The Hidden Assassins

by: Robert Wilson

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Death of a Scriptwriter

M. C. Beaton is the pseudonym Marion Chesney uses on her Agatha Raisin and Hamish MacBeth mystery books. All in all Ms. Chesney has published over a hundred titles, many of them romance novels under various names. Death of a Scriptwriter is one of her Hamish MacBeth series, and as always, a fun read about the village of Lochdubh. In this case, the story focuses more on Lochdubh's neighboring villages, the rather dreadful hamlets of Drim and Cnothan. M. C. Beaton excels in writing with tongue firmly planted in cheek, revealing all the worst traits of human nature while giving us an entertaining look at the vast, empty stretches in the northernmost part of Scotland.

Patricia Martyn-Broyd is a has-been writer whose books haven't been in print since 1965. She made a serious error when she thought by moving to northern Scotland she'd reawaken the muse, and doesn't realize that her fixed ideas of propriety need serious updating. Unfortunately her rigid pomposity has also left her friendless and lonely in an area where nature emphasizes loneliness and exacerbates it. Meeting her in a restaurant, Hamish MacBeth sympathizes with her loneliness. He's a bit lonely himself since his engagement to Priscilla Halburton-Smythe was broken off.

However, Strathclyde Television, a somewhat sleazy company (its sleaziness unknown to Ms. Martyn-Broyd) offers to do a series based on her old books, starring Patricia's elegant and aristocratic sleuth, Lady Harriet Vere. A middle-aged protagonist, Lady Harriet Vere is the epitome of snobbish class-consciousness, and Patricia identifies with her creation completely.

The Case of the Rising Tides is to be the first of the TV productions filmed. Patricia has no idea they intend to change the plot – not only updating it but using the curvaceous, young Penelope Gates as Lady Harriet and creating a sexy series instead of the prim, boring story Patricia had written. When offered a contract with the promise that her books would be back in print, Ms. Martyn-Broyd immediately cuts Hamish off with a curt message, dreaming instead of fame and fortune.

Strathclyde Television comes to the Scottish north, seeking a place to film the story. Since they'd already gotten Patricia Martyn-Broyd's signature on a contract which gave no control to the original author, they had no intention of informing her of their visit. At Lockdubh, Jamie Gallagher, the extremely obnoxious script writer in charge, Fiona King, the producer, and Sheila Burford (presently relegated to go-fer and driver), ask Hamish where they might find a good location for filming. Taking immediate dislike to Jamie, Hamish suggests Drim.

Strathclyde settles in Drim. The resident village women immediately begin to vie for exposure on the TV screen, and soon Patricia discovers that Penelope Gates is to be her Lady Harriet Vere. Penelope is noted for her body, which she willingly bares, instead of her mind or morals, neither of which are usually much in evidence. Patricia is furious, but can do nothing, and is placated by Jamie. The TV people put on a show especially for Patricia, making her think everything will be done 'properly'.

Jamie becomes increasingly boorish, and Penelope's husband Josh discovers that in spite of her promises, Penelope is once more going naked in front of the TV cameras. Then Jamie's one success is shown to be an outright theft from another scriptwriter. So it's no real surprise when Jamie is found murdered, bashed on the head with a rock, and later Penelope herself has a mortal fall during filming.

Meanwhile, Sheila has given Hamish some hope toward a relationship, in spite of the fact that she's stood him up a number of times in order to promote another TV production with herself as the producer. It seems that the Drim minister's wife once created a successful comedy, and thought that by videotaping it she could get the village
women to stop competing for places in The Case of the Rising Tide. When she asks someone at Strathclyde TV to look at the films in order to help edit them, Sheila is the one who offers – and sees the potential.

Patricia hires MacBeth to uncover the murderers, although his superior has warned Hamish off the case. Tension escalates. There seem to have been any number of people who had reason to get rid of Jamie – and it had to be someone connected to Strathclyde TV somehow who wanted to murder Penelope.

The murderer is revealed at last – through a deception by Hamish and in front of his superior. The eventual supposed breakdown of the murderer, who is relegated to an insane asylum, is tested by Hamish, and disclosed as an act when the murderer commits suicide rather than face prison or life in the asylum. The novel ends with Hamish being stood up – again.

M. C. Beaton has completed other mystery novels since Death of a Scriptwriter (written in 1998) but it stands as a fine example of the Hamish MacBeth series. It's funny, engrossing, and lets you hate the ugly characters while condoning the better ones – showing that M.C. Beaton knows her stuff when it comes to fictional humanity. The cast here is real enough to jump off the pages in spite of the (to us) foreign setting, easily identifiable with your own personal acquaintances and perceptions. Marion Chesney, aka M. C. Beaton is a master at describing personality.

Alan Paul Curtis

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The Hidden Assassins

Death of a Scriptwriter

by M. C. Beaton

Alan Paul Curtis