A Highland Christmas
M. C. Beaton, Author Mysterious Press $16.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-89296-699-8
From the always sunny Beaton comes this Christmas special of a book featuring policeman Hamish Macbeth (Death of an Addict, etc.) and two minor Yuletide mysteries. In the fishing village of Lochdubh, Christmas looms, but there are no decorations or Christmas trees as the conservative Calvinist population declines to decorate. The lanky and amiable Hamish is told to cover the beat of a neighboring town, Cnothan, as well, where someone has made off with not only the village Christmas lights but also the huge tree. Back in Lochdubh, crusty loner Mrs. Gallagher reports that her beloved cat, Smoky, has been stolen. While investigating, Hamish meets the attractive new schoolteacher, Maisie Pease, who quickly decides she'd like to help Hamish forget his previous love interest, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. As Hamish works on the two cases, he also makes the acquaintance of the Andersons, a strict and reserved couple whose daughter, Morag, longs for a traditional Christmas. In this mystery without a murder, Beaton reintroduces familiar characters like the spinster Curry sisters and local seer Angus Macdonald, while working in newcomers such as Maisie. It's light fun throughout, though all but Beaton's die-hard readers will find this Christmas carol too cozy by half. (Nov.)
Details
Reviewed on: 11/01/1999
Release date: 11/01/1999
Genre: Fiction
Mass Market Paperbound - 160 pages - 9780446609197
Open Ebook - 1 pages - 9780446960007
Portable Document Format (PDF) - 129 pages - 9780759592070
Other - 60 pages - 9781849012171
Hardcover - 131 pages - 9781410430243
Hardcover - 144 pages - 9780892966998
Hardcover - 164 pages - 9781845298906