Death of a Dreamer

By: M. C. Beaton

Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm

Occasionally, the rugged landscape of Scotland attracts dreamers who move north, wrapped in fantasies of enjoying the simple life. They usually don't last, defeated by the climate or by inhospitable locals.

But it looks as if Effie Garrand has come to stay. When local constable Hamish Macbeth calls on her, he is amazed to find the small woman still in residence after a particularly hideous winter. Unfortunately, Effie is also quite delusional, having convinced herself and everyone else that local artist Jock Fleming is in love with her, and that they are engaged.

After a huge fight with Jock, Effie is found in the mountains, poisoned by hemlock. Now, it's up to Hamish to find the dreamer's killer before any more nightmares unfold.

Great Scot! Don't miss more of Hamish Macbeth's cases.©2006 Marion Chesney (P)2006 BBC Audiobooks America

Critic reviews

"Beaton's flawless 21st installment in her popular Hamish Macbeth series...boasts amusing local color and singularly savvy sleuthing." ( Publishers Weekly)

Hamish gets Hit

The story is engaging, as most of MC Beaton's are, and the narrator, Graeme Malcolm, is perfect.

Love listen to the Hamish books.

Great read. Good character development. One more of hamish detective work solves the murder. Love the descriptions of the highlands.

Narrator Top Notch

I enjoy M.C. Beaton’s writing. The Hamish Macbeth series is very enjoyable. Graeme Malcom is a perfect narrator for this series.

What a fun listen this was!

Graeme Malcolm is the perfect narrator for M.C. Beaton's series about Hamish McBeth--the Highlands Constable who will go to any length to avoid getting a promotion, so he can stay in his beloved town, with his friends and pets. This is a clever series, since Hamish is actually both very smart and clever, but cannot (or will not) cooperate with his higher ups, and operates according to his own instincts to solve crimes.

In this episode, he is working on the murder of an artist who dies mysteriously after telling folks she will be married to a man who insists he didn't propose to her. There is a side parallel story going in in which the bachelor Hamish struggles to deal with several women who have various levels of interest in him (along with a new female assistant) and manages to get himself into tricky situations with them.

If you were to put cozy mysteries on a spectrum of excellence, these would come out on top every time. They are always fun to listen to, and this one may have been one of Beaton's best in the series.

In love with Hamish and Narrator Graeme Malcolm!

Love this narrator! This particular story, with its detailed twists one was one of my favorites.