Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Feeling down because of his recent demotion and shunned by his neighbors because of his breakup with Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Constable Hamish Macbeth decides to take a vacation at the Friendly House bed and breakfast on the coast. However, his vacation is ruined when another guest, abusive husband Bob Harris, is murdered and, because of an earlier altercation, Hamish becomes the prime suspect. Review: I finished reading this book a couple days ago but found I needed some time to reflect on it before drawing a conclusion about it. After taking time to think it over, I am going to say I very much enjoyed this murder mystery. There are a couple things about this book that really stood out for me. One of the big ones was the murder mystery itself. Even though his wife had the most to gain from his death (especially since she seemed to have romantic interest in another guest), Bob Harris was just mean enough for just about everyone to want to murder him. And, while my...

Synopsis: The village of Drim is normally a quiet, largely forgotten part of Sergeant Hamish MacBeth's beat. However, when the young, handsome and single Peter Hynd buys a house there, the local women fall head over heels for him. When Peter goes missing, Hamish suspects the worst, especially when one of the local women is found dead under suspicious circumstances. With his superiors convinced Peter just moved away and the woman's death was accidental, Hamish puts his career on the line by investigating without authorization while, at the same time, trying to save his rocky relationship with Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. Review: It was probably because of the weather, but I found I wasn't overly enthused with doing some of the chores I had planned on doing this past weekend and, instead, found myself reading this murder mystery. Fortunately for me, this turned out to be a really good one. I've read enough murder mysteries (and seen plenty of movie mysteries as w...

Synopsis: Still reeling from his promotion to sergeant and the addition of an obsessive but ineffective constable to his police station, Hamish Macbeth must contend with a self-proclaimed "gypsy," Sean and his girlfriend, who have parked their van in Lochdubh and may or may not be behind a series of thefts around town and a growing feeling of negativity that has even affected the local minister. When Sean is found murdered, Hamish must reluctantly investigate his friends and makes a discovery that may require him to put his job on the line to protect them. Review: I'm not sure if it is because I overdid it the day before or if it was the somewhat gloomy weather, but I just didn't seem to have a lot of energy yesterday. So, after going to church and getting the garbage out, I pretty much just crashed on the couch all day and, while watching Rocky out of the corner of my eye, finished this book. As I read more and more M. C. Beaton books, I can't help but...

Synopsis: Maria Worth has worked her tail off to make her exclusive dating service, Checkmate, a success. However, her gluttonous business partner, Petra Gore, has been more of a hindrance than a help, scaring away clients both with her disgusting eating habits and her habit of flirting with the men. Maria hoped to avoid this by secretly booking a romantic getaway for her clients at Tommel Castle. However, when Petra shows up anyway, her plans are, once again, ruined. And, when Petra is found murdered, just about everyone, including herself, is a suspect. Fortunately, Hamish Macbeth is on the case. Review: Thanks to a number of distractions, it took me a bit longer to get through this book than it normally does and, for a while, I was beginning to wonder if I would have to renew it from the library. However, I was able to finally get through this murder mystery a couple days ago and, after doing so, have to say I enjoyed every minute of it. This book was similar to many of...

Synopsis: If it weren't for his money, Andrew Trent's family would have nothing to do with him. The elderly man is notorious for his pranks and isn't afraid to cross lines that could offend or even injure people. When his family members travel to his house believing he is finally on his death bed, they are chagrined to learn he is in perfect health and, because of the weather, must tolerate his jokes for an extended period of time. Their torture comes to an end when Trent falls out of a closet with a knife in his chest. Was it a prank gone wrong or was he murdered? And, if he was murdered, was it for his money or did he finally push somebody too far? It is up to local constable Hamish Macbeth to figure that out. Review: Between ice show rehearsals for my oldest daughter and a dance competition for her younger sister, I am planning on having a lot of time to read the next couple weeks. As a result, I visited the library and stocked up on some books. This included th...

Synopsis: When Trixie Thomas moves to Lochdubh with her husband intending to open a bed & breakfast, local constable Hamish Macbeth realizes he doesn't like her all that much. And, when she befriends the other village wives and convinces them to make healthier meals, push for a smoking ban and protest a local farmer who wants to knock down an old building that is a home for bats, many of the local husbands (and some wives) join Macbeth in his dislike. When Trixie is found poisoned, Hamish must figure out who disliked her enough to murder her. Review: After being disappointed by my last Agatha Christie novel , I decided to give M. C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth another try and picked up this fourth novel from our local library. Normally, when I get a book like this, it takes me about a week to get through it (sometimes a little longer depending on how busy my schedule is). So, I was actually kind of surprised when I wound up reading this entire book in the course of an eve...