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Summary
Summary
In the dark, wintry highlands of Lochdubh, Scotland, where the local Calvinist element resists the secular trimmings of Christmas, the spirit of old Saint Nick is about as welcome as a flat tire on a deserted road. Nor is crime taking a holiday, as Constable Hamish Macbeth soon finds himself protecting an unhappy girl, unlocking the secrets of a frightened old woman, and retrieving some stolen holiday goods. Now the lanky lawman must use all his Highland charm and detective skills to make things right. And he had better do it quickly, for the church bells will soon toll and all Lochdubh will be forced to face another dreary winter without the comforting embrace of Yuletide cheer.
Author Notes
M. C. Beaton's real name is Marion Chesney. She was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1936. She has written over a hundred books under her own name and other pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Helen Crampton, Jennie Tremaine, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester. She started her writing career while working as a fiction buyer for a bookstore in Glasgow.
Working at one time or another as a theater critic, newspaper reporter, and editor, she used her British background to write a series of regency romances set in England and Scotland. Some of her regency romances include The Folly, Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue, and Regency Gold. In 1986, she was awarded the Romantic Times Award for Outstanding Regency Series Writer.
She has also written two mystery series under the pseudonym M. C. Beaton: The Hamish Macbeth Series, which became the inspiration for a television show in England, and The Agatha Raisin Series, about a retired advertising executive. Her title His and Hers made The New York Times Best Seller List for 2012.
Marion Chesney passed away on December 31, 2019 at the age of 83.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
From the always sunny Beaton comes this Christmas special of a book featuring policeman Hamish Macbeth (Death of an Addict, etc.) and two minor Yuletide mysteries. In the fishing village of Lochdubh, Christmas looms, but there are no decorations or Christmas trees as the conservative Calvinist population declines to decorate. The lanky and amiable Hamish is told to cover the beat of a neighboring town, Cnothan, as well, where someone has made off with not only the village Christmas lights but also the huge tree. Back in Lochdubh, crusty loner Mrs. Gallagher reports that her beloved cat, Smoky, has been stolen. While investigating, Hamish meets the attractive new schoolteacher, Maisie Pease, who quickly decides she'd like to help Hamish forget his previous love interest, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. As Hamish works on the two cases, he also makes the acquaintance of the Andersons, a strict and reserved couple whose daughter, Morag, longs for a traditional Christmas. In this mystery without a murder, Beaton reintroduces familiar characters like the spinster Curry sisters and local seer Angus Macdonald, while working in newcomers such as Maisie. It's light fun throughout, though all but Beaton's die-hard readers will find this Christmas carol too cozy by half. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands is the home and workplace of P.C. Hamish Macbeth, and many of its inhabitants cast a cold eye indeed on the pagan ritual of Christmas. Hamish, whose mother has gone off on holiday and who has to work over Christmas, finds himself dealing with a lost cat, a little girl terrified and constrained into goodness, and the theft, in a neighboring village, of the newly purchased town holiday lights and tree. Add to that a winsome if simpering schoolteacher and Hamish's good heart toward some of the locals of the elderly persuasion, and you have an extremely lightweight but pleasant enough bit of solstice fluff. There's no subtlety here, but it is chock-full of local color and sentimental cheer. --GraceAnne A. DeCandido
School Library Journal Review
YA-With Christmas fast approaching, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth finds the community of Lochdubh, Scotland, facing another holiday under the dreary influence of Calvinism. He manages to schedule a carol sing and party at the local retirement home, puts up a tree, and sets about solving a long-open case of petty thievery in the area. He also begins dating the new teacher at the local school. Along the way, Macbeth finds a missing cat for Mrs. Gallagher and convinces Mr. and Mrs. Anderson to let their young daughter find enjoyment in the holiday and friends. The constable's own Christmas centers on his new puppy. Although a tremendous amount of joy and goodness stems from the officer's actions, he never seems to realize any of the positive results. Macbeth appears to be just what this community needs: a logical voice when one is called for, help in times of need, and a balance between older ways of thinking and the changes being brought by the outside world. The story leaves a warm glow of contentment and has several humorous moments. A perfect selection for the holiday season and a solid tale for sharing year-round.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Christmas is only a week away in Lubdoch, Scotland, but Constable Hamish MacBeth, the village's sole lawman (Death of an Addict, p. 574, etc.), expects no time off. The Calvinist tenor of the area discourages holiday glitter, and Hamish isn't too surprised when the Christmas lights on the main street of neighboring Cnothan are stolen. He must also deal with the disappearance of Smokey, Mrs. Gallagher's cat, vanished despite the profusion of locks and bolts on the Gallagher house. A visit to Mrs. Dunwiddy, former owner of the house, living in a nursing home, reveals a violent husband in Mrs. Gallagher's past. The visit also inspires Hamish to arrange some Christmas entertainment for the depressed residents with the help of eager Charlie and Bella Underwood, old friends and onetime vaudeville stars. There's yet another good deed in the works for Hamish, having to do with lonesome little Morag Anderson, Morag's moralistic, uptight parents, and Smokey the cat. Only the appearance of Insp. Blair, Hamish's longtime enemy, on the warpath as usual, casts a pall, but not for long. A charmingly illustrated Christmas fable sure to please Hamish's legion of fans and likely to make a few new ones. (Line drawings)
Library Journal Review
Police constable Hamish Macbeth must work during Christmas week while his family vacations. Although his caseload involves nothing more pressing than a missing cat and a tree and lights stolen from a community center, he alleviates his own depression by soothing others. An inspirational treat for the holiday season. [A Mystery Guild featured alternate.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
