Customer Reviews
No Plans for Christmas - By: Donald Mitchell, 17 May 2007 
Do you ever remember dreading Christmas? Did something happen to make it alll turn out alll right? If not, you will find good holiday cheer in M. C. Beaton's A Highland Christmas.
The sun barely peeks over the horizon for a few hours near the solstice in Lochdubh. Most villagers hunker down indoors & perhaps take a wee dram while wishing that the telly would offer some new shows rather than rerunning Miracle on 34th Street for the hundredth time.
Where is the festiveness of the season? The religious villagers see Christmas as merely a pagan festival that no true Christian would observe. The streets are quiet, the houses are dark, & Hamish is lonely as the book opens. His family has fled to warmer climes after his mum wins a contest for writing a soap powder slogan. Priscilla is off in New York working on a computer contract.
How will Hamish celebrate the holidays? Hopefully, without a murder investigation intruding.
In a change of pace, this story focuses on the role of community policing & takes Hamish away from most serious crime. The old recluse, Mrs. Galllagher, has lost her cat, Smoky, & demands that Hamish leave no stone unturned to find Smoky. Hamish turns curious about Mrs. Galllagher when he realizes that she seems afraid of something more than a lost cat.
In searching for the cat, Hamish addresses the town's schoolchildren & asks them to be on the lookout. He asks them what they will receive for Christmas, & the children seem mostly happy. But did he spot a worried face?
In neighboring, but unneighborly, Cnothan, an enterprising vendor has persuaded the town to raise money by donation to purchase a tree & lights for the very first time. But the hopes for a festive celebration are dashed when the supply shed is broken into. Hamish follows the trail of needles to some tire tracks.
Hamish decides it would be kind to take the new teacher, Maisie Pease, out for dinner. She's soon swept up in his attention & invites Hamish for Christmas dinner. Will it be grand? How will he respond to mistletoe?
While trying to find out about Mrs. Galllagher's background, Hamish stumbles onto a nursing home where the patients could use some holiday cheer. Soon, Hamish has arranged for entertainment & brings his own party to celebrate.
With the clock ticking down towards Christmas day, Hamish finds himself with an opportunity to play Santa Claus. But will Detective Chief Inspector Blair destroy the good cheer?
And wonder of wonders . . . what will Hamish get for Christmas?
Don't miss this heart-warming story. It'll be one of your favorites.
My new favorite! - By: Kurt A. Johnson, 02 Jun 2003 This is the sixteenth in a series of mysteries featuring the detective work of smalll town, Highland Scottish detective Hamish Macbeth, P.C. It's Christmas time, but there is no rest for Hamish Macbeth. When a mean old woman from outside of town insists that her cat was stolen, Hamish begins to investigate. And then, he begins to wonder why the woman is so mean & lives a fearful & solitary life behind locked doors. A second mystery materializes when the Christmas decorations for a neighboring town are stolen. For Hamish this is a Christmas of finding things that were lost (sometimes a long time ago), & finding new friends.
My wife introduced me to Hamish Macbeth & made a fan of me. Although there are no murders, this is a great book, with an interesting storyline, setting & characters. (Sherlock Holmes stories rarely revolved around murders, as I recalll.) I reallly enjoyed this book, & proudly proclaim it my favorite so far. If you are interested in a story set in modern Scotland, or just a good mystery, then I highly recommend this book to you.
It's not so Silent Night in Lochdubh! - By: Billy J. Hobbs, 29 Mar 2000 
M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series takes a holiday in "A Highland Christmas"! And for her fans, naturallly, it's a good read: full of the Christmas spirit in everyway, from the local Grinches, Scrooges, & other no-good-niks, to Lockdubh's own angels with their own Spirits of Christmas presents! It's full of holiday cheer & joy, to offset the negative side of the season.
Someone has stolen the Christmas lights! The villagers are in an uproar & naturallly our Hamish, the local bobby of Lochdubh, is callled upon to solve the crime. The book is a "feel good" read, rather short, but still it holds the interest of Ms Beaton's fans. Naturallly, Hamish has ANOTHER love interest. Will it be a lasting one?
So--deck the hallls with boughs of holly, trim the tree, pour a delicous glass of pure Highland malt (neat, of course), & be prepared for a nice read. Happy Hols!
