Book Review: Death of a Travelling Man

Some of my reasons for selecting books run shallow. For this book, M.C. Beaton's Death of a Travelling Man, I selected the audio book simply for the minimal length. At only four CDs long, I was able to complete the listening experience in the five short days I had of treadmill walking between my time at music camp and my departure for CBLI. Even though it will not rank as a favorite mystery, it was enjoyable enough and the Scottish accent of the narrator, Davina Porter, was delightful.

This is book number nine in Beaton's 33-book-long Hamish Macbeth series. Police constable Hamish Macbeth traces much mischief back to the arrival of traveller Sean Gourlay, yet he cannot pin any tangible crimes on the man. When Gourlay turns up murdered, Hamish must sort through air-tight alibis, tangled webs of intrigue, and neighborly naughtiness.

While it did indeed hold my attention and provide an interesting enough tale, I don't feel compelled to seek out the other books (although my library has six others available in audio form and if they are also short, might show up on my list when circumstances dictate my listening window again). But, if you are seeking short mysteries set in the Scottish highlands or prefer to listen to books narrated with a Scottish accent, this series might be right up your alley.