Death of a Prankster

The Hamish Macbeth Mysters, Book 7

By: M. C. Beaton

Narrated by: Shaun Grindell

A classic title from M.C. Beaton's New York Times best-selling Hamish Macbeth series about the death of a practical joker.

Admittedly, there's a touch of black humor in the case. Rich, old practical joker Andrew Trent summons his kin to the remote Arrat House in the dead of winter for a deathbed farewell. They arrive to find him in perfect health and eager to torment them with a new bag of unfunny jokes.

But this time the body that falls out of the closet is Andrew Trent's own. And nobody's laughing. Especially not Constable Hamish Macbeth, who is hard put to glean any information from Trent's unappealing nearest and dearest. And when the lanky constable's former flame Priscilla Halburton-Smythe inserts herbeautiful self into the case, Hamish must muster all his native guile to carry him through. Fortunately, he has a few clever tricks up his own sleeve which enable this most endearing of crime fighters to get the best - and last - laugh.

©2013 Blackstone Audio; 2012 M.C. Beaton

A tangled web

What a tangled web! A prankster old man who I think I would have killed myself! lol. Murder and a cast of characters with their own secrets and a long journey to the truth

Love these stories

I cannot stop reading these series. They are so vividly described and the endings are always a surprise. Can’t wait for the next one.

Prankster is certainly out of line!

Interesting characters in this tale, including a prankster so out of line it was shocking. Who plays these kinds of jokes?
Good detail and characters. More fun than some of the previous series "murders."
Listened to this Hamish Macbeth #7 novel via audible.

Good But Lacks the Punch of the Others

This story of the old trickster, Andrew Trent is good, but not quite as fleshed out and full of dry wit as the rest of the Hamish Macbeth series. The old, rich joker is really a sadistic mean man, who gets his jollies by holding his wealth and stature over his family, then plays pranks on them, which aren't really funny, but downright hateful. His kin, who all put up with his antics hoping to gain some of his riches at his death, are just as pathetic as he is. When the old man turns up dead in what appeared to be one of his pranks, no one was sad, that is until they became a suspect. Hamish and Chief Inspector Blair once again disagree on the investigation, but even that isn't as funny or interesting as usual. I'm glad this one was offered on Audible Plus, as I'd be disappointed if I'd had to pay for it.

Love the series

What did you love best about Death of a Prankster?

All M.C Beaton books worth the read / listen. Hamish is a good small town cop that just knows life.