Who Done it?

     Murder Mysteries are probably my favorite type of stories.  Although I enjoy complicated and serious novels, sometimes, one just wants a bit of interesting fluff.  M.C. Beaton has created exactly that with her Hamish MacBeth series,  all entitled:  Death of a (insert noun).  i.e., Death of a Nag, Death of a Dreamer, etc.

     I came across these wonderful books last January.  Typically, January is the slowest month of the year for retailers.  Most people are paying off their credit cards and not shopping.  This leaves salespeople bored out of their minds while chained to a store all day that no one enters.  There I was, working in a boutique in South Pasadena, surrounded by beautiful clothes and no customers.  It was pouring sheets of rain and there wasn't a chance in hell I'd have anyone come in in that weather.  I locked up the front door and made my way in the rain with no umbrella, to a small mystery book store on Mission Street.  The owner was there and recommended a little book called Death of a Witch.  I'd never heard of the series and was skeptical, but as I knew I had seven more hours of boredom to endure, I bought the book and sauntered off in the rain back to work.

     To my surprise, Death of a Witch was  a delightful story!  Centered in a small village in the Highlands of Scotland, the scene revolves around one Hamish MacBeth, local constable and layabout.  He's got flaming red hair and an amicable demeanor.  The tale was amusing and gripping simultaneously and I read the entire book in one sitting.  I enjoyed it so much that I went in search of more.  As of now, I have read somewhere along the lines of twenty from this series.  The characters are consistent and the camaraderie in the village almost makes me wish it were a real place I could go to live and the Hamish were a real man.  

     It became sort of a game in the boutique for my boss and me.  I left her one to read.  She read it and showed up the next week with another and left it for me.  They are just perfect little novels that beat television any day.  If you enjoy easy reading that is light, humorous and entertaining, then this will be a joy ride for you.  My only disappointment is that I have read them all and there are no more to read!  I hope  the author will continue to write. You can find these books anywhere books are sold and they are worth every penny.  They literally made me laugh out loud.  Get out your thumb thimble as you won't be able to put them down.