DEATH OF A HUSSY

Maggie Baird is a newcomer to the highlands village of Lochdub, but she organizes a successful campaign to get Hamish MacBeth, the town's lone policeman, returned to the community from Strathbane, an ugly town where officialdom had sent him. Abrasive Maggie—twice-married, once a high—priced member of the demimonde—has prospered, retired, and run to fat. In a rare moment of compassion, she's taken into her home wimpy niece Alison Kerr, who's recovering from lung cancer. Another impulse propels her to leave Alison and housekeeper Mrs. Todd for several months of dieting and plastic surgery. Maggie comes back svelte and attractive, determined to marry again. To that end, she gathers four former swains at her house, all of them in need of money, and declares her intention to make a choice after their two-week stay; she also says that she'll change her will, which now favors Alison, to benefit whoever wins her hand. A few days later, she's dead—of a heart attack in her car, which had suddenly burst into flame. Hamish is now burdened in his investigation with a new nemesis from central headquarters, but, needless to say, it's Hamish who wraps this one up—while Alison finds romance, and Hamish's prospects with aristocratic Priscilla seem to be looking up. A heavily contrived plot and too many archly cute situations make this less than Beaton's best, but there's still plenty of lighthearted enjoyment to be had here.