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Death of a Scriptwriter by M.C. Beaton
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Bestselling author M.C. Beaton engages readers with her two mystery series; one featuring Scottish police constable Hamish Macbeth, and the other featuring London advertising retiree Agatha Raisin.
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Death of a Scriptwriter by M.C. Beaton
Features
Paperback:
224 pages
; Dimensions (in inches): 0.69 x 6.76 x 4.21
Publisher: Warner Books; (June 1999)
ISBN:
0446606987
Amazon.com
M.C. Beaton's 14th adventure featuring Hamish Macbeth, lovable local bobby of Lochdubh, Scotland, is a similar treat to her previous efforts. Macbeth feels a dismal foreboding when television film crews descend into his neighborhood to film a local author's out-of-print mysteries. Not only are they led by an overbearing and egotistical scriptwriter, but they have completely stood the original manuscript on its head. The producers have determined that a sexy, pot-smoking heroine will bring in more viewers than the genteel and circumspect detective true to the original. The author herself and the local Calvinist minister are not amused. Before too long, the scriptwriter, the shapely actress playing the lead, and her jealous husband all end up dead, confirming Macbeth's suspicions that the gloomy village of Drim and glamorous media types were a dangerously combustible mix. The mystery itself seems straightforward enough, but Beaton has provided more than the usual number of suspects and subplots. All of these spike the reader's interest while her wicked characterizations of both the locals and the inhabitants of TV-land are hilarious, and very occasionally thought-provoking. The real strength of the book, and indeed Beaton's work in general, is the way in which she evokes the genuine isolation of Macbeth's rural Highlands and blends it with breezy renderings of murder, mayhem, and cozy cups of tea. In some ways it's a bit of an incongruous mix, but Beaton successfully keeps the tone on the lighter side. Death of a Scriptwriter will certainly intrigue mystery fans as well as those who have wondered about the creations of the PBS/BBC series Mystery! --K.A. Crouch --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reader Reviews
Delicious satire on British "cozies", May 11, 2000
Reviewer:
kgurkin
from USA
Readers who do not like M. C. Beaton's Hamish McBeth and Agatha Raisin mysteries are missing the point. DEATH OF A SCRIPTWRITER, like all the other books by this author (or committee) are glorious sendups of the traditional British whodunits and the fact that they are formulaic just adds to the suspense. Will Beaton be able to bring off still another of these elaborate practical jokes? My favorite so far is AGATHA RAISIN AND THE QUICHE OF DEATH. The title alone is worth the price of the hardcover book. I wait with bated breath for the next volume to be published and have already pre-ordered it from amazon.com
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