Death of a Kingfisher

March 21, 2013 - Death of a Kingfisher (M.C. Beaton). According to Wikipedia, this book is the 28th entry in the author's Hamish Macbeth series. The first book came out in 1985. Though Hamish hasn't aged all that much over the years, the series is starting to show its age.

The story opens as a beautiful glen in the Scottish Highlands has been turned into a tourist attraction. The driving force is an attractive woman named Mary Leinster. She runs the trust set up to oversee the property that was willed to the town by the former landowner. The remainder of the property is now owned by a wealthy old woman named Mrs. Colchester, and her two sullen grandchildren have come from London to spend the summer.

Early on, Hamish is called to the glen to investigate a death. It turns out that the victim is a colorful bird called a kingfisher. Soon after, a bridge used by tourists collapses, and Hamish must figure out why someone would want to sabotage the glen. But, before Hamish can solve that mystery, he has a murder on his hands as mean Mrs. Colchester is killed in spectacular fashion.

I won't bother delving more into the plot except to say that the book covers the better part of a year. During that time, Hamish goes through his usual women problems, there are disguises galore, and more people die as Hamish always seems to sense that the case is not quite over. That's the same feeling I had after getting to a certain point in the book. It never seemed to be over.