AudioBook Review

What I enjoy most about the Hamish Macbeth series is the sheer fun of the listen, I first encountered this series as part of the BBC television series, and was excited to find the original genesis in audio form.  These are not tense, angst-filled stories with multiple red herrings and twists but they are wholly entertaining.

Hamish is an interesting man: with a personal life that is often fraught with anxiety and turmoil, his quiet home village of Loch Dubh is often the setting for his near-lazy style of detective work.  In this book, his relationship with Priscilla is reaching a crisis point, even as he has finally managed to ‘get the girl’.  Deciding that retreat is the better choice, he heads to the neighbouring town of Drim to get away from the stress that the changes Priscillia is looking to impose on his life are causing. 

Drim is in the midst of its own crisis: newcomer Peter Hynd has stirred up the emotions in town: men dislike him, women adore him and Hamish is convinced he is thriving on the attention.  As rapidly as he arrives, Drim disappears and a body is found.  Hamish is convinced a murder has taken place, despite the official’s thoughts to the contrary. His own relationship in turmoil, he delves deeper in to the relationships in Drim, all to find a killer.

A touch different from others, with Hamish’s relationship and Priscilla’s never-ending quest to remake him into the posh, go-getter that she believes she deserves, there is a more obvious hesitancy on Hamish’s part.  While their relationship has been a series of push and pull, and it is hard to find their suitability, her intrinsic need to change him into something that would disturb his ultimate enjoyment of life just never quite sat comfortably with me as a reader/listener.

Narration as provided by Shaun Grindell was as wonderful as I have come to expect. Perfect modulation in pitch and tone, with no great obvious effort to ‘lay on’ an uncomfortable edge to characters  for delineation, most character changes are presented with a slight tonal or pacing change.  His accent is easy to listen to, with enunciation and pronunciation that is clear and easy to understand, providing a pleasant and comfortable listen.

Hamish Macbeth stories are like an old friend: comfortable, relaxed and enjoyable: a warm cup of tea on a rainy day. In the AudioBook version, the narration provides a sense of warmth and comfort, instilling some of the calm and near laconic presence of Macbeth, without becoming dour or too skimpy.

 Stars:  Overall: 4  Story:  3  Narration: 5