Death of a Cad
Encyclopedia
Death of a Cad is a mystery
novel by M. C. Beaton (Marion Chesney
), first published in 1987
. It is the second novel in this series, set in the fictional village of Lochdubh, Northern Scotland
, featuring the local constable Hamish Macbeth
.
remains convinced it was murder, and it is Hamish who solves the crime.
. Accompanying Priscilla is Henry Withering, to whom she has recently become engaged. Henry, a committed Communist in his youth, has recently written a play which has enjoyed great success in London's West End
. The play, an old fashioned farce
, is at odds with Henry's previously unsuccessful political plays and has made him a very rich man and a popular celebrity. Priscilla's parents have invited a number of guests to a house party to celebrate the engagement. The guests are very keen to meet Henry and invitations are much sought after. The villagers of Lochdubh are delighted that the well liked Priscilla is to be married—with the exception of Hamish Macbeth
, the local policeman. Priscilla is the love of his life.
Handsome Captain Bartlett, the cad
of the title, is one of the guests. During the house party, he offends all of the guests with his boorish behaviour, seduces three women (each of whom believes herself to be the one he loves) and enters into a dubious bet based upon shooting a grouse
. He is found dead, apparently the victim of an accident with a shotgun, or possibly a suicide. No-one regrets his death, as each guest has been subjected to Bartlett's callous rudeness either at the party or in the past.
Hamish Macbeth's suspicions that Captain Bartlett has been murdered meet with scorn from his archenemy
, Chief Inspector Blair, of the fictional Strathbane Police and Priscilla's snobbish father, Colonel Halburton-Smythe. As the house party guests are all "posh" people, both Blair and the Colonel deem the village copper's involvement in the affair inappropriate. Hamish remains convinced he is dealing with murder and that one of the house guests is responsible.
With his usual disregard for authority, Hamish follows his instincts and uses his knowledge of the local community to elicit information that eludes the hectoring, bullying Blair. It is murder and Hamish reveals who has taken the time and the trouble to perpetrate the death of a cad.
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
novel by M. C. Beaton (Marion Chesney
Marion Chesney
Marion Chesney is a popular and prolific author. She has written numerous successful historical romance novels under her own name, including the Travelling Matchmaker and Daughters of Mannerling series. Using the pseudonym M. C...
), first published in 1987
1987 in literature
The year 1987 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tom Wolfe was paid $5 million for the film rights to his novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities, the most ever earned by an author, at the time.-Fiction:...
. It is the second novel in this series, set in the fictional village of Lochdubh, Northern Scotland
Northern Scotland
Northern Scotland is an administrative division of Scotland used for police and fire services. It consists of Highland, the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands and the Western Isles. The police service uses Northern in its name, but the fire service uses the name Highlands and Islands Fire and...
, featuring the local constable Hamish Macbeth
Hamish Macbeth
Hamish Macbeth is a fictional police officer who serves as his town's detective in a series of mystery novels created by M. C. Beaton . The novels are published in the UK by Constable & Robinson. In an interview, the author recalls,...
.
Plot introduction
When Captain Bartlett, one of the house guests at Trommel Castle, dies, the police are quick to call it an accident. Only Hamish MacbethHamish Macbeth
Hamish Macbeth is a fictional police officer who serves as his town's detective in a series of mystery novels created by M. C. Beaton . The novels are published in the UK by Constable & Robinson. In an interview, the author recalls,...
remains convinced it was murder, and it is Hamish who solves the crime.
Plot
Priscilla Halburton-Smythe returns from London to her family home, Trommel Castle, in the fictional village of Lochdubh in Northern ScotlandNorthern Scotland
Northern Scotland is an administrative division of Scotland used for police and fire services. It consists of Highland, the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands and the Western Isles. The police service uses Northern in its name, but the fire service uses the name Highlands and Islands Fire and...
. Accompanying Priscilla is Henry Withering, to whom she has recently become engaged. Henry, a committed Communist in his youth, has recently written a play which has enjoyed great success in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. The play, an old fashioned farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
, is at odds with Henry's previously unsuccessful political plays and has made him a very rich man and a popular celebrity. Priscilla's parents have invited a number of guests to a house party to celebrate the engagement. The guests are very keen to meet Henry and invitations are much sought after. The villagers of Lochdubh are delighted that the well liked Priscilla is to be married—with the exception of Hamish Macbeth
Hamish Macbeth
Hamish Macbeth is a fictional police officer who serves as his town's detective in a series of mystery novels created by M. C. Beaton . The novels are published in the UK by Constable & Robinson. In an interview, the author recalls,...
, the local policeman. Priscilla is the love of his life.
Handsome Captain Bartlett, the cad
Rake (character)
A rake, short for rakehell, is a historic term applied to a man who is habituated to immoral conduct, frequently a heartless womanizer. Often a rake was a man who wasted his fortune on gambling, wine, women and song, incurring lavish debts in the process...
of the title, is one of the guests. During the house party, he offends all of the guests with his boorish behaviour, seduces three women (each of whom believes herself to be the one he loves) and enters into a dubious bet based upon shooting a grouse
Grouse
Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are sometimes considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae...
. He is found dead, apparently the victim of an accident with a shotgun, or possibly a suicide. No-one regrets his death, as each guest has been subjected to Bartlett's callous rudeness either at the party or in the past.
Hamish Macbeth's suspicions that Captain Bartlett has been murdered meet with scorn from his archenemy
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
, Chief Inspector Blair, of the fictional Strathbane Police and Priscilla's snobbish father, Colonel Halburton-Smythe. As the house party guests are all "posh" people, both Blair and the Colonel deem the village copper's involvement in the affair inappropriate. Hamish remains convinced he is dealing with murder and that one of the house guests is responsible.
With his usual disregard for authority, Hamish follows his instincts and uses his knowledge of the local community to elicit information that eludes the hectoring, bullying Blair. It is murder and Hamish reveals who has taken the time and the trouble to perpetrate the death of a cad.