Death of a Gentle Lady

December 11, 2009 - Death of a Gentle Lady (M.C. Beaton). Police constable Hamish Macbeth has selfish motives for agreeing to marry an immigrant maid. But, when the maid and her employer turn up dead, he must find a motive for murder.

Macbeth agrees to marry the maid because he thinks the powers that be in the Scottish police will be less likely to close down his rural Highlands station if he's married. But, before Hamish can say "I do," the bride-to-be is murdered. Soon after, the woman's employer, an English import named Mrs. Gentle, is thrown off a cliff outside her crumbling castle. As Macbeth investigates, he must escape several attempts on his life while also juggling two ex-girlfriends, a Russian policewoman and a neighbor who's tired of looking after his pets.

The book is not very long to begin with, and the multiple plot lines keep the action moving. It's not boring, but it's not filled with clues, either. You might be able to guess the killer, but you won't know the motive until the big reveal. This book also does little to advance continuing plotlines, i.e. Macbeth's girlfriend problems. His exes, Priscilla and Elspeth, are present and accounted for, but nothing gets resolved. This book is a quick chat in a series where a long conversation is long overdue.