MC Beaton does it again. This is another good book for a rainy weekend. First off though, I have to say that I find previous reviewers' criticism of D..Show More »avina Porter's narration to be off-base. I realize that personal opinions are usually diverse, but those who think she was confused about what accent to use have likely never met a person from the Scottish Highlands. Davina Porter's portrayal of Scots in general, and Highlanders in particular, is pretty spot-on. The Scottish accent is difficult to do and, to an untrained ear, the Highland lilt CAN sound a bit Eastern European. I know it can be confusing for many Americans to have the prose read in one accent and the dialog read in others, but if you're not familiar with the way a certain people-group speaks, perhaps you should reserve judgement until you've done a bit more research. Davina Porter is English by birth, but is married to a Scotsman. She is one of the best narrators for these types of books because of her ability to speak in all kinds of British dialects. It disconcerts me to see her given bad reviews by those who may have meant well, but may be ignorant of the facts.

Now about the story, IMHO, this is one of the best in the series as far as plot and (further) character development goes. I have not read or listened to all of the books in the MacBeth series so I can't say for certain; however, this one made me wish I could listen to the whole book in one sitting. I love the fact that Hamish actually gets to leave Lochdubh and travel a bit, meeting "new and interesting" people in Amsterdam (no need to elaborate on that further). He gets to dress up in clothes he would NEVER buy for himself and go undercover, finding that he likes to play the bad guy.....occasionally. He also learns how to charm a woman with "concrete knickers", perhaps creating a new love interest for future books. But Hamish soon finds that city life isn't for him, reinforcing his love for Lochdubh, its people, and life in a small, Highland town.

If you like Hamish MacBeth mysteries, you won't be disappointed with "Death Of An Addict". If you've never listened to Davina Porter narrate a story, you are in for a treat. Just listen with an open mind. If you are not used to different British (Scots) dialects, you might need to pay more careful attention. But doesn't any mystery, no matter how well-written, require a reader/listener to pay closer than usual attention?

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This is a delightful book with interesting, quirky characters. The narrator is terrific. What a great way to ease the pain of Houston traffic. I can..Show More »'t wait to read more in the series.

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Excellent narration, story, and character development. You will be in Scotland and enjoy the people and environment as the mystery evolves and gives u..Show More »p its secrets.

I am difficult to please, but this one is superb.

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I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book - the narrator had a lovely Scottish accent that really brought the story alive.

Hamish is a great character. Nothing like the normal hero, he's just a guy doing the best he can despite all the problems tossed at him by the people..Show More » around him. I can believe that these are real people, and have real emotions. And it's very funny. I highly recommend it.

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As I've said before, Mr. Malcolm IS, repeat, IS Hamish MacBeth. And the character of MacBeth makes even a less than spectacular story worth my antici..Show More »pation.

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Usual good story, great characters and good performance make this a solid listen. If you like an easy listening mystery with a non-traditional detect..Show More »ive - this is for you.

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I enjoy the books that M. C. Beaton writes. The Hamish Macbeth books (as well as the Agatha Raisin books) all follow a sort of "formula." For Hamish..Show More », Blair kicks him off the case immediately, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe and/or Elspeth Grant show up to complicate things romantically but also help solve the mystery, Jimmy Anderson wants whiskey in return for information of how the investigation is going, Sonzy and Lugs follow Hamish and try to mooch food around Lochdubh, and the crazy residents of this often dreary (weather-wise) Highland village add comic relief, and lots of possible suspects, though this time Hamish focuses in rather quickly on a set of possibilities, etc.
Fluffy, fun reads. Not great writing of "literature" level -- but pleasant, quick read. It's easier to forget the whodunit-culprit than with an Agatha Christie novel, so I often relisten to the Hamish Macbeth stories after about a year.
Some reviewers may claim Hamish is lazy or bumbling. He is neither. He isn't lazy. He just likes his life too much to let anything change it -- especially any kind of promotion that would move him out of the village police station or force him to get rid of his beloved pets.

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The story was soooo unbelievable with a plot that was a total stretch. Hamish is a fairly good character but he's placed in such unbelievable situatio..Show More »ns that you just want him to go away. The reader was fine but that's not enough to compensate for this silly story.

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