Changes

For I have to raise an irritation. Either the writing is slipping, or the editing is. I lost count of the number of times that I was told that ''the sudden sibilance of his accent'' showed Hamish's nervousness. Bits of the backstory are also somewhat laboured – even though most of it isn't remotely necessary to enjoy the current tale. It's a shame that Beaton hasn't learned to trust her audience a bit more and credit them with the intelligence to work some of it out for themselves. It's also a shame that her editors don't take a bit more time rather than rushing the books out at the current rate, because it's the only trait that mars what would otherwise be worth buying the whole canon and going back to the beginning.

If you like your crime on the gentle side you might also enjoy [[Dead in the Water by Veronyca Bates]]. [[M C Beaton's Hamish Macbeth Novels in Chronological Order]]