Death of Yesterday

Near the start of Beaton’s delightful 29th Hamish Macbeth mystery (after 2012’s Death of a Kingfisher), art student Morag Merrilea complains to the Scottish police sergeant about the theft of her sketchbook in a pub where she was drinking heavily one night. When Morag disappears and later turns up dead, Macbeth attempts to solve the crime, but blustery Detective Chief Superintendent Blair keeps ordering him to do the most menial tasks. Meanwhile, Macbeth’s love life has more snags than an old wool sweater, as shown by his strained relationships with Priscilla Halburton-Smythe and Elspeth Grant, not to mention his infatuation with Hannah Fleming, the sister of suspect Geordie Fleming. A second victim found by Macbeth ups the pressure and media interest. While Macbeth matches wits with a desperate and elusive killer, the dreadful Palfour teens from Death of a Kingfisher, Olivia and Charles, muddy the investigative waters. Cozy fans are in for a treat. Agent: Barbara Lowenstein, Lowenstein Associates. (Mar.)