Book Review and Giveaway: Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton

I have loved this series from Beaton, since it started, and you guys must too, as

the last Beaton review/giveaway we did had a great response!

Synopsis: When Scotland is hit by the recession, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth notices that the Highland people are forced to come up with inventive ways to lure tourists to their sleepy towns. The quaint village of Braikie doesn't have much to offer, other than a place of rare beauty called Buchan's Wood, which was bequeathed to the town. The savvy local tourist director renames the woods "The Fairy Glen," and has brochures printed with a beautiful photograph of a kingfisher rising from a pond on the cover. 


It isn't long before coach tours begin to arrive. But just as the town's luck starts to turn, a kingfisher is found hanging from a branch in the woods with a noose around its neck. As a wave of vandalism threatens to ruin Braikie forever, the town turns to Hamish Macbeth. And when violence strikes again,the lawman's investigation quickly turns from animal cruelty to murder.


Review: This was an interesting (and quick-I finished it in one sitting!) and fun little mystery! It's perfect for an afternoon read on the picnic blanket (if you're lucky with some Springtime weather!). It has lots of twists and turns, and kept you guessing about how it would all end up til the end. I love how Beaton has modernized the series, especially this one, with talk of consolidating police stations, and concerns with overtime costs. It helps to make the story more realistic and honest, so that you feel like you really ARE in Scotland, which makes the story more enjoyable!


if you're looking for a mystery series that has a twist on police procedurals, you'll love this one!


About the Author:  M C Beaton is the psuedynomyn of Marion Chesney. Born in Scotland, she has worked as a buyer of fiction for a Glasgow bookshop, theatre critic, newspaper reporter and editor. She has written numerous successful historical romance novels under her own name, including the Travelling Matchmaker and Daughters of Mannerling series. Using the pseudonym M. C. Beaton, she has also written many popular mystery novels, most notably the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth mystery series. She has also written under the pseudonyms Sarah Chester, Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Marion Gibbons, Jennie Tremaine and Charlotte Ward. Chesney now lives in the Cotswolds


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Disclosure / Disclaimer:  I was offered this book, free of charge,from Hachette Publishing, via bookblogs.ning, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told what to say about it.