Just Read My First M.C. Beaton Story

I recently discovered a prolific mystery writer going by the name of M.C. Beaton.  The book I read was Death of a Bore, which as it turns out is just one of a long series of short mystery novels featuring Scottish Highlands constable Hamish Macbeth and all of which sport "Death of a(n)" titles.  This story presents Macbeth as an amiable and protective, albeit uncomfortably nosy policeman of a small "backwoods" town called Lochdubh, reminiscent of the Sheriff Taylor character in the old Andy Griffith TV series.  And by the titles it is obvious that all of the stories are murder mysteries: no lost kilts or bagpipe heists here to solve.  I enjoyed the various personalities in Death of a Bore, and am confident that many of them resurface in other novels of the series.   The "bore" in the story I read is a self-important writer who visits Macbeth's town and starts a creative writing class: after taking submissions from the enthusiastic students and then mercilessly insulting their writing abilities, he is found shot to death...with suddenly a load of suspects.  Hamish Macbeth plods along and naturally solves the crime, although I wasn't satisfied with the solution. My  biggest enjoyment out of this novel was how Beaton depicts life in the Scottish Highlands.  As it turned out, she would know more than most, being a resident of Glasgow. 

Oh, by the way, M.C. Beaton is a pseudonym for Marion Chesney, who under the Beaton name is also responsible for the Agatha Raisin mystery series.  Chesney is still writing and enjoying life...and has her own Facebook page if you'd like to check it out...