Death of a Gentle Lady

“Don’t get caught, whatever you do. I’m sobering up and the soberer I get, the dafter your idea seems!” — Jimmy to Hamish


Death of a Gentle Lady has some hilarious moments mingled within a story filled with blackmail, murder, prostitution, Russians, and some very nasty business from Hamish’s superior, Blair, who tries to get rid of Hamish once and for all. Along the way Beaton is in fine form, taking politically incorrect yet hilarious swipes at everything from the absurdity of restrictions imposed by the European Union, to the often pretentious dribble championed by the Booker Prize. As usual, however, it all begins when an outsider moves into Hamish’s quirky but beloved Lochdubh. The outwardly sweet Margaret Gentle show more doesn’t fool Hamish one bit, especially not after he overhears her nasty, two-faced comments. It gives our favorite constable unease:

“Hamish walked off slowly. He felt uneasy. He had felt it before when some incomer had started to spread an evil atmosphere around the peace of the Highlands.”

Working for Mrs. Gentle is a beautiful girl who needs a passport so that the old bat who has most of the Highlanders fooled can’t hold deportation over her head. Hamish’s “help” with a forged passport soon snowballs into a marriage of convenience! Mrs. Gentle is spiteful, and when her influence threatens the closing of his police station, Hamish wants out of the arrangement. But Ayesha is having none of it. And then she disappears. Fearing the worst, Hamish searches the cliffs, but finds the body of Mrs. Gentle instead of Ayesha. Worse, it turns out Ayesha is actually Irena, a high-end hooker from Russia, giving the locals plenty of ammunition to poke fun at Hamish, who was about to marry her! You’ll bust a gut laughing at the Currie sisters and others, worried that Hamish, who never even slept with the lassie, might spread Aids by sipping tea with them.

Of course, one or two murders on his patch are nothing compared to the pretentious writer staying at the hotel. Harold Jury wants to stage Macbeth, with Priscilla in the lead female role. Hamish spins Harold a yarn about fake customs and greetings to new arrivals in Lochdubh and creates an enemy — while the reader is rolling in laughter. Then there is the pushy female detective from Russia, observing Highland policing. Hamish’s attempt to thwart her amorous demands are a hoot! Not all is fun and games, however, as Hamish struggles with making a second marriage proposal, this one to Elspeth, which creates a melancholy moment for the constable. When Hamish decides to put the word out that Irena told him something important, he places a target on his back. He also gives Blair an idea about how to get rid of Hamish — only the first in this entry!

A big Highland storm, a raging sea, another hooker, a kidnapping, another murder, Lady Macbeth and someone’s feet all play a part in this wonderful entry in the series. This one ends with a wedding, but it’s not what you think! Great fun, and a terrific read for fans of the lanky red-headed constable with a knack for solving murders, who wants no more than to remain on his small patch of heaven in Lochdubh and not be bothered. Highly recommended! show less

Everybody in Lochdubh thinks Margaret Gentle is properly named, such a gentle lady she seems. Everybody but police constable Hamish Macbeth, that is: he was unfortunate enough to witness Mrs. Gentle berating her grown daughter and is convinced that she will bring evil to his beloved village. He gets to know Mrs. Gentle’s maid, learning that she is in Scotland on an expired work visa and offering to help her out by marrying her so that she can regularize her status. Alas, the maid disappears on their wedding day, and Mrs. Gentle is soon found dead. As if that is not stressful enough, there’s a well-known writer in the area and he has decided to stage Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” featuring numerous villagers and exciting the region show more far too much….The 23rd Hamish Macbeth book is lots of fun, with a bit of an international flare, including Hamish’s intended, a Russian police inspector and the English author. And, of course, family intrigue and a secret from the past that has immediate bearing on the present. In short, a typical entry in this series set in the Highlands; the fun lies in seeing how Hamish figures everything out and manages to save the day once again; recommended. show less

I knew I should expect a light mystery (and a fair bit of misogyny), but this book's plot was weaker than I liked. The ending, where Blair tries once again to besmirch the good name of Hamish Macbeth, was truly unbelievable.

What I like about this series is the Highland flavor and the charming interjections of Scots language. I also enjoy the innocence of these books: bad people are found out and punished, and goodness (in the shape of Macbeth) wins the day.

Favorite lines:
"'You see, we cater for people in their homes,' said Alison. 'Because of the smoking ban in Scotland, and up here they smoke like the third world, a lot of them don't want to go out to a smoke-free restaurant. So we serve them dinner in their own homes where they can show more smoke themselves to death in comfort.'"

"'Well, you know how it is. I think I am a real writer at last. I sit down at the computer and am overcome by a burning desire to defrost the fridge.'" show less

I read this reluctantly. I read one book of the other series she writes, Agathia Raisin, and didn't like it. A partron told me this was better, and she was right. I liked Hamish and his confusion about what he wanted in terms of his personal life while in complete control of his professional one. Plus, Mrs. Gentle really was a deliciously nasty woman who earned her death.

The Hamish Macbeth mysteries are perfect when you'd like a little intrigue with your humor. The characters are wonderfully eccentric and so much fun to visit. Hamish himself is well worth the read but when you add all of his compatriots and fellow residents, you have a rollicking good read, filled with giggles.

The mystery isn't half bad either. :D

Hamish Macbeth is back to solve another murder in the surprisingly murder prone highlands of Scotland. This time, the victim is a gentle elderly lady, beloved by all, except for Hamish, who believes her a bad tempered hypocrite. Of course, Hamish is involved in love complications and local squabbles, as usual. Beaton's mysteries are seldom brilliant, but always entertaining. Taken in measured doses, they seldom disappoint.

Macbeth and the Not-So-Gentle Lady
Review of the Grand Central Publishing hardcover edition (2008)

Hamish Macbeth actually makes it to the altar in this one, but predictably the village constable of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands remains a bachelor. Macbeth has to sort out a few murders when a not-so-gentle incomer and her maid are murdered. The suspects are plentiful and the village gossip is helpful as ever in another entertaining entry in the long-running cozy series.

I've exhausted the availability of free audiobooks for the series from the Audible Plus option so I'm now seeking out the rest of the series from the Toronto Public Library. I'm still hoping to read them in order as much as possible.