Death Of A Travelling Man (1996) - Plot & Excerpts
Marion Chesney herself is probably even more interesting than this book! She is known primarily for the more than 100 historical romance novels she has published under her own name and under several pseudonyms: Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward. However, this book she wrote as M.C. Beaton which is the pseudonym she reserves for her crime fiction and mystery novels.The author was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1936 and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While there, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and she quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join the prestigious Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department but she had no shorthand or typing skills! She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to from Scotland to Fleet Street in London, England to the Daily Express where she became their chief woman reporter.Marion married Harry Scott Gibbons and they had a son, Charles. They emigrated to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. Later both Harry and Marion got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York but Marion was anxious to spend more time at home with her small son so Harry suggested she write novels, romances.After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name of Marion Chesney she began to write detectives stories. On a trip from the States to Sutherland, Scotland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Hamish Macbeth story and the family returned to Britain.M.C. Beaton has produced nine or ten of these little jewels and she also wrote the Agatha Raisin series as well. They are very easy to read. This book features Hamish Macbeth, a village policeman who so far has managed to avoid taking on a whole lot of work, and cadges meals and other favours from the villagers at the drop of a hat. (Hamish Macbeth was played by a very young Robert Carlisle in the old TV series.)In the Scots Highland village of Lochdubh, Hamish Macbeth has been promoted to Sergeant, which means more pay but also more responsibility. He is also worried because he could be transferred. His immediate problem, however, is his new police constable, an anal-retentive cleanliness freak named Willie Lamont.The easy-going Macbeth is being driven out of his mind by Willie when who should show up but a travelling man in a rusted out caravan. Peace and calm in the village immediately turns away from a calm and even boring climate to turbulence and murder.Sergeant Macbeth is suspicious because he finds Sean Gourlay too handsome. Gourlay pretends to be gypsy traveller and with his side-kick, gutter-mouth Cheryl, he disrupts Lochdubh village. The doctor then finds he is missing drugs: the Ladies’ Club is missing money and local worthies,spinster sisters Nessie and Jessie want to move.Although we’re never in doubt as to a victim, the whys and solutions to myriad crimes that occur, keep our attention. So do the many and varied secondary characters. Altogether this is a pleasant, enjoyable, excursion in a small Scots village, and one not to be missed. It is very easy reading and there should be time to relax with a book from time to time.
Hmmm…I wonder if the Chicago Sun-Times actually read any of the other books in the series? I would bet not. Why? Because while this story is interesting, it is not the best in the series.It did, however, break a mold that seemed to dog the other stories in that there was no weak female throwing herself at Hamish – much to my relief. There were some good, solid characters in this plot and it kind of reminded me of Stephen King’s Needful Things which I thought was an excellent book.Yes, I did have it figured out pretty early on but I don’t read these because I’m looking to be stumped. These are easy-going, quick reads that entertain me. If I was looking for something more hard core murder mystery, I’d read an Alex Kava, Dean Koontz or John Sanford book that takes two or three days to get through and has so many plot twists that I can’t begin to remember every character.Beaton does a good job making the gypsy traveler a ghoulishly evil man who gives a person that uneasy feeling the moment they meet him. I didn’t care for Cheryl’s character but I wasn’t meant to. Would love to see this picturesque town, it sounds beautiful yet unfriendly weather wise.I like where the series is heading and look forward to reading the next book – Death of a Charming Man – probably tomorrow. I give this one an A.
What do You think about Death Of A Travelling Man (1996)?
Poor Hamish. An unsavory pair of "travelers" park their caravan in the village and proceed to wreck havoc. They are considering themselves gypsies and are hiding behind the laws meant to protect a way of life for a group of people whose heritage is to travel. That is not what these two are though. They are "hippies" of the worst sort and the life of the village is turned on its heels when they show up. They get the villagers on their side in the beginning, but soon things start to sour and inevitably there comes a body. Hamish is on the spot, but struggles, not only with Supt. Blair, but also with he obsessive compulsive PC who cleans everything that either moves or doesn't move. Hamish, regretfully, allowed himself to take credit for solving the last murder and thus was promoted landing him with an assistant who is threatening to drive him insane. In the end, Hamish manages to solve the murder and change his living arrangements suitably but not without some really rough patches.
—Anne Hawn Smith
Sergeant Hamish Macbeth distrusts jobless Sean Gourlay - too handsome - and his effect on Lochdubh village. Sean "odd green eyes" p 75 and girlfriend, foul-mouthed Cheryl, pretend to be persecuted gypsy travellers, but Dr Brodie misses heroin tablets, his wife Angela gets "nervy", the Ladies' Club misses £100 in bills, spinsters Nessie and Jessie Currie put their cottage up for sale. Reverend Wellington loses his faith, preaches brimstone sermons from last century, his tweedy wife dwindles to "a shadow of her former self" . All the ladies were seen visiting Sean at night - did one administer the fatal blow to Sean's forehead?Restaurant owner Mr Ferrari sends his waiters as muscle after Sean was too amorous with new waitress Lucia. She declines dates from those who want to keep her "small red hands" scrubbing and scouring, in favor of Constable Willie, whose cleaning drives Macbeth out, turning his blood into "three parts insecticide and one part disinfectant". (view spoiler)[Sean drugged, stripped, fondled, videotaped and blackmailed Angela, Nessie, and Mrs W. The abused Cheryl had an alibi. She gave her motorbike to a transvestite with the same build and orange-dyed hair to sing in her place, confessed - luckily taped by Priscilla - when Macbeth figured out, drowned herself in weedy lake. Finally Priscilla and Macbeth are engaged, sad knowing future. (hide spoiler)]
—An Odd1
I had an audio version of this book. The narration is done by Davina Porter and she is a delight to hear. (I highly recommend her narration of the Outlanders series by Diana Gabaldon) Her characterizations are excellent and she could make the phone directory interesting. Fortunately, she doesn't have to work to make this book a good listen.As usual, I've stepped into the middle of a series, but that was not a problem. I understand that Hamish MacBeth, constable, is not one for hard work. I also understand that he's good at solving crime. His interactions with the townspeople are rather amusing and I'm looking forward to going back to the beginning to see where it all originated. But for now?Suffice it to say that this was a delectable little morsel of a book. It carried the main plot with ease while juggling several subplots (one of them quite funny) and tying everything up very nearly at the end. For its brevity, it was quite meaty and I will happily look for others in the series.
—Cynthia
