Liked it kept u thinking till the end. Quick read ( )

After vacationing in Spain at the wrong resort, Hamish Macbeth returns to his beloved Lochdubh only to discover that an outsider to the quirky village is stirring up trouble.

Catriona is loved by all the men of Lochdubh, yet not a single one of them will talk about her. According to Hamish, Lochdubh is not the place for sex, and he senses all the ingredients for murder are brewing on Catriona's doorstep. His instincts are proven correct, when the girl some believe to be a witch can't cast a spell strong enough to keep herself among the living. Hamish, ever protective of the quirky residents on his Highland beat, is hoping one of his own is not to blame. However, it certainly does look like that may be the case.

This is a wonderful mystery series I read often, and Death of a Witch is a particularly pleasurable entry. While the romantically vacillating Hamish catches the eye of a new forensic technician named Lesley, Elspeth and Priscilla both entertain ideas of lassoing the unambitious detective. Readers of this enjoyable series are well aware Hamish favors his wild cat, Sonsie, and his dog, Lugs, more than the flight of fancy to wed, however.

A second murder occurs before Hamish can get to the bottom of things, which includes some surprises for Macbeth, who was certain he knew all that went on in his patch of Scotland. There is some jolly fun for the reader even after the crime is solved in this entry, the epilog being as enjoyable as the main narrative. Will Hamish get his dream vacation with a sweet lass after all? And will his old nemesis, Blair, get what he deserves?

Fans of the series know there is something enjoyable and magical about each visit to Lochdubh, because it is a trip which soothes the spirit and refreshes the soul, reminding us why we love to read. A light and incredibly entertaining mystery series with tons of atmosphere and more than a dollop of politically incorrect humor, this series is great fun squeezed between more substantive reads. Death of a Witch is one of the best in the long-running series and comes highly recommended! ( )

The case was good, the 'romance' side stories a bit much at times. ( )

sex is at root of several murders in small highland town

Macbeth and the Poisonous Potion Maker
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (2009) of the original Grand Central Publishing hardcover edition (2009)

I am finding the Hamish Macbeth series to be completely irresistible during these lockdown years (yes, it is now into the 2nd year). There is a cozy degree of comfort about the insular life of a small Scottish Highland village and its often cranky inhabitants being protected by its local constable. The template is that the disruption is almost always caused by an incomer to the village and Death of a Witch sticks close to the typical Macbeth plot. A so-called witch sets up a potion business in the vicinity and markets her "indigestion cures" for the male inhabitants. These are of course spurious virility cures based on the notorious poison Spanish Fly and the village is in its usual uproar. Soon the fake witch is murdered and Hamish has no lack of suspects to work through.

I've exhausted the availability of free audiobooks for the series from the Audible Plus option so I'm now seeking out the rest of the series from the Toronto Public Library. I'm still hoping to read them in order as much as possible. Fortunately, the Library also offers the books in their audiobook formats as there is always an extra pleasure to hear the dialogue read in a Scottish accent. This one was read by Graeme Malcolm who seems to be the regular narrator for the last half of the series. ( )