Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
Page Three of FourA Highland Christmas by M.C. Beaton
Mysterious Press, Nov., 1999.Hardcover, 129 pages.
ISBN: 0892966998.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
It's Christmastime in the Scottish Highlands,
but you'd never know it. The Calvinist element
doesn't hold with all those pagan trappings, such
as lights, Christmas trees and the like. For Police Constable
Hamish Macbeth, things are especially depressing:
his family has won a trip to Florida for the
holidays, but he's stuck at home covering for
a sick colleague. There are plenty of things that
require a policeman's attention: crabby old Mrs.
Gallagher has lost her cat and seems unnaturally
afraid of something, and the Christmas tree and lights
for the town of Cnothan have been stolen. The
old folks at the nursing home could use some Christmas
cheer, as could a local schoolgirl whose parents refuse
to celebrate Christmas. Hamish is well up to the task --
and even finds a bit of romance with the local
schoolteacher.
A Highland Christmas is really a novella; it's only 129 pages long. But it's the perfect length for a quick afternoon read if you're looking for a heartwarming pick me up. All the familiar village characters are here, and a few new ones, as well. Charmingly illustrated, this Christmas tale is a lovely gift from the talented M. C. Beaton.
Hunter's Moon by Dana Stabenow
Berkley, Dec., 1999.Paperback, 239 pages.
ISBN: 0425172597.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Kate Shugak and Jack Morgan have been hired
by their friend George Perry to serve as guides
on a hunting expedition booked by some
German computer executives. George Perry
runs the expeditions from his hunting lodge
125 miles northeast of Anchorage, Alaska,
ten miles south of the Denali National Preserve.
When Kate and Jack meet the members of
the group, they are somewhat surprised.
They are an obnoxious group, totally unprepared
for a trek in the wilderness and seemingly
totally ignorant of guns or hunting procedures.
With grave misgivings, they agree to stay
and guide the group. When one of the group
is found dead, shot, Kate is sure there is more
going on in this expedition than a simple
moose hunt. There is more going on, and
unfortunately Kate is soon in the midst of
corporate intrigue and a killing spree.
She will need all of her wilderness
training and courage to escape this
expedition alive.
The latest entry in the Kate Shugak series is filled with heart-pounding excitement, adventure and vivid emotion. In fact, you may be totally exhausted after you put the book down. Kate, an Aleut who has been somewhat estranged from her native heritage, is a woman of many talents -- she can hunt, climb, shoot, make jam, and is a crack criminal investigator -- and she utilizes most of them in this, her most daring adventure to date. The Alaskan scenery is breathtaking, the characters are well-drawn and the action never lets up. This is one series that gets better and better. Highly recommended.
Return to the February 2000 issue of The IWJ.
More from Writers Write