auntnono's Full Review: M. C. Beaton - Death of a Perfect Wife Books
Shown here as written by Marion Chesney Death of a Perfect Wife was actually penned and published under her pseudonym, M.C. Beaton.
Death of a Perfect Wife is another in the Hamish MacBeth mystery series. Hamish, a constable in the small British hamlet of Lochdubh, is one of the most refreshing characters to grace a book since Dame Agatha introduced Hercule Poirot.
At times plodding and seemingly dim-witted, MacBeth is in fact hiding the secret that he is a contented man. After all, who would believe there was such a thing? A contented man is as elusive a creature as a perfect wife.
Which brings us to the crux of the story. Who, pray tell, would murder a perfect wife? Surely not her husband. The loss of a perfect mate could hardly be desired. Surely not any of the other townsmen. With all the other wives striving to match this paragon of wifely virtue, every husband should be counting his lucky stars. But perfection is not everyone's ideal. And as we all know, nobody's perfect!
Except for Hamish MacBeth. With his bumbling ways hiding an innate shrewdness, MacBeth is the perfect foil to what appears as unsolvable. Unlike Poirot, MacBeth has not an ounce of conceit. His total lack of ambition is seen by his superiors and most of the villagers as sheer laziness. Regarded only slightly above the village idiot, he is left to his own devices when it comes to solving the crime. He is every bit as cunning as Poirot, but shows a humility unknown to the Belgian super-sleuth.
Under 200 pages, the book is a very quick read, but does not skimp on plot or details. Written in a style reminiscent of Christie, M.C. Beaton has filled the void left behind by Dame Agatha.
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