Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton

Shirley: I usually love Hamish Macbeth, but in this book, he just doesn't seem to have his most loveable characteristics such as his usual sudden flashes of enlightment and his doggedness once he's getting close to figuring out the mystery, or his wonderful quick wit which I didn't see much in this book. The book isn't bad, but it just isn't what I have come to expect from this author. The mystery is actually pretty good, but Hamish seemed to be stumbling a bit. I like his new constable Dick. I think he shows real promise as a foil to Hamish's intelligence. I didn't care for how the book ended either since it left a lot of unsettled business which I know will reappear in the next book, and partiuclarly these two wicked characters which I really don't care to read about again. I didn't find them particularly believable. I will still read Hamish as he is still one of my favourite fictional characters.