• Death of a Perfect Wife

  • A Hamish Macbeth Mystery, Book 4
  • By: M. C. Beaton
  • Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
  • Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,834 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Death of a Perfect Wife  By  cover art

Death of a Perfect Wife

By: M. C. Beaton
Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.56

Buy for $15.56

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Hamish Macbeth, the laid-back constable of Lochdubh, Scotland, has a new Land Rover to drive and a Highland summer to savor, but as fast as rain rolls in from the loch, his happy life goes to hell in a hand basket.

The trouble begins when his beloved Priscilla Halburton-Smythe returns from London - with a fiancé on her arm. His miseries multiply when clouds of midges, the diabolical Scottish mosquito, descend on the town. Then a paragon of housewifery named Trixie Thomas moves into Lochdubh with her lapdog husband in tow. The newcomer quickly convinces the local ladies to embrace low-cholesterol meals, ban tobacco, and begin bird-watching. Soon the town's fish-and-chips-loving men are up in arms.

Now faced with the trials of his own soul, Macbeth must solve Lochdubh's newest crime: the mysterious poisoning of the perfect wife.

©2011 M.C. Beaton (P)2013 AudioGO

What listeners say about Death of a Perfect Wife

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,271
  • 4 Stars
    426
  • 3 Stars
    122
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,239
  • 4 Stars
    326
  • 3 Stars
    113
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,157
  • 4 Stars
    383
  • 3 Stars
    124
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

These books are addictive!

Like drugs they have their downside - the plots are implausible, the action often seems to jump in out of nowhere and disappear quickly. I picture the author as writing these books out hurriedly without much of an outline or any revision.

Still, they are intriguing and I love listening to them. Hamish is just so lovable!

Some have complained about the reader - I agree he is hard to understand when he does a heavy Scottish accent, as with Inspector Blair, but that doesn't come up very often and what Blair says is mostly blithering nonsense. I like Grindell's style when he's just narrating the story, and he does fine with the other characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Something to be said for contentment

The idea of a village compete with contentedly meddling policeman or doctor or pastor is captivating.
I married my own version of Hamish Mcbeth. It can be frustrating, but very restful just like these books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loch Dubh

I enjoy the whole Hamish Macbeth series. I feel as though I know the whole village. The books are formulaic, but that is ok when you just want to pass the time pleasantly.

I was a bit hesitant to get the books narrated by Shaun Grindell because the first books I bought had been narrated by Graeme Malcolm, who was very good. Although Mr Malcolm is still the better reader in my opinion, once I adjusted to the change of a familiar character sounding different, Mr Grindell was pleasant enough, especially when doing accents. He does sound a little younger than Mr Malcolm, so he is appropriate for a man in his thirties, like Hamish.

We all know the "perfect woman" who sort of tyrannizes people into doing everything her way--in a "nice" way, of course. She is the perfect Stepford housewife who turns the women into little automatons and the men into desperate souls who just want their meat and potatoes back.

It is hard to blame the killer--a man's gotta eat.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Zzzzzzzz

Dreadful narrator, very boring and wooden. I have heard other Hamish stories and liked them but the narrator spoiled this one for me. Had to give one star but did not want too. Will avoid his readings in future.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, great series

I've listened to 20 books in this series and enjoyed all. I've had to look up different places in Scotland to see if they exist because now i want to go there. I've also had to look up the different foods and cook them(except haggis! no way) the clothes and the soda Irn-bru, but I'm not paying $25.00 for 6 shipped to the U.S.A.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • SO
  • 02-16-21

Narrator improved

Another fun Hamish Macbeth story. Some fun twists and a few surprises.
The narrator did a bit better with several very different voices and less rhythmic reading of the narrative.

I would recommend The Hamish Macbeth series to my friends and anyone wanting a fun cozy mystery to read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Angela Brody is an interesting character!

This is one of my most favorite Hamish MacBeth mysteries. I really like the examination of women’s roles and different styles of women. And Angela is a favorite character of mine!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Hamish does it again

Love these stories, they are light and easy to listen to. Hamish always gets his man leaving inspector Blair looking foolish.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Slow Mystery

Very heavy English accent. Got used to it pretty quickly. Likable story but sloe moving.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A sweet Hamish Macbeth, with a powerful message

A newcomer changes the village While Hamish cares for his flock, in his own particular way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!