DEATH OF A WITCH

DEATH OF A WITCH
Author: M. C. Beaton
Copyright 2010
Grand Central Publishing
Hachette Book Group
Paperback $ 6.99
ISBN 978-0-446-61549-5
246 pages

Hamish Macbeth enjoys his bachelor life as a police constable in the Scottish town of Lochdubh with his dog and wild cat. He knows the people in his tight-knit community and understands their superstitions and eccentricities. His longtime service to them has earned a mutual trust for his form of justice for these secluded people.

Lochdubh isn’t always receptive to newcomers, but when a single woman moves here, she quickly has an herbal business which is catering to the older men. Hamish begins to question the woman who claims to be a witch after learning that she is selling an herb to these men that supposedly enhances their sexual prowess. The local physician informs Hamish that this particular herb is actually damaging their organs. The questioning of her is difficult and irritates him so much that later on he mentions that he would like to kill her.

When he returns to her house, no one answers the door so he lets himself in only to discover that someone already killed the woman by cutting her throat. While he is wondering if he be accused of being the murderer after his threat, the house begins to burn forcing him to quickly leave. Is the killer still around and now burning the house? This launches the investigation into the witch’s past and is complicated by three additional murders of other women in this small village.

To further complicate Hamish’s life, he does not get along with the upper echelon in the police. His superior does not value his experience and connection with his community and would prefer for him to retire or just to leave. So now, what if he is accused of murdering this witch?

Hamish also has the challenge of being a bachelor with three women expecting their own exclusive relationship with him. There is Lesley who is the new forensic expert brought in to assist in the investigation. She’s a little on the pudgy side, and is definitely interested in him. Elspeth is his longtime friend but works as a reporter. Priscilla is the daughter of the owner of the local hotel. He expects them to be there for him whenever it pleases him.

To be able to write the 25th mystery in a series has to be a challenge. How could a writer continue the development of the continual characters without having to restate all the previous novels and still allow the loyal readers further insight into the characters? Obviously there are some of the series that are better than others. Death of a Witch is definitely a well-written mystery. The story winds, twists, and turns in unexpected but logical paths with the humor from this small Scottish town.

M.C. Beaton is the pseudonym for Marion McChesney who has also written under the names Sarah Chester, Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Marion Gibbons, Jennie Tremaine, Charlotte Ward, and Marion Chesney. Depending on the genre and the protagonist, she has written historical romance novels and mystery novels.