Death of a Chimney Sweep, A Hamish Macbeth Mystery by M.C. Beaton (Grand Central Publishing, $24.99, 256 pages)
Surprise! A wicked sense of humor runs throughout this 26th mystery novel written by M.C. Beaton. There are plenty of red herrings and portents of things to come as the plot wends its way through the Scottish moors and into the big city of Glasgow. Country Police Constable Hamish Macbeth lumbers along at his own pace trying to solve the murders of a retired military officer who was out for a walk on the moors and a local fellow, the sweep who was cleaning the chimney at the officer’s home.
The trail to the solution is littered with corpses, most of which belonged to people who deserved what happened to them. No spoiler alert is needed here as Beaton’s book titles are indicative of mayhem and murder. This meandering plot is, in the end, tied up neater than an Elfa storage solution from The Container Store. The pieces interlock and hold together well.
The military man left behind a timid mouse of a wife. Milly, his widow, appears to be quite shy and yet she manages to win the hearts and engagement rings of a couple of fellows not long after her husband’s demise. Her husband, Captain Henry Davenport, had engaged in a bit of fraud that brought in scads of money from unwitting investors eager to make a killing. The search for the whereabouts of the money fuels the killing spree.
Constable Macbeth is a clever redhead who cherishes his freedom and the quiet solitude of a secret fishing spot. He has little time for fishing as he, a past fiance, a former girlfriend and his pets spend much time and energy trying to cut short the killing spree that results from Davenport’s fraud. Beaton goes in for a bit of exotica as Macbeth’s cat is no ordinary kitty. No sir! Sonsie is a wildcat!
If you’re not familiar with this author, as is the case with this reviewer, be comforted in the knowledge that there’s more – lots more – where this came from.
Well recommended.
Ruta Arellano
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
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