m also tired of Blair and Daviot. I know that police (and any other) organization can become rife with corruption, but sooner or later it gets known and corrected. Blair is a totally inept bully, but manages to keep his job because he sucks up to Daviot. I’m not sure how Daviot keeps his job since he is such a bad judge of character. So, I’m hoping to see some changes with those two – and with the epilogue, it seems to hint that something is about to change (probably for the worse) with Blair at least.

Another pair I am tired of are the twin sisters. Hamish has saved them, done things for them, yet they never learn and constantly try to stir up trouble for him. I’d be happy if they learned their lesson and either moved away or changed.

I love the rest of the villagers (well – the preachers wife not so much) and was sad that they weren’t featured very much in this book. I don’t think the ‘seer’ was in there at all, but if he was, it was really brief. This book took place almost entirely in other locations.
I really like the relationship between Hamish and Charlie and hope to see that continue. I’d kind of like to see them resolve the issue of the police station by maybe making the station permanent and giving Hamish an even wider territory with maybe another constable of two. That could open up a whole new territory for stories in the future.

The story in this book is typical of all of the other books, but with less interference from Daviot and Blair. Someone within Hamish’s territory contacts him about ghostly noises and says there is something going on in his village. Hamish, of course, goes to investigate. I won’t tell you the story, because that will spoil it, but there are multiple murders, suicides, and accidental deaths before you reach the solution. You will probably even be surprised at who the guilty party is. The solution is rather abrupt and definitely not at the hands of anybody’s good investigative skills (that could have been better).

You have murder, smuggling, drugs, adultery, romantic trysts – you name it and it is all in there. The mystery, as always, is more complex than it seems on the surface. All in all, it was a good read.

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."