3.5 Stars out of 5This is my first novel by M.C. Beaton and it will probably not be my last. I tend to be a fan of the cozy mystery and lighter mysteries and this book fit into those categories so it was an enjoyable read for me.
Death of a Chimney Sweep is full of twists and turns as we follow Constable Hamish Macbeth in solving the mystery. Bodies are popping up dead all over this remote Scottish village, including their own Pete Ray, the local chimney sweep. The plot is interesting and complex and keeps you guessing to the end.
There is a rather large cast of characters, most of them rather eccentric, The cast includes some rather annoying colleagues of Macbeths who are royally screwing up his investigation, two past girlfriends, a lady of the night, numerous villagers and some hounding reporters. At times it seems like no one is safe from being a suspect, but Macbeth knows better and doggedly pursues his own path in solving this mystery.
I wished that there had been a little better character development with Macbeth. He seemed a bit one dimensional to me at times. But since I’m starting on the 27th book, perhaps if I had read the previous novels that wouldn’t have been so noticeable to me.
This book will be enjoyable to all fans of the M.C. Beaton series who know and love Macbeth. Also, if you are a light/cozy mystery reader this would be worth checking out. I should also note that even though it is the 27th book in the series it does stand on its own and you can jump in at this one and still have a good, fun read.