Death of a Chimney Sweep By M. C. Beaton Book Review and Giveaway

CLOSED.

And, the winner is:

Congrats to: Kathryn

• Pub. Date: February 2011
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Format: Hardcover , 247pp
• Series: Hamish Macbeth Series , #27
• ISBN-13: 9780446547390
• ISBN: 0446547395

Summary:

In the south of Scotland, residents get their chimneys vacuum-cleaned. But in the isolated villages in the very north of Scotland, the villagers rely on the services of the itinerant sweep, Pete Ray, and his old-fashioned brushes. Pete is always able to find work in the Scottish highlands, until one day when Police Constable Hamish Macbeth notices blood dripping onto the floor of a villager's fireplace, and a dead body stuffed inside the chimney. The entire town of Lochdubh is certain Pete is the culprit, but Hamish doesn't believe that the affable chimney sweep is capable of committing murder. Then Pete's body is found on the Scottish moors, and the mystery deepens. Once again, it's up to Hamish to discover who's responsible for the dirty deed--and this time, the murderer may be closer than he realizes.

My Review:

4 stars out of 5

This was my first time reading a Hammish MacBeth novel, as I am not usually one for mysteries. I was pleasantly surprised with this book, and finished it in weekend.  This novel follows the reluctant constable in a quiet Scottish town, who has a murder on his hands, after the local Chimney Sweep, Pete, turns up dead.  This mystery draws in the reader with the many plot twists, and the way in which Beaton's characters are described in a way that makes you feel like they could be your neighbor.  With the many twists and turns, it was hard to put the book down.  Beaton did any excellent job in keeping you interested and wanting to continue to read to see who done it.  I would suggest this book to anyone who loves a good mystery, as well as those who usually shy away from this genre.  You will not be disappointed.

About the Author:

Marion Chesney 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. But M.C. Beaton is the pseudonym she reserves for her mystery novels.

M.C.Beaton 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 bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead.  She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. 

After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York. Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write Regency romances. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name of Marion Chesney and getting fed up with 1811 to 1820, she began to write detectives stories. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.

(Source: http://www.agatharaisin.com/?section=author)  

 

--GIVEAWAY--

One Lucky winner will receive a copy of this book, set to be released on 2/18/2011.  Contest is open to US residents only.  Winner will have 48 hrs. to respond to my email with their contact information for me to pass along to the publisher.  If winner fails to respond within 48 hrs., a new winner will be chosen.  

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Disclosure:  I was given a copy of this book to read and review from Hachette Book Group.  My views and opinions are mine and mine alone.